The No.1 strip of sand in the world for this year has been declared as Elafonissi Beach on the Greek island of Crete, which climbs 23 places to secure the top spot.
By TED THORNHILL, MAILONLINE TRAVEL EDITOR
The rest of the global top five ranking comprises Banana Beach on the Thai island of Phuket (second); Eagle Beach on the Caribbean island of Aruba (third); Siesta Beach in Florida (fourth); and Praia da Falésia in the Algarve, Portugal (fifth).
Conspicuous by its absence from the upper echelons of the global ranking is Australia, which claimed seventh place with Sydney‘s Manly Beach last year. That beach is still No.1 for the country, but this year, it’s slipped to 15th globally.
The No.1 beach in the UK is, for the fourth time in a row, Weymouth Beach in Dorset, with the much-loved ribbon of sand claiming an impressive 20th place on the European list.
\In a statement, Tripadvisor pays homage to Elafonissi Beach, describing it as being known for its crystal-clear waters and pink sand.
It adds: ‘This beach is also surrounded by forests of cedar trees, making it a great spot for hiking, too.’
On the Tripadvisor site, the beach has 16,017 reviews, with 10,641 five-star ratings.
Reviewer ‘Georgina S’ describes a visit to Elafonissi Beach as ‘an experience like no other’, while ‘LeonaNotFiona’ describes it as ‘absolutely perfect’.
The beach does have its detractors, though, with ‘Laurence R’ claiming that there is ‘not much pink sand [as] advertised’ and another reviewer complaining that it was ‘far too busy’ when he visited.
TRIPADVISOR’S BEST BEACHES OF 2025 – GLOBAL, EUROPE AND USA
TOP BEACHES IN THE WORLD
1. Elafonissi Beach, Crete, Greece
2. Banana Beach, Phuket, Thailand
3. Eagle Beach, Oranjestad, Aruba
4. Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida
5. Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal
6. Playa Varadero, Varadero, Cuba
7. Bavaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
8. Playa de Muro Beach, Mallorca, Spain
9. Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Indonesia
10. Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia island, Greece
11. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Italy
12. Playa de Maspalomas, Spain
13. Ipanema Beach, Brazil
14. Poipu Beach Park, U.S
15. Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia
16. Playa Delfines, Mexico
17. Plage de Palombaggia, France
18. Anse Lazio, Seychelles
19. Playa Norte, Mexico
20. Tropea Beach, Italy
TOP BEACHES IN EUROPE
1. Elafonissi Beach, Crete, Greece
2. Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal
3. Playa de Muro Beach, Mallorca, Spain
4. Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece
5. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy
6. Playa de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain
7. Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica, France
8. Tropea Beach, Calabria, Italy
9. Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
10. Falassarna Beach, Crete, Greece
11. Anthony Quinn Bay, Greece
12. Spiaggia La Cinta, Italy
13. Playa de Cofete, Spain
14. Iztuzu Plaji, Turkey
15. Cala Mariolu, Italy
16. Playa de Ses Illetes, Spain
17. Praia da Nazare, Portugal
18. Konyaalti Plajlari, Turkey
19. Konnos Bay, Cyprus
20. Weymouth Beach, UK
21. Praia dos Três Irmãos, Portugal
22. Praia do Barril, Portugal
23. Gorleston-on-Sea Beach, UK
24. Makronissos Beach, Cyprus
25. Plage de Santa Giulia, France
TOP BEACHES IN THE U.S
1. Siesta Beach, Florida
2. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii
3. Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii
4. La Jolla Cove, California
5. Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
6. Clearwater Beach, Florida
7. Driftwood Beach, Georgia
8. Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, Hawaii
9. Bahia Honda State Park, Florida
10. Ho’okipa Beach Park, Hawaii
11. Sombrero Beach, Florida
12. Lanikai Beach, Hawaii
13. Haystack Rock, Oregon
14. St Andrews State Park, Florida
15. Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida
16. Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Hawaii
17. Wai’anapanapa State Park, Hawaii
18. Santa Monica State Beach, California
19. Panama City Beach, Florida
20. Henderson Beach State Park, Florida