Whitehaven Beach, on the Whitsunday Islands of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is a popular landing spot for seaplanes.
Antigua has a saying, that it has 365 beaches — one for every day of the year. But while you could certainly spend a leisurely year enjoying the sun and sand on Antigua (if there are in fact 365 on the island), it would be a shame to neglect so many other beaches around the world.
There's no better time to plan your next adventure than the beginning of a brand new year, arbitrary though the 1st of January may be for a “fresh start.” Maybe you have a destination in mind already, or maybe — if you're in a northerly locale — you're just starting to think about escaping somewhere warmer.
Related: The 50 Best Places to Travel This Year
But whether it's comfortable weather you're seeking or pristine naturaly beauty, there's a beach somewhere in the world for that. It seems there might be a beach for everything, and everyone.
Here, we've compiled 365 beaches for 2018. That's 365 places to plan a vacation, 365 stretches of sand — from pink to white to black to golden to green — to bury your toes in, and 365 photos to pass the time before you get on that flight to Antigua. Or Aruba. Or Seychelles. Or Tobago. Or ... you get the picture.
Photos curated by Skye Senterfeit.
Seven Commandos Beach
You'll find this stretch of sand and gorgeous greenery in El Nido, Palawan, in the Philippines.
Reduit Beach
St. Lucia is an incredible destination, and the beaches are only one of the attractions.
Navarre Beach
Florida's Navarre Beach can be found on Santa Rosa Island, surrounded by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Grand Plage
It's sunbathers as far as the eye can see at the Grande Plage, in the heart of Biarritz.
Flic en Flac Beach
“Flic en Flac” may be a silly name, but this beach in Mauritius is calling our name.
Ficajola Beach
Tiny Ficajola Beach in south Corsica is accessible by road instead of boat, unlike many of the beaches in the region.
Casuarina Beach
Casuarina Beach is in Darwin, Australia — which, even if you've never been there, you may be slightly familiar with from “Crocodile Dundee.”
Camp's Bay Beach
The rugged mountains in the background make this South Africa beach more than a gorgeous stretch of sand.
Calo des Mort
This beach is in Formentera, the smallest of the Balearic Islands (which are part of Spain).
Point Leo Surf Beach
Melbourne surfers head to Point Leo, one of the closest surf beaches to the city.
Whitehaven Beach
Whitehaven Beach, on the Whitsunday Islands of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is a popular landing spot for seaplanes.
Pocitas Beach
Máncora, a beach town in Northern Peru, is home to several sandy beaches. Pocitas Beach is one popular spot.
Playa Brava
This is one of the best destinations in Uruguay for spending time in the sun and playing in the sand.
Playa de Las Canteras
The Canary Islands, officially part of Spain but geographically part of Africa, offer striking and unusual geography — along with a number of standardly beautiful beaches.
Playa Guacalito
Playa Guacalito is one of the more low-key beaches at the Mukul Resort, in Nicaragua.
Morro Rock Beach
Morro Rock, a CA state historic landmark sometimes called the "Gibraltar of the Pacific", is the star of Morro Rock Beach in California.
Playa Carrizalillo
Pro surfers from around the world flock to Puerto Escondido, Mexico for the big waves at Playa Zicatela; but the quiet cove of Playa Carrizallillo has gentle waters perfect for snorkeling.
Pego Beach
Pego Beach in Comporta, Portugal, is not only gorgeous but has excellent beachside facilities and amenities, including the popular Sal restaurant.
Anse Coco Beach
The Seychelles are a paradise worth the very long trip it requires to arrive at this archipelago off the eastern coast of Africa.
Caracas Beach
Caracas Beach, on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, is one of the island's more accessible beaches. While the U.S. territory is still recovering after suffering hurricane damage, tourism can help support the local economy.
Caleta Buena
Cuba's Caleta Buena Beach, near the town of Playa Girón, overlooks the sparkling Bay of Pigs.
Anse Lazio
This renowned beach in the Seychelles is where you should be instead of the office on a Monday. Or a Tuesday. Or any day.
Cacimba do Padre Beach
Rocks jutting out of the sea, golden sand, and a feeling of complete seclusion are waiting for you at this beach in Brazil.
Spiaggia Campana
Tall dunes flank the Spiaggia Campana in Sardinia, whose shallow waters make it a popular destination for families with children.
Pig Beach
Famous around the world for its animal inhabitants, Pig Beach is typical of the natural beauty in the Bahamas.
Playa El Yaque
Playa El Yaque, in Venezuela, is known for prime conditions for kiteboarding and windsurfing.
Nungwi Beach
Nungwi Beach is in Tanzania, where the beaches are just one of the natural attractions.
Copacabana Beach
Like Kokomo, this is one of the most famous beaches in the world. We can only hope Barry Manilow will be there on the day we visit.
Cane Garden Bay Beach
Tortola suffered damage from the hurricanes in 2017, but the recovery is underway and as these destinations reopen, they want tourists to once again enjoy every Caribbean island.
Makena Beach
This sandy stretch of coastline on the island of Maui is hugged by gorgeous green mountains.
Playa Bayahibe
Palm trees, sand, clear blue water... another picturesque beach we could spend at least a day on.
Ipanema Beach
It's easy to see why the girl from Ipanema goes walking each day, since we'd like to walk this beach every day.
Smuggler's Cove
While the British Virgin Islands took a hit over the last hurricane season, a multi-national effort is working to return everywhere in the Caribbean to a paradisean state.
The Baths
The Baths, in the British Virgin Islands, took a hard hit from the hurricanes in 2017. But a giant effort to restore these islands is underway.
Playa Rincon
“Rincon” means corner in Spanish, and this beautiful playa is in a corner of the Dominican Republic you'll never want to leave.
Myrtle Beach
South Carolina's Myrtle Beach isn't just great for spending some time in the sand, it's also got restaurants and attractions that'll fill an entire summer vacation.
Front Beach
Tons of pebbles were hauled in and placed on top of Front Beach's existing pebbles as part of a coastal protection initiative in Dorset. It raised the beach by over nine feet.
Chandrabhaga Beach
Chandrabhaga Beach is considered one of the nicest along India's eastern coast, and is near the Konark Temple, one of the region's most culturally significant attractions.
As Catedrais
The rock formations are the draw at this beach in Spain's northwestern region of Galicia.
Anse de Grand Saline
Anse de Grand Saline gets its name from salt ponds near the beach, and is a favorite spot for nude sunbathing (though officially forbidden!) in St Bart's.
Ngarunui Beach
Coney Island
Minitas Beach
Motu Tautau
Playa Forum
Playa Encuentro
Moshup's Beach
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Playa Ferrando
Higgs Beach
Montauk Point State Park
Rockaway Beach
Praia dos Ingleses
Playa Caleton
Karioitahi Beach
Hollywood Beach
Ile Plate Beach
White Beach
Stump Pass Beach State Park
Old Orchard Beach
Mission Beach
Playa Luquillo
La Concha Beach
Bean Point
Sunny Isles Beach
My Khe Beach
Ocean City Beach
Playa Chac Mool
