Updated: May 30, 2013 08:01 AM
Warwick Long Bay has been rated one of the top 100 beaches in the world by CNN staff
Warwick Long Bay has been rated by CNN as one of the world’s top beaches.Staff at CNN put the beach at 29th out of 100 with “dazzling, turquoise” waters, topping world famous tourist destinations including Australia’s Bondi Beach, California’s Venice Beach and Jamaica’s Negril Beach.They said of the popular Warwick site: “You can spend hours here just watching the waves froth under the horizon over the coral-pink sand. If that gets irritatingly blissful there are great walking routes from here to Bermuda’s southern beaches, offering secluded coves.“Worth knowing: It gets crowded in high season, so if your ideal beach experience is solitary and tranquil, it’s best visited outside of May to September.”The beach’s beauty was not however enough to win it the top position, which was occupied by Grande Anse Beach on La Digue Island in the Seychelles.Italy’s Rabbit Beach came second, with Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, Anse Source d’Argent in Seychelles and Anse de Grand Saline in St Barths came third, fourth and fifth respectively.See the full list here: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/28/travel/100-best-beaches/index.html? hpt=hp_c3
1. Grande Anse Beach, La Digue Island, SeychellesSecluded and easy to skip because it takes some effort to get here, Grand Anse on La Digue is the archetypal beach, the benchmark against which others must be judged. It's a must, especially if you're a surfer.
2. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, ItalyWith blinding white cliffs, fluorescent blue waters, warm temperatures and dry-desert land, it's little wonder this place frequently tops favorite beach lists. Protected turtles lay eggs here and dolphins can be seen in the water.
3. Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos IslandsYou need only hear the name of this beach to feel a little calmer. The pride of Provo Island is tourist heavy, but that's because it's one of the best (third best, we say) beaches in the world. Just offshore, a coral reef protects the beach and harbors marine life normally seen in Jacques Cousteau documentaries.
4. Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue, SeychellesThis ribbon of sand on the Seychelles' third-largest island, La Dique, mixes salt-white and flamingo-pink sands to create one of the most photographed beaches in the world. A reef keeps the water calm for good snorkeling.
5. Anse de Grande Saline, St. BarthsThough nudity is technically banned on St. Barths, this is one of two beaches on the French Leeward Island that attracts naturists (perhaps due to its distance from developed areas). It can get windy and there's little shade, but the photo ops are magnificent.
6. Cabbage Beach, Paradise Island, BahamasAn inappropriate name does nothing to spoil the flawless aesthetics of this lengthy strip of sand. The chair, umbrella, bracelet and Jet Ski touts might be a challenge to your good mood, but if you walk eastward away from the busy section you'll be able to take in one of the world's best beaches uninterrupted.
7. Wineglass Bay, TasmaniaWhite sands, pink granite rock formations and green peaks make for one of Tasmania's most stunning coastal scenes. It's part of Freycinet National Park, northeast of Hobart.
Matira Beach, Bora Bora, TahitiBora Bora is like the Gwyneth Paltrow of beaches: a little too perfect to be believable. But the spell that this small island in French Polynesia has cast on probably every traveler ever to dip a toe into its soft sands or calm waters has yet to be broken. Bora Bora is a heavy tourist destination -- luxury resorts and budget bungalows dapple the white sand perimeter. But its best spot, Matira Beach, reminds you why places like this become popular in the first place.
9. Champagne Beach, VanuatuThe South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu broke into the headlines a few years ago when the Happy Planet Index ranked it the happiest nation on Earth. With beaches like this, how could locals not be euphoric?
Matira Beach, Bora Bora, TahitiBora Bora is like the Gwyneth Paltrow of beaches: a little too perfect to be believable. But the spell that this small island in French Polynesia has cast on probably every traveler ever to dip a toe into its soft sands or calm waters has yet to be broken. Bora Bora is a heavy tourist destination -- luxury resorts and budget bungalows dapple the white sand perimeter. But its best spot, Matira Beach, reminds you why places like this become popular in the first place.
