Lonely Planet 100 best beaches named – and yes NZ features

PHOTO: FILE

Prepare for a resounding ‘shell yeah!’ as these stunning beaches take center stage in the captivating new Lonely Planet book ‘100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches.’ As you scroll down, you’ll quickly realize that the title isn’t an exaggeration – each beach featured is truly breathtaking.

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Five British Isles beaches earn their spot alongside treasures in the Caribbean, Greece, Hawaii, the Seychelles, Cape Town, and Australia. Lonely Planet introduces this dazzling collection with a promise to unveil the world’s most extraordinary shorelines – from caves, coves, and arches to mystical fog, sprawling coastlines, and urban, surfing, and sprawling beaches. These beaches, with their unique formations, coastlines, colors, and perspectives, stand out as the most spectacular on the planet.

AWAROA BEACH, ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND: Lonely Planet notes that Awaroa Beach has ‘golden sands, turquoise waters and a secluded location on the north coast of the South Island, backed by granite hills and lush coastal forests’

With transporting photography, tips on reaching each beach, and reasons why Lonely Planet chose them as the best, this collection showcases the ultimate beauty of sand, stone, and sea worldwide. Keep reading for MailOnline Travel’s selection of the cream of the crop. Which one will you add to your bucket list?

Rhossili Bay in Gower, Wales, kicks off the list, dazzling with its almost three miles of honey-toned, Atlantic-beaten sands. Keem Bay Beach in County Mayo, Ireland, follows suit, offering a jaw-droppingly beautiful drive to one of Ireland’s most glorious, secluded strands. Kynance Cove in Lizard, Cornwall, stops everyone in their tracks, whether you’ve hiked for miles along the South West Coast Path or just fancy a paddle in its tempting teal waters.

The list continues with Dueodde in Bornholm Island, Denmark, described as a secluded sweep of glistening-white sand on a dune-sprinkled shoreline. Kokkinokastro in Alonnisos Island, Greece, stands out as one of the most spectacular mountainous beaches, with a craggy rust-red cape jutting into unbelievably blue waters. Hanalei Bay in Kaua’i, Hawaii, makes an appearance as a photogenic two-mile crescent of golden sand.

Oneloa Beach, also known as Big Beach, in Maui, Hawaii, is pleasingly untamed, abutting Pacific waters of otherworldly blue. Awaroa Beach in Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand, boasts golden sands, turquoise waters, and a secluded location backed by granite hills and lush coastal forests. Squeaky Beach in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, enclosed by impressive granite boulders, stands out as a standout in Wilsons Promontory National Park.

HANALEI BAY, KAUA’I, HAWAII, USA: Lonely Planet’s verdict? A ‘photogenic two-mile crescent of golden sand’

Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California, USA, while not recommended for swimming due to dangerous surf, offers superb walking, beachcombing, and sunsets. Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland & Virginia, USA, with wild horses galloping across its wind-swept beaches, exudes a surprisingly feral vibe. Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia, is a magnificent sweep of blonde sand, earning its renown as Western Australia’s most famous stretch.

Haukland Beach in Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway, boasts a blinding stretch of luscious sand bathed by cool Arctic waters. Sveti Stefan Beach in Budva, Montenegro, features the fortified, honey-walled 15th-century island village of Sveti Stefan as a spectacular backdrop.

Paralia Tis Grias to Pidima in Andros, Cyclades, Greece, stands out as one of the dreamiest back-to-nature beaches, entirely free from sun loungers, umbrellas, and restaurants. Kabak Beach in Mugla, Turkey, is one of Turkiye’s most heavily guarded travel secrets, with a castaway-esque magic. Ao Maya in Ko Phi-Phi Leh, Krabi, Thailand, meets even Hollywood’s standards for a tropical paradise, having controversially served as a film set for “The Beach.”

Sunayama Beach in Miyakojima Island, Okinawa, Japan, with its snow-white sands and dramatic arch, earns a place in Lonely Planet’s top 100 ranking.

KOKKINOKASTRO, ALONNISOS ISLAND, SPORADES, GREECE: Lonely Planet describes Kokkinokastro as ‘among the most spectacular of mountainous Alonnisos’s many sultry beaches’, where ‘a craggy rust-red cape juts out into the unbelievably blue water’

Myrtos Beach in Kefallonia, Ionians, Greece, resting at the foot of a dramatically zigzagging road, remains one of the most-photographed and entrancing beaches in a country bursting with glorious Mediterranean-lapped sands. Bottom Bay in Barbados ticks all the boxes for a quintessential Caribbean beach, with translucent turquoise water, smooth white sand, and wind-gnarled palms dotting the shore.

Anse Source d’Argent in La Digue, Seychelles, regularly tops world’s best beach lists, living up to the hype. Playa Manuel Antonio in Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, offers blonde sand and calm turquoise water, along with monkeys, sloths, and toucans in the adjacent park. Cannon Beach in Oregon, USA, beckons visitors with wildlife, amazing sunset views, and the colossal almost-golden limestone sea arch known as Durdle Door Beach in Lulworth, Dorset, England, stands as one of the UK’s most-photographed coastal formations.

Playa de Torimbia in Llanes, Asturias, Spain, exudes serenity, being one of Asturias’ most-loved beaches and Spain’s original naturist spots since the 1960s. Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been a sun-drenched destination since 1902, popular with sunseeking cariocas, residents of Rio de Janeiro.

Get ready to explore these incredible beaches as Lonely Planet’s “Best Beaches – 100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches” goes on sale on February 9 in the UK, with pre-orders available on Amazon (£23.59). The book features a comprehensive list, encompassing Oceania, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, showcasing the world’s most stunning coastal destinations.

DUEODDE, BORNHOLM ISLAND, DENMARK: Lonely Planet describes this beach as ‘a secluded sweep of glistening-white sand… on a dune-sprinkled shoreline’

PFEIFFER BEACH, BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA, USA: ‘Due to dangerous surf, Pfeiffer Beach isn’t recommended for swimming, and it can get windy,’ says Lonely Planet, ‘but the walking, beachcombing and sunsets are superb’

ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, NATIONAL SEASHORE, MARYLAND & VIRGINIA, USA: Lonely Planet says that ‘with wild horses galloping across its wind-swept beaches, Assateague Island National Seashore exudes a surprisingly feral vibe, a rarity along the highly developed shores of the Mid-Atlantic’, while ‘thick maritime forests and rugged dunes round out the dramatic scene’

CABLE BEACH/WALMANYJUN, BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Lonely Planet says that this beach is ‘a magnificent sweep of blonde sand’ that has ‘earned its renown as Western Australia’s most famous stretch of sand’

HAUKLAND BEACH, VESTVAGOY, LOFOTEN ISLANDS, NORWAY: ‘Haukland has a blinding stretch of luscious sand bathed by cool Arctic waters,’ says Lonely Planet. ‘The sea doesn’t really creep higher than around 59F (15C) and that’s in August, but the spectacular natural setting still makes this one of the most unbelievably beautiful spots among Norway’s thousands of beaches’

SVETI STEFAN BEACH, BUDVA, MONTENEGRO: Lonely Planet’s summation? The book says: ‘The fortified, honey-walled 15th-century island village of Sveti Stefan (now a private luxury resort) makes up the spectacular backdrop to this Adriatic pearl. Just across the delicious blue-green sea from the islet, the unspoilt pebble-and-sand beach sweeps around a small, curving mainland bay’

PARALIA TIS GRIAS TO PIDIMA, ANDROS, CYCLADES, GREECE: Lonely Planet describes this as ‘one of the dreamiest back-to-nature beaches in the Cyclades’ that’s ‘entirely free from sun loungers, umbrellas and restaurants’. The book adds: ‘It has a mellow feel, with craggy cliffs framing the powdery sand’

KABAK BEACH, MUGLA, TURKEY/TURKIYE: This is ‘one of Turkiye’s most heavily guarded travel secrets’ that has a ‘castaway-esque magic’

AO MAYA, KO PHI-PHI LEH, KRABI, THAILAND: ‘Maya Bay meets even Hollywood’s standards for a tropical paradise,’ notes Lonely Planet, pointing out that its ‘beautiful sands were controversially used as a film set for the Leonardo di Caprio-starring blockbuster The Beach’. The beach reopened on January 1, 2022, having been shut for four years to combat damage caused by visitors, the book explains

HAT THAM PHRA NANG, RAILAY, KRABI, THAILAND: With ‘fairy-tale limestone formations’ and a ‘cerulean sea’, this is a ‘vision of paradise’, says Lonely Planet

SUNAYAMA BEACH, MIYAKOJIMA ISLAND, OKINAWA, JAPAN: ‘Snow-white sands and a dramatic arch’ helped this beach earn a place in Lonely Planet’s top 100 ranking