The calendar says spring is just a few days away, but the thermometer — at least in many parts of the country — says something much different. If you just can’t take it anymore, it’s time to plan a beach vacation.
Sure, you could just pick any old beach where the temperature’s agreeable, but why not use your next vacation to scratch one off your travel bucket list and go to what’s just been named the best beach in the world?
TripAdvisor’s just-released Travelers’ Choice Awards for Beaches is based on real travelers reviews — millions of them — from the last 12 months. The site ranked a total of 322 beaches globally, including top lists for Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, and the U.S.
Following are the best in the world and the best in the U.S.
Top 10 Beaches in the World:
1. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
2. Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
3. Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico
4. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy
5. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
6. Playa de ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
7. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
8. Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii
9. Rhossili Bay, Swansea, Wales
10. Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Top 10 Beaches in the U.S.:
1. Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii
2. Ka?anapali Beach, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
3. Siesta Key Public Beach, Siesta Key, Fla.
4. Hanalei Beach, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
5. Wai’anapanapa State Park, Hana, Maui, Hawaii
6. Wailea Beach, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
7. Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort, S.C.
8. Manini’owali Beach (Kua Bay), Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
9. Saint Pete Beach, Saint Pete Beach, Fla.
10. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Source: Check Out the World’s Best Beach, ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/worlds-best-beach/story?id=22953613 published Mar 18, 2014. Viewed Mar 19, 2014.