Hurawahli Beach, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives- 10 out of 10

10 out of 10

The Beaches in the Maldives need their own Category. They are so much better than anything I have thus far seen anywhere else.

Prior to visiting the Maldives, the best beach I had seen was Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. However, these beaches are simply on a different level. I think the Maldives deserves its own category. The level of benign sea life, the completely transparent water, and the legitimate blues create the illusion that you are flying rather than swimming. It almost defies description. Staggering.

Size

400 meters by 165 meters. The whole island is a beach.

Sand Type

White sand, made of disintegrated coral and parrotfish droppings. This is some of the best sand in the world.

Water Appearance

Completely diaphanous out far beyond any safe swimming distance. Look at that blue.

Cleanliness

The resort keeps it completely clean.

Water Temperature

Warm and welcoming, like a mother's womb.

Shade Availability

There are benches, coconut-stripped palm trees, and shade everywhere.

Safety

There are lifeguards around and the resort will inform you of all the active currents.

Available Activities

Jetski, swimming, diving, scuba, snorkeling, underwater motor, kiteboarding. Basically every water sport is there.

Level of Calm

In the dry season there are almost no waves. Even on windy days, there are no waves. During the dry season, this is very calm. During the monsoon season, I do not know.

Animals

There are turtles, rays, dozens of fish species, reef species, sharks, and all other manner of sea life.

Access

Once you are on the island, all of you have to do is walk there. However, reaching this beach requires you to reach Male, the Maldives' capital, and then you have to take a sea plane to Kuredu island. Then you have to take a speed boat there. 

Price

You aint reaching this island unless you have money.

Cala Conta/ Comte- Ibiza, Spain 8.5 of out 10 (only in the non winter seasons)

 CALLA COMTE

Cala Conta/Comte (I have seen this beach written as both) is Ibiza's most beautiful beach. The sand is golden brown. The water is transparent and ranges from aquamarine to cyan. The water is gentle, suited more to swimming and lazing around than to surfing. It would be as good as those found in Antigua or Isla Mujeres if it were in a tropical country. However, this beach, and really all beaches in the temperate zone, suffers because the winter makes this water too cold for most people to enjoy.

Pros: This beach is beautiful. Golden sand and bluish-green, trustworthy and gentle waters make this beach Ibiza's most beautiful. It is worthy of visiting from anywhere in the world as long as you make sure you do not do so during winter.

Cons: This beach is not worth visiting in the winter because the water is too cold. There are a few jellyfish in the beach, which may or may not be here year-round. Reaching this beach requires you rent a car or get a cab. There are no hotels within striking distance of this beach so no one can walk here.

My experience:

My wife and I reached this beach as part of a sailing tour of the island's most beautiful beaches. These included Cala Bassa, Cala Tarida, and Cala Conta/ Cala Comte. We began at Cala Bassa, which was a solid 6 out of 10, but not worth visiting on its own. Then we reached Cala Tarida:

CALA TARIDA

This beach is pretty good. We got here by boat so the pics above show the view from the boat. 

Very nice, and I think the tour operators know that this beach is slightly better than CALA BASSA.

Then we reached CALA CONTA or CALA COMTE. This actually is three separate beaches on a corner.

The swim here is refreshing with minimal medusas and loads of fish.

-       Size of beach

o   Length of shoreline

        Few hundred feet. Three separate beaches.

o   Distance from water to sand

§  50 feet

-       Sand type

-                 Golden  

-       Water Appearance

                  Emerald to aquamarine to cyan

o   Transparent to how many feet

§  At least 10 feet depth- there are buoys which denote where the water loses its transparency

-       Cleanliness

o   The beach is completely clean. It is a marvel!

-       Water Temperature

                        A little colder than normal. We arrived in November.

-       Shade availability

o   Seating and Resting available

There is a restaurant, a chiringuito, available where you can buy food and drinks

-       Safety

o   There are lifeguards but there are no dangerous riptides. No dangerous animals either

-       Available Activities

o   Swimming distances

§  YES

o   Free diving

§  YES

o   Surfing

§  No- no waves to speak of

o   Snorkeling

§  Yes

o   Scuba

§  NO

o   Partying/ beautiful women congregating

            Ibiza is world famous for its parties

o   Food and drink/ disposal

§  Yes. The beach remains completely clean

o   Sports

     The shape and width of the beach make soccer and/or volleyball impossible.

-       Level of Calm

o   Swimming great- no surfing possible light waves

-       Animals

o   Are there fishing birds

§  YES

o   Are fish visible

§  YES

o   Jellyfish

            Yes

o   Sea eggs

§  NO

o   Crabs

§  NO

o   Horseshoe crabs

§  NO

o   Turtles

§  NO

o   Sea ants- other biting animals

§  NO

o   Barracuda

§  NO

o   Sharks

§  NO

o   Coral- sharp or otherwise

§  YES but not sharp

-       Plant Life/ Other

o   Seaweed/kelp

§  NO

o   Sharp stones

             Not in the beach itself but surrounding it

o   Sharp shells

§  NO

o   Coconut trees/ providing shade but also crabs

§  NO

-       Access

o   Is it public/private

§  This is a public beach but getting here requires a trek

-       Price

o   Free

-       Land Pests

o   None

-       Other

-       Overall Beach Vibe

                 Fun and intimate. Mad fun in the party season. The chiringuito provides a welcome source of cleanliness for the beach. Overall 8/10.

Fort Lauderdale Beach- Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort- 6 out of 10

6 out of 10

I am referring specifically to the part of Fort Lauderdale Beach adjacent to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. 

I am neither referring to the entirety of the beach, which contains 4 miles of coastline, nor am I referring to my experience at the Hilton Hotel, which I would actually rate 8.5 out of 10.

This is the best beach I have seen in the continental United States. The water is green but transparent out to stomach level. The water is also warm, welcoming, and most important, clean. Surprisingly one of this beach's biggest issues is that it is full of flora and fauna. I went for a mile swim with my prescription goggles, and twice swam past a stingray. It was about the size of my stomach and for me, that tripped me out. If there is a stingray out there, what else is out there that I cannot see. Stingrays are supposed to be safe and friendly but I don't think the Crocodile Hunter or his family would say the same. Definitely worth visiting if you are anywhere in the American South and especially in Florida.

Strengths:

Beautiful, light-green, warm water. Easily swimmable, it lends itself to quasi-Caribbean resortesque relaxation. Because you are in the United States, people will not simply approach you to sell you assorted crap. 

Weaknesses:

Kelp: There is seaweed, which brings in small fish, which bring in bigger fish.

Stingrays in relatively shallow water.

The water is only transparent out to about your stomach. I was out there with prescription goggles but past my height the water is opaque. 

The water is green rather than blue.

The currents get strong once the water gets deep.

Size of beach

        Length of shoreline- 4 miles

        Distance from shore to sand- approximately 20 meters

Sand type

        Whitish/ brown

Water Appearance

        Water color- green

        Transparent to 4 feet

        Extremely clean- 10 out of 10

        The water is free of trash and so is the land

        Trash cans are available and emptied regularly

Water Temperature is ideal

        There is no shade available and unless you are staying at the hotel, you have to bring your own seating.

Dangerous riptides

        The currents get strong as the water gets deeper

Lifeguards

        None but there are many people around and as well as people in boats and jet-skis

        Poisonous jellyfish or snakes

        None

        Available Activities

Swimming distances and free diving

Hot women. Mostly Russians and Thai hookers with foreign men

- Level of Calm

Swimming great- no surfing possible light waves

- Animals

        Birds, fish, stingrays, sharks

- Plant Life/ Other

Seaweed/kelp

Bacalar- 8.5 out of 10, best lagoon- October 28, 2021- November 2, 2021

Top Notch!! Best freshwater lagoon I've seen!

My wife and I stayed at Casa Del Arbol and my Bacalar experience was marvelous. Bacalar was breathtaking. I had a few videos reviewing its strengths and weaknesses but the videos take up too much space for this platform. The water and the beauty at some locations in the lagoon are 10 out of 10. But not at every location.

Bacalar is worth visiting whether you live in Australia, Idaho, Mali, or anywhere else you live on planet Earth. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen and one of Mexico's most beautiful locations.

Strengths: 

The lagoon really is breathtaking: the diaphanous water- aqua and turquoise when shallow, cobalt and cyan as it gets deeper, and navy in the 300 meter deep cenotes- the great swimming, stromatolites, serene paddle boarding and kayaking, and its shallow, accessible waters more than 100 meters out make this the most beautiful fresh water location I have seen. 

                                           

 

I took those pictures from 10/28/2021- 11/2/2021. 

Weaknesses:

The seaweed at the entry, the sand that feels like quicksand, and ubiquity of boats on the lagoon prevent this location from being perfect. 

Sinking Sand

For me, Bacalar's only real weakness is the feeling of the sand at the entrance point. It felt like quicksand. I climbed down from the pier and as soon as my feet touched the sand, they kept sinking. It was very uncomfortable. Having never visited Bacalar, I didn't know what was up, but mama didn't raise no fool. I wasn't just going to sink so I hopped up and started swimming. I swam out a few meters until the water became too shallow. Once it got too shallow for me to keep swimming, I had to stand up and I found that the sand was regular and my feet did not sink.

I have been told that the sand near the dock was some type of calcium and it was only a few inches deep about; but I didn't like it. I never let my feet sink all the way and I swam directly to the dock.

Seaweed

At almost every entry into Bacalar, there is seaweed, lily pads, etc. Casa del Arbol gets around the seaweed in an ingenious fashion by building a pier and separate entry into water out beyond past the seaweed. But it does detract a little.

Boats everywhere

This is only an issue for people who like to swim and it is an issue everywhere. It adds to the danger however. If you go for a swim, then you have to take kayakers who are visible to the ship boat captains.

-          

      CRITERIA

-          Size of lagoon- 16.22 miles

o   Distance from water to sand: The entry into the beach comes from a walk from a pier and dock to the water. The builders very intelligently built the pier such that it juts out onto the reef past the lily pads and sea weed.

-         Sand type

T     A mix of creepy calcium that feels like quicksand, regular sand, stromatolites, and stones. 

-        Water Appearance

      Diaphanous out to 1000 meters: I know this because I swam it and used my Garmin watch to see how far I could swim. 

-        Cleanliness

      Completely clean. There are nightly boats ensuring that there is no trash, no food, and no crap in the water.

-       Water Temperature

       Warm. Not even that cold rush that hits whenever you first enter a beach.

-        Safety

       Safe. There are only two risks: (1) once the water gets deep, the current gets strong and it becomes hard to swim in a straight line, and (2) there are a number of boats of various sizes all over the lagoon and if you are swimming you could get hit and drown. Do not swim before sunrise and if you must, swim with buddies in kayaks that are visible from the deck of the boat or ship.

      There are almost no dangerous fish there because of the lack of nutrients in the lagoon!

-        Available Activities

o   Swimming distances, Free diving, Snorkeling, Scuba, Partying/ beautiful women congregating, tour boats, rapids, Cenote tours 

-        Level of Calm

o  Waves available but swimming available past waves- current weak

o   Swimming great- no surfing possible light waves

-         Animals

                     Almost none.

-         Plant Life/ Other

o   Seaweed/kelp in the entrance points. The houses have ingenious methods of bypassing the seaweed and lily pads.

-         Access

                   Private

-         Price

      You don't necessarily have to pay per se but it is a resort community. You are not getting here without renting a residence or hotel.

-         Land Pests

        Not even mosquitoes despite being a giant fresh water source.

-         Overall

       Simply breathtaking. One of the best places I have ever seen. If you live in Australia or Easter Island, it is still worth flying across the planet and coming to Mexico.

Running Hierarchy of Beaches I have visited as of November 19, 2021

The goal of this blog is to identify the world's most beautiful beach. One benefit of my search has been that I keep having to revise my scores as I discover more beautiful locations. I once ranked Antigua's Jolly Beach 10 out of 10, and then I experienced Grace Bay. This is, admittedly, a first world-problem as Antigua is still bucket-list worthy, but it's not as staggering as Turks and Caicos. Thus, I have invented subcategories and a new ranking system.

The sub-categories: (1) intimate beaches, (2) party beaches, (3) lagoons, (4) atolls, and (5) natural enclosures- places like "El Cielito" in Mexico and the Nylon Pool in Trinidad. These are not beaches but they are enclosed locations in the middle of the sea in which there is shallow, azure water, and they are usually accessible only by boat.

Every beach on this list is very likely the most beautiful beach some people have seen and all are worth taking a flight specifically to visit. However, there are beautiful beaches and then there is the most beautiful. Now the rankings:

1. S Class: Beamonesque! Worth Visiting At All Costs

 Grace Bay: Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, located in the Caribbean currently a colony of the United Kingdom.

                Absolutely the most beautiful beach I have seen thus far. It will be hard to top but I look forward to finding one better. The water begins as electric blue, then becomes turquoise. As it gets deeper it transitions to sapphire, then navy, and finally as you leave the bay the water becomes royal blue. But at all times, this water is wholly diaphanous. I actually had to look at a blue color scheme to learn the difference between all these shades of blue. Add to that the dolphins, the ready access to seating, the fact that it is free, the ubiquity of food, drinks, bathrooms, and its cleanliness. It is a full 10 out of 10! I haven't been anywhere that comes close.

Long Bay: Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

                The water in Long Bay is a mix of electric blue and mint green, but all the while the water is still wholly transparent. Swimmers may actually prefer Long Bay to Grace Bay because for at least 3.5 miles out, the water never gets deeper than 4 feet. The water's color ranges from electric blue, to Paris Green, to Emerald Green out to 3.5 miles!! I arrogantly tried swimming from the shore to a visible ship wreck. I'm swimming, admiring the fish below and enjoying the rhythm of my own breath, and then I check my watch. The watch says I have been swimming for 30 mins. I look toward the wreck and it looks just as far as it had when I began; I turn back. I can see the shore but not the hotel from which I began my swim. Out of curiosity, I decide to dive down. As I begin to descend, I find that I can still stand. It was surreal but awesome! Later on, some jet skiers tell me the wreck was 3.5 miles out but the water doesn't get deeper for 4 miles.

2. A Class: Worth Visiting Even If You Have to Pay with Credit and Have No Job

Antigua, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, "El Cielo," "El Cielito," and "The Nylon Pool"

            All of Antigua's beaches are beautiful. I wish I would have made an excursion to Barbuda back in 2017 but c'est la vie. I visited Grenada, St. Lucia, and Barbados prior to creating this blog so when I visit them again I'll write reviews and upload video. I remember visiting Barbados during crop-over and loving the beach; I spent a few weeks in Grenada when I was around 13 and my uncle was teaching a class there. I visited St. Lucia when I was about 15 and there I saw my first black Sand Beach. I visited the Nylon Pool in Tobago on numerous occasions during my childhood and teenage years and "El Cielito" last December. 

In all of these locations the water is blue or at least aquamarine and beautiful, but Turks and Caicos and possibly the Lucaya Archipelago of the Caribbean are just a cut above the rest of the beaches I have seen thus far.

"El Cielito" and The Nylon Pool are not beaches and can only be reached by boat. The water is beautiful but the water in the beaches of the other islands is equally as beautiful without the hassle.

3. B Class: Worth Visiting Even If you Have to Pay with Credit

Isla Mujeres, Jamaica, Tobago, Playa Palencar, Cozumel

The beaches on these islands are beautiful but they are just not quite A class. They are still very much worth the visit. If I could extract Playa Palencar from Cozumel, it would be in the higher category, but I cannot. 

4. The Peloton: Worth Saving for a Vacation but not worth paying for that trip with a credit card. Definitely Worth Visiting

Caberete, Dominican Republic- Varadero, Cuba- North Coast, Trinidad, Cancun, Mexico

There are countless reasons to visit the D.R., Cuba, and Trinidad, but these beaches are at the bottom of the Top Tier. These beaches make the list only because of the partying. I have heard that there are beautiful beaches in the D.R. that I missed. To be fair, in 2018, my cousins and I rented an AirBnB abutting a beach in Cabarete in the D.R. The beach was a short walk from the house but it was underwhelming. But for the partying, this beach would not make this list. 

I will not review barely passable beaches such as beaches in: Playa Del Carmen, Isla Contoy, South Beach, Miami, Cozumel's other beaches, Koh Larn, Thailand, etc. These beaches are not worth taking a plane to visit. If you are already there and want to hit a beach, then cool, but don't go out of your way just to visit these places.

1. Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

2. El Cielito, coast of Cozumel, Mexico 

3. Long Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

4. Jolly Beach, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda

5. Playa Palencar, Cozumel, Mexico

6. Playa Norte/ Playa Centro, Isla Mujeres, Mexico

7. Bacalar Lagoon- Mexico

8. Pigeon Point, Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

9. Englishman's Bay, Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

10. Pirate's Bay, Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

Overrated beaches not worth the visit.

Most of these beaches are ok but not beautiful enough to serve as justification for a visit to these places. Others of these beaches suck and I have no idea why they have all this fame. If you are already in some of these places, then visiting these beaches is better than nothing. One of these beaches is good but getting to it requires a day trip from a location with better beaches. If you are on vacation seeking beauty and you have limited time, don't waste it visiting these places.

Continental United States

Ok but not enough to justify a trip

South Beach, Miami:

This was the most disappointing. The beach suffers because it has this reputation as being so beautiful. The water is warm but not transparent. The tides are rough and there is risk of shark and jellyfish attack. If you are already partying in Miami, then visit. However, the beauty of South Beach does not justify a trip. 

Virginia Beach:

This is actually nicer than most of the Floridian beaches but it suffers because the seasons. Clean but the sand and water are not transparent. Ok but not that good. You can only visit over the summer.

Jones and Lido Beach, Long Island NY:

These beaches are ok but only in the summer. If you are already near Lido beach, then they are worth it. The water is not transparent and is cool. The waves are ok but these beaches are free. These beaches are not as good as Virginia because you cannot visit at all in the winter.

Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Southern California

These are the lowest level beaches that barely make the grade. If you surf, you may have a different opinion. But if you enjoy white sand, black sand, and blue water, then you won't like these beaches. The water is too cold all year round. Even surfers have to wear body suits in this water. In the summer after a good sweat, getting into this water can be refreshing, but these beaches suffer from cold water all year long, opaque water, and brown sand.

Terrible

Northern California, Zuma Beach, LA, Rhode Island, Venice Beach, LA, Santa Monica, Jersey Shore, and special overrated, terrible status for The Hamptons. 

Don't even bother with any of these beaches. All of the beaches in Northern California suck. The water is cold, the sand is dark brown, and there are dangerous riptides. I went in because I love beaches, but all of the beaches near San Francisco are just horrible.

Zuma Beach is cold, full of seaweed, and the water is completely opaque. It's somehow worse than Manhattan Beach, Hermosa, and Malibu. I couldn't even stay in the water because it was just too cold.

Venice Beach and Third Street Promenade are cold and dirty.

Jersey Shore. I like Jersey and I have lived there for 20 years. These beaches suck. You can only visit over the summer. The water is polluted. The sand is nasty and the water is cold all but two months a year. Also the Jersey Shore is full of dangerous riptides. Somehow the Jersey Shore is worse than Long Island with one notable exception.

The Hamptons:

Southampton, Northampton, whatever: these beaches are the worst. The water is cold and opaque; and all but two months a year it's too cold to even visit the beach. But even worse than the Jersey Shore, there is not even sand. The sand is just rocks. You have to wear shoes on the beach to avoid cuts from the damn rocks! Who knows if there are needles in the water, it's completely opaque. Even worse, is the Hampton's unfathomable reputation as a place where the beaches are good! I don't know who started that rumor but these beaches suck!!

Mexico

The only Mexican locations worthy of mention as part of the best in the world are: Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Holbox. These aforementioned locations are worthy of listed alongside Antigua, Grenada, and some of the second best in the Caribbean. 

OK but not enough to justify a trip

Isla Contoy: 

This beach is ok but when compared to Isla Mujeres was disappointing. It is probably better than most beaches in the continental US but it was not as good as Isla Mujeres or even Cozumel or Tulum. Not terrible and there are other reasons to visit Isla Contoy. My issue was that getting there required a day trip and so I spent an entire day waiting for this beach when the beaches on Isla Mujeres were so much more beautiful. Nevertheless, it might have been worth it. I thought that a secluded island in the Caribbean might just be where I could find the world's best beach and in this case, I was wrong. Don't make that mistake.

Playa del Carmen: 

None of the beaches here is sufficient justification for a visit: water is not transparent, rough, full of seaweed, and expensive. Just go to Cozumel. If you are there for Spring Break or some other reason these beaches will do, but if you are looking to find beautiful beaches avoid this place.

Beaches that Suck

All of the beaches on the Pacific. Baja California, Ensenada, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta. None of these beaches is any good. The water is cold, not transparent, and rocky. Really from the San Juan Islands up in Washington State down to Cabo all of the beaches suck. The water is freezing cold with dark brown sand, dangerous riptides, and dangerous rocks. These beaches are good for surfing. Might be great for surf but if you enjoy swimming, lazing around, etc., they suck.

Playa Palencar- Cozumel, Mexico- December 30, 2020- 9 out of 10!!

 

Playa Palencar is Cozumel's best beach and is probably the best I have seen in Mexico. Let's begin with the beach: the waters are blue, the sand is white, there is ready seating, bathrooms, and food and drinks abound. Jellyfish plagued the beaches of Cozumel for my entire stay Playa Palencar, El Cielo, and El Cielito had the fewest jellyfish. There were still some, but far fewer than any of the other beaches. Just the presence of these medusas reduces the enjoyment, taking it down to maximum 9. But then, wild peacocks approached my wife and me trying to eat our nachos. The sheer beauty of these peacocks, pelicans, and cotimundi randomly wandering around this beach raises its level.

A statement about Cozumel versus Isla Mujeres: up until I visited el Cielito, I found Cozumel's beaches disappointing. Part of this has to do with where I stayed; all of the beaches near the main port are full of rocks and the one beach that was not, was full of stinging medusas. Up until the day I visited el Cielo, el Cielito, and Playa Palencar, I would have excluded Cozumel from this blog just as I excluded every beach in Florida that I visited. 

Our experience:

My wife and I came straight to this beach by boat from El Cielito. Rather than driving to the beach, we gave the captain of the boat an extra five bucks to drop us off at the best beach on the island. So we actually reached the beach by boat. It's really the same water as in el cielito with a few more medusas, but a shoreline, wild peacocks and cotimundi. I would definitely return. These jellyfish didn't sting or bother me while I was swimming.

In every beach, I take a long swim, I lounge around for a few hours, and admire the scenery. Here, I could do everything I wanted. Seating costs money and you are strongly encouraged to order food and drinks, but that is everywhere in Mexico. All in all, it was my favorite Mexican beach. If it were closer to where I stayed, I would have gone every day.

-          Size of beach

o   Length of shoreline- 1 mile

o   Distance from water to sand- at least a quarter mile

-          Sand type: White

-          Water Appearance: Blue

-          Cleanliness: Very Clean

o   Is there trash in the water: NO

o   Are trash cans available: YES

o   Are trash cans emptied regularly: YES

-          Water Temperature: warm

-          Shade availability

o   Seating- Yes

o   Resting- Yes

o   Coconut trees are they full of coconuts that can fall on people’s heads: NO

-          Safety: Safe but Jellyfish

-          Available Activities: Swimming distances, Free diving, Snorkeling, Scuba

-          Level of Calm- reasonably calm

-          Animals: Peacocks, pelicans, fish, small jellyfish, raccoons, cotimundi

-          Plant Life/ Other- no seaweed

-          Access: Difficult- Private beach, you can drive there, you can take a boat

-          Price- Free, but you have to buy drinks

-          Land Pests- none

-   

-