Marco Crisciotti The most beautiful beaches of the last 25 years, featuring legendary shores from around the globe. Discover the top destinations for your next beach getaway and what makes these paradises truly unforgettable.
If you are already booking your summer vacation, we have news that may be buying a ticket on the plane to Crete this very moment. As showcased in the 2025 Traveler’s Choice Awards of TripAdvisor, the world’s most stunning beach to visit for next summer is Elafonissi.
Elafonissi: heaven on earth does (and it’s in Crete)
Then what makes Elafonissi so special? Picture yourself on fluffy pink sand, a gentle breeze caressing your skin, with a turquoise sea in all shades of blue as far as the eye reaches. A postcard in living color. No wonder that TripAdvisor travelers have listed it as the top beach of 2025. Greece leads the pack again after four years out of style—and in style.
The tip from the pros? Visit Elafonissi in September or May. The beach, separated from Crete by a wispy strand of sand, is most peaceful and vibrant in the shoulder months. A slice of the world in which time still stands. And don’t even worry if you get lost—Google Maps will guide you to heaven.
The rest of the podium: Thailand, the Caribbean, and the USA
If Elafonissi took the gold, then who occupied the podium otherwise? Silver is Banana Beach in Phuket island, Thailand—a tropical paradise with a grin-provoking name and waters that shimmer like glass. Bronze was taken by Eagle Beach in Aruba, in the very center of the Caribbean.
And the others? Siesta Beach in Florida and Praia da Falésia in Portugal complete the top five. The list goes on with Playa Varadero in Cuba, Bavaro Beach in the Dominican Republic, Playa de Muro in Mallorca, Kelingking Beach in Indonesia, and Myrtos Beach in Kefalonia. A global tour of dream beaches, white shores, and turquoise oceans—a real struggle of paradises.
Here are tripadvisor’s top 10 beaches of 2025:
- Elafonissi Beach – Crete, Greece
- Banana Beach – Phuket, Thailand
- Eagle Beach – Oranjestad, Aruba
- Siesta Beach – Siesta Key, Florida
- Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
- Playa Varadero – Varadero, Cuba
- Bavaro Beach – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Playa de Muro – Mallorca, Spain
- Kelingking Beach – Nusa Penida, Indonesia
- Myrtos Beach – Kefalonia Island, Greece
For its 25th anniversary, TripAdvisor also came up with a special list: the top ten beaches of the past 25 years.
At the top of the special ranking stands Balos Lagoon—a Greek masterpiece—then mythical beaches like Waikiki in Hawaii and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro. A list which stirs wanderlust and reminds us just how great it is to get lost between sand and sea.
These are the best beaches of the past 25 years:
- Balos Lagoon – Crete, Greece
- Eagle Beach – Oranjestad, Aruba
- Waikiki Beach – Oahu, Hawaii
- Ipanema Beach – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Passion Island – Cozumel, Mexico
- Manuel Antonio Beach – Quepos, Costa Rica
- La Cinta Beach – Sardinia, Italy
- Banana Beach – Phuket, Thailand
- Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
- Manly Beach – New South Wales, Australia
