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Life’s a beach.
Tripadvisor has released its latest edition of Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Beaches for 2025.
The No. 1 beach in the world for 2025 is Elafonissi Beach in Greece — rejoining the list for the first time since 2021 and climbing 23 spots.
Known for its pink sand and crystal-clear water, Elafonissi Beach is a remote beach located on the southwest coast of Crete.
According to Tripadvisor, the family-friendly beach gives visitors an opportunity for both relaxation, water sports and other activities.
The company said that Elafonissi is good for hiking and dunes as well as sunbathing and warm water. The best time to visit is reportedly in May and September when the weather is warm, but less crowded than during the peak summer months of June, July and August.
Banana Beach on the Thai island of Phuket came in second place globally, followed by Eagle Beach in Aruba and Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida. Praia da Falésia in the Algarve, Portugal, came in fifth place.
According to Tripadvisor, Banana Beach is good for boating, parasailing, day trips, colorful coral and fish. The best time to visit is between November and March.
Those who want to enjoy white sand, watersports and calm waters should visit Eagle Beach from April to August.
Siesta Key will offer clear waters, powder sand, seashells and beachfront stays. The weather is best in April and May and again in September and October.
The Travelers’ Choice Awards feature the highest-rated beaches by real travelers who have been to these destinations and have shared their experiences.
This year, the list spans six continents and 50 countries.
“Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards uniquely reflect the voices of millions of global travelers and help guide people to plan their best trip yet. In my family, beaches aren’t just for sunbathing – we like to get out and explore! The diversity of this year’s winners really showcases everything that a beach trip can have to offer,” Kristen Dalton, President of Tripadvisor, said in a statement.
“Whether it’s strolling the beautiful pink sand beaches of our world winner, Elafonissi beach, in Greece, experiencing breathtaking vistas in Indonesia, whale watching in Hawaii or diving in magical bioluminescent waters in Thailand – there really is something for everyone,” she added.
In the U.S. rankings specifically, Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida jumped to the top spot from last year’s second place. Hawaii has the best beaches overall, leading with five out of the 10 beaches in the top list.
Tripadvisor shared that Siesta Beach has a family-friendly atmosphere with powdery white-quartz sand and clear shallow waters. There are always lifeguards on duty and the town itself has cafés and oyster bars, all of which are in walking or biking distance.
Visitors of Siesta Beach will also get the opportunity for wildlife sightings of manatees and dolphins while on kayaking tours.
Top 10 Beaches in the World for 2025
Elafonissi Beach – Crete, Greece
Banana Beach – Phuket, Thailand
Eagle Beach – Oranjestad, Aruba
Siesta Beach – Siesta Key, Florida
Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
Playa Varadero – Varadero, Cuba
Bavaro Beach – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Playa de Muro Beach – Mallorca, Spain
Kelingking Beach – Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Myrtos Beach – Kefalonia Island, Greece
Top 10 Beaches in the U.S. for 2024
Siesta Beach – Siesta Key, Florida
Poipu Beach Park – Poipu, Hawaii
Ka’anapali Beach – Maui, Hawaii
La Jolla Cove – La Jolla, California
Waikiki Beach – Oahu, Hawaii
Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, Florida
Driftwood Beach – Jekyll Island, Georgia
Punalu’u Black Sand Beach – Pahala, Hawaii
Bahia Honda State Park – Big Pine Key, Florida
Ho’okipa Beach Park – Maui, Hawaii
