This Caribbean Beach Ranked No. 1 in the World for Its Pool-like Crystalline Waters — and You Don’t Need a Passport to Visit

As the days get shorter and colder, there’s only one thing on our mind: a glorious warm-weather beach getaway. But not to any beach. We’re dreaming of the best beach. And The World’s 50 Best Beaches is here to tell you exactly where that is. (Hint: it’s in the Caribbean.)

Every year, the pros at The World’s 50 Best Beaches compile and share their list of the best beaches on earth. And some truly hard work goes on behind the scenes for the selection process. As the team explained about its methodology, each year it reached out to “thousands of the world’s most experienced travel professionals and ask them to vote for what they think is the best beach on earth.” Those asked for their input are not given specific criteria, but rather, are asked to provide feedback on why they believe their selections are the best.

However, the “final list is not based purely on votes cast. The number of votes a beach receives is a contributing factor to its appearance on our list as well as its ranking. In order to be included in our annual list, a beach must receive at least one vote.”

Once the votes are in, the team then reviews the submissions and debates each pick. The internal team chooses the final list based on specific criteria, including its uniqueness, the surrounding wildlife, its ease of access to the water, how many people frequent the beach, and the “Soundtrack of Nature,” aka “at this beach, the only thing you will hear are the sounds of the ocean and nature.”

After all this hard work, the team named Trunk Bay in St. John, part of the Virgin Islands, the No. 1 beach in the world for 2024. 

“Trunk Bay is the quintessential Caribbean paradise. 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 team wrote in its findings. “The protected status of the area ensures the absence of loud commercial activity and large buildings, allowing instead for lush greenery and local wildlife to flourish as a natural backdrop.” 

The team added that the beach’s unique location means it’s protected from the Caribbean tradewinds, “resulting in calm waters that are perfect for swimming.” 

As the National Parks Service notes, the beach is also home to a self-guided snorkeling trail, allowing visitors to take to the water and go with the current and see all the colorful fish and coral, and even read a few underwater signs along the way to learn about the area.

Of course, Trunk Bay wasn’t the only beach to make the list. It was joined by Cala Marioku in Italy in second, followed by Meads Bay in Anguilla, Entalula Beach in the Philippines, and Voutoumi Beach in Greece rounding out the top five.

See all the beaches that made the cut at worlds50beaches.com.