The best ‘one-of-a-kind’ beaches around the world have been revealed

TRIPADVISOR has revealed its top beaches from all over the world – and two ‘unique’ ones in the UK have been praised.

Their latest Best Beach ranking looked at millions of Tripadvisor reviews, trips and opinions to find the most-loved coastal spots.

And their ‘One of a Kind’ beach rankings saw Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland come in third space – the only UK beach to make the top 10.

The coastal spot in the north of the country is known for its sweeping sands and of course, Bamburgh Castle which sits high up on the headland.

Bamburgh is no stranger to awards having picked up UK’s number one seaside town on more than one occasion.

Travel Writer Ryan Gray who visited Bamburgh revealed why it’s one of his favourite spots.

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He said: “Visitors can take a dip in the fresh North Sea if they’re feeling bold, however I decided to simply dig my toes into the soft sand and take in the sights of Bamburgh Castle, which stands imposingly atop a hill behind the beach, creating a real life work of art.

“The huge fortress, recognisable from TV series The Last Kingdom and the most recent Indiana Jones film, The Dial of Destiny, dates back 1,400 years and even features in ballads written as long ago as 1270.

“It’s impossible to not be impressed by its towering presence which provides a unique backdrop to the beach and encapsulates a lot about what makes the north east a spectacular holiday destination.”

Further down the list of ‘One of a Kind’ beaches is another one in the UK – Sandown on the Isle of Wight, just making the top 20.

It’s known for its five miles of coastline, huge pier with amusement arcades and is a popular spot for fossil hunting.

The no.1 ‘One of a Kind’ beach went to Boulders Beach in South Africa, the home of endangered land-based colony of African Penguins.

Visitors won’t be able to sunbathe here, but instead they can watch the thousands of penguins from the boardwalk above.

In second place is Isola Bella in Sicily which is also known as the ‘Pearl of the Ionian Sea’.

Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan took the 4th spot, followed by Brazil‘s Lençóis Maranhenses.

This is followed by Anakena Beach on Chile‘s Easter Island, followed by Wai’anapanapa State Park in Hawaii (7th) and Hopewell Rocks in Canada (8th) which has the world’s highest tides up to 52 feet tall.

Tripadvisor’s World’s Best Beaches…

These are the best beaches in the world according to Tripadvisor…

1. Isla Pasion – Cozumel, Mexico
2. Elafonissi Beach – Crete, Greece
3. Balos Lagoon – Kissamos, Greece
4. Eagle Beach – Eagle Beach, Aruba
5. Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
6. Banana Beach – Ko He, Thailand
7. La Jolla Cove – California, USA
8. La Pelosa Beach – Sardinia, Italy
9. Manly Beach – Sydney, Australia
10. Boulders Beach Penguin Colony – Simon’s Town, South Africa
11. Falassarna Beach – Falassarna, Greece
12. Platja De Muro – Platja De Muro, Spain
13. Tobacco Bay Beach – St. George, Bermuda
14. Paleokastritsa Beach – Paleokastritsa, Greece
15. Kite Beach – Dubai, UAE
16. Kelingking Beach – Nusa Penida, Indonesia
17. Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, USA
18. Spiaggia dei Conigli – Lampedusa, Italy
19. Bondi Beach – Sydney, Australia
20. Playa de Maspalomas – Maspalomas, Spain
21. Poipu Beach Park – Poipu, USA
22. Plage de Palombaggia – Porto-Vecchio, France
23. Ipanema Beach – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24. Spiaggia La Cinta – San Teodoro, Italy

Ninth place was in Puerto Rico, Bahía Bioluminiscente, with the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world, followed by Hot Water Beach in New Zealand in 10th.

Other One of a Kind beaches include Pig Beach in the Bahamas, and Butterfly Valley in Turkey.

Here’s the full list of Tripadvisor’s One of Kind beaches:

1. Boulders Beach – Simon’s Town, South Africa
2. Isola Bella – Taomina, Italy
3. Bamburgh Beach – Bamburgh, UK
4. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Empire, USA
5. Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses – Barreirinhas, Brazil
6. Anakena Beach – Easter Island, Chile
7. Wai’anapanapa State Park – Hana, USA
8. Hopewell Rocks – Hopewell Cape, Canada
9. Bahía Bioluminiscente – Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico
10. Hot Water Beach – Hot Water Beach, New Zealand
11. Shell Beach – Denham, Australia
12. Marietas Islands – Nayarit, Mexico
13. Playa De Valdevaqueros – Tarifa, Spain
14. Pig Beach – Great Exuma, Bahamas
15. Yaverland Beach – Sandown, UK
16. Butterfly Valley – Fethiye, Türkiye
17. Walakiri Beach – Waingapu, Indonesia
18. Hatenohama – Kumejima-cho, Japan
19. Red Beach – Akrotiri, Greece

Meanwhile, Horsey Beach in Norfolk came in at number 13 on Tripadvisor’s Best Beaches in Europe.

This beach is a popular spot to visit during November to February when the large seal colony has pups which you can see resting on the beach.

For even more best beaches – here are the world’s best according to Big 7 Travel.

And this pretty UK beach compared to Portugal and California has also been named one of the best in the world.

Tripadvisor’s Best Beaches in Europe…

These beaches are Tripadvisor’s top beaches in Europe…

1. Elafonissi Beach – Elafonissi, Greece
2. Balos Lagoon – Kissamos, Greece
3. Praia da Falésia – Olhos de Agua, Portugal
4. La Pelosa Beach – Stintino, Italy
5. Falassarna Beach – Falassarna, Greece
6. Platja De Muro -Playa de Muro, Spai
7. Paleokastritsa Beach – Paleokastritsa, Greece
8. Spiaggia dei Conigli – Lampedusa, Italy
9. Playa de Maspalomas – Maspalomas, Spain
10. Plage de Palombaggia – Porto-Vecchio, France 
11. Spiaggia La Cinta – San Teodoro, Italy
12. Fig Tree Bay Beach – Protaras, Cyprus
13. Horsey Beach – Horsey, UK
14. Playa de Cofete – Morro del Jable, Spain
15. Cala Comte – Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, Spain
16. Tsambika Beach – Rhodes, Greece
17. Cala Mariolu – Baunel, Italy
18. Omaha Beach – Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France
19. Bamburgh Beach – Bamburgh, UK