What are the best beaches in the world?
Find the perfect beach for your next trip, and a little more
“I just want to be on a beach” 🌴. For a lot of ‘relaxationers’, (thought it had a nice ring) once you find somewhere to throw down a towel and run into the ocean, you have a smile across your face.
However, for the team at Explorsi, we take finding the perfect beach seriously 🤓. If you’re going to be flying halfway across the world, it’s best to know what type of beach to expect.
This post is going to provide information on:
- Different types and styles of beaches
- A curated list of amazing beach destinations around the world
1| Beach Information
Types of Beaches
Barrier island beaches | These beaches are often long sediment based beaches that run parallel to the coastline. They are separated from the main body of land by a small bay or lagoon. While they can be found all over the world, they are prevalent on the East Coast of North America (Atlantic Coast south to the Gulf of Mexico).
Mainland beaches | As the name suggests, these are beaches that are connected to the mainland.
Spits |Formed as a result of deposition — they are tied to the coastline at one end. Spits stretch into the sea and are formed as a result of wind blowing at an angle to the coastline.
Pocket Beaches | Typically a smaller beach between two headlands. Often times, there is little exchange of sediment between the pocket beach and nearby shoreline.
Saltwater vs. Freshwater Beaches
Depending on where you’re headed, whether it’s a lake or ocean, you’ll run into different styles of beaches. The main determinant for saltwater versus freshwater is the salinity of the water. Typically oceans are ~3.5%, while freshwater is less than 1%. There are some extreme cases such as the Dead Sea in the Middle East which boasts a salinity level of ~34%.
Sandy vs. Rocky Beaches
Sandy | The type of beach most travelers are looking for — here is a breakdown and cause of the most common types:
- Yellow sand: made of quartz and feldspar which come from metamorphic and igneous rocks — common in the Carribean
- White sand: made of shells, coral and white quartz — common in Australia
- Black sand: found near volcanoes, when lava stone has broken down into sand
- Brown sand: if there is a large presence of iron oxide it will become a dark yellow/brown — this can be seen on Prince Edward Island’s beaches in Canada
- Green sand: very uncommon — created by olivine crystals which are composed of iron and magnesium. These can be found in Norway, Ecuador, Guam and Hawaii.
Rocky |Typically form when coastal cliffs erode and large pieces of rock are deposited on the coastline. Over time rocks will become more smooth as the ocean and sediment erode the sharp edges of the crumbled rock.
Isolated vs. Urban Beaches
Generally, when you think of vacationing on the beach, you think of a secluded island and palm trees. However, beaches neighboring urban areas and human-engineered beaches have become more popular.
Examples of some urban beaches:
- Palawan Beach in Singapore
- Jumeirah Beach and Public Beach in Dubai
- Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona
2 | List of the World’s Best Beaches
Darkwood Beach | Antigua
Eagle Beach | Aruba
White Bay Beach | British Virgin Islands
Cas Abao | Curacao
Playa Rincon | Dominican Republic
Playa del Carmen| Mexico
Copacabana Beach | Brazil
Cíes Islands | Spain
Chia Beach | Italy
Balos Beach | Crete, Greece
Navagio Beach | Greece
Vaadhoo Island | Maldives
Castaway Island | Fiji
Rai Leh | Thailand
Whitehaven Beach | Australia
Anse Intendance | Mahé, Seychelles
Nusa Dua | Bali, Indonesia
Vivonne Bay | Kangaroo Island, Australia
If you’re planning your next trip, be sure to check out Explorsi for incredible destinations and the world’s best sightseeing tours, attractions, and experiences.
Keep on beach’in 🌴
-The Explorsi Team
