You can endlessly love steep slopes, intense excursions and sights, but none of this can replace a vacation at the sea. Paradise sands, sunbathing, what else is needed for happiness?
I will tell you where to find the best beaches in the world: the most beautiful, the most popular and the most chic. Here is information about places from different corners of the Earth, with different criteria of beauty: for some – it is flora, for others – fauna, for others – history and “unusualness”. But all of them are united by high ratings among tourists, uniqueness for one reason or another, fantastic landscapes.
Paseo de Las Canteras – volcanic sands
The chic Paseo de Las Canteras beach is located in the city of Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands, and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. It is considered one of the best urban beaches in the world: three kilometers of golden sand, landscaped promenade with closed to traffic. The La Barra reef serves as a natural breakwater: at low tide it holds back the water, creating a giant pool off the beach, ideal for snorkeling.
The beach is divided into two parts. On one side, the water is almost always calm and is suitable for tourists who come to relax, swim and enjoy the ocean. The other part of the beach is windy and hosts meetings and lessons for surfers.
The most surfers on the beach from November to March, at this time there are waves from one and a half meters high. Photo from personal archive There won’t be a picture of a Bounty commercial because the sand here is black. It was formed when volcanic lava came into contact with seawater. From the shore you have a view of Pico de las Nieves, a volcanic mountain, the highest point of the island (1949 meters above sea level, you can climb to the top).
Best time for a vacation: the Canaries are nice at any time of the year. In winter, the temperature does not fall below +20…. +22 °C. In my experience, the ocean is quite cold in February (water – about +19 °C). The most comfortable temperature is from July to October (+29 °C – air and +23 °C – water).
How to get there: the beach is easily accessible by public transportation. From the center of Las Palmas, a ticket costs 2,6 €. Buses #8, 30, 80, 327 are suitable. Cabs should be caught right on the street, the price depends on the number of kilometers. The driver has a meter, by which you can track the amount.
Horseshoe Bay – pink sands
This is the best beach in Bermuda, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the county of Southampton. In 2016, the American travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller included it in the top 20 best beaches in the world for its scenery and developed infrastructure – free Wi-Fi throughout the territory, stores, food trucks, bars, free changing rooms and sunbeds.
The coast is famous for its pink sand. Its delicate shade is given by coral particles and shell dust. This composition makes it not only beautiful, but also pleasant for the body: even in extreme heat, the sand does not get too hot.
Entrance to the beach is free.
Best time for vacation: warm weather with comfortable temperature (+28… +30 °С) of air and water lasts in Bermuda from May to September.
How to get there: you can get to the beach by bus. See the routes on the website. It’s easier to get a cab. The price is according to the meter.
La Playa de la Estacion – crabs, iguanas and seals
This beach was given to the world by the beautiful Galapagos Islands. They are located in the Pacific Ocean, 1000 km from Ecuador.
There is probably no better place for a beach vacation in Galapagos. La Playa de la Estacion is a famous wild beach. It is not equipped with sun beds and is remote from the hotels, there are no cafes and stores, but the place is rich in flora and fauna. First of all, the beach is famous for the fact that crabs, iguanas and seals walk along the shore next to people.
In windy weather, the beach becomes an attraction for groups of surfers.
Entrance to the beach is free.
Best time for a vacation: the islands have two climatic seasons – rainy (December to April) and dry (July to October). January to June is hot, with temperatures reaching up to +31°C. September, October and November are the coldest months, with temperatures as low as +27 °C.
How to get there: La Playa de la Estacion is the easiest way to get to La Playa de la Estacion from the center of Santa Cruz by cab or rental car on the E5 highway. There are boats and launches from the piers of the other islands to the local beaches.
Reduit – pink coral reefs
St. Lucia is a nation located on an island of the same name within the Lesser Antilles. Pigeon Island in St. Lucia is home to Reduit, a popular beach washed by the Atlantic Ocean.
Rediut is a famous beach of the Atlantic. Travelers love it for its wide coastline, white sand, and warm ocean.
The beach is always clean, clear water, which attracts snorkeling and diving enthusiasts. Not far from the coast there are pink coral reefs with a variety of marine life.
Admission is free.
The beach is connected by a bridge to the main attraction of the island – the National Historical Park. Here you can see the ruins of old forts, barracks, rusty cannons from 1750 and at the same time admire the Caribbean Sea, majestic trees, flora and fauna of the island.
Best time for vacation: St. Lucia is best visited from December to April. The tourist season begins in February. The temperature stays at +24… +25 °C. In summer – usually +26… +27 °С, but from May to December the rainy period begins. The water temperature all year round is about +24… +26 °С.
How to get there: the easiest way to get from the center of the island to the beach is by cab. Catch a car on the street and watch the driver’s meter, as he may quote one amount at first and then another. Another option is to rent a car and drive to the coast on the Micoud Highway. Public transportation is also available – boats and land buses, but they do not run to Reduit.
Whitehaven – white sands
A beach on Whitehaven Island in Australia where you will find truly white sand. This beach is one of the most beautiful and exotic places on the planet. The sand contains 98% silicon dioxide, which gives it this color.
Another feature of the place is the shallowness of the water. The sand dunes are not just washed by the Coral Sea of the Pacific Ocean, but are right in the water. The white sand combined with turquoise waves forms magnificent patterns. The best view of this natural wonder is from a bird’s eye view.
Entrance to the beach is free.
Best time to vacation: the island is warmest from December to April, with the least rainfall from June to November.
Playa Pilar is an uninhabited island with starfish
A beach vacation on the Cuban island of Cayo Coco is ideal for those who have always dreamed of visiting a deserted island. Most of the year Cayo Coco is empty, no one lives here. But during the holiday season, tourists flock to the island and locals come to work in hotels from other parts of the country.
The island’s nature looks untouched, wild, including at Playa Pilar beach, which is on the extreme western end of Cayo Coco’s neighboring island of Cayo Guillermo.
Tourists say that the sand on this beach looks like powdered sugar, and the bottom is studded with starfish and covered with coral reefs.
Entrance to the beach is free.
Best time to vacation: the island has two climatic seasons: wet season from May to October (heavy rains) and dry season from November to April. April and November are the most comfortable months for vacation. The average temperature is about +28 °C.
How to get there: the beach can be reached by cab or rental car. From the center of the island, take the Camino a Cayo Guillermo highway.
Boulders Beach – African penguins
A beach in Cape Town, the capital of South Africa. Thousands of penguins live here under the African sun on the white sands.
There are special wooden decks at Boulders Beach for penguin watching.
Entrance to the beach costs R65 (about $5).
Best time to vacation: South Africa is most comfortable from April to September.
Boulders Beach hours of operation:
– May – September (winter): from 08:00 to 17:00;
– December – January (summer): from 07:00 to 19:30;
– February – April (fall): from 08:00 to 18:30;
– October – November (spring): from 08:00 to 18:30.
White Beach is like a Bounty commercial
White Beach is one of the most famous places on the South China Sea. It is located in the Philippines, on the island of Boracay. White Beach is unique for its fine, like flour, and very white sand.
The water has an azure color. There are coconut palms growing everywhere on the shore. This is where we get to the good places for advertising “paradise pleasure”.
White Beach is a public beach with free admission. It is divided into three parts:
– Station 1: gentle entrance, wide shoreline, many expensive hotels, cafes and restaurants;
– Station 2: gentle entrance, narrower beach, many mid-range hotels, cafes, clubs and bars;
– 3rd station: entrance to the water immediately to the deep water, narrow beach, lots of greenery and palm trees, cheap hotels and guesthouses.
Important: no smoking or eating on the beach.
Best time for a vacation: the most comfortable season in Boracay is from December to April. The air temperature is +30 °C and the water temperature is around +27 °C.
Playa Escondida is a hidden beach in a cave
This Mexican beach is hidden just inside a cliff on the small uninhabited island of Puerto Vallarta in the Pacific Ocean. Playa Escondida is a natural pool with a sandy shore that was formed in an open-topped cave.
If you watched the teen TV series H2O: Just Add Water, you probably remember the “moon pool”. Mexico’s “hidden beach” is exactly the famous mermaids’ lair. Only instead of moonlight, it’s flooded with sunshine, and the water begins to play all shades of turquoise.
Best time to vacation: Mexico’s beaches are warm all year round, but storms and hurricanes are common from July to November. From December to April, whales can be seen in Mexican waters.
Baia dos Porcos – black rocks and natural pools
This beach is located in Brazil, on the island of Fernando de Noronha. The place is famous for its black rocks, which at low tide create natural pools with clear water and colored fish.
On the beach you’ll encounter huge turtles, and in the water you’ll find stingrays and starfish.
Entrance to Baia dos Porcos is paid and limited, you have to pay 178 Brazilian reals (about $47), the fee is valid for 10 days.
Best time to vacation: from January to August is the rainy season in Brazil, September to January are best for vacationing.
Travel Tips
1. Be prepared that vacations in Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico and other exotic corners of the Earth – quite expensive.
2. Take a first aid kit with you. It is not always possible to find the right medicine in exotic countries.
3. Check-in for international flights starts earlier than for domestic flights, and some airlines require mandatory online check-in.
