When sea meets sand, beautiful things can happen
Beaches are the Valium of the travel world. They soothe, they relax, they make you realize that "real life" occasionally needs escaping.
Most of all, these slivers of sand against the ocean are a reminder that the world can be quite beautiful.
Of course, we'd be fools to think we've captured every great beach out there. If you think we've missed a few, let us know: what's your favorite beach? Comment below.
Or vote now on our world's best beach Facebook poll.
50. Pigeon Point, Trinidad and Tobago
Try not to photograph this jetty ... it's impossible.
The smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, 41-kilometer-long Tobago boasts an endless procession of gorgeous beaches.
The crowning glory is Pigeon Point.
Here, what is reportedly the world’s most photographed jetty juts out into the glistening sea. The beach is carpeted with powdery white sand, perfect for beach volleyball. In the distance, almond and coconut trees sway in the breeze.
Pigeon Point is such a literal representation of the Caribbean beach ideal that it almost seems like a dream -- right down to the charming old lady who sells sour-sop ice cream by the pound.
The beach is a walkable two kilometers north of Crown Point proper. For more on how to get there, visit www.simplytobago.com.
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49. Praia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Humans like this beach, but dolphins and turtles love it.
Often voted Brazil's best beach, and one of the best in South America, Praia do Sancho is a bay on the island of Fernando de Noronha, which faces the coast of Brazil rather than out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Steep, rocky cliffs covered in vegetation form a backdrop to the clear waters that are accessible only via ladders attached to the cliff face. Or by boat.
Although much of the island's vegetation was cut down in the 19th century, when the island was used as a prison, it's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, underscoring the island's value as a feeding site for tuna, billfish, cetaceans, sharks, marine turtles and dolphins.
Daily flights, charters and full packages to Fernando de Noronha are available from major Brazilian cities.
48. Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
Looks strange, feels great.
No, those aren’t pathetic sand castles, beachgoers are digging up their own man-made hot tubs.
Volcanoes near this beach on the eastern edge of New Zealand's North Island develop large underground reservoirs of extremely hot water.
Over time, this water escapes to the surface, cooling along the way, though still emerging at temperatures as hot as 64 C. The hot springs are accessible only at low tide, so grab a shovel and dig your own spa.
Take State Highway 25 to Whenuakite, where the only notable junction is the road to Hot Water Beach, Cook's Beach and Hahei/Cathedral Cove. Stay on the main road until you see the (right) turn to Hot Water Beach (roughly eight kilometers).
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47. Bottom Bay, Barbados
Top up your bliss factor at Bottom Bay.
One of the few beautiful beaches in Barbados that has escaped development overkill, Bottom Bay is enclosed by high coral cliffs, making it an almost undiscovered pocket of paradise.
All the colors of a tropical vacation mix and merge on this curve of shoreline -- incandescent white sands, verdant green vegetation and various blue hues of sea and sky.
The waves can be fierce, but it's a great spot for a sandy picnic. Turtles and whales can sometimes be spotted from the tops of the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Most resorts and hotels provide shuttle transportation to and from the airport, and around the island to beaches and other tourist hot spots.
46. Paradise Beach, Rab, Croatia
If it's good enough for a nude royal ...
The Croatian island of Rab claims to be the birthplace of modern skinny dipping.
In 1936, King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson obtained permission from city authorities to bathe naked in the inlet of Kandalora, and people have been doing the same on the island’s beaches ever since.
The Lopar peninsula alone has three clothing-optional beaches. Sahara beach, a sandy shore fringed by shrubs, is the most famous. But it's the two-kilometer curve of Paradise Beach, or Rajska Plaza, that draws in-the-know crowds.
The sea remains shallow even half a kilometer out, making it an ideal place for novice swimmers. Though it can get crowded during peak season, the beach has been awarded a Blue Flag award by the Foundation for Environmental Education for its environmental management and safety record.
For information on how to get to Paradise Beach visit www.croatia-beaches.com.
45. Lover’s Beach, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Romantic, as long as you remember to get back.
A semi-hidden cove best accessed by boat, Lover’s Beach sits on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.
Rock formations spring out of the sand and turquoise waters, creating a dramatic landscape once popular with pirates, now with photographers.
The beach is small and the sea can get rough, so this isn’t a place to plan to stay for long. You should also pre-arrange return transport, as come 4 p.m., boats are scarce.
Hire a water taxi at Cabo San Lucas marina, and don’t forget to arrange the return trip in advance. There are no services on Lover’s Beach. Lote A-18 De la Darsena, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico;
44. Byron Bay, Australia
The beach of the bohemian.
Byron Bay has a magnetic appeal for travelers. Pubs, cafés, bookshops and buskers line the streets. Musicians, artists and drift-ins walk the streets barefoot and bleary-eyed.
There’s a lingering scent of the Flower Power Generation, while surfers search for that perfect wave. It’s also Australia’s unofficial capital of leftism, meditation and ganja. No wonder so many beach bums call it home.
Every year, the Byron Bay Bluesfest attracts some of the biggest names in world music, and with it, thousand of Sydneysiders.
With breaks, Byron Bay is about a nine-hour drive from Sydney and a two-hour drive from Brisbane. For more information visit www.byron-bay.com.
43. An Bang Beach, Hoi An, Vietnam
Gentle waves complement serene sunsets.
Near the former trading port of Hoi An, An Bang Beach has long been popular among locals for its gentle waves and soft white sand.
Recently, it's picked up speed among expat tourists, which explains the Western-managed bars and restaurant along the waterfront. The bars are a great spot to mingle, but if you’re in a solitary mood, walk away from the main stretch and you’ll feel like you have the place to yourself.
Many restaurants in the town of Hoi An specialize in the Viet imperial cuisine Hoi An is known for around the country.
Read more: Hoi An -- food and fashion by the sea
42. Bandon, Oregon, United States
About as atmospheric as beaches get.
It’s hard not to fall in love with the Oregon coast town of Bandon.
It’s got beauty, especially when the sun sets over the striking rock formations along the coast. It’s got good food, thanks to a long growing season and influx of ambitious chefs.
It also has diversions to keep holiday-makers happy, with a safari game park to the south and spectacular, seaside Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to the north.
According to Native American folklore, the unusual formation of Face Rock represents the face of a princess who was drowned by an evil sea spirit.
For more information visit www.bandon.com.
41. Puka Beach, Boracay, Philippines
Sand so powdery you may want to bring your snowboard.
Boracay may be a pimped-out tourist zone, but there’s a reason it remains atop many travel rankings.
Making a respectable claim to its “tropical paradise” reputation, Boracay has something for everyone, from powdery beaches to water sports and spas.
Those who like peace and quiet might want to skip the famous White Beach and instead head to Puka Beach. It's named for the Puka shells that can be found on the beach, so expect the sand to be coarser than that of its neighbors.
Puka is the second-longest beach in Boracay and also relatively empty most times, with no resorts on the sand and a limited number of restaurants.
The main road in Boracay terminates at Puka Beach. You can also hire a tricycle to get there in about 10 or 15 minutes from the centrally located White Beach; www.islandboracay.com.
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