World's best beaches !

When sea meets sand, beautiful things can happen

By CNNGo staff 17 October, 2011

Beaches are the Valium of the travel world. They soothe, they relax, they make you realize that "real life" occasionally needs escaping. 

Most of all, these slivers of sand against the ocean are a reminder that the world can be quite beautiful. 

Of course, we'd be fools to think we've captured every great beach out there. If you think we've missed a few, let us know: what's your favorite beach? Comment below.  

Sun Island Beach, Maldives

 

Need to buy some milk? Leave the car keys, grab a snorkel.
Recognized in some polls as the world's best beach, this diamond in the middle of the Indian Ocean has become a favorite with celebs and rich honeymooners drawn by the thought of sleeping over the water, literally. 

Nearby resorts offer luxury bungalows on stilts in the water, where you can be sent to sleep with the sound of real water lapping at your doorstep, not the fake kind from you iPhone app. 

Nearby coral reefs attract thousands of tropical fish, snorkelers and divers.

But you don't even need to be a water baby to enjoy the scenery -- parts of the reef are visible from the beach, so clear is the water. 

The Hilton Maldives Resort and Spa is located on Rangali and Rangalifinolhu Islands in the South Ari Atoll, 90 kilometers southwest of the capital city, Male.

Nungwi, Zanzibar

 

Out of Africa, but planning to go straight back.
The island of Zanzibar has long been loved by intrepid travelers for its enigmatic old Stone Town and 30 or so pristine beaches.

Tourists tend to gravitate towards Nungwi, a settlement located along the coast of north Zanzibar. In Nungwi’s extremely shallow shores, travelers can quite literally walk on water, with baby formula sand between their toes.

The azure waters and coral around Nungwi are home to scores of marine creatures.

Nungwi can be reached by bus, tourist minibus or hired vehicle from Zanzibar.

Boulders Beach, Cape Town

 

"Last at the bar buys the round."
At Boulders Beach, you’ll find one of the scenes that South Africa is most famous for -- penguins on a beach.

Boulders Beach is home to a colony of 3,000 jackass penguins that can be easily spotted waddling in and out of the sea.

The best place to see the penguins is from a special viewing boardwalk constructed on nearby Foxy Beach. 

Boulders Beach forms part of the Table Mountain National Park. 

Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

 

Best seats in the house for the humpback whale show.
Affectionately known as Provos, this 40-kilometer-long island, part of the Turks and Caicos archipelago, gives up half its length to one of the world's finest stretches of sand. 

Now that the word is out, tourism infrastructure on Providenciales is developing a bit faster than some people would like.

Grace Bay Beach, a stunning, 19-kilometer stretch of sugary white sand, is host to most of the island's resorts. Other parts of the island, such as the Copper Jack beaches, still feel undiscovered.

Diving at Providenciales is world class, with stacks of healthy coral close to shore. The island is also close to a humpback whale migration route.

Many international airlines offer daily flights to Providenciales from several U.S. cities, Europe, the Bahamas and Caribbean cities.

Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand

 

In beaches at least, Leo DiCaprio has great taste.
Yes, it’s filled with tourists, thanks in part to Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in “The Beach,” which was filmed here. But there’s a reason Maya Bay is still on our list -- it’s just too perfect to pass up.

Maya Bay is a white sand beach hugged by steep limestone cliffs. Coral reefs make it an excellent spot for snorkeling.

Thousands of people visit the bay every day, so if you want to avoid the crowds, try to visit early in the morning or after 5 p.m. 

From Phi Phi Don you can rent a longtail boat for 1,000 baht (US$32) for three hours, or 2,000 baht (US$64) for a full day, maximum four passengers, to get to the island.

Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

 

Almost as if God saw a postcard, and made a beach to match.
If you’re a beach bum you’ve probably already heard of, or visited, or fallen in love with, Malaysia’s Perhentian Islands.

The two main islands are the backpacker-happy Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian Island), and Pulau Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian Island), which has slightly more expensive accommodation.

Dive in the crystal blue waters off Pulau Perhentian Kecil and you’re almost guaranteed to swim with sea turtles and small sharks.

Hang around the island’s beach-side restaurants at 5 p.m. to watch fishermen bring in the day’s catch and haggle with restaurant owners.

The only way to get to the Perhentian Islands is by sea. Boat services are available from Kuala Besut.

Tulum, Mexico

 

Along with Normandy's D-Day beaches, a beach where you get a history lesson with your tan.
There aren’t many places in the world where people can swim in the shadow of ancient Mayan ruins. Mexico’s Tulum is one of them.

Tulum is famous for being the home of a Mayan archeological ruin that teeters on the edge of a sheer cliff. Beneath it, baby powder sands and jade green waters glisten.

The dramatically situated ruin makes it one of the three big Mayan sites for tourists, the other two being Chichen Itza in Mexico and Tikal in Guatemala.

The Yucatan's turquoise cenotes and excellent diving are also tourist draws. Everything from mega-resorts to thatched cabanas offering boutique accommodations are available.

Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia

 

Watercolors are made of this.
With more than four kilometers of sand that is 98 percent pure silica -- so clean it squeaks -- Whitehaven Beach is part of the Whitsunday Islands National Park.

As part of the park’s conservation policy, visitors have to register with a tour guide for access, and can stay only for a few hours. That’s one way it maintains its postcard-like perfection. 

Local conservation efforts here have been internationally applauded. In 2010, the beach won CNN’s Most Eco Friendly Beach award. 

Watch out for jellyfish in summer. For those who’d rather look like a condom than get stung, most tour boats provide head-to-toe, skin-tight stinger suits. 

Whitehaven Beach is a natural park, so tour boats can stay only for brief periods.

Champagne Beach, Vanuatu

 

If only this WAS a beach full of Champagne.
The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu broke into the headlines a few years ago when the Happy Planet Index ranked it the happiest nation on earth. With beaches like this, how could locals not be euphoric?

The crescent of sand at Champagne Beach looks upon a lagoon fringed with coral. The beach gets its name from a phenomenon witnessed by the first travelers to the region -- the shallow waters appear to fizz at low tide, as if the beach is swimming in bubbly.

In truth, the effect is caused by gas escaping from volcanic rocks on the sea floor. 

On the east coast of Espiritu Santo, the country's biggest island, Champagne Beach is a relatively popular tourist destination, particularly with Australian cruise shippers, though it does retain a quiet, laid-back feel. 

There is no public transportation to the beach. For information on how to access the beach, Champagne Beach Road, Lonnoc Village, North East Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu

Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles

 

The beach that makes everyone with a camera feel talented.
A major contender for the top spot, this ribbon of sand on the Seychelles’ third-largest island, La Dique, mixes salt-white and flamingo-pink sands to create one of the most photographed beaches in the world.

A reef keeps the water calm, so make the most of rental snorkels to explore the shallow waters, after which you can explore granite boulders further inland.

The nearby restaurant, Lanbousir, offers local Creole dishes, including the tempting fruit-bat curry. DIY lovers can fix their own picnic from a supermarket just five minutes from the beach.

From the Seychelles’ main island of Mahe, take a ferry to the jetty at La Passe, on La Dique Island. From there flag down an ox-cart to L'Union Estate. A footpath leads to Anse Source d'Argent. There's a small entrance fee for non-residents.

Matira Beach, Bora Bora, Tahiti

 

No parties, but a whole bunch of dreams realized.
Bora Bora is like the Gwyneth Paltrow of beaches -- a little too perfect to be believable.

But the spell that this small island in French Polynesia has cast on probably every traveler ever to dip a toe into its soft sands or calm waters has yet to be broken.

No question, Bora Bora is a heavy tourist destination -- luxury resorts and budget bungalows dapple the white sand perimeter. But its best spot, Matira Beach, reminds you why places like this become popular in the first place. 

Feed sharks, hunt for black pearls, look through World War II memorabilia or just laze on the sand. At the world's greatest beach, life takes you easy. 

Fly to Papeete in Tahiti, about seven and a half hours from Los Angeles. Then catch a flight to Bora Bora's tiny airport on Motu Mute.

Pigeon Point, Trinidad and Tobago

 

Try not to photograph this jetty ... it's impossible.
The smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, 41-kilometer-long Tobago boasts an endless procession of gorgeous beaches.

The crowning glory is Pigeon Point.

Here, what is reportedly the world’s most photographed jetty juts out into the glistening sea. The beach is carpeted with powdery white sand, perfect for beach volleyball. In the distance, almond and coconut trees sway in the breeze.

Pigeon Point is such a literal representation of the Caribbean beach ideal that it almost seems like a dream -- right down to the charming old lady who sells sour-sop ice cream by the pound.

The beach is a walkable two kilometers north of Crown Point proper. For more on how to get there.

Praia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

 

Humans like this beach, but dolphins and turtles love it.
Often voted Brazil's best beach, and one of the best in South America, Praia do Sancho is a bay on the island of Fernando de Noronha, which faces the coast of Brazil rather than out into the Atlantic Ocean. 

Steep, rocky cliffs covered in vegetation form a backdrop to the clear waters that are accessible only via ladders attached to the cliff face. Or by boat. 

Although much of the island's vegetation was cut down in the 19th century, when the island was used as a prison, it's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, underscoring the island's value as a feeding site for tuna, billfish, cetaceans, sharks, marine turtles and dolphins. 

Daily flights, charters and full packages to Fernando de Noronha are available from major Brazilian cities.

Bottom Bay, Barbados

 

Top up your bliss factor at Bottom Bay.
One of the few beautiful beaches in Barbados that has escaped development overkill, Bottom Bay is enclosed by high coral cliffs, making it an almost undiscovered pocket of paradise. 

All the colors of a tropical vacation mix and merge on this curve of shoreline -- incandescent white sands, verdant green vegetation and various blue hues of sea and sky. 

The waves can be fierce, but it's a great spot for a sandy picnic. Turtles and whales can sometimes be spotted from the tops of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. 

Most resorts and hotels provide shuttle transportation to and from the airport, and around the island to beaches and other tourist hot spots.

Paradise Beach, Rab, Croatia

 

If it's good enough for a nude royal ...
The Croatian island of Rab claims to be the birthplace of modern skinny dipping.

In 1936, King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson obtained permission from city authorities to bathe naked in the inlet of Kandalora, and people have been doing the same on the island’s beaches ever since.

The Lopar peninsula alone has three clothing-optional beaches. Sahara beach, a sandy shore fringed by shrubs, is the most famous. But it's the two-kilometer curve of Paradise Beach, or Rajska Plaza, that draws in-the-know crowds. 

The sea remains shallow even half a kilometer out, making it an ideal place for novice swimmers. Though it can get crowded during peak season, the beach has been awarded a Blue Flag award by the Foundation for Environmental Education for its environmental management and safety record.

For information on how to get to Paradise Beach.

Lover’s Beach, Baja California Sur, Mexico

 

Romantic, as long as you remember to get back. A semi-hidden cove best accessed by boat, Lover’s Beach sits on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.

Rock formations spring out of the sand and turquoise waters, creating a dramatic landscape once popular with pirates, now with photographers.

The beach is small and the sea can get rough, so this isn’t a place to plan to stay for long. You should also pre-arrange return transport, as come 4 p.m., boats are scarce.

Hire a water taxi at Cabo San Lucas marina, and don’t forget to arrange the return trip in advance. There are no services on Lover’s Beach. Lote A-18 De la Darsena, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Byron Bay, Australia

 

The beach of the bohemian.
Byron Bay has a magnetic appeal for travelers. Pubs, cafés, bookshops and buskers line the streets. Musicians, artists and drift-ins walk the streets barefoot and bleary-eyed.

There’s a lingering scent of the Flower Power Generation, while surfers search for that perfect wave. It’s also Australia’s unofficial capital of leftism, meditation and ganja. No wonder so many beach bums call it home.

Every year, the Byron Bay Bluesfest attracts some of the biggest names in world music, and with it, thousand of Sydneysiders.

With breaks, Byron Bay is about a nine-hour drive from Sydney and a two-hour drive from Brisbane.

Puka Beach, Boracay, Philippines

 

Sand so powdery you may want to bring your snowboard.
Boracay may be a pimped-out tourist zone, but there’s a reason it remains atop many travel rankings.

Making a respectable claim to its “tropical paradise” reputation, Boracay has something for everyone, from powdery beaches to water sports and spas.

Those who like peace and quiet might want to skip the famous White Beach and instead head to Puka Beach. It's named for the Puka shells that can be found on the beach, so expect the sand to be coarser than that of its neighbors.

Puka is the second-longest beach in Boracay and also relatively empty most times, with no resorts on the sand and a limited number of restaurants.

The main road in Boracay terminates at Puka Beach. You can also hire a tricycle to get there in about 10 or 15 minutes from the centrally located White Beach

Beidaihe, China

 

The Chairman's beach of choice.
Hainan Island may be China’s beach getaway du jour, but it’s Beidaihe up north that’s been pleasing China’s upper echelons for decades.

Beidaihe is a few hours from Beijing and offers a fascinating view of China’s bygone political intrigue. Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping hashed out national policies in private villas here, and the area remains popular among Russian tourists -- a reminder of erstwhile Sino-Soviet ties.

Cloaks and daggers aside, Beidaihe's restaurants offer simpler pleasures, mostly good seafood and ice-cold beer.

Beidaihe is a five-hour train journey from Beijing. 

Na'ama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

 

There may be 25 kilometers to choose from, but this kilometer right here is best.
The beaches at Sharm el Sheikh on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula stretch for 40 kilometers along Egypt's Mediterranean coast. Bang in the middle of that coastline is Na'ama Bay.

The marine life is diverse, colorful corals can be viewed from the surface and if you’re lazy, the snorkeling is still good near the reefs on the beach. The best place to snorkel though is at the pier from the beach in front of the Jolie Ville Hotel.

With temperatures during November and December of 23-27 C and 10 hours of sunshine a day, this is the ideal place to take advantage of one of the many winter deals to Egypt on offer.

Flights are available to Sharm el Sheikh with Egyptair, while coach services from Cairo arriving at the Delta Sharm bus station take up to eight hours. Na'ama Bay is just 10 kilometers from the Sharm El Sheikh Airport. 

Akajima, Okinawa, Japan

 

One beach where you won't mind the locals approaching you.
Part of Okinawa’s Kerama Islands, the islet of Akajima is popular among Japanese day-trippers during summer, but foreign travelers are a rare sight.

For that reason, Akajima retains a blissfully sequestered charm even during peak season.

The beaches are spotless, usually dotted with just a handful of Japanese surfers. Locals are effusive and friendly. Further inland is a quaint Ryukyuan heritage house open to visitors.

Travel to Akajima from Tomari Port at Naha on Okinawa, one hour by expres.

Phra Nang Beach, Railay, Thailand

 

World's best parking spot.
With Dali-esque limestone structures, hundreds of challenging cliff-climbing routes and Tiffany-blue waters, Railay is the seasoned rock climber's dream.

Phra Nang, the area's fine-grained main beach, offers a sweeping view of the area's rugged beauty and is flanked by stalactite-rimmed cliffs that tourists can jump from.

Although Railay is accessible only by longtail boat from Krabi and Ao Nang, it can get crowded during tourist seasons.

The spectacular Phra Nang Peninsula is cut off from the rest of Krabi by limestone headlands and steep jungle valleys; the only access is by sea.

Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island, Canada

 

The beach that inspired a book and a TV show.
If perfection unnerves you, avoid Prince Edward Island.

Cavendish Beach, the island's most idyllic feature, is famous for inspiring scenes in “Anne of Green Gables,” a Victorian literary blockbuster eternally beloved by preteens and Japanese readers. You’ll find them in hordes in the pretty township, visiting beaches and other landmarks to pay homage to the book.

With creamy sands flanked by sandstone cliffs and sandy dunes, the rugged loveliness of Cavendish Beach has captured the imagination of writers and tourists alike.

The entire beach is located in the Prince Edward Island National Park. To drive, follow the Trans-Canada Highway to Route 1A to Kensington, then follow Route 6 to Cavendish.

Panama City Beach, Florida, United States

 

Main cause of extended lunch breaks in Florida.
It's not the spring break capital of the world for no reason. Each year, more than six million college kids and sun seekers pour into Panama City Beach, lured by promises of emerald waters, blinding white sand, colorful reefs, fishing and hard-core people-watching.

Historic wrecks off Panama City Beach's shores make it a superb dive site. Goofy Golf, a mini-golf institution since 1959, has a kitschy, retro charm.

Canggu Beach, Bali, Indonesia

 

A side of Bali beach life you'll be pleased to discover.
Bali's Canggu Beach is a long stretch of surf-perfect coastline, with everything from easy waves for beginners to serious breaks for those who need a challenge.

The scene is unpretentious and the mood is laid back. Expect to rub shoulders with adventurous people who know Asia well.

Since there are hardly any bars on Canggu Beach, don’t expect much nightlife. Instead, travelers tend to chill and get to know one another and the locals who run the venues after dark.

Located in Canggu Village, Kerobokan, Denpasar, Bali. Taxis can be difficult to find in this area and most travel tends to be by private car or hired motorcycle. Consider booking a hotel that provides airport pickup, as this is the easiest way to reach Canggu. www.balistarisland.com

Margaret River Beach, Australia

 

Make your beach trip sophisticated, with wine, rather than beer.
Nature has been kind to Margaret River. Not only is the western Australian town blessed with mild climes, baby powder beaches and drop-dead gorgeous scenery, it also produces some of the country’s finest wines.

The surf at Margaret River is top notch -- head to Margaret River’s official tourism website for details on the best breaks. 

Wine-tasting at Margaret River’s 60-plus wineries is a favorite tourist activity. The town’s many art galleries showcase vestiges of the hippie culture that characterized the area in the late 1960s.