Best beaches for 2022 named by Tripadvisor: Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos is No1 overall, Luskentyre in Scotland is top for the UK and Hawaii’s Hapuna flies the flag for the USA
- The ranking is based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travellers for beaches
- Second place goes to Varadero Beach in Cuba, followed by Turquoise Bay in Western Australia in third place
- As well as Luskentyre Beach, three more UK beaches made the top 25 in Europe, from Cornwall to Dorset
Life’s definitely a beach if you soak up the sun on one of Tripadvisor’s top-ranked strips of sand for 2022.
According to the travel site, if you want the ultimate spot on which to lay down your towel then head to Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos, as it’s been declared No1 in its 2022 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches. 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, gathered between January 1 and December 31, 2021.
Varadero Beach in Cuba claims the worldwide silver medal, bronze goes to Turquoise Bay in Western Australia and Hapuna Beach in Hawaii is the USA’s top-ranking beach, landing 13th on the global table. Luskentyre Beach on Scotland’s Isle of Harris is the UK’s top-ranking beach – it comes seventh on the European list.
With ‘white sand and crystal clear water’, Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos (pictured) is No1 in the 2022 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
Go for a dip in the ‘turquoise waters’ of Cuba’s Varadero Beach (pictured above), which ranks second in the global table
The world’s bronze medal goes to Turquoise Bay in Western Australia, pictured. The shore is ideal for travellers who ‘love the beach and snorkelling the coral reef’
Hapuna Beach in Hawaii (above) is the USA’s top-ranking beach, landing 13th on the 2022 global table. One Tripadvisor user described it as a ‘long, gentle expanse of soft golden sand, affording views of Mauna Kea and Hualalai volcanoes’
Luskentyre Beach on Scotland’s Isle of Harris, pictured, is the UK’s top-ranking beach and it comes seventh on the European list. The beach boasts ‘miles of white sand and beautiful green-blue water, with impressive sand dunes and views of the island of Taransay’
First-place Grace Bay Beach has racked up over 7,200 reviews to date – 90 per cent of which received a top-tier ‘five-bubble’ rating. According to the travel site, travellers are smitten by the ‘white sand and crystal clear water’ of this ‘quintessential Caribbean paradise’.
Meanwhile, one visitor raved about the ‘turquoise water and soft sands’ of second-place Varadero Beach, describing it as a ‘great place to relax in the calm morning waters or play in the waves in the afternoon’.
Third-place Turquoise Bay is a ‘must-do if you love the beach and snorkelling the coral reef’, according to another reviewer.
The rest of the worldwide top 10 list comprises the ‘beautiful and quiet beach’ of Quarta Praia in Brazil (fourth), Aruba’s Eagle Beach (fifth), and Radhanagar Beach on India’s Havelock Island (sixth) – ‘a beautiful cove with fine white sand’.
Baia do Sancho in Brazil ranks seventh, with one traveller revealing that ‘even though this beach is a little bit difficult to access, it’s worth every effort’. It’s followed by Trunk Bay Beach on the Virgin Islands (eighth), the ‘amazing’ Baía dos Golfinhos in Brazil (ninth) and the ‘truly heavenly’ Spiaggia dei Conigli on the Italian isle of Lampedusa (10th).
TRIPADVISOR’S BEST 2022 BEACHES – GLOBAL, EUROPE, USA AND CARIBBEAN
TOP BEACHES IN THE WORLD
1. Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos
2. Varadero Beach, Cuba
3. Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Australia
4. Quarta Praia, Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
5. Eagle Beach, Aruba
6. Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India
7. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
8. Trunk Bay Beach, St John, Virgin Islands
9. Baía dos Golfinhos, Praia da Pipa, Brazil
10. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy
11. Cable Beach, Broome, Australia
12. Praia da Falésia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal
13. Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Hawaii
14. Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida
15. Maho Bay Beach, St John, Virgin Islands
16. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii
17. Playa de Muro Beach, Majorca, Spain
18. Playa Manuel Antonio, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
19. Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
20. Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania
21. Magens Bay, St Thomas, Virgin Islands
22. Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus
23. Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic
24. Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece
25. Yonaha Maehama Beach, Miyakojima, Japan
TOP BEACHES IN EUROPE
1. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy
2. Praia da Falésia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal
3. Playa de Muro Beach, Majorca, Spain
4. Nissi Beach, Cyprus
5. Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece
6. Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Greece
7. Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, Scotland
8. Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland, United Kingdom
9. Sotavento Beach, Fuerteventura, Spain
10. Spiaggia di Cala Rossa, Isola di Favignana, Italy
11. Porthminster Beach, United Kingdom
12. Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
13. Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
14. Praia Da Rocha, Portugal
15. Playa de Las Canteras, Gran Canaria, Spain
16. Sarakiniko Beach, Milos, Greece
17. Plage du Sillon, Saint-Malo, France
18. Lu Impostu Beach, Sardinia, Italy
19. Weymouth Beach, Dorset, United Kingdom
20. Kaputas Beach, Kas, Turkey
21. Falassarna Beach, Crete, Greece
22. Fig Tree Bay, Protaras, Cyprus
23. Tropea Beach, Italy
24. Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica, France
25. Kleopatra Beach, Alanya, Turkey
TOP BEACHES IN THE UNITED STATES
1. Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Hawaii
2. Siesta Beach, Florida
3. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii
4. Moonstone Beach, California
5. Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii
6. Driftwood Beach, Georgia
7. Ruby Beach, Washington
8. Cannon Beach, Oregon
9. La Jolla Cove, San Diego, California
10. Ho’okipa Beach Park, Hawaii
11. Pensacola Beach, Florida
12. Henderson Beach State Park, Florida
13. Ocean City Beach, Maryland
14. St. Augustine Beach, Florida
15. Coronado Beach, California
16. Coligny Beach, South Carolina
17. Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii
18. Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida
19. Treasure Island Beach, Florida
20. Port Aransas Beach, Texas
21. Panama City Beach, Florida
22. St. Pete Beach, Florida
23. Ogunquit Beach, Maine
24. Clearwater Beach, Florida
25. Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
TOP BEACHES IN THE CARIBBEAN
1. Grace Bay Beach, Turks & Caicos
2. Varadero Beach, Cuba
3. Eagle Beach, Aruba
4. Trunk Bay Beach, Virgin Islands
5. Maho Bay Beach, Virgin Islands
6. Magens Bay, Virgin Islands
7. Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic
8. Playa Pilar, Cuba
9. Carlisle Bay, Barbados
10. Taylor Bay Beach, Turks & Caicos
11. Playa Publica Dominicus, Dominican Republic
12. Coco Plum Beach, Bahamas
13. Seven Mile Beach, Jamaica
14. Baby Beach, Aruba
15. Playa Lagun, Curacao
16. Kenepa Beach, Curacao
17. Maho Beach, St Martin / St Maarten
18. Lindqvist Beach, Virgin Islands
19. Mullet Bay, St Martin / St Maarten
20. St. Anne Beach, Guadeloupe
21. Arashi Beach, Aruba
22. Plage de Grande Anse, Guadeloupe
23. Honeymoon Beach, Virgin Islands
24. Orient Bay Beach, St Martin / St Maarten
25. Macao Beach, Dominican Republic
Source: 2022 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
The ‘beautiful and quiet beach’ of Quarta Praia in Brazil, pictured, lands fourth overall and third in South America
Aruba’s Eagle Beach, above, ranks fifth in the world and third in the Caribbean. ‘If you want to do water sports, Eagle is the beach to go [to],’ says one Tripadvisor reviewer
Pictured above is Radhanagar Beach on India’s Havelock Island – ‘a beautiful cove with fine white sand’ – which finishes sixth overall and first in Asia
Baia do Sancho in Brazil (pictured) ranks seventh globally, with one traveller revealing that ‘even though this beach is a little bit difficult to access, it’s worth every effort’. It also lands first in South America
One Tripadvisor user said that Trunk Bay Beach on the Virgin Islands, pictured, is a ‘great place for snorkelling’. The stretch of sand is eighth overall and fourth in the Caribbean
Ranking ninth overall and fifth in South America is the ‘amazing’ Baia dos Golfinhos in Brazil (pictured)
The ‘truly heavenly’ Spiaggia dei Conigli on the Italian isle of Lampedusa (pictured) yet again tops the podium in the European ranking and earns tenth place overall
Spiaggia dei Conigli yet again tops the podium in the European ranking. The silver medal goes to Praia da Falésia in Portugal, followed by Playa de Muro Beach, Majorca, Spain (third); Nissi Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus (fourth), and Balos Lagoon, Crete, Greece (fifth).
Seventh-place Luskentyre, with over 1,000 Tripadvisor ratings, is described as a ‘stunning beach’ that boasts ‘miles of white sand and beautiful green-blue water, with impressive sand dunes and views of the island of Taransay’.
Tripadvisor says: ‘Further adding to Luskentyre’s appeal – for such a beautiful beach visitors might expect to have to share the beauty spot with crowds of other travellers but on the contrary – it’s often possible to take a stroll along this beach without seeing another soul. The ideal secluded retreat.’
The silver medal in the European ranking goes to the Praia da Falesia in Portugal (pictured) – not only that, but it’s also 12th overall
Playa de Muro Beach in Majorca, Spain, (pictured) takes the bronze medal in the European ranking and is 17th on the worldwide list
Pretty Nissi Beach in the resort town of Ayia Napa, Cyprus (pictured), is named the fourth-best beach in Europe and 22nd overall. To date, the beach has garnered over 7,000 Tripadvisor ratings
Balos Lagoon on the Greek island of Crete, pictured above, snares fifth place in the Europe ranking and is 24th overall. Bathers can look out to the rocky island of Gramvoussa, which sits facing the shore
Four UK beaches appear in Europe’s top 25, including eighth-place Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland, pictured. It’s overlooked by Bamburgh Castle, a former Norman stronghold
There are over 1,600 Tripadvisor ratings for Porthminster Beach in St Ives, Cornwall (pictured), which comes 11th in the European ranking
Dorset’s Weymouth Beach (above) – Europe’s 19th-finest beach – is set in the heart of Britain’s Jurassic Coast
Luskentyre wasn’t the only British beach to impress Tripadvisor reviewers – this year, three other UK beaches appear in Europe’s top 25. Northumberland’s Bamburgh Beach ranks eighth, and moving down south, Porthminster Beach in St Ives, Cornwall, comes 11th and Dorset’s Weymouth Beach is 19th.
After Hapuna Beach, the rest of the USA top-five ranking comprises Siesta Beach, Florida (second), Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii (third), Moonstone Beach, California (fourth) and Hawaii’s Kailua Beach Park (fifth).
One Tripadvisor user said that first-place Hapuna Beach, which has earned over 2,600 ratings, has a ‘long, gentle expanse of soft golden sand, affording views of Mauna Kea and Hualalai volcanoes’.
TRIPADVISOR’S BEST 2022 BEACHES – ASIA, AFRICA, SOUTH PACIFIC, SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO
TOP BEACHES IN ASIA
1. Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India
2. Yonaha Maehama Beach, Miyakojima, Japan
3. Railay Beach, Thailand
4. Cavelossim Beach, India
5. Agonda Beach, India
6. Nai Harn Beach, Phuket, Thailand
7. Haeundae Beach, South Korea
8. Varca Beach, India
9. Karon Beach, Phuket, Thailand
10. Benaulim Beach, India
11. Nusa Dua Beach, Indonesia
12. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
13. Sanur Beach, Indonesia
14. Cox’s Bazar Beach, Bangladesh
15. Bikini Beach, Maafushi Island, Maldives
TOP BEACHES IN AFRICA
1. Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
2. Nakupenda Beach Nature Reserve, Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
3. Anse Coco Beach, La Digue Island, Seychelles
4. Anse Intendance, Mahe Island, Seychelles
5. Paje Beach, Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
6. Praia de Santa Maria, Ilha do Sal, Cape Verde
7. Plage d’Agadir, Morocco
8. Plage de l’Ermitage, Reunion Island
9. Beau Vallon Beach, Mahe Island, Seychelles
10. Diani Beach, Kenya
TOP BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
1. Turquoise Bay, Australia
2. Cable Beach, Australia
3. Kaiteriteri Beach, New Zealand
4. Greens Pool, Australia
5. Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
6. Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, Australia
7. Mooloolaba Beach, Australia
8. Cape Le Grand National Park, Australia
9. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
10. Tahunanui Beach, New Zealand
TOP BEACHES IN SOUTH AMERICA
1. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
2. Muro Alto Beach, State of Pernambuco, Brazil
3. Quarta Praia, Ilha de Tinhare, Brazil
4. Playa Punta de Lobos, Chile
5. Baía dos Golfinhos, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
6. Playa El Doradillo, Argentina
7. Genipabu Beach, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
8. Lopes Mendes Beach, Ilha Grande, Brazil
9. Farol Beach, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10. Ipanema Beach, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
TOP BEACHES IN MEXICO
1. Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres
2. Playa La Entrega, Huatulco
3. Nuevo Vallarta Beach, Nuevo Vallarta
4. Chileno Beach, Cabo San Lucas
5. Playa Delfines, Cancun
6. Balandra Beach, La Paz
7. Playa El Cielo, Cozumel
8. Playa Paraiso, Tulum
9. Medano Beach, Cabo San Lucas
10. Playa La Ropa, Zihuatanejo
Source: 2022 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
Australia’s Cable Beach, pictured, narrowly misses making the top 10 ranking – it lands 11th overall
Facing out on the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Siesta Beach in Florida, pictured above, finishes 14th overall and second in the U.S. It has earned over 8,000 ratings from Tripadvisor users to date
Fifteenth place overall goes to gorgeous Maho Bay Beach in the Virgin Islands, which also finishes fifth in the Caribbean
Hawaii’s Poipu Beach Park, pictured above, is the third-finest beach in the U.S and 16th in the overall ranking
Ranking 18th overall in the 2022 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches is Playa Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica. As this picture shows, it’s a sight to behold
Christine Maguire, VP, Global Media Business at Tripadvisor, said: ‘We know a perfect day at the beach looks different from one person to the next. Some love classic soft white sand and sunbathing, while others love exploring rocky coves.
‘This list has something for everyone because it was determined by the millions of different travellers all over the world reviewing their favourite beaches on Tripadvisor throughout 2021.
‘Although last year was still far from “normal,” these are the beaches travellers visited and loved more than any others.’
For the complete list of Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award-winning beaches for 2022, visit: tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Beaches.
Set on the Mexican isle of Isla Mujeres, Playa Norte (pictured) impressed visitors enough to earn 19th place in the worldwide ranking
Tanzania’s Nungwi Beach (pictured), set on the island of Zanzibar, is 20th in the global ranking. A recent Tripadvisor review described it as ‘stunning’
The breathtaking Magens Bay, pictured above, can be found on Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands. It ranks 21st overall
Bavaro Beach in the Dominican Republic (pictured) snares 23rd place in the worldwide ranking, with over 20,000 Tripadvisor ratings to date
Paradise: Japan’s Yonaha Maehama Beach (pictured), which is nestled on the island of Miyako-jima, is positioned in 25th place in the global table of beaches
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