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In no particular order, here are our Top 10 Beaches....
1. Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A city beach to begin our list, but one with such a buzz and such energy we couldn't help but include it. With the stunning backdrop of Rio behind it, a song named after it and some of the funniest people watching you could ever hope for, it's a truly unforgettable place. Grab a deck chair from one of the vendors, stuff yourself silly with sandwiches, little pies (empadas) and Brahma beers while you contemplate the stunning views of the Dois Irmãos mountains and marvel at the sheer effrontery of some of the beach attire on show. The waves are powerful and cooling, the sand is clean and fine and you really feel like you're witnessing real carioca (the name given to Rio inhabitants) culture, unlike at Copacabana up the road. Brilliant fun, but keep an eye on your bags at all times - this is a city beach after all.
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| Beautiful Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro - speedos airbrushed out. |
2. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
Boracay is an island 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It boasts White Beach, which sets the standard by which all others must be judged. Crystal white sands and glassy, calm water are the perfect ingredients for any sun worshipping holiday. Waves are few and far between, with the tide rarely moving and the water usually resembling a perfectly flat tabletop – and all that with a constant temperature of around 28 degrees C. The locals are always friendly and the beaches are lined with places to help you sit back and relax. Rarely is a place like this busy enough to be well-known, but quiet enough to be thought of as secluded. Paradise on Earth? It surely comes close.
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| White Beach, Boracay, Philippines |
Situated in the Whitsunday Islands National Park, Whitsunday Island's heavenly Whitehaven Beach definitely fits into the look but don't touch category! You'll no doubt have seen this picture-perfect 4.5km stretch of sand on many an advertisment for Tourism Australia, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go and visit - it is so clean, and so pure it's like no other beach we've ever seen. You can camp nearby (or sail there and stay on board), but don't expect to find any fancy resorts - this is National Park territory after all, which all adds to its unspoilt charm. Take in the view from the lookout across Hill inlet - on a sunny day, it is nothing short of spectacular.
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| Simply stunning: Whitehaven Beach |
4. Playa de la Concha, San Sebastian, Spain
San Sebastian's La Concha is our favourite city beach in Europe without a doubt. Spend your days sunning yourself on this pretty stretch of sand set in a sheltered bay on Spain's Mediterranean coast. Yes it's a lovely beach, but the reason that it makes the list is the fact that it is attached to one of the most fun and stylish cities in Europe. San Seb offers a fantastic culinary scene, and we think the best way to experience it is to go on a bar crawl around the old city trying the various pintxos (tapas in Basque) and wines that they have on offer. The architecture is great, as is the bar scene, so sleep off your hangover on this wonderful beach.
Click here for our guide to Spain.
5. Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Genuine fun in the sun. Yes the beach is lovely and the sea is warm, calm and clear, but the real reason we loved 'Occhy' beach in sunny Sihanoukville is for all the ramshackle beach bars lining the beach. Pull up a lounger outside any of them and wile away the hours munching on freshly cooked Khmer food and supping on Angkor beers. Then slip on your tshirt and flip-flops and mosey up the beach to whichever bar looks happening that night for cocktail buckets, cheap beers and late night revelry. This is low key beach fun at its finest. We were here for Christmas and it had an incredible buzz to it. Be warned, there are a number of amputees and street kids that beg on the beach - a stark reminder of the attrocities the Khmer Rouge bought to this incredible and friendly country.
Click here for our guide to Cambodia.
6. Palolem Beach, Goa, India
We had to put at least one Goan beach on this list, and this was our choice. Yes it has become somewhat saturated with backpackers, but this low-rise, low-key beach community is both beautiful and fun. Accommodation is mostly of the ramshackle beach hut variety (local laws state that there is to be no permanent building on the beach, so the huts are torn down every year!), food is cheap and plentiful and there are some great headphone discos to keep you dancing all night. If Palolem is too hectic for you then more peaceful Patnem is a mile or so down the beach.
Click here for our guide to India.
7. Lopes Mendes Beach, Ilha Grande, Brazil
OK so it's a bit of a pain in the arse to get to, but that's part of the fun. And it really is beautiful too, voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by Vogue Magazine. To get there, either take a beautiful (if slightly sweaty) hike from Vila do Abraao, or take a boat round to this remote beach on beautiful Ilha Grande (Big Island) in Brazil. Wild, unspoilt and rugged, this is everything an 'off the beaten track' beach should be.
Click here for our guide to Brazil.
8. Shipwreck Beach, Zakynthos (Zante), Greece
Certainly one of the most photogenic and aesthetically pleasing of the beaches on this list, Shipwreck beach oddly looks more stunning from afar than it does from on the sand itself, due to the contrast between the azure waters and the shipwrecked smuggler's boat marooned on the beach. Come early in the morning by boat (the only way onto the sands) from Porto Vromi and enjoy the tranquillity before the hordes join you later. The best view of the beach is from up high - follow the signs to the Agios Gergio Kremnao monastery. When you arrive there, use the road to your right to get to a small viewing platform 600ft above the wreck - this is where you'll get your perfect photo!
Click here for our guide to Greece.
9. Tulum Beach, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Crowded, commercial and absolutely rammed full of tour groups. Sounds awful, right? Yes, but when you've seen the beach you'll understand why we've put it on this list. It is, put simply, ridiculously beautiful and totally unique. Combine a stunning set of Mayan temple ruins and a gorgeous tropical beach and you have Tulum. It is actually fairly easy to avoid the crowds - stay overnight and visit the ruins early in the day before the hordes of tour groups arrive - you'll pretty much have the place to yourself (well, comparatively so anyway!).
Click here for our guide to Mexico.
10. Maya Beach, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
Anyone who has seen the film adaptation of The Beach will recognise this beautiful Thai beach in the Ko Phi Phi National Marine Park. The beach is situated on uninhabited Ko Phi Phi Leh, a short boat ride from the paradise lost that is Phi Phi Don. As with Tulum above, the beach is slightly spoilt during peak hours by hordes of tourists, but its popularity isn't surprising given its outstanding beauty. Visit first thing in the morning and the beach will seem as unspoilt, beautiful and utterly fantastical as you imagined. You can now do an overnight camping trip on the beach, which we would thoroughly recommend as an amazing way to have the island all to yourself.
Click here for our guide to Thailand.
Well there you have it, our Top 10 favourite beaches. Let us know what you think!
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