The Best Wild Beaches in the World

The last stretch

A wild beach usually has a difficult final approach. Sometimes it is a road: the track to Polihale Beach on Kauai is long, potholed dirt where 4WD or high clearance is advised, and Praia de Santa Mónica on Boa Vista is reached by 4x4 or quad bike over off-road tracks. On the gravel track to Playa de Cofete on Fuerteventura, rental car insurance is excluded. Elsewhere the last part is on foot. Kvalvika Beach in Lofoten is an hour's hike over a mountain pass.

What to carry

Most of these beaches sell nothing and have no shade. Playa de las Conchas on La Graciosa has no toilets or shops, and visitors to Fteri Beach on Kefalonia bring their own water, food and umbrella. A few have a single bar, such as the one at the entrance to Grand Anse on La Digue.

Surf and currents

Open coasts bring strong water, and lifeguards are rare. Playa de Cofete, Anse Georgette on Praslin and Polihale Beach all have strong waves or currents and no lifeguard. At Plage de Pen Hat in Brittany swimming is prohibited. Sheltered bays are the calmer choice, among them Bahía de las Águilas in the Dominican Republic and Playa Balandra near La Paz.

Fees and time slots

Many wild beaches lie inside parks or reserves, and some of those control entry. Rabbit Beach on Lampedusa is booked online for a morning or afternoon session, and Playa Balandra admits visitors in two shifts a day. Baía do Sancho on Fernando de Noronha needs a national park pass that is valid for 10 days.