The World’s Best Beach, According To A 2024 Report

U.S. residents don’t need a passport to travel to this year’s winner of the “World’s Best Beach.” The No. 1 best beach in the world for 2024 is: Trunk Bay, located on St. John, a U.S. Virgin Island, according to The World’s 50 Best Beaches presented by Banana Boat.

Sheltered from the Caribbean tradewinds, the waters are calm and ideal for swimming and, you can duck underwater with your snorkel gear on to be greeted by colorful fish darting around the reef.

Each year, the World’s 50 Best Beaches asks thousands of travel professionals to nominate their favorite beaches, and then the organization narrows the list down with factors that include the uniqueness of the surrounding landscape, the soundtrack of nature, and takes into consideration things like whether the waters are calm enough to swim in and the idyllic beaches aren’t too crowded.

The World’s 50 Best Beaches joins a number of other rankings that are out to determine the very best beaches in the world, including the TripAdvisor ranking that named Praia da Falésia in Olhos de Água, Portugal the best beach in the world earlier this year. Recently, Malta’s Ghajn Tuffieha Bay Beach was named the most beautiful beach in Europe by European Best Destinations. Unofficially, “Barbie” put the spotlight on pink-sand beaches around the world in the past year, too.

While there’s many gorgeous beaches around the world where turquoise water laps the sand, Trunk Bay is a quintessential Caribbean paradise that rises above the rest for a few reasons, according to the World’s 50 Best Beaches findings.

“Visitors praise the incredibly soft sand and the crystal-clear, pool-like waters, but what truly distinguishes Trunk Bay from other Caribbean destinations is its setting within the stunning Virgin Islands National Park,” the report says.

This means that the beach is a protected area, and truly a place to getaway, with lush greenery and local wildlife.

Trunk Bay is named after the Leatherback turtle, which are native to the area and called “trunks.”

“Trunk Bay and the many beaches across the U.S. Virgin Islands hold a special place in the hearts of those who call our beautiful islands home as well as our returning visitors,” says Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of the USVI Department of Tourism in a news release. “We have long regarded our beaches as some of the best in the world, and this recognition helps us share that with the world.”

The Caribbean’s high season runs from December through April, and that’s when Trunk Bay is busiest.

Last year, Lucky Bay, a kangaroo hangout in western Australia, took the top spot on the best beaches list.

The Top Beaches in The U.S.

The only beach in the contingent U.S. to make the top 50 list was Henderson Beach along the Emerald Coast in Florida, which took the No. 44 spot.

Lanikai Beach on Oahu snagged the No. 14 spot and the palm-lined Kapalua Bay Beach on Maui ranked No. 40 on this year’s list.

The Top 10 Beaches in the World

Here are the other beaches that cracked the top 10 in the World’s 50 Best Beaches 2024 list:

No. 1: Trunk Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands

No: 2: Cala Mariolu, Italy

No. 3: Meads Bay, Anguilla

No. 4: Entalula Beach, Philippines

No. 5: Voutoumi Beach, Greece

No. 6: Turquoise Bay, Australia

No. 7: Pink Beach, Indonesia

No. 8: Anse Georgette, Seychelles

No. 9: Green Lagoon, French Polynesia

No. 10: Horse Shoe Island, Myanmar