Discovering a hidden beach paradise is a rare delight. With so many beaches worldwide, most of them overcrowded, finding a truly secluded and serene spot can be quite challenging. A new study from Betway has analysed 100 beaches based on metrics like the number of online reviews, Instagram posts and nearby amenities – with fewer being better.
Here are the top 10 around the world to escape the crowds. Playa Mina, on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, kicks things off at number ten. A stunning, lesser-known beach in the country it is also considered one of the best wild camping spots.
Located on the west shore of the Hawaiian island Molokai, Kaupoa Beach is made up of two beaches shaped like crescent moons. While access by road is okay, amenities are scarce. Across the ditch, Anapai Bay along the Abel Tasman Coast Track in New Zealand is ranked number eight on the list.
It has zero amenities or roads within two kilometres of the beach. Miloli'i Beach is a beautiful NaPali Coast beach, located on the western shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. There are only three roads in the vicinity of this spot.
Much more popular on social media but nonetheless difficult to get to is Bonaire's Pink Beach. Like other pink beaches in the Caribbean, this one gets its rosy hue from the presence of microscopic foraminifera and their colourful shells. In fifth place is Playa Preciosa in the Dominican Republic.
A long, broad, tawny beach with aquamarine water on one side and a thick fringe of palm trees on the other, it is so secluded it's even tricky to find images online. Praia do Penedo is located near Aljezur in Portugal. It only has two reviews on Tripadvisor and a mere 70 posts online.
The average water temp is 18.3oC. Cresta de Gallo in the Philippines comes in third.
While it does seem to be more popular on Instagram with 7,424 posts, the beach is still located a good distance away from any roads or amenities, and it only has 25 TripAdvisor reviews. In second place is Crayfish Beach in Australia. Located on Hook Island, this beautiful and sheltered beach has a very limited online presence, with zero TripAdvisor reviews and just 101 Instagram posts.
It also has zero amenities or roads within two kilometres of the beach, and the water temperature averages a warm 25.6oC. Pipe Creek Sand Bar in The Bahamas has been crowned the most secluded beach in the world.
With zero TripAdvisor reviews and only 107 Instagram posts, this hidden gem doesn't have much of an online presence – which is good, as this means fewer people will be aware of it, meaning far fewer visitors. There are also no amenities or roads within two kilometres of the beach, so it's well and truly hidden away from the outside world..
