15 Most Beautiful Beaches In The World 2024

Hello, Gay’s, and welcome back. Today we are taking you to paradise, which we’re defining as a tropical island with clear blue water, miles of sand, and spectacular views. Yes, every island beach is beautiful in its own way, but some certainly stand out more than others.

Today we’re looking at the island beaches that top the list of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Whether big or small, islands offer new experiences and an escape from the reality of day-to-day life.

We have looked all over the world to identify the most beautiful and desirable island beach locations, so you might as well start packing now because you are about to get some vacation inspiration.

The beaches in this article are stunningly beautiful and very unique. Here are the list of 15 most beautiful beaches in the world:

15 Most Beautiful Beaches In The World 2024

#15: Jökulsárlón Beach, Iceland

Jökulsárlón is a huge glacial lake in the Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, and is home to one of the most bizarre beaches you’ll ever see. Due to the continuous melting of the nearby glaciers, it’s constantly increasing in size and is now four times the size it was in the 1970s.

With a constant supply of icebergs floating in the water, the geographical features that form here are breathtaking. Most spectacular is the Diamond Beach, which is made up of fine particles of black volcanic rock. Here, pieces of crystallized ice are washed ashore from the lake, and at certain times of day, when the light is right, it feels like you’ve been transported to an entirely different world.

• Places to Visit: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, Vatnajökull National Park.
• Attractive Food: Icelandic lamb soup, Skyr (Icelandic yogurt), fresh seafood.
• Best Hotels: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, Hali Country Hotel.
• Best Time to Visit: May to October

#14: Vaadhoo Beach, Maldives

Also known as the Sea of Stars, Vaadhoo Beach is one of the most entrancing places on earth, thanks to the abundance of bioluminescent plankton that live in the coastal waters. The island itself is tiny, with only 500 permanent residents. It is one of the most popular places in the Maldives because of this naturally occurring phenomenon.

The glow of the plankton is actually a defensive measure and is triggered by nearby movement. This means that the crash of the waves or even the soft press of a footprint is enough to trigger it, and if you’re there in the evening or at night, the effect is awe-inspiring. Similar things can be seen on a few other beaches in the world during certain seasons, but at Vaadhoo, it’s visible year-round.

• Places to Visit: Sea of Stars phenomenon, coral reefs, local fishing villages.
• Attractive Food: Maldivian fish curry, Garudhiya (fish soup), Mas Huni (tuna salad).
• Best Hotels: Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, The Residence Maldives.
• Best Time to Visit: December to April

#13: Red Sand Beach, Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands are well known for their unique biodiversity, but it’s not just the plants and wildlife that are unusual; the geographical features are unlike anywhere else on earth too. On Rabida Island, thanks to its volcanic coastline, the beaches aren’t covered in the white sand you might expect, but they are a deep, rich red color.

The reason for this is the high levels of iron that are present after countless eruptions over the millennia. It makes for a stunning view across the surrounding waters, and if you ever make the trip there, you’ll find yourself in good company with large herds of sea lions and colonies of blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, and finches that call this place home.

• Places to Visit: Rabida Island, Galapagos sea lion colony, snorkeling spots.
• Attractive Food: Fresh seafood, ceviche, Galapagos lobster.
• Best Hotels: Royal Palm Hotel, Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel.
• Best Time to Visit: December to May

#12: Papakolea Beach, Hawaii

When you think of an ideal beach, you’ll probably picture either perfectly white or golden yellow sand, but what about green? There are four known naturally green beaches in the world, but the most impressive can be found on the Big Island in Hawaii. Papakolea Beach is in a bay that’s formed by a volcanic cone and was formed around 49,000 years ago.

Rather than being the result of algae or dye, the sand is this unusual color because it has been formed by naturally green rocks. When volcanoes erupt, they release various minerals, one of the most common of which is olivine, which contains both iron and magnesium. It’s one of the first to crystallize as magma cools, and this is what gives the green color because the iron is present in ferrous form.

• Places to Visit: Green Sand Beach, South Point, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
• Attractive Food: Poke bowls, Kalua pig, Loco Moco.
• Best Hotels: Sea Mountain Resort, Volcano House.
• Best Time to Visit: May to September

#11: Glass Beach, California

You usually think of a beach as being made up of sand or stones, but there’s one in California that’s completely different because it’s actually completely covered in glass. Located close to Fort Bragg, this is the result of years and years of garbage disposal along the nearby coastline. The crashing waves pummeled the glass and pottery and turned them into small, smooth, rounded pieces that were then washed ashore. The beach is therefore completely safe to walk along and a vibrant blend of colors.

Jewelry makers often go there to find parts for their designs, and it’s such a beautiful place that more than 1,000 people visit per day during the summer months. The main Glass Beach, along with two others that are nearby, proves just how much of an impact human waste disposal can have on an ecosystem, but at the same time, shows that it’s not necessarily always such a bad thing.

• Places to Visit: Fort Bragg, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Skunk Train.
• Attractive Food: Clam chowder, Dungeness crab, sourdough bread.
• Best Hotels: Beachcomber Motel, North Cliff Hotel.
• Best Time to Visit: Late November to early April

Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World 2024

#10: Zlatni Rat Beach, Croatia

Also known as the Golden Cape, Zlatni Rat Beach is one of the best you can visit in the Mediterranean, and amazingly, each time you go, it’ll always be slightly different. That’s because the spit of land, which is about a mile to the west of the town of Bol, is subjected to strong ocean currents that are continually reshaping it.

Most of the land is covered with white pebbles to form a 2,080-foot long beach, but in the center, there’s a pine grove that conceals the remains of a Roman villa and its still-operating swimming pool. The far end of the beach, which points south, is where the most changes occur.

It usually curls in an easterly direction, but during certain winds in the summer, it’ll completely shift to the west. Surrounded by cool ocean waters, this beach is one of the most popular in Croatia and is the perfect place to relax when temperatures soar.

• Places to Visit: Bol town, Vidova Gora, Dominican Monastery.
• Attractive Food: Peka (meat and vegetables), fresh seafood, Croatian wine.
• Best Hotels: Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa, Zlatni Rat Beach Resort.
• Best Time to Visit: June to September

#9: Cathedral Beach, Spain

It may seem like an unusual name to have, but once you see what Cathedral Beach looks like, it’ll all soon become clear. It’s on the northwestern coast of Spain, and in the local language, it’s called Praia de Augas Santas, which means Beach of the Holy Waters. The cliff face here has been subjected to the powerful forces of the Atlantic Ocean, which has carved the rock in a way that looks almost like Gothic architecture.

The arches these processes have formed are more than 90 feet tall, and the coastal walls are littered with cracks that serve as the entrances to hidden caves behind. It’s undoubtedly one of the most stunning beaches in the world, and in an added twist, during low tide, you can walk through, but during high tide, the area is completely underwater and provides an equally impressive opportunity for a boat ride through the arches. Do you watch World’s most beautiful Fountains.?

• Places to Visit: Ribadeo, Playa de las Catedrales, Lugo.
• Attractive Food: Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician octopus), empanada, Albariño wine.
• Best Hotels: Parador de Ribadeo, Hotel O Cabazo.
• Best Time to Visit: May to September

#8: Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles

Often voted the most beautiful beach in the world and easily one of the most photographed, Anse Source d’Argent is truly an otherworldly paradise. It’s on the island of La Digue in the Seychelles and is surrounded by emerald-colored, clear, warm water and has fine, perfectly white sand. The thing that makes this place truly unique, though, is the presence of huge granite boulders along the shoreline.

They’ve been smoothed by the action of the waves and the sand that’s blown in the wind, and they look simply magical. Images don’t do this place justice as they look as if they’ve been painted, and it’s only when you set foot on the beach that you see how real it is. Add to this the rich biodiversity in the water, with large numbers of fish and turtles that can be seen from the shoreline, and it’s virtually guaranteed that you’ll never want to leave.

• Places to Visit: La Digue Island, L’Union Estate, Veuve Nature Reserve.
• Attractive Food: Grilled fish, octopus curry, tropical fruits.
• Best Hotels: Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie, La Digue Island Lodge.
• Best Time to Visit: May to September

7 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World 2024

#7: Star Sand Beach, Japan

At first, when you walk across the sandy beaches of Taketomi Island in Japan, you might not think there’s anything too different from other beaches you’ve visited, but if you take a closer look, you’ll soon realize this beach is one of the most unusual in the world. That’s because here, mixed in with the sand particles, are the husks of millions upon millions of tiny organisms called foraminifera, and the particular species that are native to the waters are star-shaped in appearance.

If you pick up just a small handful of sand, you’ll have hundreds of stars in your hand, which is why this place is commonly referred to as the Star Sand Beach. This isn’t the only beach in the area where you can see this, although it’s by far the largest. Next time someone asks you if there are more grains of sand on the beach or stars in the sky, then remember this beach in Japan, as it proves the answer isn’t quite as simple as it first seems.

• Places to Visit: Taketomi Island, Iriomote Island, Hoshizuna Beach.
• Attractive Food: Okinawan soba, goya champuru (bitter melon stir-fry), sata andagi (Okinawan doughnuts).
• Best Hotels: Hoshinoya Taketomi Island, Iriomote Hotel.
• Best Time to Visit: Low tide periods

#6: Benagil Sea Cave Beach, Portugal

If you’ve been searching for somewhere with crystal clear water, perfect sand, and isolation from the rest of the world, then the Benagil Sea Cave Beach in Portugal is ideal. It’s on the Algarve, and thanks to the soft rock formations in the area, the tidal forces have carved incredible structures with arches and a giant skylight with a beach nestled inside.

It almost looks as if Neptune himself created this idyllic getaway, and it provides the perfect relaxing retreat. When the sun shines in, it illuminates the amber hues of the layered walls, and it is much larger inside than you think when looking at it from a distance.

The thing that makes it special is that you can’t simply walk there. The only way to access it is through one of the arches in the sea. This means you need a kayak or a boat to get there, and there’s never too many people who have made the trip on any given day.

• Places to Visit: Benagil Cave, Praia da Marinha, Carvoeiro.
• Attractive Food: Cataplana (seafood stew), grilled sardines, pastel de nata (custard tart).
• Best Hotels: Tivoli Carvoeiro, Rocha Brava Village Resort.
• Best Time to Visit: Late spring (June) and late summer (September)

#5: Whitehaven Beach, Australia

If you’re looking for crystal white sands and turquoise-colored sea, then there’s simply no better place in the world to visit than Whitehaven Beach. The 4.3-mile long stretch of coastline is on Whitsunday Island in Australia, which is amongst the Great Barrier Reef and means the water is teeming with life. The reason why the sand is so spectacular is because of its extremely high silica content.

Unusually, none of the local rocks contain silica, so it’s thought that all of the sand has been washed in by sea currents over millions of years. This has made it take on properties far different from what you might be used to, and it’s known for its inability to absorb heat, so no matter how hot the day is, you’ll still be able to walk across the beach barefoot without feeling the need to hop and skip.

• Places to Visit: Hill Inlet, Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef.
• Attractive Food: Barramundi, Moreton Bay bugs (lobster), lamingtons.
• Best Hotels: Qualia Resort, InterContinental Hayman Island Resort.
• Best Time to Visit: May to October.

#4: Hot Water Beach, New Zealand

Instead of being an extremely cold place, there are certain parts of New Zealand where geothermal activity is extremely close to the surface, and this creates an amazing phenomenon that you can see at Hot Water Beach. Here, just beneath the sand, there are springs of hot water that seep to the surface.

By simply digging a small pool, you’ll be able to create a hot tub where you can relax in the warm water, and as the tide goes out, you’ll be able to relax there for hours on end, with a perfect view of the ocean, under the rays of the sun.

This is one of the only places in the world where you can do this, and the mix of cold and warm water makes this one of the most memorable experiences you can have. It’s a great thing to do in winter, and people come from miles around to give it a go.

• Places to Visit: Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula, Hahei.
• Attractive Food: Green-lipped mussels, fish and chips, pavlova.
• Best Hotels: The Church Accommodation, Hahei Bed & Breakfast.
• Best Time to Visit: November to March.

#3: Koekohe Beach, New Zealand

Located along the Otago coast on New Zealand’s south island, Koekohe Beach has an eerie sight, unlike anywhere else in the world. Hundreds of large spherical boulders line the beach, which almost look like the fossilized remains of dinosaur eggs, and even though this isn’t what they are, they are a natural phenomenon that formed around 60 million years ago.

The exposed boulders are an amazing sight, with some of them measuring more than seven feet across, and several hundred more are still hidden beneath the sand or cliff face. Researchers believe they formed in much the same way as pearls do. However, it took considerably longer. As the cliff faces are eroded away by the ocean, more of them are gradually revealed, so each time you go, you’ll be able to see something new.

• Places to Visit: Moeraki Boulders, Oamaru, Dunedin.
• Attractive Food: Bluff oysters, whitebait fritters, hokey pokey ice cream.
• Best Hotels: Pen-y-bryn Lodge, Brydone Hotel Oamaru.
• Best Time to Visit: November to March.

#2: Pfeiffer Beach, California

Pfeiffer Beach, which can be found in Big Sur in California, is another place where the sand itself provides stunning views, but unlike the green of Papakolea Beach, the sand here is purple. The beach itself isn’t signposted, so you need to know what you’re looking for.

Still, once you get there, you’ll be amazed at what you see. The purple hues are caused by manganese garnet particles that wash down from the nearby hillside and intermingle with the other sand. At different times of the year, the entire beach can be purple, but even if you don’t get the full effect, you’ll still be able to see patches of purple, particularly after it’s rained.

If the vibrant colors aren’t enough, there’s another amazing feature here too. The rock formations have formed into natural arches through which the setting sun lines up perfectly, making this one of the best places in the world to watch the sunset.

• Places to Visit: Big Sur, Bixby Creek Bridge, McWay Falls.
• Attractive Food: Abalone, artichokes, sourdough bread.
• Best Hotels: Post Ranch Inn, Ventana Big Sur.
• Best Time to Visit: September to November.

#1: Playa Del Amor, Mexico

Commonly referred to as the Hidden Beach, Playa Del Amor is one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world and is actually quite hard to get to. It’s part of the Marieta Islands off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, and if you didn’t know it was there, you’d easily miss it because the beach is in the middle of a hollowed-out crater on one of the islands.

It was formed when the Mexican military used the islands as a test range and then eroded by natural forces, and the result is the most stunning sight you’ll ever see. To get there, you’ll need a boat, and when you arrive at the shore, you need to swim through a tunnel to gain access to the beach. The white sand and clear waters make it a perfect place to spend the day, and the unusual setting only adds to the experience.

• Places to Visit: Marietas Islands, Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita.
• Attractive Food: Tacos al pastor, ceviche, churros.
• Best Hotels: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit.
• Best Time to Visit: December to April.

---

This article features the world’s 15 most beautiful beaches, from Iceland’s glacier-formed Jökulsárlón Beach to Mexico’s secluded Playa Del Amor. Each beach showcases nature’s extraordinary beauty and diversity. Whether it’s Iceland’s volcanic black sands, the Maldives’ bioluminescent plankton, or New Zealand’s spherical boulders, these beaches offer unparalleled experiences that captivate and inspire travelers.

FAQ’s