Picking your favourite beach is incredibly subjective.
Maybe the water quality wasn’t the best you’ve ever experienced, but you have a special memory there, like a proposal. Maybe you’d spent the day sweating on a long walking tour of a city, and dipping your feet in the cool waters gave you the relief you so desperately needed. Maybe it’s just your local hang out.
Luckily for us, the team at Beach.com have looked at the cold, hard data and come up with a ranking that removes any subjectivity.
To create the list of top 25 best beaches in the world, the team surveyed 58 travel experts, content creators and local authorities to come up with a longlist of 226 beaches.
Using NASA MODIS-Aqua satellite data, the water colour and clarity of each spot was evaluated, while analysis was done on more than 93,000 Google Maps reviews to see how visitors felt about the beaches’ accessibility, environment, facilities and overall vibe.
Factors like how close it is to the nearest major airport and climate data to show optimal travel windows were also taken into account.
And after all that number crunching, there was one clear winner: Trunk Bay on Saint John in the US Virgin Islands.
The beach was among the most widely expert-recommended, it has some of the bluest waters in the world, and you can visit it with good weather conditions for 10 months a year.
Writing about why the beach is so special, travel creator Savanna Crowell said: “It’s tucked inside a national park, with the most stunning mountain backdrop rising behind it.
“And as if that wasn’t enough, you still get the dream combo – soft white sand and those unreal, turquoise-blue waters. It almost doesn’t feel real until you’re standing in it.”
The top beaches in Europe
Greece’s Elafonissi Beach, which is near Chania on Crete, came out in second place.
Experts named it as an excellent beach for families thanks to its walkable lagoon, and with pink sands and turquoise waters, it’s certainly photo-friendly.
Also known as Zlatni Rat, Golden Horn Beach in Croatia ranked fifth overall. Located on the island of Brač, you can take a catamaran from Split directly to Bol, the town near the beach, before walking to Zlatni Rat.
The waters are some of the clearest I’ve ever experienced, and it’s a must-visit on any trip to Split.
Just one other European beach made the top 10: Praia da Falésia in Portugal, which came in ninth place.
Found on the Algarve coast, it was recommended by several experts and was praised for its pristine environment.
The top 10 best beaches in the world
- Trunk Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands
- Elafonissi Beach, Crete, Greece
- Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos
- Flamenco Beach, Puerto Rico, USA
- Golden Horn Beach, Croatia
- Palolem Beach, India
- Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
- Playa Balandra, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal
- Eagle Beach, Aruba
The full list is available on Beach.com.