Ask 20 different Aussies to name their favourite beach in Australia and you’ll likely end up with 20 spectacularly different answers. With more than 12,000 of these beauties dotted along our coastline, it’s a seriously tough call. But if you’re looking for a clear winner, you can trust the travel gurus at Lonely Planet to settle the score. Their fresh list of the world’s best beaches for 2025 has just placed two Aussie gems right at the top – and we reckon you need to visit them at least once in your life.
With its glistening azure waters and silica-white sands, Queensland’s Whitehaven Beach has been crowned the best beach on Earth for 2025. It’s not the first time this otherworldly beach has topped 'best beach in the world' lists, and it’s easy to see why.
Hidden within the World Heritage-listed Whitsundays National Park, this pristine paradise boasts sand that's 98 per cent silica (meaning it's whiter and softer than pretty much anywhere in the world). Add the warm turquoise waters of the Coral Sea and a breathtaking beauty that feels straight out of a postcard, and you can understand why Whitehaven Beach is the clear winner.
Earlier this year, our Travel and News Editor, Melissa Woodley, was lucky enough to visit Whitehaven Beach. She couldn’t quite believe the blinding beauty of its aquamarine waters swirling around the snow-white sandbanks – a view that’s nothing short of magical when admired from the top of Hill Inlet.
The runner-up for the world’s best beach in 2025 is also in Australia, with that title going to Squeaky Beach in Victoria. The crown jewel of Wilsons Promontory, this protected slice of wilderness is fringed by Victoria’s largest marine national park. Its 700-metre shoreline boasts crashing waves, crystal-clear waters, colourful granite boulders and quartz sand that, quite literally, squeaks when you walk across it.
Described by Lonely Planet as “heaven on Earth”, Anse Source d’Argent beach on La Digue in Seychelles was named as the world’s third-best beach for 2025. Alongside this tropical paradise, the top ten also features beautiful beaches from Thailand, Greece, Mexico and Hawaii. You can check out the full list below.
The 10 best beaches in the world for 2025, according to Lonely Planet:
- Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia
- Squeaky Beach, Victoria, Australia
- Anse Source d’Argent, La Digue, Seychelles
- Sunset Beach, Trang, Thailand
- Sarakiniko Beach, Milos, Greece
- Haukland Beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway
- Playa Balandra, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Pfeiffer Beach, California, USA
- Hanalei Bay, Hawaii, USA
- Platja Illetes, Formentera, Spain