Best Sea Cove

Sandwood Bay is a remote sandy cove on the northwestern coast of Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. The beach is backed by dunes and lies beside rocky headlands, while the sea stack known as Am Buachaille stands offshore to the south. There is no public road to the shore, so visitors reach the ba...

Calanque d'En-Vau is a narrow Mediterranean inlet within the Calanques National Park between Marseille and Cassis in southern France. Steep pale limestone cliffs enclose the cove, with a small pebbly shore and sheltered water at its inner end. The area is protected for its coastal geology, plant com...

Ses Illetes is a narrow sandy peninsula on the northern coast of Formentera in Spain's Balearic Islands. It lies within the Ses Salines Natural Park and has pale sand, shallow water, and views toward the nearby island of Espalmador. The beach is part of the Trucadors peninsula, a low strip separatin...

Hellfire Bay is a sheltered coastal inlet in Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, Western Australia. The bay has a pale sandy beach bordered by granite headlands and low coastal vegetation, with clear water that can appear turquoise in suitable conditions. It forms part of the park's south co...

Shoal Bay, often called Shoal Bay East, is a coastal beach and inlet on the eastern side of Anguilla in the eastern Caribbean. It is characterized by a long stretch of pale sand, shallow clear water, and a coral and reef environment that supports snorkeling and other water activities. The bay is dis...

Balandra Bay is a shallow protected marine inlet near La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Its sheltered waters contain sand flats, tidal channels, and mangrove areas, while the granite formation known as El Hongo, or the Mushroom Rock, is a recognizable landmark. The bay forms part of a managed n...

Anse des Pitons is a coastal inlet at the base of the Pitons near Soufrière on the island of Saint Lucia. The surrounding landscape is defined by the volcanic peaks of Gros Piton and Petit Piton, steep slopes, tropical vegetation, and the Caribbean Sea. It lies within the Pitons Management Area, a p...

Cala Coticcio is a small cove on the eastern side of Caprera, an island in the La Maddalena archipelago of northern Sardinia, Italy. It lies within La Maddalena National Park and is distinguished by pale granite outcrops, clear shallow water, and a sandy beach enclosed by low rocky slopes. The site...

Phra Nang Cave Beach is a beach on the Railay peninsula in Krabi Province, southern Thailand. Limestone cliffs and caves define the shore, including a cave shrine where visitors leave offerings to Phra Nang, a locally revered female spirit or princess figure. The beach is suited to travelers visitin...

Kealakekua Bay is a large bay on the western coast of Hawaiʻi Island and the setting of Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park. It is associated with Captain James Cook’s arrival in Hawaiʻi in 1779 and his death at nearby Kaʻawaloa Cove in February of that year; a monument stands across the bay. The b...

Tham Morakot, also called Emerald Cave, is a coastal cave on the western side of Ko Muk in Trang Province, southern Thailand. Visitors pass through a dark water-filled tunnel about 80 metres long before reaching a small sandy lagoon surrounded by steep limestone cliffs; reflected light gives the wat...

Broadhaven South is a wide sandy beach on the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales, within the National Trust’s Stackpole Estate. Cliffs and dunes frame the bay, while paths connect it with the Bosherston Lily Ponds and the wider estate, a landscape managed for nature conservation. It is suited to beach vis...

Cala Pregonda is a cove on the north coast of Menorca, Spain, known for a beach and shoreline coloured by ochre, copper, and reddish tones. Small offshore islets partly shelter the water, while the surrounding rocks contain volcanic material that gives the site a different appearance from many of Me...

Navagio Beach, also called Shipwreck Cove, is an exposed beach on the northwest coast of Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands of Greece. White pebbles, steep pale cliffs, and the wreck of the MV Panagiotis define the cove; the vessel ran aground there in 1980. The site is known for the contrast between t...

Grand Anse is a broad beach on the southwestern coast of Grenada in the Caribbean. It extends for about three kilometres and is known for pale sand, a gently curving shoreline, and access to hotels, restaurants, beach bars, and water-based activities along the island’s main tourism belt. The beach i...

Porthdinllaen is a sheltered sandy cove and former fishing village on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north Wales. A small group of historic buildings sits beside the beach, including the Tŷ Coch Inn, while the surrounding coastline is managed by the National Trust and supports marine and coastal wil...

Cala Turqueta is a small cove on the southern coast of Menorca, Spain, within the municipality of Ciutadella. Two wooded ravines open onto a sandy beach with clear blue-green water, and the surrounding coast is protected as an Area of Special Natural Interest. The cove is intended for visitors seeki...

Stiniva Cove is a small pebble beach on the southern coast of the Croatian island of Vis. High limestone cliffs narrow the entrance from the sea and create the cove’s distinctive enclosed shape, while the beach itself occupies the sheltered inner shoreline. It is suited to visitors arriving by boat...

Camps Bay is a suburb and beach on Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard in South Africa. Its white sandy beach and coastal promenade face the Atlantic Ocean, with the Twelve Apostles mountain range forming the backdrop; restaurants and other visitor services line the adjoining urban area. The place is suit...

Meads Bay is a long sandy beach on the western side of Anguilla in the eastern Caribbean. It is known for pale sand, open sea views, and a developed shoreline where hotels, restaurants, and visitor services occupy parts of the coast. The beach is suited to travelers seeking swimming and resort accom...

Porthor is a cove and beach on the northern Llŷn Peninsula near Aberdaron in Wales. It is widely known as Whistling Sands because the sand can produce a squeaking or whistling sound underfoot, a phenomenon associated with pressure and movement across the beach. The National Trust manages the surroun...

Mwnt Cove is a small sandy beach on Cardigan Bay in Ceredigion, west Wales. The beach lies below Foel y Mwnt, a distinct steep, conical hill, and near the 13th-century Church of the Holy Cross, whose medieval roof and elevated position give it views over the sea. The site is associated with the Nati...

Rendezvous Bay is a long, crescent-shaped beach on the southwest coast of Anguilla in the Caribbean. It has pale sand, generally calm water, and views across the channel toward the hills of Saint Martin. The bay is suited to visitors seeking swimming, shoreline walking, and a developed beach setting...

Calanque de Sugiton is a coastal inlet in the Calanques National Park near Marseille, France. It is enclosed by steep limestone cliffs and Mediterranean vegetation, with a small beach and clear water at the head of the calanque. Access is primarily by marked walking routes from the Luminy area, and...

Maundays Bay is a curved sandy bay on the southern coast of Anguilla in the Caribbean. Its shallow, calm water and sheltered position have made it a setting for swimming and beach recreation, while the bay is also associated with Cap Juluca, a resort that opened there in 1988. The site is relevant b...

Deadman's Bay is a beach and coastal inlet on Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It is known for a pale sandy shore bordered by palms and for sheltered water within the island's coastline. The bay is used by boaters and beach visitors, and its name appears in local accounts and charts assoc...

Stair Hole is a small coastal feature just west of Lulworth Cove on Dorset's Jurassic Coast in southern England. Erosion has produced caves, arches, blowholes, stacks, and stumps around the inlet, while the exposed sedimentary beds display the tightly folded structure known as the Lulworth Crumple....

Cala Conta, also called Cala Comte or Platges de Comte, is a group of beaches and rocky coves on Ibiza's southwest coast in Spain. The shore is known for shallow clear water, offshore islets, and a west-facing outlook that makes sunset visible from the beach. It is a destination for swimming, beach...

Hamelin Bay is a sheltered coastal bay in southwestern Western Australia, near the Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin region. A timber jetty built in 1882 served a nearby timber mill, and the bay is now known for stingrays that can often be seen foraging in the shallows, especially during summer. Vis...