Nabbing the title of one of the best beaches in Australia is no easy feat, let alone the best in the whole wide world. With more than 12,000 coastal gems dotted across the country, our beach standards are super high Down Under, so it makes sense that our sandy shores consistently rank among the best worldwide. But it's a stiff competition, so if you’re looking for the best of the best, 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 one of them is right here in Victoria.
The runner-up for the world’s best beach in 2025 is the one-and-only Squeaky Beach in regional 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. In February 2024, Squeaky Beach was also named as the best beach in the country by Tourism Australia, so now it can add another feather to its cap.
Topping the list as the best beach on Earth for 2025 is Queensland’s Whitehaven Beach, with its glistening azure waters and silica-white sands. 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.
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
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