Best 11 Beach Destinations For 2025

We’ve all heard of Miami’s South Beach. Featured heavily in iconic films such as Scarface, Miami Vice, Baywatch, Goldfinger, and Ride Along, it’s one of the world’s most famed and instantly recognizable beaches. With its iconic Ocean Drive, renowned restaurants, luxury shopping, opulent hotels and resorts, and bustling nightclubs, South Beach is possibly the world’s most popular beach destination. Additionally, Miami Beach – South was named theBest Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world's foremost beach expert who is known as "Mr. Beach.”

When you arrive at South Beach, you’ll immediately notice the beach’s incredible views. From the sand, beachgoers marvel at Miami Beach’s skyline. With its art-deco architecture, dramatic modern high-rises, and sky-scraping palm trees, the skyline is arguably South Florida’s most iconic sight.

Once you walk onto South Beach’s glistening golden sand, you’ll see that South Beach is more than just a tourist destination. It’s a naturally stunning beach in its own right. With vibrant turquoise water and glistening golden, it’s the perfect place to lounge and enjoy nature while just steps from the big city. While you’re there, be sure to catch South Beach’s vibrant sunsets, which peak at around 7 pm.

Eagle Beach is the epitome of that Caribbean paradise we all dream of. With powder-white sand, bright, turquoise waters, and swaying palm trees, this paradise is an absolute dream. Don't let its relaxing appearance fool you - this vibrant beach thrives on lazy cabanas and motorized water sports alike. Adrenaline-seekers won't have a difficult time finding something to get their blood pumping; with scuba diving, kitesurfing, parasailing, and more, Eagle Beach is the place to be. Dynamic snorkeling and diving excursions are available as well, such as banana boat rides to the famous Antilla shipwreck, Pedernales.

These water activities can be booked through the nearby hotels and resorts as well as on the beach itself. The beach is lined with high-end resorts right on the sand, such as La Cabana Beach Resort and Casino, which offer an array of accommodations that will leave you feeling suntanned and spoiled. If your family is looking for a more rustic experience, come to Eagle Beach during the week of Easter, and join in on the locals' camping tradition! Every year, locals pitch tents along the shoreline and enjoy the holiday, creating a unique, down-to-earth atmosphere at such a sophisticated paradise.

Eagle Beach is one of the most breathtaking beaches in Aruba, and one of the biggest. Eagle beach boasts its photogenic quality with the two most photographed and widely-known Fofoti trees in Aruba, featured in various advertising campaigns for the island. The trees make for the perfect backdrop for wedding photos or family Christmas cards. Another sight to behold are the turtle hatchlings making their way to the ocean; the turtles hatch mostly around sunset or later at night, and offer such a unique vacation experience to beachgoers. Overall, Eagle Beach has it all -- from beachside cocktails to amazing scuba diving, Eagle Beach is the place to be.

El Matador Beach, located in Los Angeles County, is one of three beaches that make up the Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach (the other two are El Pescador Beach and La Piedra Beach). Nestled along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway, El Matador Beach, or “El Mat,” is known for its picturesque rock formations, golden sands, and is located below dramatic oceanfront bluffs that are lined with very expensive multimillion-dollar homes that, in some cases, exceed $30 million.

The beach has been named as the 11th best beach in “Top 50 Beaches of the United States” list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as “Mr. Beach.” Managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, El Matador Beach is also celebrated by Lonely Planet as one of the top beaches in the U.S., and it’s often recognized as one of Los Angeles’s best beaches. Visitors can enjoy the beach daily from 8 am until sunset.

Located on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Province of Puntarenas Quepos in the city of Manuel Antonio, Playa Manuel Antonio is a long and wide white sand beach that is one of the most popular and most-visited beaches in Costa Rica.  The beach is part of Manuel Antonio National Park, which is home to lush rainforests, beaches, rocky islands, hiking trails, tropical forests, and a diversity of wildlife.  The beach is positioned on the southern side of an isthmus, which is a natural land bridge formed by sand accumulations within the national park and has a beautiful backdrop of lush green vegetation, which together offer incredible views of the vast Pacific Ocean.

Located on the northwestern coast of Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands of Greece, Navagio Shipwreck Beach - also known as Navagio Beach, Shipwreck Beach or Zante Navagio Shipwreck Beach - is a small beige sand beach with a few rocky portions.  This iconic beach is positioned on the shores of the Ionian Sea, and the beach has a beautiful backdrop of towering white limestone cliffs and the rusting remains of the MV Panagiotis shipwreck that lie on its shore. 

Navagio Beach, Greece, is well-known for the wreck of the MV Panagiotis, a smuggler ship carrying contraband goods when it was pursued by the Greek Navy.  It eventually crash-landed on the beach during stormy weather and bad visibility around Zakynthos Island in 1980.  The beach is one of the most photographed beaches in the world, and is a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach

Located in the affluent suburb of Camps Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, Camps Bay Beach is a one-kilometer-long and 100-meter-wide white sand beach with many rocky portions, making it one of the largest beaches in Camps Bay.  The beach has a stunning backdrop of the Twelve Apostles Mountain range, the majestic Table Mountain, and a promenade with many oceanfront buildings, including upscale restaurants, beach bars, nightclubs, and opulent hotels, providing incredible views of the vast Atlantic Ocean.  Camps Bay Beach has been awarded the Blue Flag certification for its natural beauty, cleanliness, and water quality standards.

As the timeless, immaculate, and stunning beach that it is, Grace Bay takes the cake as our top travel destination in the world. The bay embodies that classic, luxury beach feel that we've seen on every magazine cover and every women's fragrance commercial.

Grace Bay is the quintessential beach for honeymooners and bachelors alike, rich with beachside massage treatments, lavish resorts, and vibrant marine life. Located in the Turks and Caicos Islands, this beach is the icon of the Caribbean, and offers beachgoers a relaxing resort experience. Grace Bay Club, among others, offers the ultimate vacation accommodations, including rooms with breathtaking ocean views, supreme customer service, delicious food and drinks, and beachside lounges -- not to mention its location right on the sand. The resort has a romantic, serene ambiance, as well as an adventurous one, with accommodations for various boat tours on the beach.

The calm waters of this reef-protected destination are perfect for sailing, and many boat tours offer only the best of snorkeling, diving, and whale watching. M & J's Charters is a popular company for boat tours, giving beachgoers the fishing and snorkeling experience of a lifetime! The tours visit Iguana Island and finish with a private island barbeque overlooking the most beautiful waters in the world. Scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters of Grace Bay is an especially fulfilling experience, with coral formations, warm waters, and rich marine life to make your jaw drop. Ocean Vibes Scuba and Watersports offer excursions with conch diving, parasailing, and more, and each trip comes with a steady flow of island drinks. Overall, Grace Bay is simply as perfect as it gets.