These are officially the most beautiful beaches in the world, according to TripAdvisor

The thing about beaches is that while they’re obviously great places to simply sit back and chill, it can sometimes feel like everyone’s had the same idea. You get there, and shit: the whole place is rammo. So, where to go if you want to avoid the crowds? Well, Tripadvisor has just published a list of the the best beaches in the world, from a Hawaiian paradise to a secluded Scottish cove: places that are reliably epic and beautiful, but also relatively free of crowds.

In at number one is Grace Bay Beach in the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos, meaning it gained the most positive ratings on the travel reviews site in 2021 – an impressive feat. Next up is Varadero Beach in Cuba, and third is Turquoise Bay in Western Australia.

Nowhere in the UK makes it into the world ranking, but a few do feature in the list for Europe. These include the stunning Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland and Luskentyre on the Scottish Isle of Harris. 

Here’s the full top global ten: 

1. Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos
2. Varadero Beach, Cuba
3. Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Australia
4. Quarta Praia, Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
5. Eagle Beach, Aruba
6. Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India
7. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
8. Trunk Bay Beach, St John, Virgin Islands
9. Baía dos Golfinhos, Praia da Pipa, Brazil
10. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy

And here’s the top ten in Europe:

1. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy
2. Praia da Falésia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal
3. Playa de Muro Beach, Majorca, Spain
4. Nissi Beach, Cyprus
5. Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece
6. Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Greece
7. Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, UK
8. Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland, UK
9. Sotavento Beach, Fuerteventura, Spain
10. Spiaggia di Cala Rossa, Isola di Favignana, Italy

Not convinced by any of the above? Here’s our very own ranking of the 17 best beaches in the world.