On the coast of Zakynthos in Greece’s Ionian Islands, is a small cove playfully known as Shipwreck Beach. In October 1980 a small cargo ship drifted off the crystal waters and onto this white beach, where it has remained since.
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The image of a flawless beach is one that often includes white sand — and palm trees, clear water, and blue skies, of course.
Though many of the world’s white sand beaches lie in tropical locales, others, like Scotland’s Luskentyre Beach, redefine sandy idyllicism.
Related: A Ride Down This Insane Waterslide Lands You in a Gorgeous Turquoise Ocean
The following 10 beaches, from Bora Bora to South Africa, owe their unique, dusty white sands to a combination of minerals and natural protective factors. No doubt, you’ll want to open up a beach chair on any (or all) of these beaches.
Angaga Island - Ari Atoll, Maldives
Though the entire island is part of a luxury resort, the upkeep of Angaga Island (which is part of the greater Ari Atoll) keeps an authentically Maldivian feel. Pearly white sand covers the entire circumference of this island, where beach bungalows jut out into the sea.
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Anse Source d’Argent - La Digue, The Seychelles
Anse Source d’Argent is one of the most popular beaches in the Seychelles, and for good reason. Towering boulders and palms dot the perimeter of this effortlessly white sand beach, and a nearby coral reef keeps waters calm and ideal for wading.
Boulders Beach - Simonstad, South Africa
This stretch of sheltered white beach on South Africa’s Cape Peninsula was formed by granite boulders that now dot the surrounding area. Part of the Table Mountain National Park, Boulders Beach is a popular gathering place for the endangered African penguin.
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Hyams Beach - Shoalhaven, Australia
Just over 100 miles from sprawling Sydney is the whitest beach in the world—at least according to Guinness World Records. Beachgoers head to this beach on Jervis Bay for more than just white sand though—you may even spot some whales.
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Luskentyre Beach - Harris, Scotland
On the western coast of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands is a white stretch of beach known as Luskentyre. The cooler climate location of this white beach sets it apart and wild white horses are often found wandering its shores.
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Matira Beach - Bora Bora, French Polynesia
For one mile on the southern end of Bora Bora is an expanse of beach regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful. Perfectly white sand is juxtaposed to the clear blue Polynesian water just steps away.
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Kuana’oa Bay - Kohala, Hawaii
Crescent-shaped and framed by palm trees, Kuana’oa Bay, on Hawaii’s Big Island, is the epitome of a white sand beach. The beach is one of the few white sand beaches on the western side of the island and the historic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel sits right on its waterfront.
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Rabbit Island Beach - Pelagie Islands, Italy
Lying between Malta and Tunisia is one of Europe’s most far-flung islands. Rabbit Island (known in Italian as Isola dei Conigli) is tiny island of the coast of Lampedusa (a larger island to its north). Visitors to the beaches on Rabbit Island return with nothing to talk about but the clearest water and the whitest sands in the Mediterranean.
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Navagio (“Shipwreck”) Beach - Zakynthos, Greece
On the coast of Zakynthos in Greece’s Ionian Islands, is a small cove playfully known as Shipwreck Beach. In October 1980 a small cargo ship drifted off the crystal waters and onto this white beach, where it has remained since.
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Whitehaven Beach - Whitsunday Island, Australia
The silica-rich sand at Whitehaven Beach is what gives it its snowy white appearance. In fact, the silica means that even under the hottest sun, the sand never becomes too hot. Getting to this remote beach can only be done by boat or small plane, however.
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