Tripadvisor Reveals 2026 Best Beaches
Tripadvisor published its 2026 list of the world's best beaches as voted by travelers. The rankings feature stunning visuals and destination recommendations ranging from untouched white sand beaches to lively boardwalk destinations. The gallery provides fresh inspiration for summer vacation planning.
- The top honor for the best beach in the world for 2026 went to Isla Pasión, a small, kilometer-long private island off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. The rankings are determined by an analysis of millions of traveler reviews on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period. - For the first time, Tripadvisor introduced a "One of a Kind" category to recognize unique beach experiences. The inaugural winner in this category is Boulders Beach Penguin Colony in Simon's Town, South Africa, which is home to a colony of endangered African penguins. - In the United States, La Jolla Cove in California claimed the top spot for the best beach. This marks a climb from its number four position in the previous year's rankings. - The 2026 list of top ten beaches in the U.S. saw a notable absence of any beaches from Maui. In 2025, two Maui beaches, Ka'anapali and Ho'okipa, were featured in the top 10. - The world's top ten list for 2026 includes beaches from a variety of countries, with Greece having two entries: Elafonissi Beach and Balos Lagoon. Other locations in the top ten include Aruba, Portugal, Thailand, Italy, and Australia. - The selection process for the awards involves analyzing both the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings for beaches submitted by travelers on the Tripadvisor platform. - The 2025 top beach in the world was Elafonissi Beach in Greece, and the number one beach in the U.S. was Siesta Beach in Florida.
