Beach Trip? Consider these Top Rated Spots!

Thinking about your next beach trip, but not exactly sure where to go? Have a look at the top five most beautiful beaches in the world, as rated by Conde Naste Traveler readers:

1. El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

The word paradisaical perhaps best describes El Nido’s approximately 50 white sand beaches, surrounded by majestic limestone formations, cliffs, and crags. Home to the finest and whitest sand this side of the globe, El Nido’s beaches are just about incomparable in beauty. The water in this island paradise is gem-like in appearance, in stunning shades of turquoise, and aquamarine. Marine life aid reef systems are breath taking, and a bit of snorkeling or diving are a must. Adventure lovers will thrill at the many cave formations awaiting the eager spelunker. Top it all off with dazzling sunsets, and it’s no wonder El Nido has taken top spot on the list!

2. Blinky Beach, Lord Howe Island, Australia

Blinky Beach in New South Wales, Australia boasts excellent surf, as well as awesome beauty. Located between Blinky Point and a headland named Mutton Bird Lookout, Blinky Beach is loved for its powdery white sand, crystal clear blue waters, and picture-perfect backdrop of tall dunes flecked with wild daisies and spiniferous plants.

3. Lopes Mendes, Ilha Grande, Brazil

Getting to Lopes Mendes from Rio can be a bit daunting: three hour s by land to Angra dos Reis, then a ferry ride, then a taxi-boat, and then a short hike through a forest. But those who have been say that these efforts are well-rewarded by unspoiled beaches, which afford the utmost of privacy due to absence of throngs of tourists. Ocean waters are crystalline, and sand is powdery-white. Definitely for the more rugged in spirit, Lopes Mendes does not offer restaurants or beach huts. The vibe is very rustic, with its wild seaside shrubbery, beach palms, and almond trees.

4. Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia

Another Australian beach to make it to the top 5 list is UNESCO World Heritage listed Fraser Island. Located along Queensland’s Southern Coast , Fraser Island is unique for its captivating colored beach (it casts a pinkish-salmon glow), as well as for other exquisite beaches. Fraser Island has been listed by UNESCO on account of its being the world’s largest sand island. Visitors to the island will be wowed by its golden sand, set-off by cliffs which glisten a fiery bronze in the sunlight, and in its prolific rainforest teeming with flora and fauna.

5. El Castillo, Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico

El Castillo is truly a sight to behold: waves lapping up against limestone cliffs covered in luxuriant foliage, and towering over the beach’s silvery sands. Set against the backdrop of the famed ruins of the pre-Columbian Mayan City of El Castillo, this is very possibly Mexico’s most captivating beach.