World’s best 50 beaches in 2024 – and just one in the UK makes the list

THE best 50 beaches in the world have been revealed, with beautiful stretches of sand and clear blue waters.

Just one in the UK made the list – with the top spot going to a very exotic island.

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Revealed by the The World’s 50 Best Beaches, and presented by Banana Boat, the annual study uses both their “own experiences and insights” as well as “the collective expertise of countless travel professionals”.

Along with thousands of votes from experts, the study looks at eight different criteria – uniqueness, local wildness, how untouched it is, the “soundtrack of nature,” ease of access, water calmness, lack of crowds and how “frequently idyllic” it is.

And the top spot went to Trunk Bay in the US Virgin Islands.

Calling it the “quintessential Caribbean paradise,” the soft sand and clear waters were raved about, as well as calm waters due to it’s sheltered landscape.

It is named after the Leatherback turtle (known locally as “trunks”), where smaller turtles are known to nest in the summer months.

If you fancy visiting, it comes with a cost – flights from the UK to the US Virgin Islands start from £801 with Virgin Atlantic.

Thankfully, one in England also made the top 50.

The UK’s entrant came in 48th place, with Cornwall‘s Kynance Cove taking the spot.

The study said: “Famed for its rugged beauty and serpentine rock formations, this stunning cove in Cornwall features a striking landscape with water a shade of turquoise usually seen in the Caribbean.

“The combination of turquoise waters and white sand makes it a remarkable standout, especially given its more northern location.”

It’s not the only list to praise the beach, with a previous study finding that Kynance Cove is even the warmest UK beach in the winter, with an average temperature of 11.5C.

Kynance is more than just a beach, however, with the National Trust site also home to plenty of seaside walking routes that visitors love trekking along.

Additionally, it’s home to a natural sea pool, hidden below the rugged cliffs, known as the Mermaid Pool.

The beach was also included in Lonely Planet’s top 100 beaches in the world, published earlier this year.

It was joined by Rhossili Bay in Wales, Durdle Door in Dorset and West Beach, Scotland.

However, none of those beaches joined it in the new top 50 list.

Other high entries slightly closer to home than the top spot included Cala Mariolu in Italy (2nd), Voutoumi Beach in Greece (5th) and Calo Des Moro in Spain (11th).

The highest ranking of those, Cala Mariolu, is found in Sardinia, where a limit on the number of tourists allowed to visit was introduced in 2022.

Only 700 people per day are permitted to visit the beach, each having to book in advance using an app.

It was described by the study as having “striking beauty everywhere you turn” as well as a “sense of privacy and adventure” .

Elsewhere, fifth place Voutoumi beach is found on Antipaxos, one of Greece’s smallest islands.

Its shallow waters make it perfect for paddling with families, with the study labelling it “quiet and pristine compared to more accessible Greek beaches”.

Calo des Moro in Majorca, Spain is highly rated for similar reasons, with tourists enjoying its calm waters, tucked away in secluded cove.

It does get busy during the summer, but either side of those months, while it’s still warm, it’s much quieter.

World’s 50 Best Beaches described it as “undeniably the crown jewel of the Balearics and a Mediterranean dream come true”.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey has been to two beaches named the best in the world – but here’s why she says one in the UK is better.

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