Beach💎 Gem
France · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Biarritz
Basque surf town with Belle Epoque hotels, pintxos bars and Atlantic waves — Nice's cooler Atlantic sister.
Theme · Beach & islands · 65 destinations
Beach & islands —
alternatives to the obvious.
65 beach and island destinations — from the Saranda coast and Bocas del Toro to Bazaruto, Zanzibar, the Maldives and the Cook Islands.
The beach trip is travel's most homogenised format — but it doesn't have to be. Our 65 beach and island destinations are picked deliberately to side-step the usual five (Maldives, Mauritius, Bali, Caribbean, Greek islands) — including Bazaruto in Mozambique, Saranda on the Albanian Riviera, the Quirimbas, the Cook Islands and the Bay of Islands.
Filter by region, budget or hidden-gem status.
✦ Don't know where to start?
Find your match in 2 minutes
10 questions about your travel style, budget and dates. We'll match you to your top 3 from 65 beach & islands options.
Status
Region
Budget
Beach💎 Gem
Albania · Saranda
Saranda
Albanian Riviera: Greek-clear water, Butrint ruins next door, prices of 2005 Croatia — the cat's out of the bag.
Beach
Portugal · Algarve
Algarve
Golden sea stacks, hidden grottos and 300 days of sunshine on Europe's Atlantic fringe
Beach
Italy · Sardinia
Sardinia
Caribbean-clear water, pink flamingos and ancient nuraghi ruins on an island paradise
Beach💎 Gem
Greece · Cyclades
Milos
Coloured volcanic beaches and hidden coves — far fewer tourists than Santorini
Beach
Greece · South Aegean
Rhodes
Crusader walls, medieval alleys, 300 days of sun — the largest Dodecanese island packs a lot in.
Beach
Greece · Ionian Islands
Corfu
Venetian fortresses, olive groves, pebble coves and a green interior — the lushest Greek island.
Beach
France · Cote d'Azur
Nice
Belle Epoque hotels, Promenade des Anglais, Old Town markets — Cote d'Azur for non-billionaires.
Beach
Spain · Balearic Islands
Mallorca
Limestone mountains, turquoise coves, Roman ruins and almond groves
Beach💎 Gem
Spain · Balearic Islands
Menorca
Unspoiled Balearic — 120 cove beaches, no high-rises, prehistoric talayots, UNESCO biosphere.
Beach💎 Gem
Spain · Catalonia
Costa Brava
Dali's Cadaques, pine-rimmed coves between Palamos and Cadaques, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona.
Beach
Spain · Canary Islands
Tenerife
Black sand beaches, year-round sunshine and Spain's highest volcanic peak
Beach
Croatia · Split-Dalmatia
Hvar
Lavender island turned beach-club capital — Carpe Diem at sunset, cocktails until 4am, hangover pebble beaches.
Beach💎 Gem
Greece · Cyclades
Naxos
Biggest Cycladic island nobody talks about — marble villages inland, butter-sand beaches on the windward coast.
Beach💎 Gem
Greece · Cyclades
Paros
Alternative to Mykonos an hour away — whitewashed Naoussa, windsurfing bays, the Cyclades unvulgarized.
Beach
Greece · Ionian Islands
Zakynthos
Home of Shipwreck Beach (the Instagram cove), turtles nesting, loud bars in Laganas, cliff-top monastery views.
Beach
Egypt · Red Sea
Hurghada
Red Sea coral reefs in warm clear water all year — budget diving, all-inclusive resorts, desert at the back.
Beach💎 Gem
Oman · Dhofar
Salalah
Arabian coast's monsoon secret — during Khareef (June-Sept), desert turns green, waterfalls run, frankincense land.
Beach
Turkey · Antalya
Antalya
Turquoise Coast's biggest resort, Roman Perge ruins inland, all-inclusive at any price point — Turkish Riviera.
Beach💎 Gem
Turkey · Mugla
Bodrum
Turkey's St Tropez — gulet cruises along the Aegean, whitewashed villages on the peninsula, late-night beach clubs.
Beach💎 Gem
Morocco · Marrakech-Safi
Essaouira
Blue fishing boats, rampart walks, Atlantic winds and the most relaxed medina in Morocco
Beach💎 Gem
Tunisia · Djerba
Djerba
Island of palm groves where Ulysses lost half his crew to the lotus — now Djerbahood street art and all-inclusive.
Beach💎 Gem
Kenya · Kwale
Diani Beach
White-sand Swahili coast south of Mombasa — colobus monkeys in the trees, kitesurfing, safari combo in 3 hours.
Beach
Tanzania · Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Turquoise Indian Ocean, white sand, Swahili spice culture and Stone Town's labyrinth
Beach💎 Gem
South Africa · KwaZulu-Natal
Durban
Warmest African beach city — Indian-South African curry hybrid, Golden Mile surf, Drakensberg mountains 3 hours away.
Beach💎 Gem
Malawi · Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Third-largest lake in Africa, 1000 cichlid species for snorkelers — sand beaches, thatch lodges, zero crowds.
Beach💎 Gem
Madagascar · Diana
Nosy Be
Volcanic island off Madagascar's north — ylang-ylang perfume scent, whale-shark swims in September, creole cooking.
Beach💎 Gem
Cape Verde · Atlantic Ocean
Cape Verde
West African archipelago with Cesaria Evora's morna in every bar — Santo Antao hiking, Sal kitesurfing, lobster all you can eat.
Beach💎 Gem
Japan · Okinawa
Okinawa
Japan's tropical south — Ryukyu castles, goya chanpuru, whale sharks, 90-year-old villagers the world studies.
Beach💎 Gem
Vietnam · Kien Giang
Phu Quoc
Vietnam's biggest island, cable car to Pineapple Island, night markets, fish-sauce factories — tropical on a budget.
Beach
Thailand · Southern Thailand
Phuket
Limestone karst islands, vibrant nightlife, elephant treks and the Andaman Sea gateway
Beach💎 Gem
Thailand · Southern Thailand
Krabi
Limestone cliffs plunging into emerald water — Railay beach reachable only by longboat, best climbing in Southeast Asia.
Beach
Thailand · Gulf of Thailand
Koh Samui
Coconut groves, palm-fringed beaches, luxury villas and island hopping
Beach💎 Gem
Thailand · Southern Thailand
Koh Lanta
Long thin island for digital nomads and families — sea gypsy culture, Emerald Cave kayaking, no high-rises.
Beach💎 Gem
Malaysia · Kedah
Langkawi
Duty-free archipelago — Sky Bridge on cables over rainforest, mangrove cruises with eagles, budget tropical.
Beach
Indonesia · Bali
Canggu Bali
Surf beaches, coworking cafes, beach clubs with day beds — digital nomad capital of Asia.
Beach💎 Gem
Indonesia · West Nusa Tenggara
Gili Islands
No cars, no motorbikes — just bikes, bioluminescent waves and sea turtles at every dive
Beach💎 Gem
Indonesia · Southwest Papua
Raja Ampat
The world's richest marine biodiversity — snorkelling above coral so vibrant it seems impossible
Beach💎 Gem
Philippines · MIMAROPA
Palawan
Limestone karst islands, underground rivers and lagoons that look computer-generated
Beach💎 Gem
Philippines · Central Visayas
Cebu
Whale-shark swims at Oslob, Kawasan canyoneering, thresher sharks at Malapascua — Philippines' all-in-one adventure.
Beach💎 Gem
Philippines · Caraga
Siargao
Cloud 9 wave brings the world's surfers, rock pools, mangroves — the Philippines' answer to Bali's Canggu.
Beach
India · Goa
Goa
Portuguese-Catholic-Hindu mashup — beach shacks, trance parties up north, quiet sands down south, vindaloo everywhere.
Beach
USA · Hawaii
Hawaii Oahu
Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor, North Shore surfing and stunning volcanic craters
Beach
Mexico · Quintana Roo
Tulum
Mayan ruins above turquoise Caribbean, cenote swimming and a thriving jungle wellness scene
Beach💎 Gem
Mexico · Quintana Roo
Cozumel
Caribbean island 45 min from Playa — Palancar reef, cruise-ship stop with quiet east coast, Mayan ruins of San Gervasio.
Beach💎 Gem
Mexico · Oaxaca
Puerto Escondido
Zicatela's Mexican pipeline for surfers, turtle hatchings at Mazunte, boho cafes on Playa Rinconada — Oaxaca's Pacific escape.
Beach💎 Gem
Costa Rica · Puntarenas
Manuel Antonio
National park where sloths hang above Pacific beaches, capuchins steal sandwiches, rainforest meets sand directly.
Beach💎 Gem
Costa Rica · Guanacaste
Nicoya Peninsula
Nosara's yoga-surf scene, Santa Teresa's long Pacific beaches, one of the world's five Blue Zones — old and barefoot.
Beach💎 Gem
Panama · Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro
Caribbean archipelago of wooden-stilt hostels, Red Frog beach, sloth spotting, chill backpacker scene — Panama's budget Galapagos.
Beach💎 Gem
Panama · Guna Yala
San Blas
365 tiny coral islands run by the Guna people under their own government — coconut huts, sailboat hopping, no WiFi by design.
Beach💎 Gem
Belize · Belize District
Caye Caulker
Sandy-street island with 'go slow' as official motto, Blue Hole day trips, Great Barrier Reef's second-largest — Caribbean backpacker classic.
Beach💎 Gem
Jamaica · Westmoreland
Negril
Seven Mile Beach, cliff-diving at Rick's Cafe, Rastafari jerk-chicken shacks, reggae that actually matters — Jamaica's West End.
Beach
Barbados · Lesser Antilles
Barbados
Pink sand beaches, Friday-night Oistins fish fry, Rihanna's birthplace, UNESCO Bridgetown — most relaxed Caribbean entry.
Beach💎 Gem
Martinique · Lesser Antilles
Martinique
French Caribbean — ti-punch rum, Mont Pelee volcano, Les Salines white sand, creole cuisine with baguettes — euros work.
Beach💎 Gem
Guadeloupe · Lesser Antilles
Guadeloupe
Butterfly-shaped twin islands — Soufriere rainforest treks, Les Saintes archipelago, carbet beach lunches, accras de morue.
Beach💎 Gem
Brazil · Pernambuco
Fernando de Noronha
Volcanic archipelago 350km offshore, 420 visitors max per day, spinner dolphins schooling at dawn — Brazil's best-protected island.
Beach💎 Gem
Brazil · Santa Catarina
Florianopolis
42 beaches on one island, Joaquina surf, oysters farmed in the north bay, Lagoa da Conceicao kitesurfing — Brazil's South.
Beach💎 Gem
Colombia · Magdalena
Tayrona
Jungle-backed Caribbean coves of Cabo San Juan, Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) trek, Kogi indigenous people still living traditionally.
Beach
Australia · Queensland
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, ancient rainforests and 300 days of sunshine per year
Beach💎 Gem
Australia · Queensland
Whitsundays
Whitehaven Beach — 7km of silica sand so pure it squeaks, in the tropical Coral Sea
Beach💎 Gem
Australia · New South Wales
Byron Bay
Easternmost lighthouse, surf beaches, hippies-turned-millionaires at Wategos, organic cafes and yoga since before it was trendy.
Beach💎 Gem
New Zealand · Northland
Bay of Islands
144 subtropical islands off Northland, dolphins, Waitangi Treaty grounds (NZ's founding act), Hole in the Rock cruises — sailing mecca.
Beach
Fiji · Melanesia
Fiji
Private island resorts, coral gardens, meke dance ceremonies and legendary bula hospitality
Beach💎 Gem
New Caledonia · Melanesia
New Caledonia
French Pacific — second-largest coral lagoon (UNESCO), Isle of Pines' natural swimming pool, Noumea baguettes meet Kanak culture.
Beach💎 Gem
Cook Islands · Polynesia
Cook Islands
Rarotonga lagoon, private motus, pearl farms and Polynesian culture at its most authentic
Browse by