World’s best beaches have been named and there’s THREE in the UK

THE most beautiful beaches in the world have been revealed and good news – you can find a number of them in the UK. Compiled by Big 7, the top 50 for 2026 are a mix of very well-known spots to some very hidden islands. The world’s most beautiful beaches have been named Credit: Getty Anse Source d’Argent in the Seychelles came in no.1 Credit: Getty The study looks at a number of factors, such as cleanliness, social media mentions and expert knowledge. You’ll have to hop on a long flight to find the no.1 beach, as that was given to Anse Source d’Argent in the Seychelles. Sign up for the Travel newsletter Thank you! The website praised it for looking like “it should be on the front of a postcard,” with its calm waters and and shallow lagoons. In second place was Entalula Beach in the Philippines – which you can only get to by boat – followed by Indonesia’s Pink Beach which yes, has pink sand thanks to the red coral mixed into it. When it comes to Europe, the highest ranked beach was Cala Macarella in Menorca, which came in eight place. The Spanish island beach was praised for being the “quieter and smaller sibling of Majorca and Ibiza” as well as its soft sands and turquoise waters. But if you don’t want to go too far, then the three in the UK are easy to get to. Porthcurno Beach in Cornwall came in ninth place, and was the only English beach to make the list. The website stated: “Porthcurno Beach is easily one of England’s most beautiful. “With the clear waters and bright sands of Porthcurno Beach, it’s easy to imagine that you’re in the tropics.” The ‘Maldives of Europe’ is the nickname of Ksamil Beach in Albania Credit: Getty Luskentyre Beach in Scotland was compared to the Caribbean for its white sands and turquoise waters Credit: Getty The Welsh Whitesands Bay made the top 50 too Credit: Getty Porthcurno Beach in Cornwall was the only English beach to make the list Credit: Getty This was closely followed by Luskentyre Beach in Scotland, which just missed out on making the top 10 by being in 11th place. Also compared to the Caribbean, they stated: “The white sands and turquoise waters make it hard to believe that you’re closer to Norway than Cornwall.” And then in 31st place was the only Welsh beach to make the list, with Whitesands Beach making the cut. It states: “Located on Wales’ spectacular Pembrokeshire coast, Whitesands Beach proves that you don’t need tropical weather to enjoy a stunning beach. “Rolling surf foams onto the golden sands, while the rugged cliffs which provide the backdrop to the beach make Whitesands a favoured spot for families, hikers, and surfers alike.” Other highly rated European beaches include Ksamil Beach in Albania (19th) which is often called the Maldives of Europe. There is also Navagio Beach in Zante (21st), Haukland Beach in Norway (25th) and Palombaggia Beach in Corsica (28th). Beaches in Madeira, Sardinia and Iceland also made the top 50. World's 50 Best Beaches Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles Entalula Beach, Philippines Pink Beach, Indonesia Sandy Lane Beach, Barbados Ee Motu Beach, Cook Islands Whitehaven Beach, Australia Matira Beach, French Polynesia Cala Macarella, Menorca, Spain Porthcurno Beach, UK Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka Luskentyre Beach, UK Starfish Beach, Vietnam Tortuga Bay, Galápagos Islands Keem Beach, Ireland White Beach, Philippines Unawatuna Beach, Sri Lanka Eagle Beach, Aruba Copacabana Beach, Brazil Ksamil Beach, Albania Boulders Beach, South Africa Navagio Beach, Zakynthos, Greece Dhigura Beach, Maldives Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Haukland Beach, Norway Railay Beach, Thailand Horseshoe Bay, Fiji Palombaggia Beach, France Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland Santa Monica Beach, Cape Verde Whitesands Beach, Wales Chumbe Island, Tanzania Champagne Beach, Vanuatu Le Morne Beach, Mauritius Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, USA Plaua Kenepa Grandi, Curacao Piha Beach, New Zealand Playa Varadero, Cuba Playa Blanca, Colombia Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic Long Beach, Cambodia Fteri Beach, Greece La Jolla Cove, California, USA Shoal Bay East, Anguilla Playa Akumal, Mexico Sugar Beach, St Lucia La Pelosa Beach, Sardinia, Italy Karon Beach, Thailand Seixal Beach, Madeira Manly Beach, Australia Comment now