Make sure your passport is valid (and your bank account is healthy) because this is our list of the best travel beach destinations to visit in the year ahead. Get your beach body ready and check out our collections of bikinis we have on sale.

Harbour Island, Bahamas

 

Located off the northeast coast of Eleuthera Island and away from the buzz of other Bahamian beaches, families and couples alike can spend the day on pink sands only seeing a handful of other people. After basking in the sun and getting serenaded by the breeze rustling through the palm trees, visitors can pop into the town to roam down quaint Dunmore Street, dine on the fresh catch of the day at The Landing, and grab a sunset cocktail at Beyond the Reef.

Waipio Valley Beach, Big Island, Hawaii

 

This beach in Waipio Valley is one of the hardest to get to in Hawaii—you must hike or drive down a treacherously narrow, steep road to reach your destination. But it's well worth the trek: At the bottom, you’re rewarded with a mile-long black volcanic sand beach bordered by 2,000-foot cliff walls and backed by thick rainforest. If that weren’t scenic enough, the Kaluahine and Waiulili waterfalls cut into the cliffs at the south end of the beach, and are accessible via a boulder-strewn trail along the surf.

Palm Beach, Aruba

 

The two-mile-long strip on the northwest side of the island is filled with activities to keep you busy all day and night. Try your hand at parasailing or snorkeling before sitting down to enjoy a barefoot lunch at Pelican Pier Bar during the day; then, head to the nearby casinos, restaurants, and nightclubs at night to make your lazy day a bit more lively.

Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

 

Well-known as one of the world's best places to watch big wave surfing in winter (the beach is home to the Vans Triple Crown), the water here becomes as calm as a lake in summer, making it an excellent spot for snorkeling. After a day spent in the sand and surf, don't towel off and head home just yet: Above all, as its name suggests, it's the sunsets that really seal the deal for visitors.

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

 

Shockingly, Palawan remains steadily under the radar, even though it continues to rank highly in our Readers' Choice Awards. El Nido alone is home to around 50 white sand beaches—it’s impossible to choose just one—all of which are set around dramatic limestone formations and boast the finest and whitest sand you’ll ever see. The water is so blindingly blue it makes the Caribbean Sea look murky in comparison. And the sunsets? Well, they’ll ruin you for life. Consider yourself warned.

 

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