You don’t need to tell us twice: Australia is home to a fair chunk of the world’s best beaches. We’ve got lots of variety too. Sure, there’s Sydney’s stereotypical Bondi Beach, but we’ve also got the blindingly white sands of the Whitsundays and the wondrous waters of Wineglass Bay. So it comes as no surprise then that Australia’s sandy shores dominate Lonely Planet's 2024 rankings of the 100 best beaches in the world.
The travel experts from Lonely Planet have published these rankings as a hardback book (Best Beaches: 100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches), featuring a carefully chosen curation of the best beaches on every continent, as well as ‘top five’ lists in nine special categories.
It’s no surprise that Bondi Beach, aka the most famous beach in the world, scored a page in the book, also winning the title of "best beach to people watch" and the "best beach worth the crowds". The Pass in Byron Bay was another NSW contender ranked as one of the world's best, with its Aboriginal significance and resident pod of dolphins cited as reasons to stop by for a beach day. It was also awarded the fifth most family-friendly beach in the world.
Two other Australian beaches topped the global round-ups, with Moreton Island’s Tangalooma Beach being named the best beach to see nature, and Lucky Bay (Kepa Kurl) in Western Australia crowned as the top beach to see wildlife. (Skippy, we’re talking about you!)
Victoria’s Bell’s Beach also earned its place on the list, having built a global reputation as a prime surfing beach with keen wave-chasers travelling from far and wide to ride its famous swells. Other Australian beaches to make the cut were Squeaky Beach in Victoria, Cable Beach in Broome, Wineglass Bay in Tasmania and Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays.
Here’s Lonely Planet’s full list of the best beaches in Oceania:
- The Pass, Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
- Bells Beach, Surf Coast, Victoria, Australia
- Cable Beach/Walmanyjun, Broome, Western Australia, Australia
- Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania, Australia
- Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Lucky Bay/Kepa Kurl, Cape Le Grand National Park/Mandoowernup, Western Australia, Australia
- Squeaky Beach, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia
- Tangalooma Beach, Moreton Island/ Moorgumpin, Queensland, Australia
- Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia
- Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula, North Island, New Zealand
- Awaroa Beach, Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand
- Blue Lagoon Beach, Nanuya Lailai, Yasawa Islands, Fiji
- Lalomanu Beach, Upolu, Samoa
- Tapuaeta’i/One Foot Island Beach, Aitutaki, Cook Islands
- Ta’ahiamanu Beach, Mo’orea, French Polynesia