Best Dunes

Namib-Naukluft National Park protects a significant portion of Namibia’s Namib Desert. It is notable for its towering sand dunes, particularly those within Sossusvlei, some of the highest in the world. The park features diverse desert landscapes including gravel plains and mountains. It provides opp...

The Namib Sand Sea is a coastal desert region in Namibia, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. It contains some of the world's tallest sand dunes, with several exceeding 300 meters in height. The dunes are shaped by winds from the Atlantic Ocean and cover an area of over 30,000 square...

Braunton Burrows is a significant coastal heathland ecosystem located in North Devon, England. It represents one of the UK’s most extensive sand dune systems and is designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The site’s unique biodiversity, including rare plant and bird species, makes it notable for e...

The Forvie National Nature Reserve protects a significant Scottish coastal heathland ecosystem. It features extensive sand dunes, a vital habitat for diverse wildlife including the largest breeding population of eiders in Britain. The reserve is particularly important for ornithologists and nature e...

Spirit Sands is a paraglacial sand dune region located within Spruce Woods Provincial Park in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Covering approximately five square kilometers, the area consists of active, shifting sand dunes formed from deposits left by the ancient glacial Lake Agassiz. It is surrou...

Playa Pilar is a significant stretch of white-sand beach situated on Cayo Guillermo, part of the Jardines del Rey archipelago in Cuba. It’s renowned for its exceptionally calm waters and unique tidal formations created by the dunes. These formations are particularly notable and draw visitors interes...

The Curonian Spit is a remarkable natural landform stretching along the coast of Kaliningrad, Russia and Klaipeda, Lithuania. This UNESCO World Heritage site consists primarily of moving sand dunes formed by the Baltic Sea’s currents. Its distinctive shape creates a unique barrier between the sea an...

Jericoacoara Beach presents a unique coastal experience along Ceará’s northeastern Brazilian shoreline. The beach is renowned for its dramatic sand dunes, calm waters ideal for kitesurfing, and stunning sunsets. Located within Jericoacoara National Park, it protects significant dune ecosystems and l...

The Ynyslas National Nature Reserve is located on the Cardigan Bay coast of west Wales. It safeguards a unique and actively shifting landscape comprised of sand dunes and a significant raised peat bog. This area provides vital habitat for numerous bird species, particularly migratory waders, and sup...

Barafundle Bay is a secluded sandy beach located within the Stackpole Estate in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Its unique gold sand and impressive dunes contribute to its exceptional scenic beauty. The bay’s remote accessibility via coastal paths makes it ideal for walkers, nature enthusiasts, and those seek...

Beach near Newquay, Cornwall, named after a freshwater holy well hidden within a sea cave that becomes accessible only at low tide.

Merthyr Mawr Warren is a coastal heathland site located on the Welsh coast near Bridgend. It’s notable for its substantial sand dunes, including the second highest in Europe. The area supports unique plant and animal life adapted to this challenging environment. This site is of interest to ecologist...

The Badain Jaran Desert is an arid region located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Covering an area of approximately 49,000 square kilometers, it is distinguished by a complex system of stationary sand dunes, several of which exceed 400 meters in height. These are among the tallest...

The Kenfig National Nature Reserve encompasses extensive coastal heathland along South Wales’ Gower Peninsula. It features significant dunes and associated wetland areas, representing a valuable remnant of Britain's historic heathlands. This reserve is notable for its biodiversity including rare bir...

Gibraltar Point is a coastal nature reserve on the Lincolnshire coast of eastern England, overlooking the North Sea. Designated in 1949, it encompasses a sequence of intertidal habitats including sand dunes, salt marshes, and mudflats that support large populations of wading birds and waterfowl, par...

Crantock Beach is a large sandy beach located near Newquay in Cornwall, England. It is backed by a substantial system of sand dunes and bordered by the tidal Gannel Estuary, which is popular for activities like kayaking. Sections of the beach and surrounding headland are managed by the National Trus...

Culbin Sands represents a significant Scottish landscape feature. This expansive coastal heath and dune system is notable for its unique geology shaped by wind and wave action. The area’s history includes the dramatic burial of the Culbin estate due to a severe sandstorm in 1694. It offers valuable...

White Sands National Park preserves an extraordinary landscape of towering gypsum sand dunes within the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico. The park features the world’s largest natural area of this mineral formation offering unique opportunities for exploration and scientific study. It is primarily enjoy...

Merzouga Oasis is a small Moroccan village in Errachidia Province on the edge of Erg Chebbi, one of Morocco's largest sand dune fields rising up to 150 meters, making it a prominent Saharan tourism destination.

Patara Beach extends for eighteen kilometers along Turkey’s southern coast within Antalya Province. It is notable as one of the world's longest beaches and a crucial nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles. The beach also encompasses the ruins of ancient Patara, a historically significant city. Th...

The Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve safeguards a significant UK coastal habitat. This area features dynamic sand dunes and associated heathland alongside extensive saltmarshes. It’s notable for its unique biodiversity, supporting rare plants and bird species. The reserve is o...

The Libyan Sand Sea, also known as the Great Sand Sea, is a vast expanse of dunes located in the eastern Sahara Desert, spanning the borders of western Egypt and eastern Libya. It is categorized as an erg, a large, relatively flat area of desert covered with wind-swept sand that forms complex, paral...

Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes is a national nature reserve located on the coastline of Lincolnshire, England. Designated in 1969, the reserve protects a dynamic mosaic of coastal habitats including sand dunes, salt marshes, and freshwater marshes. This environment is managed to support diverse wil...

Comporta Beach is a significant Atlantic shoreline located within Portugal’s Alentejo region. Its notable feature is its extensive sand dunes bordering the Sado estuary and adjacent rice paddies. This beach attracts visitors seeking a relaxed coastal experience, particularly those appreciating natur...

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve protects a unique landscape in southern Colorado. It features some of the tallest sand dunes in North America, formed by wind and water interacting with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The park’s shifting sands create dynamic landscapes offering opportunit...

Praia de Jericoacoara is a prominent beach situated in the state of Ceará, Brazil, contained entirely within Jericoacoara National Park. The area is characterized by its vast shifting sand dunes, freshwater lagoons, and rugged coastal landscape. Accessible historically by difficult routes, it has de...

Walney Island is an 18-kilometre barrier island off Cumbria, notable for nationally protected dunes, salt marshes and breeding seabird colonies.

Playa de Bolonia is an unspoiled beach located near Tarifa in the Cádiz province of Andalusia, Spain. It is widely recognized for its large shifting sand dune, which was declared a natural monument in 2001. The beach is also historically significant due to its proximity to the ancient Roman ruins of...

Erg Chebbi is a field of Saharan sand dunes in southeastern Morocco, situated near the town of Merzouga in the Tafilalet region. The dunes rise to heights approaching 150 meters above the surrounding desert floor and are a notable feature of the Moroccan Sahara. The area attracts visitors participat...