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10 best beaches in the world

BERT ARCHER

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 12:31 PM EDT 07/04/08

Where to go for the ultimate in bikini bliss ...Read the full article

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  1. Okanagan Man from Vernon, Canada writes: www.wheresthebeachdude.com
  2. Globe Insider subscriber content
    joe q. taxpayer from Canada writes: Okanagan Man from Vernon, Canada writes: www.wheresthebeachdude.com like, where's the rest of north america man.
  3. Jim Shepherd from Lima, Peru writes: Living in a semi-tropical climate and going to Gold's Gym every day, leaves me little time for the beach.

    I prefer a good March blizzard in Toronto to keep me on my toes. Best Regards.
  4. lotusland maritimer from Sault Ste Marie, Canada writes: so whats your sexual orientation man or lady? never mind who cares but it was strange to read about Dane and Croat bodies unspecified are these creatures unsexed here or there and wow a classically educated travel writer who knows that Heraclitus wrote that you cant step onto the same sandbar twice wherefore on lotusland ile? believe it or not I was once sketching on spirit beach off kits and a dame walked into my picture stripped and lay down between my favourite rock and driftwood log so I was obliged to sketch her charms life is hard and brutish on the beach but not short as she proceeded to try various poses on and off with her sunshades and prone and supine facing this way and that so I had to start a new picture each pose now if I could make moves as fast as sketches of nudes I dont believe she was blind as she was reading a book and mustabin aware of my sketching merely six gravelenghts away but there was no followup possible as I foolishly told my sister and wife where I might be found and they did turn up shortly they didnt believe me and thought me a much better artist than I was and insisted I drew the figures from invention not life only in vancouver eh on the beach the north shore mountains have the same profile as a Varley from that site then on a different occassion a Portugese smelt fisherman was skunked which was another free subject object and predicate so how were the Danes and Croats unspecified? polymorphously polyphonic?
  5. Paul Thompson from Canada writes: There is a magnificent beach in southern Lombok, the island just east of Bali. It is set in a bay and forms almost a complete circle before being broken by it's outlet to the sea, which is maybe a few hundred feet wide, but the circular beach runs for about a kilometer. I'd never seen anything like it, and the best part is that it is completely undeveloped.
  6. marlene gregory from Toronto, Canada writes: The best beaches are in Bermuda!!! They have soft pink sand and warm turquoise water, and only 2 hours from anywhere in Eastern/Central North America....
  7. Barry Pither from White Rock BC, Canada writes: Not a word about South America I see. Good!

    I'll let you all into a little secret after traveling to 126 countries and every continent ... URUGUAY. And why? It's safe, devoid of tourists except from late December to the end of February, the steaks are the best in the world ... yes better than Argentina, the people are easy going and civil, and ... the beaches up north! You can walk 250 kilometers from the border with Brazil straight down the coast along endless sandy vistas (including dunes) without a break except for the occasional fishing/ in season tourist oriented village every 20 kilometers or so.

    I know ... I walked 30 of those kms.
  8. guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: The purpose of beaches is to get some rays. After all the snow is gone here ,Ill just take my blankie and a few bubblies and lay in the backyard. Same results and a hell of a lot cheaper.
  9. David any from No job at 50?, Canada writes: Not one beach from Mexico. Nayarit.
  10. J P from Canada writes: I KNEW I shouldn't read anything in the globe travel section! Typical mediocre globe travel article written by someone who's never been anywhere. The worst part is that it starts with really exotic and unknown places but then... Lido! Paris! are you kidding me? Nowhere in the south pacific, nowhere in the Carribbean (there are some beautiful wide soft white sandy beaches in the Carib, much better than Lido!), nowhere in South America? This guy's gotta get out more!
  11. Stew Griffin from Canada writes: lotusland maritimer - try using a period sometime.
  12. L D from Mexico writes: The remote strech of virgin beaches running from Ixtapa to Manzanillo on Mexico's Pacific Coast gets my vote. Rio Nexpa is nothing more than a few palapas and only visited by surfers, but it's pure bliss.
  13. David any from No job at 50?, Canada writes: Yea ..a palapa with succulent 7 dollar a plate camarrones and $6x1.20 beer in a large bucket of ice. Tortillas and red rice...
    I wouldn't trade it for any snotty beach in Europe.
    Whales breaching in the distance and newly hatched sea turtles washing up on the shore...miles of undeveloped beach. .70$ per litre gas and mountain roads to drive for.
    Long Beach in BC...great if you like violent winds and the cold dark days.
  14. Normand LaBine from Winnipeg, MB, Canada writes: LD from Mexico. My mother-in-law is from Manzanillo and she speaks highly of the area, as well. I lived in Guadalajara for 5 years and NEVER had a run-in with either bad guys or the Authourities. When we moved in our Mexican Stationwagon with our new Mexican Steel utility trailer (all made by an American plant in Mexico with American parts) we were stopped several times on beautiful Mexican turnpikes by the Army, looking for drug dealers. They spoke to me in Spanish, and English and in one case even French. Courteous, friendly. Stopped 5 times, and always treated well. Where I didn't expect to be poorly treated was at my own Border crossing, by Transport Canada's anally contracted inspector over my trailer. Since the serial plate was in Spanish (and had the SAE label), she wouldn't approve it.
    '
    '
    I think people go down to Mexico with their arrogant Road Rage attitudes and attract problems. I felt safer walking through some of the poorest parts of the working class on my way to work, than some streets in my own neighbourhood.
    '
    '
    As for best beaches, obviously the writer never included our fine beaches on Lake Winnipeg.
  15. Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    "Except for you Victorians – Why are you even reading this? Don't you have some daffodils to frolic through?"

    Ahh, recognition.

    So nice.
  16. Slippery Slope from Canada writes: Barry Pither from White Rock BC, Canada writes: Not a word about South America I see. Good!

    I'll let you all into a little secret after traveling to 126 countries and every continent ... URUGUAY.

    ----

    I agree. Montevideo is one long beach.
  17. R Blackburn from Vancouver Island, Canada writes: Nada about Australia... New Zealand?
    Islands are always worth checking out and Oz being so big, you can have just about any colour sand you want, shallow, deep, surfing, tidal pools, magnificent sunrises and sunsets. Yup, hard living in a country where most areas on the coast average over 300 sunny days/year.
    Just a thought....... off to check my garden for more bulbs!
  18. Chris C from Canada writes: On Bert Archer's translation of Praia da Barra as Barra Bay, there's no Barra Bay. Praia means beach. One would hope a travel writer would know that.
  19. Bert Archer from Canada writes: Thanks for paying such close attention to the piece, and sorry for the confusion. Praia is Portuguese for "beach" but the place is known locally to English speakers as Barra Bay, according to a tour guide in the area I interviewed, not Barra Beach.
  20. mighty conan from Calgary, Canada writes: To the linguists: get over it. There's a lot of beautiful real estate bordering on the ocean. No top 10 list will ever capture it all. Language isn't important. Reclining is. BTW Saskatchewan doesn't have any beachfront... LOL! Get over it! Go Riders Go!
  21. Yellow Submariner from Canada writes:

    Anyone been to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean? Ile aux Cerfs has a wonderful isolated white sand beach. Once there, finding oneself quite alone, the temptation to enjoy it in the nude is quite overpowering. OK, it's 10,000 miles from Canada, but for about 8 barrels of jet fuel per seat, you can get there and back.
  22. Carl Baldin from Canada writes: Check out "One Foot Island", in the Cook Islands (Aitutaki). I've been to many beautiful beaches, but this takes the prize. Type it into google & check out the second item for photo's!
  23. globefan Eh from Canada writes: The beautiful beaches of Mexico , Indonesia , Cuba, the Persian Gulf and Hawaii all have plastic and other debris washed up on them. There is no place to remote for garbage from cruise and merchant ships, sad really.
  24. David Watt from Calgary, Canada writes: globefan. Try the Seychelles. If you can find one hint of garbage from cruise ships on the beaches of La Digue Island (Anse Source d'Argent), Praslin (Anse Lazio), Mahe' (Beau Vallon), never mind the more intimate smaller islands I'll buy you ticket to go back and look for more. The beaches mentioned in the articles are nice, but the author obviously hasn't been everywhere.
  25. jill of all trades from Canada writes: This article is really poorly written and not very insightful. When naming the 10 best beaches of the world, he forgets the Americas and the wonderful beaches of the South Pacific, and names a fake beach in Paris? What a joke. You couldn't pay me to go to a beach in Paris, Denmark or BC this time of year. Long Beach is always cold, even in August. Was this guy a patronage hire, or what?
  26. James C from Shenzhen, China writes: i fully expected to see patong beach in thailand on this list (seen it on several other "best beaches" lists. after working within walking distance of that beach for 6 months i'm happy to see it didnt make the list. too busy, dirty, no waves, and too many hawkers selling stuff and getting in your face. but there are plenty of other nice beaches in thailand that are uncrowded and clean. most tourists never find those ones though.
  27. Aviva West from Hanoi, 'Nam, Canada writes: Really? Cua Dai Beach?
    Vietnam has a lot of great beaches, but this isn't one of the nicer ones. Unless garbage and construction debis is your thing.
    Cat Ba Island, Phu Quoc, Phan Tiet, Mui Ne... THESE places have nice beaches.
  28. James C from Shenzhen, China writes: good of the author to drop in. hi bert. the criteria to make a "best beach" list usually mean the place is well-known and popular. that almost guarantees its going to be busy/crowded/dirty/or suffer from any one of a number of other drawbacks. the best beaches are the ones that people find on their own in secluded little spots along the coastline of different countries. i've found quite a few of those in thailand. you just need to take some time to find out about them and then find a way to get there. some need a longtail boat, others you can bicycle to, and another nice beach i know on ko tao can be reached on foot. but most tourists at beachy places usually dont stray too far from the hotel where they're staying, as a result, these places remain more pristine (thankfully).
  29. pran manga from ottawa, Canada writes: Bert, you should have traveled the world before writing on this subject.You just missed out on the world.s ten best beaches....maybe even the best 20.
  30. Goose Bay Resident Canada from Canada writes: Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes: .........Except for you Victorians – Why are you even reading this? Don't you have some daffodils to frolic through?" Ahh, recognition.

    LOL you must have loved reading that....But tell me is it true that the official flower of the city of Victoria is Mold? Sorry couldn't resist. Have a good one and don't gloat because my Sunday is half over before yours really begins
  31. Fred Stirring the pot from Kitchener., Canada writes: I prefer fresh water beaches......
  32. gregory macisaac from Ottawa, Canada writes: For those of us who cannot jet off to faraway countries in order to go to the beach, I would like to point out the best kept secret in Canada, beach-wise. It is true that Cavendish Beach in PEI is beautiful, but the water is pretty cold. In my opinion, the best beaches in Canada are on the west coast of Cape Breton. Port Hood and Inverness Beaches, and the one on the isthmus going out to Cheticamp 'island' are beautiful and sandy, and not crowded. And most importantly, the Northumberland Straight between PEI and NS acts like a huge water-heater all summer, so that by July it is common for the water to be 20 degrees celcius. The water is warmest in St. George's Bay off Antigonish, but the beaches there are not as sandy as in Cape Breton. Good swimming, however. And the jellyfish are gone by the end of July. So if you want a nice beach vacation in Canada, where you can actually swim, go to Cape Breton.
  33. Pretty Much from Toronto, Canada writes: Muscat, OMAN- god;s best kept secret!
  34. ME S from Canada writes: The beaches in the Maldives have definitely been my favourite (to date). I disagree with the earlier comments about beaches in Vietnam, especially Mui Ne. It was covered in plastic bags and garbage. Disappointing overall. Some of the beaches in Thailand (especially the remote ones) have also been great.
  35. Jimmy Savile from Canada writes: Realizing "best" is subjective, I'll take Cabarete, DR.
  36. Terry Terry from brantford, Canada writes: Realizing "best" is subjective, I'll take Port Burwell on Lake Erie. (Keep your carbon footprint small and leave your bathing suit at home.)
  37. Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    The best way to realize something is from an objective perspective.

    It is therefore undeniable that Victoria is the greatest place on earth.

    Ya baby.
  38. Robert Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: Michael Sharp from Victoria, home of the finless browns...

    Nonsense -- The best beaches in Canada are the White Sand Beaches on Nova Scotia's South Shore...

    I'm not telling you my favorite ones... That's for me to know and you not to find out...

    However, Carter's Beach is actually three separate beaches that are stretched over a few miles... The third is rumoured to be a nudist beach -- Have never made it that far on the walk to find out, however...

    Canada's Ocean Playground........ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
  39. Geoffrey May from Canada writes: We have great sandy beaches on Cape Breton Island, and very warm waters (July,Aug, and Sept.) along it's west coast , available for a fraction of the cost and carbon footprint.Be patient, it won't be long now
  40. Tango Tiago from TO, Canada writes: No beaches from Brasil? Or even South America? Wow, the author has apparently 'missed the boat' on this one!
  41. Eric Kirkpatrick from Vancouver, B.C., Canada writes: Agree that the term 'Best Beach' is a misnomer, fairly subjective. There are too many to claim the title. In Canada any beach in the Bay of Fundy or south coast of N.S. is going to be great. Warmed by the Gulf Stream and few people. A sub grouping for Urban Beach would have Jericho in Vancouver up there near the top. A hot, August, weekday afternoon, decent crowd, great views, both near and far, lot's of sand and warm water. Not many cities can claim that.
  42. R W from Canada writes: My favourite beach is whichever one I am currently on. From the rocks of Lake Ontario, to the wide sandy beaches of BC to the north shore of the St. Lawrence. I think that it is amazing to be able to travel around the world and see as much as possible.

    Patara Beach for example is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Wide and long and pristine sandy beach. We were there in late April before the tourist season starts. We took a bus and then had to walk back to the main road about 10 km to find another. The unspoiled ruins at Patara, except for maybe the sheep dung, were amazing. We were also followed by a goat for a while on the road. Adventures like this are what life is about.
  43. RD Lone from Vancouver, Canada writes: Normally I think globe travel articles aren't too bad, but Paris and Long Beach a "top beach of the world"? Give me a break.

    PS. pretty sneaky putting them way at the bottom, since I think most people would have stopped reading immediately if it was near the top.
  44. Rant N. Rave from Northern Prosperity, Canada writes: I'm going to assume that neither Anguilla nor Bermuda were considered. That's okay with me as the pristine seclusion of these 'gems' will continue to be both 'pristine' and secluded'.
    Thanks for not telling everyone, Bert.
  45. monty sawka from calgary, Canada writes: Boracay Island in the Philippines ...a brilliant white coral beach and what about all the beaches in Australia. There are beaches there 100 miles long.........
  46. g duncan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Well, I think Exxon would be very pleased - just how do you think we will all get to those beaches? Exactly!... a great way to forget ALL about any pesky climate troubles!
  47. Alex Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: I don't know if I trust any of the beaches named on this list. I've been to the Lido before. It's a terrible beach, the sand is really grainy and there is glass and garbage everywhere. I've been to a lot of beaches before, Carribean and elsewhere, and the best by far are in Barbados. You can't find a terrible beach there. Another option is the Dead Sea for those who want more of a history trip.
  48. Lynne Perry-Reid from Calgary, Canada writes: ok, so obviously people have a lot of say about this one. the only person i feel has credibility in judging the best beaches in the world is someone who has been to all the beaches in the world...sounds like a great life challenge to me.

    any takers?

    of course, the top choices would also depend on how you would define "best"....
  49. Lynn Peers from Canada writes: Well, I've been sitting on a long sandy beach in Bucerias, MX (near Puerto Vallarta) for a month now. The water is warm and the surf is great. I have lived in Nova Scotia for 27 years and I've been to a lot of beaches in the province. I've also been on the beaches in Puerta Plata and Punta Cana, DR, Cayo Coco, and other beaches in Cuba, Florida and Bermuda. For pristine water and beauty I vote for Bermuda but when it comes to Canada I'm voting for the warm warm waters of Parlee Beach in Shediac, New Brunswick and Miramichi Bay. They are two of the warmest waters I've been in.
  50. Donalda Duck from Ottawa, Canada writes: Middle Florida has amazing beaches on the Gulf Coast that tourists don't frequent the way they do on the Atlantic side (IE Miami, Daytona). You have to see Siesta Key Beach....like walking on powder sugar! And the Gulf is warmer then the Atlantic. Oops gave up a secret! And on the Home Front: if it's sand you want try "Sandbanks Provincial Park" in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Heaven closer then the Carribean.
  51. Watcher of the skies from Montreal, Canada writes: Varadero, Cuba.... three hours flight or so, forget the rest. With a hat on my face basking in the sun, I could not care less about the other places.
  52. S Lucht from British Columbia, Canada writes: Aviva West: I agree that Cua Dai beach at Da Nang is fairly grim. But near Hoi An--particularly at the Nam Hai resort--it's very nice.
  53. Nolan Kerr from Winnipeg, Canada writes: I know many have already posted comments on all the other beaches that should be on this list, but I had to write in to express how terrible this list is!
    I'm guessing Bert really doesn't know anything about beaches and was just told to write an article about the "10 best beaches" in the world.

    First off, how the BLEEP does a Canadian beach get on that list and no Aussie beaches???!!!!!

    As I read through the list of posts above I see a MUCH better list of great beaches.
    If you are interested in a learning where the real best beaches are, read above and ignore the article by Bert (who probably has a wicked farmer's tan from never stepping foot on any of the best beaches in the world.)
  54. echo demir from pei, Canada writes: they forgot oludeniz in turkey in fethiye.it is better than patara.
    i accept there are very nice beaches in canada such cavendish beach in pei.
  55. Richard Bucklew from Vancouver, Canada writes: Unvelievable!! LONG BEACH???? Apparently the author of this article knows NOTHING about beaches and is only interested in making soe sort of political statement from a Nationalist point of view. I cant believe that anyone - who has EVER been to a beach in their life would believe this drivel! Figures it is publishe by the Globa and Mail! More unprofessional, biased, national centric reporting.
  56. don diego from Canada writes: Richard Bucklew from Vancouver, Canada writes: I cant believe that anyone - who has EVER been to a beach in their life would believe this drivel! Figures it is publishe by the Globa and Mail! More unprofessional, biased, national centric reporting

    Geez, that's alot of anger for a Tuesday morning. Don't worry, the market will turn by this afternoon!
  57. Are We Having This Conversation ? from Toronto, Canada writes: I actually like the beaches in Australia, Bali (as mentioned above) Ecuador, and Belize (great for scuba diving!!)
    Thank you G & M for listing these beaches....this is such a large world we live in...it makes it nice to know that there are so many wonderful places to visit and explore!
  58. C Dione from Canada writes: Long Beach Vancouver does not belong on this list!!!!
  59. Globe Insider subscriber content
    sebastien Charbonneau from Toronto, Canada writes: I was interested and seriously considering printing this article to read more closely and perhaps refers to it at a later time when planning future trips. Until I got to the last so called top 10 "beaches" and saw Paris Plage...now this writer lost all its credibility in my mind... If that is on the top tem worldwide it tells me to stay away from his other top 9 locations!

    Dear Editor: Please take a closer look at this writer’s articles and challenge his sources and/or researches before publishing. Pity...
  60. Sam Patel from Vancouver, Canada writes: Canada ranks 2nd, Paris, Venice, Denmark and Japan all come in highly but none from a the Carribean, Mexico, the South Pacific, or Australia? What kind of BS poll is this? I think the originator of this poll ought to have a pole shoved up his or her you know what.
  61. Vivian Moreau from Victoria, Canada writes: Bert, Have you ever spent a winter in Victoria? Wonder why we have such pale complexions? We don't have snow, all we have is grey, as in no sun for four months. The sun came out today and everyone was like, ouch, what is that great golden orb in the sky? Beaches - warm, sunny ones - sound good to us, too.
  62. Bert Archer from Canada writes: Vivian - I spent five winters in Victoria, as it happens. I went to high school there. I recall the grey, but also -- now that I live in colder climes -- the warmth, and the daffodils.
  63. Nolan Kerr from Winnipeg, Canada writes: Bert, In all honesty, do you beleive that these 10 are the BEST IN THE WORLD or just 10 nice beaches that people should go to? No doubt they are all good beaches, but, as you may have noticed by the comments above, those are NOT the best in the world by any stretch of the wildest imagination. Just interested in your mind set on this.
    Thanks in advance for your reply!
  64. Nolan Kerr from Winnipeg, Canada writes: Hmmmm, no response... hope Bert didn't get fired over this article!
  65. Kay Ay from Canada writes: The water at Cavendish is cold? Compared bathwater maybe.
    If you want cold water swim at Ingonish beach in Cape Breton (there is fabulous golfing there too).
    Now swimming in Sharbot Lake in Ontario is cold.
    We have no choice though being so far away from the ocean.

    You could easily pick 10 fabulous beaches just in the Maritimes.
    They surf at Lawrencetown Beach (NS) all year round.
    I'm homesick just thinking about it.
  66. Larry Alexander from New Glasgow, Canada writes: For an absolutely unspoiled, and deserted beach that seems to go for ever, you have to see Old Harry on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, in the gulf of Saint Lawrence.
    My wife and I visited 4 summers ago and it is truly a paradise.
  67. ginny ! from Canada writes: New River Beach in New Brunswick? Sure, the water's cold, but the beach is massive, and then, at high tide, it disappears....

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