Maldives beach - India, Asia

Waldorf Astoria Maldives is an exclusive retreat within one of the world’s most exceptional travel destinations. Here, the legendary luxury of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is enhanced by nature’s marvels, creating a resort that is both wonderfully indulgent and deeply inspiring. Situated in the northernmost atoll, Waldorf Astoria Maldives offers a world of possibilities that combines local flavor with global sophistication. Travel across the Indian Ocean to arrive at this stunning paradise hideaway, which upholds the highest standards of luxury whilst maintaining genuine Maldivian hospitality, complimented by a rich heritage of service and excellence. Effortlessly chic, Waldorf Astoria Maldives is a true haven for those who appreciate natural beauty and luxurious life.

Quiberon beach - France, Europe

Quiberon is at the tip of a thin presqu‘île (peninsula) jutting out into the Atlantic; it has a fabulous beach, and you can relive your childhood eating salt water taffy from the boardwalk shops and  freshly made gauffres (waffles) sprinkled with powdered sugar. The beach here is long and sandy, with a great swimming area and a delightful boardwalk full of beach-resort kind of shops and restaurants. In addition, while the sandy beach is great for working on your tan and taking a dip, the Côte Sauvage is just a few kms away with rocky coastlines, cliffs and coves that make for some fantastic photo ops. Quiberon is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It is situated on the southern part of a peninsula of Quiberon, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. It is primarily known as a seaside resort for the French during summer, and for its history of sardine production. Quiberon has a wide sandy beach called the Grande Plage that is ideal for sunbathing and swimming during the warm summer months. Spanning this beach is also a boardwalk lined with kitschy boutiques, gaufre and crêpe stands, candy shops selling salt water taffy and more. In the summer, the boardwalk and beach are often jam-packed with people shopping and soaking up the sun.

The Brittany beach - France, Europe

The Brittany coast is the second-most popular beach destination in France (after the French Riviera, of course). There is a good mixture of white-sand beaches great for sunbathing and swimming as well as rocky coves and dramatic cliffs that make for a rugged and beautiful coastline. There are also many islands off the Brittany coast that are great for hiking as well as getting your tan on. Located on the west coast of France, Brittany has a warm, temperate climate. Rainfall occurs regularly – which has helped keep its countryside green and wooded, but sunny, cloudless days are also common. Airports in Brittany serving destinations in France, Great Britain and Ireland include Brest, Saint-Malo, Lorient, and Rennes.

Utjeha beach - Montenegro, Europe

Many people say that this 800 m long beach is a real treasure because there is a path lined by olive trees going up to the high way and further on. Utjeha beach is famous for its beauty, sunny hours and clean sea water, in which drinking water springs, which mixes with the salt water and creates thus unusual light shades of turquoise. Utjeha Beach is situated between Bar and Ulcinj and consists of rocky pebbles.

The Murici Beach - Montenegro, Europe

The Murici Beach is the biggest one at the Montenegrin part of the Skadar Lake. It is situated beneath the village Donji Murici on the north-west coast of the lake. This sandy beach is 600 m long and 7 m wide, with a shallow sandy bottom that goes far into the lake. There is a well of clean and cold water at the very beach, and a dense forest of old oak and chestnut trees in its background. Murici is a favorite picnic place where tourists can enjoy the specialties of the lake, carp and eel, and the beautiful scenery which is rich with a unique flora and fauna. The Skadar Lake (Skadarsko Jezero) is one of the national parks in Montenegro.

The Red Beach - Montenegro, Europe

The Red Beach is situated in an inlet between Sutomore and Bar. It was named after the extreme red colour of the sand or stone pebbles which cover the beach and the sea bottom. It is 1,000 m long with a dense pine forest in its background. It is very distinctive because of the unusual harmony of the colors of the sea, red sand and pine forest. It is a favorite bathing beach of the local people. There is a legend which says, that the nymphs of Nereida used to gather at the top of the high cliff over the beach and comb their hair with coral combs. Their laughter and singing could be heard far away from there, but nobody could talk about it, because if they did, they would become mute.

Bar beach - Montenegro, Europe

The diversity of the mediterranean flora, macchia, pine trees and olive groves immediately near the sea and rich wells of spring water make the beaches of Bar so special. On some of them you won't need a sunshade, since the pine trees literally grow on the foamy waves.

Queen's beach - Montenegro, Europe

Queen's beach is situated in the vicinity of Canj, at its very north. This small but attractive beach can be approached only from the sea. It is surronded with sediment cliffs. Because of its environment, fine sand and crystal clear sea water, it was the favorite beach of queen Milena when she was came to vacation at Topolica castle.

Ulcinj - Montenegro, Europe

The coast of Ulcinj stretches from the Cape Stari Ulcinj until the estuary of the river Bojana into the Adriatic Sea, and it is nearly 33 kilometers long. It is decorated by some twenty bays in its rocky part, the peninsulas Marjan and Mendra; the Valdanos beach whose hinterland is called »The Olive Bay«, two sandy beaches – Velika (Large) and Mala (Small) and, as a special attraction, the nature reservation Ada Bojana.
Velika and Mala plaža, Ada Bojana, Valdanos and the beaches along the pine forests are of outstanding beauty. The Ulcinj beaches are the sunniest of the whole Adriatic coast, and their special ornament is the lush subtropical vegetation. Because of the coastal configuration, the Ulcinj Riviera offers excellent conditions for organizing all kinds of sports on the water and on the coast.

Canj - Montenegro, Europe

The Pearl beach, or Canj, is one of the most beautiful ones on the Montenegrin coast. This beach is divided into two smaller beaches by a mountain cape. It is covered with layers of fine and colourful sand as for the sea bottom with round rocky pebbles, after which it was named. The total lengh of both the beaches is 1,800 m with the capacity of 9,000 people. There are hotels and rest homes, restaurants and cafes, surrounded by pines and cypresses, as well as other Mediterranean vegetation in its background.

Sutomore - Montenegro, Europe

The city beach of Sutomore is in the vicinity of Bar. It is 1,250 m long and the Golden beach, which is 850 m long, is next to it. Both of them are sandy and golden, which makes this part of the coast extremely beautiful. Being on the beach alleviates the sufferings of people with rheumatic problems. There are hotels and private apartment-complexes, restaurants and cafes, with the dense forest of pines and cypresses in their background. Three centuries ago Venetian countesses gladly came here for a swim.

Herceg Novi - Montenegro, Europe

Herceg Novi (Serbian Cyrillic: Херцег Нови; Greek: Νεοκαστρον, Neòkastron) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants. Herceg Novi was known as Castelnuovo ("New castle" in Italian) between 1420 and 1797 when was part of the Albania Veneta of the Republic of Venice. Herceg Novi has had a turbulent past, despite being one of the youngest settlements on the Adriatic. A history of varied occupations has created a blend of diverse and picturesque architectural style in the city. The Herceg Novi municipality stretches from Prevlaka to the Verige strait. Herceg Novi is a major Montenegrin tourist destination. It is well known as a spa and health center; nearby Igalo has an abundance of healing sea mud called "igaljsko blato" (Igalo mud) and mineral water springs called "igaljske slatine" (Igalo water springs). The most famous tourist attractions in Herceg Novi are castle Forte Mare built by the Bosnian king Tvrtko I in 1382, a clock tower built by Austrians in 19th century, the Kanli tower built by Turks, and the Serbian church St. Michael Archangel in central Belavista Square. Herceg Novi is usually the final destination of buses that come from inland Montenegro and Serbia. The Adriatic Motorway, a two-lane motorway that extends for the length of the Montenegrin coast, goes through Herceg-Novi before it merges with the Croatian road network at the Debeli Brijeg border crossing. The area of the Bay of Kotor is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with dry and hot summers and warm winters. Herceg Novi has a specific microclimate, which is a result of southern exposition, proximity to the sea, limestone substratum and mountainous hinterland which prevents the breakthrough of cold air masses.

The Bay of Kotor - Montenegro, Europe

The Bay of Kotor (Serbo-Croatian: Boka Kotorska, Cyrillic script: Бока Которска, in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen. It is an important tourist attraction in Montenegro. The Verige strait represent the narrowest section of the bay and is located between Cape St. Nedjelja and Cape Opatovo; it separates the inner bay east of the strait from the remainder and belongs to the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, A World Heritage Site. Montenegro is planning to build a bridge that would span the strait, the so called Verige bridge. The bay has been inhabited since antiquity and has some well preserved medieval towns. The picturesque towns of Kotor, Risan,Tivat, Perast, Prčanj, Herceg Novi and Budva along with their natural surroundings, are major tourist attractions. The religious heritage of the land around the bay — its numerous Orthodox and Catholic Christian churches and monasteries — makes it one of the major pilgrimage sites of the region. The region of the Bay of Kotor was occupied by the Italian Army in April 1941, and was included in the Italian Governatorato di Dalmazia until September 1943. Since 1945, it has been part of the Republic of Montenegro. The Bay of Kotor lies within the Mediterranean subtropical belt. While summers are hot and sunny, autumn, winter and spring are rainy seasons. It is the climate type of the Mediterranean but modifications exist in the vast region.

Budva - Montenegro, Europe

Budva (Serbian, Montenegrin: Будва, Budva, Italian: Budua, Greek: Μπούντβα, Budva) is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has around 15,000 inhabitants, and it is the centre of municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budvanska rivijera, is the centre of Montenegro's tourism, and is well known for its sandy beaches, diverse nightlife, and examples of Mediterranean architecture. Budva is 2,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic sea coast. A catastrophic earthquake struck Budva on 15 April 1979. Much of old town was devastated, but today there is little evidence of the catastrophe – almost all the buildings were restored to their original form. Budva is the capital of Montenegrin tourism. With over 330,000 guests in the 2007 summer season, it is by far the most popular tourist destination in Montenegro. Budva is connected to inland Montenegro by two-laned highways. There are two ways to reach Budva from Podgorica – either through Cetinje, or through the Sozina tunnel (opened 2005). Either way, Podgorica, the capital and main road junction in Montenegro, is around 60 km (37 mi) away. Budva has a typical Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and mild winters, and 230 sunny days in a year. Budva comes among the warmest Mediterranean towns with an average temperature of 8 °C (46 °F) in January and 29 °C (84.2 °F) in July. The average summertime temperature is 25 °C (77.0 °F) and 9.3 °C (48.7 °F) in the winter. The temperature of the sea reaches up to 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) in the summer months, while it keeps between 18 °C (64 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F) in the autumn.

Ipanema Beach - Brazil, South America

The Ipanema beach is one of the best beaches of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and one of the most famous of the world. Immortalized in worldwide well-known song of Tom Jobim, "Garota de Ipanema", that in fact was based on the beauty of the beach and the grace and the sexuality of the Brazilian women, Ipanema is one of these beaches that not only stand out for his beauty, but also for the adrenaline that surrounds it: many persons, bars, restaurants, movement, exactly the opposite from a beach to find peace and calmness, but the ideal beach to know the Brazilian culture and to make friends. Also, Ipanema is located in an expensive quarter of Rio de Janeiro, reason for being considered to be the beach more "chic" of the "wonderful city". Ipanema divides his approximately 2 kilometers long, in different sectors like the familiar, the one for lonely girls, the homosexuals part, the sports one, etc.

PIPA BEACH - Brazil, South America

This beach is located in the southern end of the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, and is just 90 KM from Natal and has 10 km of beaches where you can swim, take a romantic walk, contemplate nature surrounded by golden sands, natural pools of warm waters, coconut palms and spectacular cliffs. Besides, this beach is usually visited by turtles and dolphins, so you can take a look at them from the different viewpoints or even play with the animals while taking a bath in the ocean. The beach is known as Pipa because of the stones that you can find in it, that seemed to be barrels of wine or, at nights, spirits. This fact increase the mystery that evolve the beach and help to create a lot of legend related to the pirates that in the past came here to steal the most famous Brazilian wood (Pau Brazil).

FERNANDO DE NORONHA - Brazil, South America

Fernando de Noronha is a group of 21 volcanic islands 340 miles from Recife, Pernambuco, which was declared National Marine Park since 1988, in order to protect land and marine vegetation as well as land animals and marine life. In fact is difficult to catalogue Fernando de Noronha as a beach, because is a group of islands with many beaches, but we at Brazil Beaches decided to do it because will be unfair to make a ranking of the best beaches in Brazil and not include the most beautiful place in the whole country. The most important island in Fernando de Noronha, who has the same name as the group of islands, has 7.1 square miles and the total population rise to 2,100 inhabitants. Here you can find interesting historic sites to visit, like the ruins of Fort of Sao Pedro, but of course the main attraction at Fernando de Noronha is its islands and beaches. Besides Fernando de Noronha itself you can find other 20 islands and you can divide the beaches in two groups: the ones pointing Brazil (10 beaches and a Dolphin Bay) and the ones pointing Africa (4 beaches, lot of swimming pools and one creek)

Sharm el-Sheikh - Egypt, Africa

Sharm el-Sheikh (Arabic: شرم الشيخ‎, Sharm al-Shaykh) is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000 (2008). Sharm el-Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt's South Sinai Governorate which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai. Sharm el-Sheikh is sometimes called the "City of Peace", referring to the large number of international peace conferences that have been held there. It was known as Şarm-üş Şeyh (Sharm ush-Sheikh, "bay of the Sheikh" in Arabic) during Ottoman rule and was known as Ofira during Israeli occupation between 1967 and 1982. Among Egyptians, the name of the city is commonly shortened to "Sharm" ([ʃɑɾˤm]). The city has played host to a number of important Middle Eastern peace conferences, including the 4 September 1999 agreement to restore Palestinian self-rule over the Gaza Strip. A second summit was held at Sharm on 17 October 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, but it failed to end the violence. A summit was held in the city on 3 August 2005 on developments in the Arab world such as the situation in Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2008 was also hosted by Sharm el-Sheikh. Amidst the 2011 Egyptian protests, President Hosni Mubarak reportedly went to Sharm el-Sheikh and resigned there on 11 February 2011. The average temperatures during the winter months (November to March) range from 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (59-95°F) and during the summer months (April to October) from 20 to 45 degrees Celsius (68-113°F). The temperature of the Red Sea in this region ranges from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius (70-84°F) over the course of the year.

Hawaii - USA, North America

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s natural and diverse scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches and oceanic surrounding, and activevolcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences along with its own vibrant native culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi,Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest and is often called "The Big Island" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. Hawaii's coastline is approximately 750 miles (1,210 km) long, which is fourth in the United States after Alaska, Florida, and California. Hawaii is one of two states that do not observe daylight saving time, the other being Arizona.

Lloret de Mar - Spain, Europe

Lloret de Mar (Catalan pronunciation: [ʎuˈɾɛd də ˈmar]) is a Mediterranean coastal town in Catalonia and one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Costa Brava. It is 40 kilometres from Girona and 75 kilometres from Barcelona and therefore easily accessible. With a population of 39,363 (as of 1st January 2009) it is the second largest town in the Selva comarca (county) of Catalonia.

For decades Lloret de Mar has attracted summer visitors on package tours and is considered as one of the most important resorts on the Costa Brava. Lloret de Mar's main beach (length: 1,630 m; width: 45 m; white sand) is one of the most popular Costa Brava beaches and is consistently awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness. Lloret’s nightlife attracts an 18-30s crowd mainly from Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and other, mostly European, countries.

St. Stefan - Montenegro, Europe

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Sveti Stefan, pronounced [sv̞ê̞ːtiː stê̞faːn], now Aman Sveti Stefan including the Villa Miločer (pronounced [vîla mîlɔ̝tʃe̞r]; formerly Sveti Stefan Hotel) ("Saint Stephen"; Serbian: Sveti Stefan/Свети Стефан, Sušćepan, Italian: Santo Stefano di Pastrovicchio) is a small islet and hotel and resort in Montenegro, approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southeast of Budva. The resort includes the islet of Sveti Stefan and part of the mainland, where the Villa Miločer part of the resort is located. An Adriatic playground for the rich and famous from the 1960s to the 1980s, the hotel is now a 5-star franchise hotel of the international group of Aman Resorts, completed in 2009 and operating under a 30 year lease. Formerly an island, Sveti Stefan is now connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The resort in total contains 50 rooms, cottages and suites on the island and 8 grand suites at the Villa Miločer.

Copacabana beach - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Copacabana beach resort is located in the vibrant and glamorous south zone of Rio de Janeiro with a 4 km strip of golden sands all there to fulfill your dream of a perfect journey.You can try surfing, swimming and even diving Copacobana. For those that prefer the sand rather than the water, the Copacabana beach resort can get you hooked on sand volleyball or a barefeet soccer game, or you can simply enjoy a great icy caipirinha from one of the many beach bars, while admiring the tanned beautiful brazilian girls around.


The city neighborhood, with the same name as the beach, has one of the worlds most dense population per square meter of 25 000, and a mixture of people from all social classes and origins.

You will see million dollars buildings here, with the favela (the brasilian slum cities) hanging above in the hills.

The district is among other things famous for it’s nightlife, Copacabana Palace and of course the Copacabana beach resort it self.

The beach created it’s name in the 1920 when the opening of the most beautiful hotel at the time (and many argue that it is still) the Copacabana Palace hotel.

Bora Bora - French Polynesia, South America

Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th-century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft). Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts. The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mete in the north, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra. According to a census performed in 2008, the permanent population of Bora Bora is 8,880.