Australia home to second-best beach in the world

Beautiful beach at Caribbean Providenciales island in Turks and Caicos

We all know Australia’s home to some of the best beaches around. But now, we have a record of it.

We’ve already got Hyams Beach, which has the whitest sand in the world. And now, we’ve got the second-best beach in the world. In. The World. 

That’s right, Whitehaven Beach has been given the glorious title of the second-best beach in the world!

If we’re honest, it’s not totally surprising. I mean, look at it.

The pure white sand and cool aqua blue waters of Whitehaven Beach where the forest meets the sea in the Whitsunday Islands. Sailing boats and islands in the distance. Horizontal, copy space.

SERIOUSLY

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland, Australia

The iconic 7km stretch of sand has been blowing both Aussies and tourists minds for as long as we can remember – and finally getting the recognition it deserves is the cherry on top.

FlightNetwork, Canada’s largest travel website, created a list of The World’s 50 Best Beaches after double-checking with more than 600 of the world’s top travel professionals including journalists, editors, bloggers and agencies on where they thought deserved a spot.

Whitehaven Beach, which scored 10/10 for sheer untouched beauty, remoteness and sand and water quality, was described as “heaven on earth” by judges.

“Whitehaven Beach will make you believe in love at first sight…. seeing all that untouched natural beauty will make you believe in a tropical utopia with glowing sands and crystalline beaches…”

“This stretch of sand, backed by tree-covered mountains, is a heaven on earth which one must see to believe,” one judge said.

Sharron Livingston, from The Travel Magazine, raved about the beach and island.

“Whitehaven Beach has oh-so-white sands, deepest green rainforests, and crystalline waters. It’s a wild island, part of the Great Barrier Reef, and is by far the most beautiful location to experience,” she said.

A spokesperson for FlightNetwork said The World’s 50 Best Beaches© was the most definitive list of beaches ever assembled.

“It is a diverse collection of off-the-beaten-path slices of paradise from every hidden corner of our planet,” she said.

“By asking the top travel professionals – the people who do this for a living – to gain insight from their opinions and expertise, FlightNetwork has created the most trustworthy and accurate list out there to inspire travellers and help them choose their upcoming [Northern Hemisphere] winter holiday destinations.”

Tourism Whitsundays Sales & Marketing Manager Tash Wheeler thanked FlightNetwork for their hard work putting together the list of The World’s 50 Best Beaches, and said it was always nice to have the Whitsundays’ stunning natural assets recognised.

“Being recognised as the world’s second best beach is a reminder of just how beautiful and special Whitehaven Beach is.

“We are truly blessed in the Whitsundays with pristine islands and mainland, subtropical rainforest, crystal clear water and a warm, sunny climate.

“It’s no wonder holidaymakers continue to visit in droves, with Whitehaven Beach one of their must-see attractions,” she said.

The holder of the Best Beach title is Grace Bay, in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Dreamy.

Beautiful beach at Caribbean Providenciales island in Turks and Caicos

For the complete list of The World’s 50 Best Beaches click here.

We promise you won’t be disappointed.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

    Latest comments
    1. They really should categorise “best beaches” into meaningful criteria. Whitehaven is beautiful (yes I have been there) but for me i like beaches full of chairs, umbrellas, people selling things, people to watch, watersports and a reasonable number of people (not really crowded) but I do not like an empty beach with no one on it an nothing there. Everyone to their own BUT it seems everyone who makes a “best beaches” list only thinks about their own personal criteria instead of considering what others like.

grace bay the whitsundays The World’s 50 Best Beaches Tourism Whitsundays whitehaven beach

Latest News

  • Tourism

Tourism Western Australia MD Carolyn Turnbull departs

Tourism Western Australia MD Carolyn Turnbull is departing the agency with effect from Friday May 10. Over the past three years, Turnbull played an instrumental role in driving growth, with one of the agency’s most significant achievements being the increase in visitor spend. Under her leadership, Tourism WA achieved a record breaking $17.7 billion in […]

  • Travel Agents

DriveAway launches Brit-Euro Blitz campaign

DriveAway has launched its Brit-Euro Blitz: Explore the UK, Europe & Ireland campaign, designed to inspire travellers to uncover the beauty and diversity of those destinations during May and June. The campaign arrives amidst a surge in popularity for destinations across the UK, Europe and Ireland, with year-to-date increases averaging around 30%. Notably, cities such […]

  • Road & Rail

Fly and Stay Free with the Great Southern

Great Southern’s Fly and Stay Free special offer will have travellers taking in the views along the east coast between Adelaide and Brisbane next summer. This bright orange locomotive chases the summer sun, sharing the incredible coastline with those who want to experience it by train. The journey reflects the best of Australia, from charming […]

  • Tourism

Sober travel and TikTok guide Australian Gen Z trips

Gen Z travellers prefer to limit alcohol when overseas and have an increased reliance on TikTok when planning a trip, according to a report by StudentUniverse, the world’s largest online travel retailer for young people. The State of Student & Youth Travel Report for 2024 delved into the latest travel sentiments amongst those aged 18-25 […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]