Scratch your wanderlust itch with a look at this year’s stunning winners in the 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches – and it’s Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island in Australia that’s No1.
It takes the top spot in a ranking drawn up from the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travellers for beaches worldwide, as well as volumes of ‘saves’ – beaches locked-down travellers lusted after – gathered between January 1 and December 31, 2020.
The worldwide silver medal goes to Santa Maria Beach on the island of Cayo Santa Maria in Cuba, bronze goes to Baia do Sancho in Brazil and the UK’s Bournemouth Beach snares 20th place on the global ranking and comes fifth on the European list. Saint Pete Beach in Florida is the USA’s top-ranking beach, claiming fifth on the global table.
Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island in Australia is the best beach in the world, according to the 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches. It has a perfect average of five stars from over 2,300 reviews
The worldwide silver medal goes to Santa Maria Beach on the island of Cayo Santa Maria in Cuba. Tripadvisor’s summary? ‘A pristine white sand beach offering spectacular snorkelling’
The UK’s Bournemouth Beach snares 20th place on the global ranking and comes fifth on the European list. It has an average score of 4.5 out of five from over 8,600 reviews, with one traveller lauding its ‘lovely golden sands’ and another its ‘lovely places to eat and drink’
Saint Pete Beach in Florida is the USA’s top-ranking beach, claiming fifth on the global table. It has an average of 4.5 out of five from over 5,100 reviews on Tripadvisor, with reviewer Fabiana Baad declaring it ‘safe and clean with fine white sand’
Australia’s Whitehaven Beach, which has a perfect average of five stars from over 2,300 reviews, is a veritable paradise located in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s only accessible by boat, seaplane or helicopter and is lauded by travellers for its gorgeous soft white sand and postcard-perfect turquoise water.
Truly, a worthy winner.
The rest of the worldwide top 10 list comprises Grace Bay Beach on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean (fourth); Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Australia (sixth); Eagle Beach on the Caribbean island of Aruba (seventh); Spiaggia dei Conigli on the Italian island of Lampedusa (eighth); Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii (ninth), and Baía dos Golfinhos in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil (10th).
TRIPADVISOR’S BEST 2021 BEACHES – GLOBAL, EUROPE, USA AND CARIBBEAN
TOP BEACHES IN THE WORLD
1. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
2. Santa Maria Beach, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba
3. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
4. Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
5. Saint Pete Beach, Florida
6. Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia
7. Eagle Beach, Aruba
8. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy
9. Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
10. Baía dos Golfinhos, Brazil
11. Playa de Cofete, Fuerteventura
12. Varadero Beach, Cuba
13. Praia de Falésia, Albufeira, Portugal
14. Maho Bay Beach, St John, US Virgin Islands
15. Seven Mile Beach, Jamaica
16. La Concha Beach, San Sebastian, Spain
17. Playa Norte, Mexico
18. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
19. Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic
20. Bournemouth Beach, Dorset
21. Balos Lagoon, Crete
22. Playa Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
23. Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar Island
24. Elafonissi Beach, Crete
25. Plage de Santa Giulia, Corsica
TOP BEACHES IN EUROPE
1. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy
2. Playa de Cofete, Fuerteventura
3. Praia da Falésia, Albufeira, Portugal
4. La Concha Beach, San Sebastian, Spain
5. Bournemouth Beach, Dorset
6. Balos Lagoon, Crete
7. Elafonissi Beach, Crete
8. Plage de Santa Giulia, Corsica
9. Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Greece
10. Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
11. Diamond Beach, Iceland
12. Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
13. Sarakiniko Beach, Milos, Greece
14. Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
15. Sotavento Beach, Fuerteventura
16. Perranporth Beach, Cornwall
17. Fig Tree Bay, Protaras, Cyprus
18. Filey Beach, Yorkshire
19. Plage du Sillon, Saint-Malo, France
20. Spiaggia di Sansone, Elba Island, Italy
21. Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus
22. Kleopatra Beach, Alanya, Turkey
23. Tropea Beach, Italy
24. Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica
25. Spiaggia La Cinta, Sardinia
TOP BEACHES IN THE UNITED STATES
1. Saint Pete Beach, Florida
2. Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii
3. Moonstone Beach, California
4. Wailea Beach, Hawaii
5. Cannon Beach, Oregon
6. Napili Beach, Hawaii
7. Ogunquit Beach, Maine
8. Wai’anapanapa State Park, Hawaii
9. Madeira Beach, Florida
10. Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii
11. Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia
12. Ormond Beach, Florida
13. Henderson Beach State Park, Florida
14. La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California
15. Pensacola Beach, Florida
16. Treasure Island Beach, Florida
17. Siesta Beach, Florida
18. Clearwater Beach, Florida
19. Coligny Beach, South Carolina
20. Coronado Beach, California
21. Virginia Beach, Virginia
22. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii
23. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
24. Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
25. Santa Monica State Beach, California
TOP BEACHES IN THE CARIBBEAN
1. Santa Maria Beach, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba
2. Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
3. Eagle Beach, Aruba
4. Varadero Beach, Cuba
5. Maho Bay Beach, St John, US Virgin Islands
6. Seven Mile Beach, Jamaica
7. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
8. Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic
9. Half Moon Bay, Antigua
10. Flamenco Beach, Puerto Rico
11. Bloody Bay, Jamaica
12. Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda
13. Trunk Bay Beach, St John, US Virgin Islands
14. Honeymoon Beach, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
15. Playa Pilar, Cuba
16. Playa Paraiso, Cuba
17. Frenchman’s Cove, Jamaica
18. Mullet Bay, Sint Maarten/St Martin
19. The Baths, Virgin Goda, British Virgin Islands
20. Grande Anse des Salines, Martinique
21. Plage de Grande Anse, Guadeloupe
22. Pigeon Point Beach, Tobago
23. Kenepa Beach, Curaçao
24. Playa Porto Mari, Curaçao
25. Arashi Beach, Aruba
Source: 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
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The bronze medal on the worldwide list goes to 2020’s No1 – Baia do Sancho on the island of Fernando de Noronha in Brazil (pictured). Getting to it involves climbing down a couple of vertical ladders – but the effort is well worth it, according to the beachgoers’ grapevine
Grace Bay Beach on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean is the world’s fourth-best beach for 2021, according to Tripadvisor’s assessment of reviews and ratings from 2020 and the number of ‘saves’ made by locked-down travellers
Behold the No6 beach worldwide – Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia. Tripadvisor says it’s No1 out of 31 things to do in Exmouth. This picture says it all
Eagle Beach on the Caribbean island of Aruba comes seventh in the global ranking. The bonsai-like Fofoti trees that grow on it make for a unique Instagram backdrop
Spiaggia dei Conigli beach – known for its colony of sea turtles and irresistible waters – on the Italian island of Lampedusa is top in Tripadvisor’s Europe list and eighth globally
Ka’anapali Beach in Maui, Hawaii, is the ninth-best beach in the world and the No2 in the USA, according to the Tripadvisor mainframe. Apparently, visitors here sometimes see whales breaching in the distance
Rounding out the top ten global ranking is this gem – Baía dos Golfinhos in Brazil. It has amassed over 4,600 ‘excellent’ reviews
The European ranking is, of course, headed by Italy’s Spiaggia dei Conigli. In second place is Playa de Cofete on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura, followed by Praia da Falesia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal (third); La Concha Beach, San Sebastian, Spain (fourth), and then Bournemouth Beach, as mentioned, in fifth.
Bournemouth Beach has an average score of 4.5 out of five from over 8,600 reviews, with one traveller lauding its ‘lovely golden sands’ and another its ‘lovely places to eat and drink’.
This year, four UK beaches make Europe’s top 25. In addition to Bournemouth’s success, Cornwall is home to two of Europe’s best, with Porthminster Beach and Perranporth Beach coming in 10th and 16th place, respectively. While Filey Beach near Scarborough ranks 18th.
TRIPADVISOR’S BEST 2021 BEACHES – ASIA, AFRICA, SOUTH PACIFIC, SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO
TOP BEACHES IN ASIA
1. Agonda Beach, India
2. Cavelossim Beach, India
3. Ngapali Beach, Myanmar
4. Kelingking Beach, Indonesia
5. Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India
6. Yonaha Maehama Beach, Okinawa, Japan
7. Cox’s Bazar Beach, Bangladesh
8. Bentota Beach, Sri Lanka
9. Khlong Muang Beach, Krabi, Thailand
10. Coconut Beach, Khao Lak, Thailand
11. Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea
12. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
13. Varca Beach, India
14. Varkala Beach, Kerala, India
15. Long Beach, Krabi, Thailand
16. Kata Noi Beach, Phuket, Thailand
17. Nai Harn Beach, Phuket, Thailand
18. Nacpan Beach, Palawan Island, Philippines
19. Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka
20. Hikkaduwa Beach, Sri Lanka
21. Nusa Dua Beach, Indonesia
22. Sanur Beach, Bali
23. Cenang Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia
24. An Bang Beach, Hoi An, Vietnam
25. My Khe Beach, Da Nang, Vietnam
TOP BEACHES IN AFRICA
1. Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar Island
2. Anse Coco Beach, La Digue Island, Seychelles
3. Belle Mare Beach, Mauritius
4. Nakupenda Beach, Stone Town, Zanzibar Island
5. Santa Monica Beach, Cape Verde
6. Clifton Beaches, Cape Town, South Africa
7. Praia de Santa Maria, Cape Verde
8. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
9. Paje Beach, Zanzibar Island
10. Diani Beach, Kenya
TOP BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
1. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
2. Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia
3. Cape Le Grand National Park, Esperance, Western Australia
4. Greens Pool, Denmark, Western Australia
5. Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia
6. Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
7. Piscine Naturelle, Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia
8. Ohope Beach, Whakatane, New Zealand
9. Kaiteriteri Beach, New Zealand
10. Mt Maunganui Main Beach, Tauranga, New Zealand
TOP BEACHES IN SOUTH AMERICA
1. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
2. Baía dos Golfinhos, Brazil
3. Farol Beach, Brazil
4. Camurupim Beach, Brazil
5. Quarta Praia, Brazil
6. Anakena Beach, Easter Island, Chile
7. Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay, Ecuador
8. Playa Mansa, Uruguay
9. Playa de Spratt Bight, San Andres Island, Colombia
10. Playa Cavancha, Chile
TOP BEACHES IN MEXICO
1. Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres
2. Playa del Amor, Cabo San Lucas
3. Playa la Ropa, Zihuatanejo
4. Balandra Beach, La Paz
5. Chileno Beach, Cabo San Lucas
6. Nuevo Vallarta Beach, Nayarit
7. Mayan Beach, Tulum
8. Playa Zicatela, Puerto Escondido
9. Playa Delfines, Cancun
10. Playa Paraiso, Tulum
Source: 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
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Taking bronze in the USA ranking is this enticing strip of sand – Moonstone Beach, California. ‘Taking a walk on Moonstone Beach is definitely a breathtaking experience,’ says Tripadvisor reviewer ‘travelbyjb’
Wailea Beach in Hawaii snares fourth in the USA list in 2021’s Tripadvisor Beach Awards. ‘You can rent snorkel gear and see the turtles near the rocks and coral,’ enthuses Tripadvisor reviewer alexwalkuski
If you like your beaches to come with gigantic lumps of off-shore rock, then head to the No5 beach in the USA – Cannon Beach in Oregon, home to this 235ft-high craggy mound, Haystack Rock. At low tide it’s possible to explore the sealife-rich tidepools around its base. Up high, meanwhile, live tufted puffins. But note, climbing the rock is prohibited
The rest of the USA top-five ranking, meanwhile, comprises Ka’anapali Beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui (second); Moonstone Beach, Cambria, California (third); Wailea Beach on Maui (fourth) and Cannon Beach in Oregon (fifth).
The No1-ranked Saint Pete Beach has an average of 4.5 out of five from over 5,100 reviews on Tripadvisor, with reviewer Fabiana Baad declaring it ‘safe and clean with fine white sand’.
‘Your last trip to the beach probably feels like a lifetime ago, but with vaccine programs rolling out worldwide, safely making that beach getaway a reality just might be in reach!’ said Christine Maguire, vice president and general manager, global media business at Tripadvisor.
‘Whether your preferred kind of beach is preened and pristine or rugged and rough, this list of travellers’ favourites is just the inspiration you need to get planning your next beach break.’
For the complete list of Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award-winning beaches for 2021, visit: www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Beaches.
In second place in the European ranking is Playa de Cofete on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura. Scenes for Exodus: Gods and Kings were filmed here
Praia da Falesia beach in Olhos de Agua, Portugal, comes third in Tripadvisor’s 2021 European beach reckoning
Foodie hotspot San Sebastian is also a beach hotspot. It’s home to Europe’s fourth-best beach, according to Tripadvisor – La Concha Beach. Its world ranking? Sixteenth
This Instagram hotspot in Crete – Balos Lagoon – is sixth in Europe by Tripadvisor’s beach calculations and 21st in the world. The dreamy spot is accessed via a dirt road that runs to it from Kalyviani village – or boat for a more romantic start to proceedings. The peninsula beyond is Tigani, where the ruins of a medieval castle and church lie, along with multiple tombs
Exotic Elafonissi Beach in Crete is seventh in Europe and 24th in the world, according to Tripadvisor’s algorithm. Elafonisi is actually an island (at the bottom of this picture), with the beach connecting it to the mainland during low tide. During high tide the middle section of the sandbar is submerged in water around one metre (3.2ft) deep
Pretty Plage de Santa Giulia in Corsica is the eighth-finest beach in Europe and comes 25th in the world ranking
Heavenly: Kleftiko Beach on the island of Milos, Greece, is the ninth best in Europe, according to Tripadvisor’s computations
Porthminster Beach in St Ives, Cornwall, rounds out the 2021 Tripadvisor European beach ranking top 10. One Tripadvisor reviewer, ‘CJM2121’, declared it the best beach he’d ever visited in the UK
Perranporth Beach in Cornwall comes 16th in the European list. As this picture shows, it’s quite something
Filey Beach, near Scarborough in Yorkshire, places 18th on the European ranking. Headlands to the north and south cocoon the bay from overly choppy seas – and crucially, there’s a crazy golf course
Source link : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-9287353/Tripadvisors-best-beaches-2021-Australias-Whitehaven-Beach-No1-overall-Bournemouth-20th.html