As the ultimate global authority on beaches, The World's 50 Best Beaches has revealed its annual rankings for 2026. Driven by The World's 50 Best Beaches team's first-hand, year-round exploration as well as collaboration with over 1,000 elite travel professionals worldwide, the list highlights the planet's most spectacular beaches.

The 2026 list sets an uncompromising new standard for beach rankings by merging the direct experience of over 1,000 industry experts with rigorous, year-round scouting from the organization's own internal team. Together, they evaluated global nominations across eight essential criteria: unique characteristics, wildlife, untouched nature, natural soundtrack, ease of water entry, frequency of calm conditions, lack of overcrowding, and consistency of idyllic settings. By aggregating elite industry votes and personally verifying the top selections on the ground, The World's 50 Best Beaches provides an unmatched, thoroughly vetted guide to the world's most breathtaking beach destinations.

To maintain a continually evolving global guide, The World's 50 Best Beaches employs a "Best of the Best" Hall of Fame. Former #1 beaches are permanently retired from the annual voting pool. Rather than competing year after year, these unparalleled destinations graduate to the "Best of the Best" archive. This ensures the annual Top 50 remains a space for fresh, world-class discoveries, while honoring past winners with the ultimate lifetime distinction. With today's release, last year's winner, Cala Goloritze, has moved to the Best of the Best list.

THE BEST BEACHES IN THE WORLD, 2026

1. ENTALULA BEACH
   PHILIPPINES


2. FTERI BEACH
   GREECE


3. WHARTON BEACH
   AUSTRALIA


4. NOSY IRANJA
   MADAGASCAR


5. EAST BEACH, VOMO ISLAND
   FIJI


6. SHOAL BAY EAST
   ANGUILLA


7. DHIGURAH
   MALDIVES


8. PLAYA BALANDRA
   MEXICO


9. KOH RONG
   CAMBODIA


10. DONALD DUCK BAY
    THAILAND


11. CAYO DE AGUA
    VENEZUELA


12. CALA MACARELLA
    SPAIN


13. ONE FOOT ISLAND
    COOK ISLANDS


14. PRINCESS DIANA BEACH
    BARBUDA


15. TURQUOISE BAY
    AUSTRALIA


16. PK 9 BEACH
    FRENCH POLYNESIA


17. GRACE BAY
    TURK AND CAICOS


18. CALA DEI GABBIANI
    ITALY


19. SAADIYAT BEACH
    UNITED ARAB EMIRATES


20. CANTO DE LA PLAYA
    DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


21. WINEGLASS BAY
    AUSTRALIA


22. PINK BEACH
    INDONESIA


23. PARADISE BEACH
    THAILAND


24. ANSE SOURSE D'ARGENT
    SEYCHELLES


25. KALANGGAMAN
    PHILIPPINES


26. SEVEN MILE BEACH
    CAYMAN ISLANDS


27. FREEDOM BEACH
    THAILAND


28. SIESTA BEACH
    USA


29. KAPUTAS BEACH
    TURKEY


30. CAYO ZAPATILLA
    PANAMA


31. THE BATHS
    BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS


32. CABO SAN JUAN DEL GUIA
    COLOMBIA


33. BAIA DO SANCHO
    BRAZIL


34. PORTO KATSIKI
    GREECE


35. SANTA GIULIA
    FRANCE


36. BLUE LAGOON
    FIJI


37. PLAYA XPU HA
    MEXICO


38. OFU BEACH
    AMERICAN SAMOA


39. PLAYA COFETE
    SPAIN


40. LE MORNE BEACH
    MAURITIUS


41. FLAMENCO BEACH
    PUERTO RICO


42. GRAND ANSE
    GRENADA


43. PRAIA DA FALESIA
    PORTUGAL


44. PONTAL DO ATALAIA
    BRAZIL


45. BOULDER BEACH
    SOUTH AFRICA


46. PORTO TIMONI
    GREECE


47. PAJE BEACH
    ZANZIBAR


48. LA PELOSA
    ITALY


49. CAS ABAO
    CURAÇAO


50. KEEM BEACH
    IRELAND





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