Beaches come in all rocky shapes and sandy forms, and everything from great hiking routes along rugged coastlines to buzzing party scenes can earn a patch of coast the title of one of the world’s best beaches.
We certainly have our list of favourites, but so do the millions of people who post their opinions on TripAdvisor. The travel review platform has rounded up all those opinions and collated them in this year’s Travellers’ Choice Awards, which reveals the most popular beaches in the world according to users’ reviews.
And it was Praia da Falésia, a stretch of golden sand in Portugal’s Algarve region, that claimed the number one spot. It’s been awarded a Blue Flag for its cleanliness and has pretty much everything you could ask for from a really great beach – there’s a long shoreline for sunbathing, stunning cliff-top views for walkers, and waves that are suitable for swimming or surfing. Pretty idyllic.
Two more European destinations claimed the remaining spots in the top three. In second place it was Spiaggia dei Conigli, a stunning Sicilian beach which boasts sea turtles and is popular with scuba divers, and in third it was La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, which has gorgeous views and is popular with families.
These are the ten best beaches in the world, according to TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards
- Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
- Spiaggia dei Conigli – Sicily, Italy
- La Concha Beach – Basque Country, Spain
- Ka’anapali Beach – Maui, Hawaii
- Grace Bay Beach – Turks and Caicos, Caribbean
- Anse Lazio – Seychelles
- Manly Beach – NSW, Australia
- Eagle Beach – Aruba, Caribbean
- Siesta Beach – Florida, US
- Varadero Beach – Cuba, Caribbean
Want to see Tripadvisor’s list in full? You can read about the Travellers’ Choice Awards for best beaches right here, or see where was crowned in last year’s round-up.
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