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This is officially the world’s ‘most relaxing’ beach

A new study has analysed online travel reviews to find the best stretches of coast to unwind

Liv Kelly
Written by
Liv Kelly
Contributing Writer
Little French Key, Caribbean
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Beaches are great. Whether you’re a surfer, a bodyboarder, a jet-skier or a swimmer, finding a cracking bay to get stuck into some water sports is one way plenty of us love spending our time on holiday. 

But there’s one other thing beaches are great for – relaxing. That’s right: even the most adventurous travellers among us can’t deny they love a good couple of hours stretched out on the sand, and now we know the best beaches in the world for doing so.

SpaSeekers.com has clocked up how many times the words ‘relaxing’ and ‘relax’ were used in online travel reviews of beaches all over the world, and Little French Key, which is on a private island in Honduras, has ranked as the most relaxing. 

Almost 17 percent of the 4,250 reviews mentioned that all-important word. With its classic white sand, perfectly clear water and off-the-grid vibe, we’re hardly shocked. 

In second place it’s Palm Cove in Australia, and in third place it was Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach in Iceland. Clearly there are excellent places to relax in all corners of the world – check out the rest of the list below. 

These are the world’s most relaxing beaches

  1. Little French Key, Honduras
  2. Palm Cove, Australia
  3. Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach, Iceland
  4. Yas Beach, UAE
  5. Saud Beach, Philippines
  6. South Padre Island, USA
  7. Otres Beach, Cambodia
  8. An Bang Beach, Vietnam
  9. White Bay, British Virgin Islands
  10. Boca Grande, USA
  11. Maremegmeg Beach, Philippines
  12. Lindquist Beach, USA
  13. Crescent Beach, USA
  14. Ayia Thekla Beach, Cyprus
  15. Secret Beach, Belize
  16. Palolem Beach, India
  17. Tybee Island, USA
  18. Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka
  19. Serendipity Beach, Cambodia
  20. Ngapali Beach, Myanmar
  21. Muri Lagoon, Cook Islands
  22. Sanur Beach, Bali
  23. Folly Beach, USA
  24. Doctor’s Cave Beach, Jamaica
  25. Corniche Beach, UAE

Yes, beach!

From the whitest sand to the bluest water, there are so many elements that go into a great beach. But for more advice from the experts, Time Out has lists of the very best in the USA, the UK, Europe and the world.

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