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Yeah, yeah, we all know Australia is home to many of the greatest beaches on Earth – and if you didn’t, maybe your sunglasses are a shade too dark, because they’re absolutely stunning. While we’re not here to break any surprising news, we’re doing our duty to keep you in the loop about how Australia’s beaches ranked on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Beaches list.
The annual list is created with the input and expertise of more than 1,000 travel professionals around the globe. Each beach is assessed on its wildlife, unique characteristics, how untouched it is, frequency of idyllic conditions, accessibility, calmness of water and the soundtrack of nature.
Lucky Bay on Kangaroo Island and Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays are both ‘Hall of Famers’, having claimed the top spots on the World’s 50 Best Beaches list in 2023 and 2017. However, this year’s list shines a spotlight on three lesser-known Aussie gems.
Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Western Australia, has taken the sandy cake as the highest-ranked beach in Australia and the 11th best worldwide for 2025. With its crystal-clear waters, pure white sand, remote location and rare drift snorkelling, we think it’s a worthy pick for international beachy fame. Even better – the waters of the bay are part of the Ningaloo Reef, providing up-close encounters with a diverse array of marine life.
Another Western Australian treasure, Wharton Beach in Esperance, ranked as the world’s 21st best beach for 2025, thanks to its seclusion, sparkling turquoise waters and untouched white sands. The beautifully rugged beach is also one of the region's most popular surfing spots and offers excellent opportunities for dolphin spotting.
The final Aussie beach to crack this year’s top 50 was Nudey Beach on Fitzroy Island, just off Queensland’s coast, in 37th place. Surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, this untouched piece of paradise is only accessible by a short boat ride or a scenic hike from the island's main area. The warm waters make it a great spot for swimming year-round, while the shallow reef provides magical snorkelling opportunities.
Keen to see which sandy stunners beat Australia’s best beaches this year? You can dive into the full ranking below.
These are the World’s 50 Best Beaches for 2025
- Cala Goloritzè, Italy
- Entalula Beach, Philippines
- Bang Bao Beach, Thailand
- Fteri Beach, Greece
- PK 9 Beach, French Polynesia
- Canto de la Playa, Dominican Republic
- Anse Source D’Argent, Seychelles
- Nosy Iranja, Madagascar
- Ofu Beach, American Samoa
- Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos
- Turquoise Bay, Australia
- Boulders Beach, South Africa
- Pink Beach, Indonesia
- Shoal Bay East, Anguilla
- Detwah Lagoon, Yemen
- Voutoumi Beach, Greece
- One Foot Island, Cook Islands
- Playa de Rodas, Spain
- Playa Balandra, Mexico
- Pontal do Atalaia, Brazil
- Wharton Beach, Australia
- Cayo de Agua, Venezuela
- Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
- Cayo Zapatilla, Panama
- Baia Do Sancho, Brazil
- Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda
- Pulau Palambak, Indonesia
- Freedom Beach, Thailand
- The Baths, British Virgin Islands
- Anse Georgette, Seychelles
- Ffryes Beach, Antigua & Barbuda
- Grand Anse, Grenada
- Le Morne Beach, Mauritius
- Bahía de las Águilas, Dominican Republic
- Meads Bay, Anguilla
- Porto Katsiki, Greece
- Nudey Beach, Australia
- Bon Bon Beach, Philippines
- Saadiyat Beach, UAE
- Goyambokka Beach, Sri Lanka
- Playa Punta Uva, Costa Rica
- Siesta Beach, USA
- Paje Beach, Zanzibar
- Klein Bonaire Beach, Bonaire
- Cathedral Cove Beach, New Zealand
- Santa Giulia, France
- Gardner Bay, Ecuador
- Keem Beach, Ireland
- Kuramathi Sand Bank, Maldives
- La Pelosa, Italy