The best beach destinations
107 places we'd send a beach-first traveler, from household names to under-the-radar picks.
Aitutaki, Cook IslandsOne of the Pacific's bluest lagoons, best in dry-season winter
Alofi, NiueSnorkel with whales over coral chasms on the tiny rock island
Amalfi Coast, ItalyCliffside lemon villages over blue sea, dreamiest in early summer
Atauro Island, Timor-LesteOne of Earth's richest reefs off a sleepy island, dry-season diving
Bacalar, MexicoSeven-shade freshwater lagoon at its clearest in winter dry season
BarbadosTurquoise west-coast bays and Bridgetown rum, dry sunny winter
Bequia, St. Vincent and the GrenadinesSailors' harbor and quiet Grenadine beaches in dry-season sun
BermudaPink-sand coves and pastel towns in warm mid-Atlantic summer
Bocas del Toro, PanamaCaribbean archipelago of stilt bungalows, driest in February
Bonaire, Caribbean NetherlandsShore diving on pristine reefs, below the hurricane belt
Bora Bora, French PolynesiaOverwater lagoon blues in the cooler, dry June-to-October window
Bornholm, DenmarkBaltic sun island of smokehouses and cliffs, quiet before peak summer
Busan, South KoreaHillside mural villages and seafood markets by the beach, warm coast
Cádiz, SpainRoman ruins and Atlantic beaches, roaring February Carnaval
Cairns, AustraliaDry-season reef trips with clear water and no summer stingers
Camiguin, PhilippinesVolcano isle of waterfalls and hot springs, calm dry-season dives
Catalina Island, USAArt Deco Casino above a yacht harbor, sunny SoCal summer swims
Cinque Terre, ItalyFive cliff villages linked by sea trails, best in calm September
Con Dao, VietnamEmpty islands of turtle nesting and reefs, calm seas in dry months
Cumberland Island, USAWild horses on empty dune beaches, mild and bug-free spring
Dahab, EgyptRed Sea free-diving off the Blue Hole, laid-back Bedouin coast
Dubrovnik, CroatiaSea-walled old town and Adriatic swims, best in shoulder warmth
El Nido, PhilippinesBacuit Bay's limestone lagoons by boat, dry and calm in high season
Espiritu Santo, VanuatuBlue holes, WWII wrecks and Champagne Beach in the dry season
Essaouira, MoroccoAtlantic ramparts and gnawa rhythms on a breezy trade-wind coast
Exmouth, AustraliaSwim beside whale sharks off the reef in autumn's clear water
Freycinet, AustraliaWineglass Bay hikes and oyster farms in warm, dry Tasmanian summer
Fuvahmulah, MaldivesA one-island atoll where tiger sharks patrol the dry-season blue
Galle, Sri LankaDutch-walled fort over the south coast, dry and golden in winter
Gokarna, IndiaGoa's quieter cousin: temple-town beaches, dry winter swells
GrenadaSpice markets and rainforest falls on the calm southern coast
Harbour Island, BahamasBlush pink-sand beaches and pastel cottages in dry winter
Hoi An, VietnamLantern-lit old town and tailor shops, dry before autumn floods
Île de Ré, FranceAtlantic bike island of whitewashed villages, oysters and salt marshes
Isle of Harris, ScotlandHebridean white-sand beaches and turquoise water, empty even in July
Jeju Island, South KoreaVolcanic craters and lava-tube coast, green tea fields and spring hikes
Jose Ignacio, UruguayUruguay's chic beach village, buzzing in January high summer
Kaş, TurkeyLycian coast diving and harbor tavernas on the turquoise sea
Kauai, USANa Pali cliffs and quiet beaches in dry shoulder-season sun
Koh Kood, ThailandThailand's last quiet island: jungle waterfalls, dry-season clarity
Koh Lanta, ThailandLong, laid-back Andaman sands, dry and swimmable in high season
Koh Rong Samloem, CambodiaWhite-sand Saracen Bay and bioluminescent nights, dry-season calm
Ksamil, AlbaniaIonian white-sand coves and clear water, Riviera before the crowds
La Digue, SeychellesGranite boulders over Anse Source d'Argent, calm inter-monsoon seas
Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaGateway to Komodo dragons and Padar's ridgelines, dry-season seas
Lamu, KenyaCar-free Swahili island of dhows and coral-stone lanes
Lord Howe Island, AustraliaCapped-visitor island: empty beaches and lagoon snorkeling in summer
Los Angeles, USAGetty views and taco trucks, warm clear World-Cup-year spring
Mancora, PeruPeru's warm north-coast surf beach, sunniest December to March
Margaret River, AustraliaSurf breaks and cellar-door wineries, sunny southern-autumn harvest
MauritiusLagoon reefs and volcanic peaks, dry cool-season snorkeling
Mendocino, USAFoggy headlands and redwood coast in warm Indian-summer light
Menorca, SpainMallorca's calm sister: hidden calas of turquoise water, quiet in July
Messinia, GreeceVoidokilia's crescent bay and Pylos ruins, golden Peloponnese summer
Miches, Dominican RepublicQuiet palm coastline and eco-lodges, dry sunny Caribbean winter
Mindelo, Cape VerdeMorna music bars and Atlantic bays, breezy dry-season nights
Møn, DenmarkChalk cliffs and dark-sky beaches, long light Baltic summer
Moorea, French PolynesiaJagged green peaks and stingray shallows in dry-season calm
Naxos, GreeceCyclades island of long sandy beaches and mountain villages
Nevis, St. Kitts and NevisPlantation inns and a rainforest volcano in quiet winter calm
Nice, FranceRiviera promenade and old town markets under warm shoulder-season sun
Nida, LithuaniaSand-dune spit between lagoon and sea, still and warm in summer
Ohrid, North MacedoniaAncient lakeside churches and clear swims, mellow before peak
Okinawa, JapanWhite Ryukyu beaches and longevity cuisine, warm clear early summer
Osa Peninsula, Costa RicaCorcovado rainforest and empty beaches, wildlife-rich dry season
Ostuni, ItalyPuglia's white hill town, olive groves and Adriatic swims into October
Paraty, BrazilColonial port between rainforest and sea, driest in winter
Perhentian Islands, MalaysiaTurtle snorkeling off clear sands, open only outside the monsoon
Phuket, ThailandLimestone bays and beach clubs, calm sunny high-season swims
Prince Edward Island, CanadaRed-cliff coast and lobster suppers in soft island summer
Providenciales, Turks and CaicosPowder-white Grace Bay and reef dives in dry winter calm
Quy Nhon, VietnamQuiet crescent beaches and Cham towers, warm dry-season sea
Raja Ampat, IndonesiaEarth's richest reefs and karst lagoons, calmest October to April
Rarotonga, Cook IslandsLagoon-ringed island on scooter time in the dry winter months
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilBeaches, Christ the Redeemer and Carnival in the February summer
Rock Islands, PalauKayak jade islets and jellyfish lakes in dry-season clarity
Rote Island, IndonesiaHidden dry-season surf and empty palm-lined shores
Rovinj, CroatiaIstrian fishing port of truffles, olive oil, and coastal sunsets
Rügen, GermanyWhite chalk cliffs and Baltic resort piers in bright summer
Saadiyat Island, United Arab EmiratesLouvre and new Guggenheim on a white-sand island, cool winter museum days
Saint-Malo, FranceWalled corsair city on the Channel, ramparts pounded by huge tides
San Sebastián, SpainBasque pintxos capital on a perfect shell-shaped surf bay
Sanibel Island, USAShell-strewn Gulf beaches and refuge trails, calm sunny winter
Santorini, GreeceCaldera-edge sunsets and volcanic beaches, radiant late spring
Sao Tome, Sao Tome and PrincipeCocoa plantations and empty jungle beaches on the equator
Sardinia, ItalyTurquoise coves and nuraghe ruins, warm swimmable early-autumn sea
Sayulita, MexicoBoho Pacific surf town with gray whales offshore December to March
Siargao, PhilippinesCloud 9 barrels and palm-lagoon hops, best before typhoon season
Siquijor, PhilippinesFolklore island of waterfalls and white sand, driest in spring
Split, CroatiaRoman palace turned living old town on the Dalmatian coast
St Davids, WalesBritain's tiniest city on a wild coast path of cliffs and seals
St Ives, EnglandCornish sea light, surf beaches and Tate galleries by the harbor
St. John, U.S. Virgin IslandsTwo-thirds parkland, snorkel coves and hills in winter dry
Stone Town, TanzaniaSwahili-Omani alleys and spice markets, dry-season trade winds
Swakopmund, NamibiaGerman-colonial coast where dunes meet cold Atlantic fog
Sydney, AustraliaHarbour swims and coastal walks in warm, dry early-autumn light
Syracuse, ItalyBaroque Ortigia island: sea-lapped lanes and Greek ruins in Sicily
Tofino, CanadaSurf breaks and old-growth rainforest on the wild Pacific edge
Trincomalee, Sri LankaEast-coast whale runs and Nilaveli sand at their calm summer best
Tulum, MexicoCaribbean cenotes and cliff-top Maya ruins under winter dry skies
Upolu, SamoaSwim the To Sua ocean trench and waterfalls in dry-season sun
Varkala, IndiaRed laterite cliffs over Kerala's Arabian Sea, dry-season sunsets
Vava'u, TongaSwim alongside humpback whales in the July-to-October season
Vieques, Puerto RicoGlowing bioluminescent bay and wild horses, dry-season nights
Virginia Beach, USABoardwalk sands and nearby wildlife refuges, warm bright summer
Waiheke Island, New ZealandFerry-close vineyards and quiet beaches in peak summer
Yasawa Islands, FijiBarefoot island-hopping and cave swims in Fiji's dry season