Los Roques, Venezuela

Where rose-tinted shores brushed by cheeky parrotfish meet volcanic sands guarded by flame-beaked puffins—2025 has revealed a coastline of contrasts. This year’s beaches are more than postcard-perfect—they’re immersive, elemental, and often unexpected. Think Komodo’s blush-pink sands where dragons roam inland, Mauritius’s optical illusions beneath turquoise lagoons, and Iceland’s basalt cathedrals etched in black sand. Some hum with tropical life—like Venezuela’s Los Roques, where stingrays glide over coral gardens—while others, like England’s Man O’War Beach, whisper of ancient fossils and timeworn cliffs. To help navigate this spectrum, I’ve asked Explore Worldwide to share its world’s most beautiful beaches for 2025. Known for uncovering remote gems, its picks span continents and climates—from penguin-dotted coves in South Africa to crescent bays in Spain’s Basque Country.

1. Pink Beach, Indonesia

Pink Beach, Indonesia

Blushed by crushed coral and microscopic Foraminifera, Pink Beach on Komodo Island—sandwiched between Sumbawa and the Flores islands—serves swathes of rosé sands where reef fish flicker and sea stars cling to coral gardens. Behind the shoreline, green hills roll like velvet at the UNESCO-listed Komodo National Park—as Komodo dragons roam the wild interior. Meanwhile, boats drift in from Labuan Bajo, their shadows dancing on the shallows—and snorkelers trace the reef’s edge. Utter paradise.

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2. Le Morne, Mauritius

Le Morne, Mauritius

Cradled beneath dramatic cliffs on Mauritius’s southwestern coast, Le Morne Beach beckons with silky sands and swaying palms that cast dappled shade over slung hammocks. Offshore, kite surfers dance across the lagoon while fishermen paddle slender pirogues above shallow coral gardens alive with neon wrasse and ghostly butterflyfish. Snorkel toward the famed “underwater waterfall”—an astonishing optical illusion where cascading sand appears to tumble endlessly into the ocean’s mysterious depths.

3. Bulders Beach, South Africa

Boulders Beach, South Africa

Tucked into South Africa’s Cape Peninsula, Boulders Beach cradles grainy white sand nestled between granite boulders and jade-hued waters perfect for paddling. Its star attraction? A colony of African penguins, waddling through the shallows and chattering among sea-grass and stone. Their quirky calls echo along wooden walkways winding past vegetated dunes, shaded groves, and scenic lookout points where dassies bask and Cape cormorants swoop against the horizon.

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4. Yalong Bay, China

Yalong Bay, South China

Nicknamed the “Hawaii of China”, Yalong Bay curves like a dragon’s smile along Hainan’s southern coast. Here, ivory sands spill into waters that shimmer jade—where butterflyfish and sea turtles glide through crystalline depths. Onshore, coconut palms sway over manicured resorts and tropical gardens, their lantern-lit paths winding toward forested hills and glass bridges suspended in the canopy. While at dusk, the horizon blushes with coral light as fishing boats drift past the silhouette of Longtou Rock.

5. Sunrise Beach, Thailand

Sunrise Beach, Thailand

Stretching along Koh Lipe’s eastern shore, Sunrise Beach greets the morning with golden light that spills across powder-fine sand and gently swaying casuarina trees. Long-tail boats bob lazily in crystal shallows, their brightly painted hulls casting ripples of color over sprawling reefs just offshore. While barefoot wanderers amble between beachfront cafés serving mango smoothies and grilled tiger prawns, as snorkelers drift by speckled angelfish and flickering parrotfish. By afternoon, the tide reveals hidden sandbars perfect for wading toward the horizon—where sea and sky melt in endless sapphire.

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6. Cala Macarelleta, Menorca

Cala Macarelleta, Menorca

Hidden away on Menorca’s sun-drenched southwestern coast, Cala Macarelleta is a firm favourite of Explore Worldwide’s MD, Michael Edwards. Encased by rugged limestone cliffs draped in fragrant Aleppo pines, the secluded cove whispers seclusion—its crystal waters lapping gently like a lullaby. Just beyond the beach, dusty trails snake through pine-scented forest—while sleek sailboats idle offshore, their gleaming hulls casting lazy, flickering shadows on the sandy sea floor. Beneath the surface, shimmering schools of bream glisten like silver confetti, and curious snorkelers drift past submerged, craggy rock ledges teeming with anemones and elusive octopus. No roads reach this untouched haven—only narrow, meandering footpaths.

7. Pentle Bay, Scilly Isles

Pentle Bay, Scilly Isles

Nestled along Tresco’s eastern shore, Pentle Bay unfurls a ribbon of powder-white sand kissed by the Gulf Stream. Here, the Atlantic sheds its usual moodiness—revealing waters in shades of aquamarine—so clear they mirror the sky. Sea thrift and marram grass fringe the dunes—while oystercatchers tiptoe along the tideline. Offshore, seals bob like sentinels and kayakers skim the glassy surface—tracing the scalloped coastline. Behind the beach, subtropical gardens bloom with palms and flame-red proteas—nurtured by Tresco’s rare microclimate.

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8. Vik I Myrdal, Iceland

Vik I Myrdal, Iceland

Scoured by Arctic winds and forged in volcanic fire, Vik i Myrdal unveils its black-sand canvas beneath Iceland’s moody southern skies. Encased by towering basalt cliffs—pillared like a cathedral etched by nature—its Reynisdrangar sea stacks loom like mythic guardians, jagged and stoic, said to be trolls frozen by sunlight. Puffins wheel overhead, while fulmars and guillemots cling to cliff ledges like notes on a stave. Here, photographers chase the spectacle: think wind-whipped silhouettes, spray-slicked rocks, and skies that shift from steel to silver in a breath. There’s no tropical warmth here—only raw, cinematic beauty.

9. Playa la Concha, Spain

Playa la Concha, Spain

Shaped like a crescent moon, Playa la Concha spills in a golden sweep along San Sebastián’s iconic bay. Sheltered by Isla de Santa Clara, it’s ideal for paddleboarders skimming the surface and swimmers tracing the gentle arc of the shore. Belle Époque façades line the promenade, where white-linen cafés spill onto sunlit terraces. Meanwhile, at low tide, the beach widens—revealing tidal pools where children hunt for tiny crabs and sea glass. Framed by Monte Igueldo and Monte Urgull, the bay resembles a natural amphitheatre—verdant and grand. Then, as evening falls, locals stroll arm-in-arm, while the horizon glows with peach and lavender hues.

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10. Los Roques, Venezuela

Los Roques, Venezuela

Dusted with crushed coral and powdered shells, the beaches of Los Roques—scattered like pearls across Venezuela’s Caribbean coast—offer sheets of talcum-white sand that dissolve into aquamarine shallows. Beneath the surface, angelfish shimmer and stingrays glide over kaleidoscopic reefs, while sea fans sway in the gentle current. Offshore, cays drift in dreamy isolation—their edges kissed by foamy surf and dotted with nesting Brown Pelicans. Meanwhile, on Gran Roque, pastel facades peek through palm fronds, and barefoot locals steer wooden boats across glassy lagoons. The archipelago, protected as a national park, hums with quiet life—salt flats blush rose in the heat, and mangroves cradle herons in leafy stillness.

11. Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA

Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA

Salt-kissed and sculpted by Pacific tides, Cannon Beach rolls along Oregon’s northern coast—its rhythm broken by Haystack Rock, a 235-foot basalt giant cloaked in Tufted Puffins. At low tide, the shoreline transforms: tide pools brim with starfish and scuttling crabs, while sea caves beckon with moss-draped walls. Above, tufted puffins nest in rugged crags, their beaks flashing like embers in the mist. Beyond the sands, cedar-shingled cottages and art galleries line hushed streets, fog curling over rooftops like a woolen shawl. Meanwhile, offshore, the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge pulses with life: think harbor seals, black oystercatchers, and pelagic cormorants.

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12. Man O’War Beach, England

Man O’War Beach, England

Etched into England’s Jurassic Coast, Man O’War Beach curves along Dorset’s southern edge—a shingle cove tucked beside the stone arch of Durdle Door. Its waters, shielded by a submerged reef, draw swimmers and snorkelers to seaweed beds and darting fish. Meanwhile, at low tide, rock pools brim with shore crabs and cushion starfish—as fossil hunters comb the beach for coiled ammonites. Above, herring gulls wheel and nest in the cliff’s rugged crevices. Reached by a steep footpath, the beach feels worlds away—no cafés, no lifeguards, just the hush of waves and time suspended.

13. Lucky Bay, Australia

Lucky Bay, Australia

Bleached by quartz-rich sands, Lucky Bay stretches along Western Australia’s Cape Le Grand National Park—its shoreline so white it once outshone Hyams Beach in scientific tests. Kangaroos lounge lazily on the beach, a surreal sight against the turquoise sea—while snorkelers drift through clear shallows teeming with Australian salmon, blue groper, and queen snapper. Offshore, migrating whales breach between July and October, their arcs visible on the horizon—while inland, granite outcrops rise like ancient monuments above winding bushwalking trails. Named by explorer Matthew Flinders after sheltering from a storm in 1802, the bay remains a haven—sunlit, serene, and startlingly pristine.