Influencers and travel experts have spoken, and the list of the best beaches in the world has been revealed.
This new ranking is the result of an extensive survey of more than 750 travel influencers, journalists and travel professionals and takes into account a variety of criteria including natural untouched beauty, swimmability, annual sunshine and average temperature. Popular influencers such as Dame Traveler, Jyo Shankar, Pilot Madeleine and Eric Rubens—and the hundreds of other travel professionals involved in the survey—know their beaches, so you can guarantee these are worthy of your bucket list.
The top three beaches in the world according to the survey are Lucky Bay in Australia, Anse Source D'Argent of the Seychelles and Hidden Beach in the Philippines. But how did the U.S. fare? Hawaii is represented by Honopu Beach on Kauai at #7 and Lanikai Beach on Oahu at #21.
The sole mainland beach that made the list is a remote one in Big Sur, California that you can only view from a distance. Though you can’t swim at this beach or even touch the sand, the experts say that McWay Falls Beach, coming in at #16, is worth a visit to see its golden sand and magical 80-foot waterfall. You’ll want to visit multiple times to see the waterfall cascade right into the ocean at high tide or onto the sand at low tide. Both sunrise and sunset are equally breathtaking. Hiking, camping and picnicking are all nearby options.
While most people want to swim, surf or sunbathe at the beach, the survey’s panel of experts has offered even more reasons to visit these amazing beaches, so check them out and see which ones will make your bucket list.