Our planet comprises about 71% water, 96 percent of which is held in its oceans, and it is home to thousands of breathtaking beaches. As a result, selecting the best piece of sandy real estate in the world is somewhat subjective.

For this article, we chose beaches in beautiful locations that are relatively accessible to travelers. Discover the world’s most beautiful beaches, boasting soft sand and blue waters, from South Africa to Bora Bora, Thailand to Turks and Caicos, with our list of the best beaches in the world.

But first,

What Makes A Great Beach?

What makes a great beach is entirely subjective to the traveler. Some people prefer wide stretches of sand with plenty of activities and crowds to watch, while others prefer deserted shorelines with calm waters. To determine the best beaches in the world, we considered this and other factors such as unique scenery, beach quality, and overall accessibility. 

Wanna know if the beaches on this list would soothe your “travelers instinct?” There’s only one way to find out. So, Keep Reading!

Bora Bora, French Polynesia’s Matira Beach

Bora Bora, a French Polynesian island floating in a South Pacific archipelago, is as close to tropical paradise perfection as you can get. A crystal-clear and super calm lagoon surrounds the island with some of the most brilliant turquoise and marbled azure water in the world, as well as white-sand beaches and a lush interior of pointy volcanic peaks.

Matira Beach is Bora Bora’s best public beach. The sand is white and powdery soft here, and while it is popular with locals on weekends, it never gets too crowded unless a cruise ship is docked. Sunsets over the brilliant turquoise lagoon are legendary and must be experienced.

Bora Bora has numerous other beaches and small islets (known as Motus) surrounding it. These are some of the island’s most opulent resorts, many of which feature the overwater bungalows that French Polynesia is famous for – they were invented on the neighboring island of Ra’iatea.

Bora Bora is the ultimate honeymoon destination, and it is well worth the splurge and the time it takes to get there (it’s an eight-hour flight from Los Angeles).

Saud Beach in the Philippines’ Luzon.

This is the place to be if you’re looking for Southeast Asian beach bliss. Saud Beach on the island of Luzon is a foregone conclusion. Its white sand gradually slopes into the clear-as-glass water, resembling a real-life example of a zero-entry swimming pool. Swim in the calm waves, eat lunch under a thatch-roof cabana under the palms or rent an outrigger canoe.

Tanzania’s Nungwi Beach

Nungwi Beach is one of Tanzania’s most popular tourist destinations, located in the same-named fishing village on Zanzibar Island. Nungwi’s fantastic coral sand, which appears to emit a pale, otherworldly glow, is a big draw. The picture is completed by pristine, easy-to-swim water, craggy rocks, and lovely sunsets dipping below the dhow-dotted sea. Commerce follows hype: 

There are many restaurants, beach vendors, bars, resorts, and outfitters for water sports and excursions in the area (deep-sea fishing, sunset cruises, and trips to the incredible Nakupenda Beach sandbank off of Stone Town are especially popular)

Turks and Caicos, Grace Bay Beach

Turks and Caicos is a group of 40 islands located just southeast of The Bahamas that is still a British Overseas Territory. Grace Bay Beach on the main island of Providenciales is one of the world’s most beautiful stretches of white sand. It stretches for eight kilometers in a half-crescent shape, backed by crystal-clear turquoise water and one of the world’s largest coral reef systems just offshore.

Grace Bay Beach is part of the Princess Alexandra Marine Park, with two great snorkeling spots right off the beach.

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Kauai, Hawaii’s Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay drew locals for its near-mystical beauty long before Hollywood put it on the tourist map (first with “South Pacific” in 1958, then “The Descendants” half a century later). Its beaches — Wai’oli, Hanalei Pavilion, and Black Pot — are framed by 4,000-foot-high jade-colored mountains. In the winter, the area becomes popular with surfers when the waves grow in size and speed.

Reethi Rah from the Maldives

The Maldives, a nation of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, most of these islands, including Reethi Rah, have only one or two resorts, so you’ll have much pristine white sand that meets turquoise lagoon shorelines to yourself.

Although there are no bad beaches in the Maldives – this is one of the world’s most romantic destinations, popular with honeymooners from all over the world – the beaches on Reethi Rah are especially spectacular.

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Camps Bay Beach, Cape Town, South Africa.

Camps Bay Beach in South Africa is a 10-minute drive from downtown Cape Town and is simply breathtaking in terms of scenery. The water here has turquoise and emerald streaks, is backed by darker blues, and changes with the seasons, but it is deceptively cold. 

Nonetheless, the public beach attracts hordes of swimsuit-clad sunbathers in the summer, and many locals brave the waves long enough to at least cool off—the current here comes straight from Antarctica.

Having said that, Camps Bay makes our list because the beach is stunning, with scenery unlike anywhere else on the planet.

The sand and waves are visible on one side, while the Twelve Apostles’ rock formations tower over the coastline on the other.

Camps Bay is just one of several beautiful beaches within a 20-minute drive of Cape Town. The Clifton Beaches are also popular, but they can only be reached by descending a steep set of steps from the road.

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Mexico, Tulum, Riviera Maya

What distinguishes Tulum is its proximity to some of Mexico’s most stunning Mayan ruins: it is here that one of the world’s best cultural destinations meets one of the world’s best beaches. Tulum’s ruin is an ancient walled city perched on a rocky cliff overlooking a beautiful beach. 

The area is not exactly private, with hordes of tourists visiting every day, but the wide stretch of white sand and mesmerizing turquoise Caribbean waters more than make up for it.

There you have it. Which one would you add to your itinerary?