Top 10 Best Beaches in the World

The swirling silica sands of Hill Inlet create patterns that change with every tide, making it the most photographed beach in the Southern Hemisphere.

A shipwreck rusting on blindingly white sand inside a limestone cove — nature and drama conspired to create the ultimate beach postcard.

Granite boulders older than most civilizations frame shallow turquoise pools that make every other tropical beach look like it's trying too hard.

Ranking a party beach above Bora Bora will infuriate purists, but the combination of cenotes, coral reefs, and taco stands earns it the spot.

The overwater bungalow was invented here for a reason — Mount Otemanu rising above the lagoon is the definition of paradise, if you can stomach the prices.

Accessible only by boat and flanked by towering limestone karsts, Railay proves that the best beaches demand a little effort to reach.

The Algarve's crown jewel features golden cliffs, sea arches, and water so clear you can count fish from the clifftop — and it's in Europe, not the tropics.

Mayan ruins overlooking Caribbean surf create a backdrop no resort architect could replicate, even if the sargassum seaweed problem tests your patience.

The crushed shells of foraminifera give this Bahamian beach its signature blush hue, proving nature's color palette beats any Instagram filter.