Visitors flock to beaches in Italy in 2023. Travel guide Tripadvisor has announced its best beaches of 2024, with many overseas in places like Portugal, Italy and Spain. Photo by Ceasare Abbate/EPA-EFE
Feb. 21 (UPI) — Travel guide Tripadvisor is listing the best beaches of 2024 — with many overseas in places like Portugal, Italy and Spain.
The online travel guide on Wednesday announced its “Best of the Best Beaches” list, which ranks the top 10 beaches on the quality and quantity of global reviews and ratings gathered over a 12-month period.
The top three beaches are all in Europe, ousting the perennially popular Caribbean from those spots, Sarah Firshein, head of editorial at Tripadvisor, said in a statement, adding that it’s “a sign that some travelers are eager to swap typical resort vacations for the coastlines of Portugal, Italy and beyond.”
The top beach on the list, 12-mile-long Praia da Falésia is ln the town of Olhos de Agua, Portugal, and received praise for its scenic walks and sunbathing options. According to Tripadvisor, spring is the best time to visit for more affordable prices and fewer crowds.
Spiaggia dei Conigli (Rabbit Beach) in Lampedusa, Italy, and La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Donostia, Spain, rounded out the Top-3 destinations.
Only two U.S. beaches made the list. Three-mile-long Ka-anapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii, was chosen for its wildlife sightings and water sports, while Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Fla., was chosen for its sunbathing and family options.
Manly Beach in Sydney, was a new entry in 2024, and picked for its walking, shopping and cultural areas. The best time to visit the area, according to Tripadvisor, is in March, as the area boasts comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds.
Rounding out the list were evergreen hotspots like Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, Praslin Island in the Seychelles and Palm Eagle Beach in Aruba.
Varadero Beach in Cuba made the list even though U.S. citizens may need to “jump through a few hoops to visit” the country, the tourism company said.
Tripadvisor also compiled a list of the best beaches in the United States, which span from Maine to the Pacific shores of Oregon.
According to the list, Ka’anapali Beach on the island of Maui achieved the best in the U.S. title for the second year in a row. Last year’s top beaches included Baia do Sancho beach in Brazil and Reynisfjara Beach, located in Vik, Iceland.
Other popular locations included Hollywood Beach in Florida, La Jolla Cove in California, Cannon Beach in Oregon, Driftwood Beach off of Jekyll Island in Georgia and Ocean City Beach in Maryland.
A new ranking of sustainable beaches, includes Sandbanks Beach in Poole, U.K., Radhanagar Beach off Havelock Island in India, Corniche Beach in Abu Dhabi, Galissas Beach in Greece and Camp’s Bay Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.