Whether you’re a snorkelling enthusiast or just after some vibrant snaps for insta, there’s nothing quite as beautiful as a shore lapped by blindingly blue waters. And now you can find out exactly where the bluest water in the world is, thanks to a new ranking from villa rental company CV Villas – and it’s backed by science (or so they claim).
To come up with the ranking, researchers compiled a long list of the most popular and most beautiful beaches in the world. Then came the colour analysis, which involved taking unedited images of the beaches from Google Maps, using a colour dropper tool to determine the water’s exact shade, and cross-referencing that shade against the official bluest shade of blue (YInMn Blue, in case you’re curious).
And beating out the world-renowned aquamarine coasts of the Maldives, Bora Bora, Croatia and Greece, it turns out Pasqyra aka Mirror Beach in Albania has the world’s bluest water. Who knew?
Greece still dominated the list though, claiming five of the top ten spaces, and seven in the top 30. But with so many gorgeous islands and shorelines such as Paralia Mpouka, Voulisma Beach and Omprogialos, it’s no surprise the country ranked so well, nor that its beaches will soon be better protected.
Europe did ridiculously well overall, in fact. Beaches across the continent claimed all of the top ten spots, and 26 of the top 30. Destinations in Bulgaria, France, Montenegro and Scotland also made the top 30.
These are the beaches with the bluest water in the world
- Pasqyra Beach (Mirror Beach), Albania
- Paralia Mpouka (Long Beach), Greece
- Kassiopi, Greece
- Plage de la Vernette, France
- Kaputas Beach, Türkiye
- Voulisma beach, Greece
- Foki Beach, Greece
- Praia do Carvalho, Portugal
- Omprogialos, Greece
- Los Lances Beach, Spain
Beach, please
For more on the best spots for a little sun, sea and sand, here is our roundup of the best beaches in Europe, and the best ones from all over the world.
And here are some great places to go snorkelling, and these are the best places in the world to go scuba diving.
Did you see that this popular travel destination is doubling its entry fee this year?
Plus: Finland is looking for ‘happiness seekers’ to stay for free this summer.
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