The best beach destinations
107 places we'd send a beach-first traveler, from household names to under-the-radar picks.
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Aitutaki, Cook Islands One of the Pacific's bluest lagoons, best in dry-season winter -
Alofi, Niue Snorkel with whales over coral chasms on the tiny rock island -
Amalfi Coast, Italy Cliffside lemon villages over blue sea, dreamiest in early summer -
Atauro Island, Timor-Leste One of Earth's richest reefs off a sleepy island, dry-season diving -
Bacalar, Mexico Seven-shade freshwater lagoon at its clearest in winter dry season -
Barbados Turquoise west-coast bays and Bridgetown rum, dry sunny winter -
Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sailors' harbor and quiet Grenadine beaches in dry-season sun -
Bermuda Pink-sand coves and pastel towns in warm mid-Atlantic summer -
Bocas del Toro, Panama Caribbean archipelago of stilt bungalows, driest in February -
Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands Shore diving on pristine reefs, below the hurricane belt -
Bora Bora, French Polynesia Overwater lagoon blues in the cooler, dry June-to-October window -
Bornholm, Denmark Baltic sun island of smokehouses and cliffs, quiet before peak summer -
Busan, South Korea Hillside mural villages and seafood markets by the beach, warm coast -
Cádiz, Spain Roman ruins and Atlantic beaches, roaring February Carnaval -
Cairns, Australia Dry-season reef trips with clear water and no summer stingers -
Camiguin, Philippines Volcano isle of waterfalls and hot springs, calm dry-season dives -
Catalina Island, USA Art Deco Casino above a yacht harbor, sunny SoCal summer swims -
Cinque Terre, Italy Five cliff villages linked by sea trails, best in calm September -
Con Dao, Vietnam Empty islands of turtle nesting and reefs, calm seas in dry months -
Cumberland Island, USA Wild horses on empty dune beaches, mild and bug-free spring -
Dahab, Egypt Red Sea free-diving off the Blue Hole, laid-back Bedouin coast -
Dubrovnik, Croatia Sea-walled old town and Adriatic swims, best in shoulder warmth -
El Nido, Philippines Bacuit Bay's limestone lagoons by boat, dry and calm in high season -
Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Blue holes, WWII wrecks and Champagne Beach in the dry season -
Essaouira, Morocco Atlantic ramparts and gnawa rhythms on a breezy trade-wind coast -
Exmouth, Australia Swim beside whale sharks off the reef in autumn's clear water -
Freycinet, Australia Wineglass Bay hikes and oyster farms in warm, dry Tasmanian summer -
Fuvahmulah, Maldives A one-island atoll where tiger sharks patrol the dry-season blue -
Galle, Sri Lanka Dutch-walled fort over the south coast, dry and golden in winter -
Gokarna, India Goa's quieter cousin: temple-town beaches, dry winter swells -
Grenada Spice markets and rainforest falls on the calm southern coast -
Harbour Island, Bahamas Blush pink-sand beaches and pastel cottages in dry winter -
Hoi An, Vietnam Lantern-lit old town and tailor shops, dry before autumn floods -
Île de Ré, France Atlantic bike island of whitewashed villages, oysters and salt marshes -
Isle of Harris, Scotland Hebridean white-sand beaches and turquoise water, empty even in July -
Jeju Island, South Korea Volcanic craters and lava-tube coast, green tea fields and spring hikes -
Jose Ignacio, Uruguay Uruguay's chic beach village, buzzing in January high summer -
Kaş, Turkey Lycian coast diving and harbor tavernas on the turquoise sea -
Kauai, USA Na Pali cliffs and quiet beaches in dry shoulder-season sun -
Koh Kood, Thailand Thailand's last quiet island: jungle waterfalls, dry-season clarity -
Koh Lanta, Thailand Long, laid-back Andaman sands, dry and swimmable in high season -
Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia White-sand Saracen Bay and bioluminescent nights, dry-season calm -
Ksamil, Albania Ionian white-sand coves and clear water, Riviera before the crowds -
La Digue, Seychelles Granite boulders over Anse Source d'Argent, calm inter-monsoon seas -
Labuan Bajo, Indonesia Gateway to Komodo dragons and Padar's ridgelines, dry-season seas -
Lamu, Kenya Car-free Swahili island of dhows and coral-stone lanes -
Lord Howe Island, Australia Capped-visitor island: empty beaches and lagoon snorkeling in summer -
Los Angeles, USA Getty views and taco trucks, warm clear World-Cup-year spring -
Mancora, Peru Peru's warm north-coast surf beach, sunniest December to March -
Margaret River, Australia Surf breaks and cellar-door wineries, sunny southern-autumn harvest -
Mauritius Lagoon reefs and volcanic peaks, dry cool-season snorkeling -
Mendocino, USA Foggy headlands and redwood coast in warm Indian-summer light -
Menorca, Spain Mallorca's calm sister: hidden calas of turquoise water, quiet in July -
Messinia, Greece Voidokilia's crescent bay and Pylos ruins, golden Peloponnese summer -
Miches, Dominican Republic Quiet palm coastline and eco-lodges, dry sunny Caribbean winter -
Mindelo, Cape Verde Morna music bars and Atlantic bays, breezy dry-season nights -
Møn, Denmark Chalk cliffs and dark-sky beaches, long light Baltic summer -
Moorea, French Polynesia Jagged green peaks and stingray shallows in dry-season calm -
Naxos, Greece Cyclades island of long sandy beaches and mountain villages -
Nevis, St. Kitts and Nevis Plantation inns and a rainforest volcano in quiet winter calm -
Nice, France Riviera promenade and old town markets under warm shoulder-season sun -
Nida, Lithuania Sand-dune spit between lagoon and sea, still and warm in summer -
Ohrid, North Macedonia Ancient lakeside churches and clear swims, mellow before peak -
Okinawa, Japan White Ryukyu beaches and longevity cuisine, warm clear early summer -
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica Corcovado rainforest and empty beaches, wildlife-rich dry season -
Ostuni, Italy Puglia's white hill town, olive groves and Adriatic swims into October -
Paraty, Brazil Colonial port between rainforest and sea, driest in winter -
Perhentian Islands, Malaysia Turtle snorkeling off clear sands, open only outside the monsoon -
Phuket, Thailand Limestone bays and beach clubs, calm sunny high-season swims -
Prince Edward Island, Canada Red-cliff coast and lobster suppers in soft island summer -
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Powder-white Grace Bay and reef dives in dry winter calm -
Quy Nhon, Vietnam Quiet crescent beaches and Cham towers, warm dry-season sea -
Raja Ampat, Indonesia Earth's richest reefs and karst lagoons, calmest October to April -
Rarotonga, Cook Islands Lagoon-ringed island on scooter time in the dry winter months -
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Beaches, Christ the Redeemer and Carnival in the February summer -
Rock Islands, Palau Kayak jade islets and jellyfish lakes in dry-season clarity -
Rote Island, Indonesia Hidden dry-season surf and empty palm-lined shores -
Rovinj, Croatia Istrian fishing port of truffles, olive oil, and coastal sunsets -
Rügen, Germany White chalk cliffs and Baltic resort piers in bright summer -
Saadiyat Island, United Arab Emirates Louvre and new Guggenheim on a white-sand island, cool winter museum days -
Saint-Malo, France Walled corsair city on the Channel, ramparts pounded by huge tides -
San Sebastián, Spain Basque pintxos capital on a perfect shell-shaped surf bay -
Sanibel Island, USA Shell-strewn Gulf beaches and refuge trails, calm sunny winter -
Santorini, Greece Caldera-edge sunsets and volcanic beaches, radiant late spring -
Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe Cocoa plantations and empty jungle beaches on the equator -
Sardinia, Italy Turquoise coves and nuraghe ruins, warm swimmable early-autumn sea -
Sayulita, Mexico Boho Pacific surf town with gray whales offshore December to March -
Siargao, Philippines Cloud 9 barrels and palm-lagoon hops, best before typhoon season -
Siquijor, Philippines Folklore island of waterfalls and white sand, driest in spring -
Split, Croatia Roman palace turned living old town on the Dalmatian coast -
St Davids, Wales Britain's tiniest city on a wild coast path of cliffs and seals -
St Ives, England Cornish sea light, surf beaches and Tate galleries by the harbor -
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Two-thirds parkland, snorkel coves and hills in winter dry -
Stone Town, Tanzania Swahili-Omani alleys and spice markets, dry-season trade winds -
Swakopmund, Namibia German-colonial coast where dunes meet cold Atlantic fog -
Sydney, Australia Harbour swims and coastal walks in warm, dry early-autumn light -
Syracuse, Italy Baroque Ortigia island: sea-lapped lanes and Greek ruins in Sicily -
Tofino, Canada Surf breaks and old-growth rainforest on the wild Pacific edge -
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka East-coast whale runs and Nilaveli sand at their calm summer best -
Tulum, Mexico Caribbean cenotes and cliff-top Maya ruins under winter dry skies -
Upolu, Samoa Swim the To Sua ocean trench and waterfalls in dry-season sun -
Varkala, India Red laterite cliffs over Kerala's Arabian Sea, dry-season sunsets -
Vava'u, Tonga Swim alongside humpback whales in the July-to-October season -
Vieques, Puerto Rico Glowing bioluminescent bay and wild horses, dry-season nights -
Virginia Beach, USA Boardwalk sands and nearby wildlife refuges, warm bright summer -
Waiheke Island, New Zealand Ferry-close vineyards and quiet beaches in peak summer -
Yasawa Islands, Fiji Barefoot island-hopping and cave swims in Fiji's dry season