Stefanie Waldek is a Saratoga Springs–based journalist and author whose words have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Space.com, among other publications. Her books include 150 Gardens You Need to Visit Before You Die, 150 Golf Courses You Need to Visit Before You Die, and World's Best Swimming Pools.

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• OCEANIAAustraliaHYAMS BEACH10BONDI BEACH12LUCKY BAY14CORAL BAY18WINEGLASS BAY20WHITEHAVEN BEACH 22LAKE MCKENZIE26SHELL BEACH28BYRON BAY30Cook IslandsAITUTAKI LAGOON34FijiNATADOLA BEACH36YASAWA ISLANDS38French PolynesiaMATIRA BEACH42New ZealandKOEKOHE BEACH44CATHEDRAL COVE46MURIWAI BEACH48WHARARIKI BEACH50BUSHY BEACH52NINETY MILE BEACH54KAREKARE BEACH 56SamoaMANASE BEACH58TuvaluFUNAFUTI ATOLL 60VanuatuETON BEACH 62CHAMPAGNE BEACH64LONNOC BEACH66ASIACambodiaLAZY BEACH 68ChinaYALONG BAY 70IndiaVARKALA BEACH 72PALOLEM BEACH 74RADHANAGAR BEACH 76IndonesiaPINK BEACH78BROKEN BEACH82LONG SAND BEACH84FRIWEN ISLAND86WALAKIRI BEACH88JapanSHIRARAHAMA BEACH90SUNAYAMA BEACH92MIHO-NO-MATSUBARA94MalaysiaPANTAI CENANG96TANJUNG BUNGAH BEACH 98MaldivesBAROS ISLAND100FULHADHOO ISLAND 102PhilippinesNACPAN BEACH104WHITE BEACH108RussiaKHALAKTYRSKY BEACH110Sri LankaUPPUVELI BEACH112KOGGALA BEACH114HIRIKETIYA BEACH116MIRISSA BEACH118ThailandMAYA BAY120AO NANG124THONG NAI PAN126SAIREE BEACH130TurkeyCIRALI BEACH134ILICA BEACH136VietnamSAO BEACH138EUROPECroatiaZLATNI RAT140CyprusNISSI BEACH 142FranceCALANQUE D’EN-VAU 144SAINT MALO 146DEAUVILLE148THE D-DAY LANDING BEACHES 150GermanyBINZ 154LANGEOOG BEACH 156GreeceNAVAGIO BEACH 158ELAFONISI BEACH 160MYRTOS BEACH162BALOS BEACH164IcelandREYNISFJARA BEACH166DIAMOND BEACH168IrelandKEEM STRAND 172Italy SCALA DEI TURCHI 174ATRANI BEACH176LA PELOSA BEACH 178SAN FRUTTUOSO 180Malta WIED IL-GH ASRI 182MontenegroSVETI STEFAN BEACH 184The NetherlandsAMELAND186NorwayUTTAKLEIV BEACH188HAUKLAND BEACH190PortugalPRAIA DA URSA192PRAIA DO CAMILO194PRAIA DE BENAGIL198SpainCALA MACARELLETA200PLAYA DEL SILENCIO202PRAIA DAS CATEDRAIS204CALA LLENTRISCA208PLAYA DE LOS MUERTOS210PLAYA EL MEJILLÓN212PLATJA GRAN DE TOSSA DE MAR214SwedenSANDHAMMAREN216United kingdomRHOSSILI BAY BEACH218KYNANCE COVE220VATERSAY222ACHMELVICH BEACH226DURLDE DOOR BEACH228LUSKENTYRE BEACH230SOUTH AMERICAArgentinaNECOCHEA232BrazilCOPACABANA234IPANEMA236PRAIA DO FORTE240JERICOACOARA BEACH242MARAGOGI BEACH244BAÍA DOS PORCOS248British Overseas TerritoryLEOPARD BEACH252 ChileBAHÍA INGLESA254ColombiaNUQUI256SAN ANDRÉS260EcuadorPLAYA DE LOS FRAILES262TORTUGA BAY264BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND BEACH 266PeruMÁNCORA 268PLAYA ROJA270UruguayPUNTA DEL ESTE272PUNTA EL DIABLO276VenezuelaCAYO DE AGUA278NORTH & MIDDLE AMERICAAntigua and BarbudaCARLISLE BAY BEACH 280ArubaEAGLE BEACH282FLAMINGO BEACH284BahamasPINK SANDS BEACH286BarbadosBROWNES BEACH288BermudaHORESHOE BAY290Bonaire (Leeward Antilles)PINK BEACH292British Virgin IslandsTHE BATHS294Canada SAN JOSEF BAY296LAKE ANNETTE298Cayman IslandsSEVEN MILE BEACH300Costa RicaMANUEL ANTONIO BEACH302TAMARINDO BEACH306PLAYA CONCHAL308Dominican RepublicSAONA ISLAND310GrenadaPARADISE BEACH314GRAND ANSE BEACH 316JamaicaFRENCHMAN’S COVE 318PLAYA PARAISO320MexicoPLAYA DEL AMOR 322PLAYA NORTE 324ISLA HOLBOX 326Saint Kitts and NevisSOUTH FRIAR’S BAY328Saint LuciaSUGAR BEACH330ANSE CHASTANET332Sint MaartenMAHO BEACH 336Turks and CaicosGRACE BAY BEACH 338United States of AmericaFLAMENCO BEACH340MCWAY FALLS 342WAIKIKI BEACH344DRIFTWOOD BEACH346LANIKAI BEACH348CANNON BEACH350SAND BEACH352KAUAPEA BEACH354DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK356GLASS BEACH358KAIHALULU BEACH360SOUTH BEACH362HANALEI BAY364CAPE MAY366OLD ORCHARD BEACH368HA’ENA BEACH370COROLLA372ROBERT H. MEYER MEMORIAL STATE BEACH374PUNALU’U BEACH376JOCKEY’S RIDGE STATE PARK378BAKER BEACH380TRUNK BAY382BRIDGER BAY BEACH384HONOKALANI BEACH386AFRICAEgypt SHARM EL LULI 388KenyaDIANI BEACH 390MadagascarANDILANA392NOSY KOMBA 394NOSY TSARABANJINA 396MauritiusPOSTE LAFAYETTE BEACH 398TROU AUX BICHES 400GRAND BAIE 402MayotteN’GOUJA BEACH404MoroccoLEGZIRA BEACH406MozambiqueINHACA ISLAND408BAZARUTO ISLAND 410NamibiaSANDWICH HARBOUR 414SKELETON COAST NATIONAL PARK 416SeychellesANSE SOURCE D’ARGENT418ANSE LAZIO420ANSE GEORGETTE 422BEAU VALLON BEACH 424South AfricaCOFFEE BAY 426CAMPS BAY BEACH 428GONUBIE BEACH 430LONG BEACH 432TanzaniaNUNGWI BEACH434KENDWA BEACH 438MNEMBA BEACH 440ANTARCTICASouth Shetland IslandsDECEPTION ISLAND442South GeorgiaST. ANDREWS BAY 444

Stefanie Waldek is a Saratoga Springs–based journalist and author whose words have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Space.com, among other publications. Her books include 150 Gardens You Need to Visit Before You Die, 150 Golf Courses You Need to Visit Before You Die, and World's Best Swimming Pools.

Select Guide Rating

• OCEANIAAustraliaHYAMS BEACH10BONDI BEACH12LUCKY BAY14CORAL BAY18WINEGLASS BAY20WHITEHAVEN BEACH 22LAKE MCKENZIE26SHELL BEACH28BYRON BAY30Cook IslandsAITUTAKI LAGOON34FijiNATADOLA BEACH36YASAWA ISLANDS38French PolynesiaMATIRA BEACH42New ZealandKOEKOHE BEACH44CATHEDRAL COVE46MURIWAI BEACH48WHARARIKI BEACH50BUSHY BEACH52NINETY MILE BEACH54KAREKARE BEACH 56SamoaMANASE BEACH58TuvaluFUNAFUTI ATOLL 60VanuatuETON BEACH 62CHAMPAGNE BEACH64LONNOC BEACH66ASIACambodiaLAZY BEACH 68ChinaYALONG BAY 70IndiaVARKALA BEACH 72PALOLEM BEACH 74RADHANAGAR BEACH 76IndonesiaPINK BEACH78BROKEN BEACH82LONG SAND BEACH84FRIWEN ISLAND86WALAKIRI BEACH88JapanSHIRARAHAMA BEACH90SUNAYAMA BEACH92MIHO-NO-MATSUBARA94MalaysiaPANTAI CENANG96TANJUNG BUNGAH BEACH 98MaldivesBAROS ISLAND100FULHADHOO ISLAND 102PhilippinesNACPAN BEACH104WHITE BEACH108RussiaKHALAKTYRSKY BEACH110Sri LankaUPPUVELI BEACH112KOGGALA BEACH114HIRIKETIYA BEACH116MIRISSA BEACH118ThailandMAYA BAY120AO NANG124THONG NAI PAN126SAIREE BEACH130TurkeyCIRALI BEACH134ILICA BEACH136VietnamSAO BEACH138EUROPECroatiaZLATNI RAT140CyprusNISSI BEACH 142FranceCALANQUE D’EN-VAU 144SAINT MALO 146DEAUVILLE148THE D-DAY LANDING BEACHES 150GermanyBINZ 154LANGEOOG BEACH 156GreeceNAVAGIO BEACH 158ELAFONISI BEACH 160MYRTOS BEACH162BALOS BEACH164IcelandREYNISFJARA BEACH166DIAMOND BEACH168IrelandKEEM STRAND 172Italy SCALA DEI TURCHI 174ATRANI BEACH176LA PELOSA BEACH 178SAN FRUTTUOSO 180Malta WIED IL-GH ASRI 182MontenegroSVETI STEFAN BEACH 184The NetherlandsAMELAND186NorwayUTTAKLEIV BEACH188HAUKLAND BEACH190PortugalPRAIA DA URSA192PRAIA DO CAMILO194PRAIA DE BENAGIL198SpainCALA MACARELLETA200PLAYA DEL SILENCIO202PRAIA DAS CATEDRAIS204CALA LLENTRISCA208PLAYA DE LOS MUERTOS210PLAYA EL MEJILLÓN212PLATJA GRAN DE TOSSA DE MAR214SwedenSANDHAMMAREN216United kingdomRHOSSILI BAY BEACH218KYNANCE COVE220VATERSAY222ACHMELVICH BEACH226DURLDE DOOR BEACH228LUSKENTYRE BEACH230SOUTH AMERICAArgentinaNECOCHEA232BrazilCOPACABANA234IPANEMA236PRAIA DO FORTE240JERICOACOARA BEACH242MARAGOGI BEACH244BAÍA DOS PORCOS248British Overseas TerritoryLEOPARD BEACH252 ChileBAHÍA INGLESA254ColombiaNUQUI256SAN ANDRÉS260EcuadorPLAYA DE LOS FRAILES262TORTUGA BAY264BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND BEACH 266PeruMÁNCORA 268PLAYA ROJA270UruguayPUNTA DEL ESTE272PUNTA EL DIABLO276VenezuelaCAYO DE AGUA278NORTH & MIDDLE AMERICAAntigua and BarbudaCARLISLE BAY BEACH 280ArubaEAGLE BEACH282FLAMINGO BEACH284BahamasPINK SANDS BEACH286BarbadosBROWNES BEACH288BermudaHORESHOE BAY290Bonaire (Leeward Antilles)PINK BEACH292British Virgin IslandsTHE BATHS294Canada SAN JOSEF BAY296LAKE ANNETTE298Cayman IslandsSEVEN MILE BEACH300Costa RicaMANUEL ANTONIO BEACH302TAMARINDO BEACH306PLAYA CONCHAL308Dominican RepublicSAONA ISLAND310GrenadaPARADISE BEACH314GRAND ANSE BEACH 316JamaicaFRENCHMAN’S COVE 318PLAYA PARAISO320MexicoPLAYA DEL AMOR 322PLAYA NORTE 324ISLA HOLBOX 326Saint Kitts and NevisSOUTH FRIAR’S BAY328Saint LuciaSUGAR BEACH330ANSE CHASTANET332Sint MaartenMAHO BEACH 336Turks and CaicosGRACE BAY BEACH 338United States of AmericaFLAMENCO BEACH340MCWAY FALLS 342WAIKIKI BEACH344DRIFTWOOD BEACH346LANIKAI BEACH348CANNON BEACH350SAND BEACH352KAUAPEA BEACH354DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK356GLASS BEACH358KAIHALULU BEACH360SOUTH BEACH362HANALEI BAY364CAPE MAY366OLD ORCHARD BEACH368HA’ENA BEACH370COROLLA372ROBERT H. MEYER MEMORIAL STATE BEACH374PUNALU’U BEACH376JOCKEY’S RIDGE STATE PARK378BAKER BEACH380TRUNK BAY382BRIDGER BAY BEACH384HONOKALANI BEACH386AFRICAEgypt SHARM EL LULI 388KenyaDIANI BEACH 390MadagascarANDILANA392NOSY KOMBA 394NOSY TSARABANJINA 396MauritiusPOSTE LAFAYETTE BEACH 398TROU AUX BICHES 400GRAND BAIE 402MayotteN’GOUJA BEACH404MoroccoLEGZIRA BEACH406MozambiqueINHACA ISLAND408BAZARUTO ISLAND 410NamibiaSANDWICH HARBOUR 414SKELETON COAST NATIONAL PARK 416SeychellesANSE SOURCE D’ARGENT418ANSE LAZIO420ANSE GEORGETTE 422BEAU VALLON BEACH 424South AfricaCOFFEE BAY 426CAMPS BAY BEACH 428GONUBIE BEACH 430LONG BEACH 432TanzaniaNUNGWI BEACH434KENDWA BEACH 438MNEMBA BEACH 440ANTARCTICASouth Shetland IslandsDECEPTION ISLAND442South GeorgiaST. ANDREWS BAY 444

Stefanie Waldek is a Saratoga Springs–based journalist and author whose words have appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Space.com, among other publications. Her books include 150 Gardens You Need to Visit Before You Die, 150 Golf Courses You Need to Visit Before You Die, and World's Best Swimming Pools.

Select Guide Rating

• OCEANIAAustraliaHYAMS BEACH10BONDI BEACH12LUCKY BAY14CORAL BAY18WINEGLASS BAY20WHITEHAVEN BEACH 22LAKE MCKENZIE26SHELL BEACH28BYRON BAY30Cook IslandsAITUTAKI LAGOON34FijiNATADOLA BEACH36YASAWA ISLANDS38French PolynesiaMATIRA BEACH42New ZealandKOEKOHE BEACH44CATHEDRAL COVE46MURIWAI BEACH48WHARARIKI BEACH50BUSHY BEACH52NINETY MILE BEACH54KAREKARE BEACH 56SamoaMANASE BEACH58TuvaluFUNAFUTI ATOLL 60VanuatuETON BEACH 62CHAMPAGNE BEACH64LONNOC BEACH66ASIACambodiaLAZY BEACH 68ChinaYALONG BAY 70IndiaVARKALA BEACH 72PALOLEM BEACH 74RADHANAGAR BEACH 76IndonesiaPINK BEACH78BROKEN BEACH82LONG SAND BEACH84FRIWEN ISLAND86WALAKIRI BEACH88JapanSHIRARAHAMA BEACH90SUNAYAMA BEACH92MIHO-NO-MATSUBARA94MalaysiaPANTAI CENANG96TANJUNG BUNGAH BEACH 98MaldivesBAROS ISLAND100FULHADHOO ISLAND 102PhilippinesNACPAN BEACH104WHITE BEACH108RussiaKHALAKTYRSKY BEACH110Sri LankaUPPUVELI BEACH112KOGGALA BEACH114HIRIKETIYA BEACH116MIRISSA BEACH118ThailandMAYA BAY120AO NANG124THONG NAI PAN126SAIREE BEACH130TurkeyCIRALI BEACH134ILICA BEACH136VietnamSAO BEACH138EUROPECroatiaZLATNI RAT140CyprusNISSI BEACH 142FranceCALANQUE D’EN-VAU 144SAINT MALO 146DEAUVILLE148THE D-DAY LANDING BEACHES 150GermanyBINZ 154LANGEOOG BEACH 156GreeceNAVAGIO BEACH 158ELAFONISI BEACH 160MYRTOS BEACH162BALOS BEACH164IcelandREYNISFJARA BEACH166DIAMOND BEACH168IrelandKEEM STRAND 172Italy SCALA DEI TURCHI 174ATRANI BEACH176LA PELOSA BEACH 178SAN FRUTTUOSO 180Malta WIED IL-GH ASRI 182MontenegroSVETI STEFAN BEACH 184The NetherlandsAMELAND186NorwayUTTAKLEIV BEACH188HAUKLAND BEACH190PortugalPRAIA DA URSA192PRAIA DO CAMILO194PRAIA DE BENAGIL198SpainCALA MACARELLETA200PLAYA DEL SILENCIO202PRAIA DAS CATEDRAIS204CALA LLENTRISCA208PLAYA DE LOS MUERTOS210PLAYA EL MEJILLÓN212PLATJA GRAN DE TOSSA DE MAR214SwedenSANDHAMMAREN216United kingdomRHOSSILI BAY BEACH218KYNANCE COVE220VATERSAY222ACHMELVICH BEACH226DURLDE DOOR BEACH228LUSKENTYRE BEACH230SOUTH AMERICAArgentinaNECOCHEA232BrazilCOPACABANA234IPANEMA236PRAIA DO FORTE240JERICOACOARA BEACH242MARAGOGI BEACH244BAÍA DOS PORCOS248British Overseas TerritoryLEOPARD BEACH252 ChileBAHÍA INGLESA254ColombiaNUQUI256SAN ANDRÉS260EcuadorPLAYA DE LOS FRAILES262TORTUGA BAY264BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND BEACH 266PeruMÁNCORA 268PLAYA ROJA270UruguayPUNTA DEL ESTE272PUNTA EL DIABLO276VenezuelaCAYO DE AGUA278NORTH & MIDDLE AMERICAAntigua and BarbudaCARLISLE BAY BEACH 280ArubaEAGLE BEACH282FLAMINGO BEACH284BahamasPINK SANDS BEACH286BarbadosBROWNES BEACH288BermudaHORESHOE BAY290Bonaire (Leeward Antilles)PINK BEACH292British Virgin IslandsTHE BATHS294Canada SAN JOSEF BAY296LAKE ANNETTE298Cayman IslandsSEVEN MILE BEACH300Costa RicaMANUEL ANTONIO BEACH302TAMARINDO BEACH306PLAYA CONCHAL308Dominican RepublicSAONA ISLAND310GrenadaPARADISE BEACH314GRAND ANSE BEACH 316JamaicaFRENCHMAN’S COVE 318PLAYA PARAISO320MexicoPLAYA DEL AMOR 322PLAYA NORTE 324ISLA HOLBOX 326Saint Kitts and NevisSOUTH FRIAR’S BAY328Saint LuciaSUGAR BEACH330ANSE CHASTANET332Sint MaartenMAHO BEACH 336Turks and CaicosGRACE BAY BEACH 338United States of AmericaFLAMENCO BEACH340MCWAY FALLS 342WAIKIKI BEACH344DRIFTWOOD BEACH346LANIKAI BEACH348CANNON BEACH350SAND BEACH352KAUAPEA BEACH354DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK356GLASS BEACH358KAIHALULU BEACH360SOUTH BEACH362HANALEI BAY364CAPE MAY366OLD ORCHARD BEACH368HA’ENA BEACH370COROLLA372ROBERT H. MEYER MEMORIAL STATE BEACH374PUNALU’U BEACH376JOCKEY’S RIDGE STATE PARK378BAKER BEACH380TRUNK BAY382BRIDGER BAY BEACH384HONOKALANI BEACH386AFRICAEgypt SHARM EL LULI 388KenyaDIANI BEACH 390MadagascarANDILANA392NOSY KOMBA 394NOSY TSARABANJINA 396MauritiusPOSTE LAFAYETTE BEACH 398TROU AUX BICHES 400GRAND BAIE 402MayotteN’GOUJA BEACH404MoroccoLEGZIRA BEACH406MozambiqueINHACA ISLAND408BAZARUTO ISLAND 410NamibiaSANDWICH HARBOUR 414SKELETON COAST NATIONAL PARK 416SeychellesANSE SOURCE D’ARGENT418ANSE LAZIO420ANSE GEORGETTE 422BEAU VALLON BEACH 424South AfricaCOFFEE BAY 426CAMPS BAY BEACH 428GONUBIE BEACH 430LONG BEACH 432TanzaniaNUNGWI BEACH434KENDWA BEACH 438MNEMBA BEACH 440ANTARCTICASouth Shetland IslandsDECEPTION ISLAND442South GeorgiaST. ANDREWS BAY 444