Best beaches in the world revealed by Tripadvisor — and one is in the US

Life’s a beach.

Tripadvisor has released its latest edition of Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Beaches for 2025.

The No. 1 beach in the world for 2025 is Elafonissi Beach in Greece — rejoining the list for the first time since 2021 and climbing 23 spots.

Known for its pink sand and crystal-clear water, Elafonissi Beach is a remote beach located on the southwest coast of Crete.

According to Tripadvisor, the family-friendly beach gives visitors an opportunity for both relaxation and water sports and other activity.

The company said that the Greece beach is good for hiking and dunes, sunbathing and warm water. The best time to visit is reportedly in May and September when the weather is warm, but less crowded than during the peak summer months of June, July and August.

Banana Beach on the Thai island of Phuket came in second place globally, followed by Eagle Beach in Aruba and Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida. Praia da Falésia in the Algarve, Portugal, came in fifth place.

According to Tripadvisor, Banana Beach is good for boating, parasailing, day trips, colorful coral and fish, and the best time to visit is between November and March.

Those who want to enjoy white sand, watersports, calm waters should visit Eagle Beach from April to August. Siesta Key will offer clear waters, powder sand, seashells and beachfront stays, and the weather is best between April and May, or September and October.

The Travelers’ Choice Awards features the highest-rated beaches by real travelers who have been to these destinations and shared their experiences.

This year, the list spans six continents and 50 countries.

“Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards uniquely reflect the voices of millions of global travelers and help guide people to plan their best trip yet. In my family, beaches aren’t just for sunbathing – we like to get out and explore! The diversity of this year’s winners really showcases everything that a beach trip can have to offer,” Kristen Dalton, President of Tripadvisor, said in a statement.

“Whether it’s strolling the beautiful pink sand beaches of our world winner, Elafonissi beach, in Greece, experiencing breathtaking vistas in Indonesia, whale watching in Hawaii or diving in magical bioluminescent waters in Thailand – there really is something for everyone.”

In the U.S. rankings specifically, Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida jumped to the top spot from last year’s second place. Hawaii has the best beaches overall, leading with five out of ten of the beaches in the top list.

Tripadvisor shared that Siesta Beach has a family-friendly atmosphere with powdery white-quartz sand and clear shallow waters. There are always lifeguards on duty and the town itself has cafes and oyster bars, all of which are in walking or biking distance.

Visitors of Siesta Beach will also get the opportunity for wildlife sightings while on kayaking tours, such as manatees and dolphins.

Top 10 Beaches in the World for 2025

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

Top 10 Beaches in the U.S. for 2024

1. Siesta Beach – Siesta Key, Florida
2. Poipu Beach Park – Poipu, Hawaii
3. Ka’anapali Beach – Maui, Hawaii
4. La Jolla Cove – La Jolla, California
5. Waikiki Beach – Oahu, Hawaii
6. Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, Florida
7. Driftwood Beach – Jekyll Island, Georgia
8. Punalu’u Black Sand Beach – Pahala, Hawaii
9. Bahia Honda State Park – Big Pine Key, Florida
10. Ho’okipa Beach Park – Maui, Hawaii