The Turquoise Beach Awards
As a team of travel specialists, we’ve been lucky enough to visit some of the world’s most spectacular beaches. From the Maldives and Fiji to Bermuda, Western Australia and the Philippines, we’ve spent years discovering the places that make people fall in love with travel. So we decided to ask the team one simple question:
What is the ultimate bucket list beach?
The beach you’d fly halfway around the world to see. The beach you’d return to in a heartbeat. The beach that’s locked into your core memories. The answers span the globe, but each one earned its place for a reason. Welcome to the Turquoise Beach Awards.
Anse Georgette, Seychelles
Lottie’s choice comes with quite the endorsement. Family friends of hers honeymooned at Constance Lemuria and loved Anse Georgette so much that they named their daughter Georgie after it. Naturally, when she finally visited herself, expectations were high. They were exceeded. “With lush Caribbean-like surroundings, Maldivian water clarity and those archetypal Seychellois granite boulders, it’s utterly, unmistakably itself.” Some beaches are beautiful. Some are iconic. Anse Georgette somehow manages to be both. As Lottie puts it: “Postcard-perfect doesn’t cut it. This beach is in a category of its own.”
Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda
For Jackie, it’s not the hotels she remembers. It’s the pink sand. Whenever she thinks about Bermuda, that’s what comes back first. Not the weather, not even the trip itself. Just that stretch of blush-coloured sand at Horseshoe Bay. Sometimes the simplest memories are the ones that stay with you longest.
Summer Beach, New Zealand
Stu’s choice isn’t about the most beautiful beach he’s ever seen. It’s about home. “Not tropical,” he admits, “but I lived overlooking it for two years and it was easily the best place I’ve ever called home.” And that’s the thing about favourite beaches. Sometimes they’re not the most dramatic or exotic. They’re the places tied to a chapter of your life you’ll always look back on fondly.
Coral Bay, Western Australia
Ale’s biggest regret? Not spending an extra two days here. Coral Bay sits alongside the spectacular Ningaloo Reef and is one of those places that leaves you wondering whether the colours can really be that vivid. Baby sharks cruise through the shallows, manta rays glide beneath the surface and the reef is quite literally on your doorstep. Years later, she’s still thinking about the whale shark and manta ray dive she never booked.
Balos Beach, Crete
James kept his answer simple. Balos Beach in north-west Crete. Hike or boat in. That’s all the explanation you really need. The lagoon’s shallow turquoise waters and white sand make it one of the most photographed beaches in Greece, but it’s the feeling of arriving after the journey that makes it so memorable.
Chesterman Beach, British Columbia
Jonty and Lizzie both chose the same beach. Not because it’s tropical. Not because it’s particularly glamorous. Because it feels wild. Chesterman Beach stretches along Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast, where surfers brave the waves, mist rolls in from the Pacific and sunsets stop you in your tracks. For Lizzie, it’s the raw beauty of the coastline that makes it unforgettable. For Jonty, it’s something even bigger. Stand on the beach and look west, and your next landfall is Papua New Guinea, some 6,000 miles away. Look north and you’re staring towards the Arctic. Look south and it’s Antarctica. As Jonty puts it, there’s something pretty special about standing on the edge of the Pacific and realising just how vast the world really is.
Tikehau, French Polynesia
Lara’s favourite thing about Tikehau is what isn’t there. No crowds. No big developments. No distractions. Just ocean, sky and silence. “It makes you feel so small,” she says. “It clears your mind.”
Walker Bay, South Africa
Lottie couldn’t choose just one. While Anse Georgette earned its place for sheer beauty, Walker Bay made her list for entirely different reasons. The secret is staying at Coot Club, which puts 17 kilometres of untouched coastline right on your doorstep.
Cap Juluca, Anguilla
When Mandy described Cap Juluca, she didn’t talk about the sand or the sea. Instead, she said: “It feels less like a beach and more like a dream you get to walk through.” Having seen it for ourselves, we’d struggle to put it better than that.
Piha Beach, New Zealand
For Ellie, it’s the memory as much as the beach. On her final day living in Auckland, friends surprised her with a trip to Piha. There was a picnic, a walk and a sunset that she still describes as the best she’s ever seen. The black sand beach is dramatic enough on its own, but sometimes it’s the people you’re with that make a place unforgettable.
Royal Davui, Fiji
Nearly twenty years ago, Suzy got engaged here. Honestly, that could be the entire entry. Royal Davui is a tiny private island surrounded by the deep blue waters of the South Pacific. Hidden beaches, swaying palms and complete seclusion come as standard. But for Suzy, it’ll always be the beach where she said yes.
Long Beach, Palawan, Philippines
Long Beach doesn’t make a big fuss of itself. To get there, you drive between towering palms, quite literally dodging coconuts as you go. Then suddenly it appears – miles of sand, a tiny rum shack, a few hammocks and hardly another soul around. No beach clubs. No rows of sunbeds. Just sand, sea and palms as far as the eye can see. It felt like we’d found our own corner of the world.
Lizard Island, Australia
Rachel’s choice takes us to the northernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef. She first visited Lizard Island on her honeymoon and fell completely in love with it. What made it so special wasn’t just the beach itself, but the freedom that came with it. Each day, she and her husband could take out their own little boat, pack a picnic and head off in search of a secluded stretch of sand, often finding themselves completely alone. “It felt remote, wild and untouched, yet still luxurious at the same time.” With crystal-clear water, incredible snorkelling straight from the shore and some of the most beautiful beaches on the Great Barrier Reef, it’s easy to see why this one has stayed with her. After all, Australia is home to more than 10,000 beaches, so choosing just one is no small feat.
Grand Anse, Grenada
For Lucy, it’s Grand Anse. The sort of beach that makes you stop for a moment the second you arrive. The turquoise water, the sweep of white sand and the easy rhythm of local life all combine to create one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated beaches. It’s also the perfect place for a sunset stroll, which is exactly how Lucy likes to enjoy it.
Which Beach Would Make Your List?
The funny thing about favourite beaches is that they’re rarely chosen for the reasons you’d expect. Sometimes it’s the view. Sometimes it’s remoteness. Sometimes it’s a memory tied to a particular moment in time. Whatever the reason, these are the beaches that have stayed with us. Every beach on this list started as someone’s dream trip. Speak to our specialists and let’s find yours.
