Sea-ze the day and enjoy sun-soaked fun at one of Tripadvisor’s top-ranked stretches of sand for 2024.
The number one beach to add to your bucket and spade list is Praia da Falesia in Portugal’s Algarve, according to the travel site, which awarded it first place in its 2024 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches.
It knocks six-time champion Baia do Sancho in Brazil off the top spot in the ranking, which is drawn from the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travellers for beaches worldwide, gathered from October 2022 to September 2023.
Italy’s Spiaggia dei Conigli on Lampedusa island in Sicily wins the silver medal, the bronze goes to La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain and Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii is the top-ranking beach in the U.S, landing fourth in the 25-strong global charts.
Weymouth Beach on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast wins the title as the UK’s top-ranking beach and comes 19th on the European list, which features 25 beaches.
The number one beach to add to your bucket list is Praia da Falesia in Portugal’s Algarve, according to Tripadvisor, which awarded it first place in its 2024 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
Italy’s Spiaggia dei Conigli on Lampedusa island in Sicily wins the silver medal in the global list. Visitors praised its ‘clean environment’ and unforgettable ‘great views’ in reviews on Tripadvisor
Praia da Falesia, which came sixth last year, has racked up 5,900 reviews to date – 68 per cent of which award a coveted ‘five-bubble’ rating.
Tripadvisor said the world winning beach is ‘known for its dramatic red, sandy cliffs and can be reached by a wooden staircase’, adding: ‘It is beloved by Tripadvisor reviewers for its soft, powdery sand, perfect for sunbathing and strolls.’
Writing on the site, reviewer ‘tinkle_24’ described it as a ‘gorgeous stretch of uninterrupted fine sandy beach’ that’s ‘not to be missed’, while ‘K17elly’ said the cliffs ‘are stunning’ and ‘DrDance57’ noted it’s ‘the best beach I have been on’.
Spiaggia dei Conigli, meanwhile, was praised by ‘omar p’ for its ‘clean environment’ and unforgettable ‘great views’ and third-place La Concha Beach, in the Basque Country, was hailed by one visitor as ‘beautiful’ and ‘accessible’. Another visitor, ‘Antonia-Maria Stoian’, wrote: ‘The beach has a phenomenal promenade! At any hour of any day, it is gorgeous.’
Fourth-place Kaanapali Beach is described by ‘bil2cg’ as ‘pure heaven’ with ‘fabulous views and delicious waters with unreal sunsets’.
Tripadvisor describes it as a ‘stunning three-mile stretch of sand… regarded as one of North America’s best beaches’ with ‘crystal-clear waters perfect for snorkelling and surfing, against a backdrop of lush mountains’.
The bronze goes to La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain. Writing on Tripadvisor, ‘Antonia-Maria Stoian’ said: ‘The beach has a phenomenal promenade. At any hour of any day, it is gorgeous’
Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii is the top-ranking beach in the U.S, landing fourth in the 25-strong global charts
Landing in fifth place in the worldwide ranking is Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos
Manly Beach in Sydney is the top-ranking Australian strip of sand and No.7 worldwide
Weymouth Beach on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast wins the title as the UK’s top-ranking beach and comes 19th on the European list, which features 25 beaches
The UK’s Bournemouth Beach comes 20th in the European ranking, described by visitors as ‘a wonderful sandy beach’ with ‘lovely golden sands and great walks along the seafront’
The remainder of the worldwide top 10 list comprises Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos (fifth); Anse Lazio in the Seychelles (sixth); Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia (seventh); Eagle Beach, Aruba (eighth); Siesta Beach in Florida, U.S (ninth) and Varadero Beach, Cuba (tenth).
Another U.S beach to make the worldwide ranking is Hawaii’s Poipu Beach Park, in 14th position (and second in America).
In the Europe ranking, first-place Praia da Falesia, second-place Spiaggia dei Conigli and third-place La Concha Beach are followed by the ‘stunning’ Reynisfjara Beach in Vik, Iceland, in fourth place.
It’s one of two Icelandic shorelines to make it into the European top 10 – Vik’s Black Sand Beach – a new entry for 2024 – ranks tenth.
The rest of the European top 10 comprises Playa de las Canteras in Gran Canaria, Spain (fifth); the ‘incredible’ Falassarna Beach in Crete, Greece (sixth); the ‘must-visit’ Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus (seventh); Myrtos Beach in Kefalonia, Greece (eighth); and Playa de Maspalomas in Gran Canaria (ninth).
Playa de las Canteras in Gran Canaria, Spain, comes fifth in the European ranking
In the Europe ranking, the ‘stunning’ Reynisfjara Beach (pictured) in Vik, Iceland, comes in fourth place. It’s one of two Icelandic shorelines to make it into the European top 10 – Vik’s Black Sand Beach, a new entry for 2024, ranks tenth
UK No.1 Weymouth Beach is described on Tripadvisor by ‘Julie B‘ as an ‘absolutely beautiful beach with lots to do’ while ‘CathyD1978‘ called it a ‘great beach’ with ‘lots of amenities to hand’ and ‘shallow water for quite a distance, so great for kids’.
Another UK beach to make the European ranking is Bournemouth Beach (20th), described by visitors as ‘a wonderful sandy beach’ with ‘lovely golden sands and great walks along the seafront’.
This year’s awards sees the launch of a new sub-category – World’s Best Sustainable Beaches – and the UK comes out top with Sandbanks Beach in Poole, Dorset named No.1 and Saundersfoot Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, coming in at No.3, following Radhanagar Beach on India’s Havelock Island at No.2.
Nungwi Beach on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania ranks 20th among the world’s best beaches
Bali’s Kelingking Beach in Indonesia features in 21st position in the world ranking
It comes after Tripadvisor noted that more than half (55 per cent) of its global users say that helping the environment is important to them.
‘Measured by a combination of inputs from sustainable data partner BeCause (via the Blue Flag program) and Tripadvisor traveller reviews, winners stand out for their commitments to sustainability including sustainable transport options, waste disposal and water quality,’ the site said.
‘Europe comes out top in this list, taking seven of the top ten spots, with India, South Africa and the UAE also making the list.’
Siesta Beach in Florida ranks as the ninth best beach in the world and the second best in the U.S
Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii, is the 14th best beach in the world and the third best in the U.S, according to the study
Hollywood Beach in Florida appears in fourth position in the U.S ranking
Commenting on the 2024 ranking, Sarah Firshein, head of editorial at Tripadvisor, said: ‘Last year, Tripadvisor received millions of reviews for beaches — it’s clear that our community absolutely loves them.
‘But as our Travellers’ Choice lists reveal, there’s no one-size-fits-all “beach day”.
‘Our top 25 winners alone encompass 18 countries across five continents. The top three beaches are all in Europe, ousting the perennially popular Caribbean from those spots – a sign that some travellers are eager to swap typical resort vacations for the coastlines of Portugal, Italy, and beyond.’
For the complete list of Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award-winning beaches for 2024, visit: tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Beaches.
