A prestigious travel publication has released a list of what it considers to be the 34 best beaches in the world, and an Australian spot nabbed the top spot. Palm Cove Beach in Queensland placed first in Conde Nast Traveller’s The 34 Best Beaches in the World list.
“Instead of the typical sandy spots dotted with sun umbrellas and gaggles of tourists, we’ve sought out spaces that you may have to venture a little further for, but that remain incredibly beautiful and very often crowd-free,” CNT writer Lizzie Pook writes.
As for why Palm Cove Beach was chosen for the top spot, Pook calls out its ‘tropical paradise’ feel, created with the combination of leaning palm trees and powdery sand, its wildlife, including dolphins and whales, and its lack of beachgoers.
“The town itself, located in the tropical northeast of Australia, near the city of Cairns, the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, is home to only 2,000 people, so the sandy stretch is usually free of crowds,” she writes.
Tourism Palm Cove President Matthew Cork says the Palm Cove community was delighted to discover their beach had been listed as number one. Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen adds that though Palm Cove had long been a favourite beach destination for Australian travellers, this ranking will likely bring more international travellers.
“With its rainforest mountain backdrop and ancient melaleucas shading the pathways, Palm Cove is a unique paradise that invites relaxation,” OIsen says.
Five other Australian beaches made the list. Wategos Beach came in fourth, with Pook calling it the ultimate spot in Byron and describing it as “a sheltered beach lined with screwpine trees and offering up calm swimming conditions”.
Mona Vale Beach in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, less than an hour’s drive from the CBD, came in sixth on the list. Pook notes that the one beach is technically two, separated by a sculptural rock.
“Days on Mona Vale Beach start early – joggers are here from 5am to watch the sunrise before breakfast at the Armchair Collective café, families start trickling in around 9am and set up umbrellas as a base camp for a day of boogie boarding, beach picnics and exploring the rockpool,” she writes.
The next Aussie spot on the list is Noosa Beach, which Pook says is “quite possibly the most beloved beach within easy reach of Brisbane”. She calls out its calm swimming conditions at the southern end of the beach, its classic surf club and nearby Noosa National Park, home to eucalypt forest and koalas.
“Noosa pairs designer boutiques and buzzing restaurants with a sprawling and serene white sand beach,” she writes.
The fifth Australian spot on the spot is Turquoise Bay, 64km from Exmouth and a few metres from Ningaloo Reef, a World Heritage-listed site, best known for its whale sharks.
“It’s a beach of blindingly white sands and impeccable snorkelling – you’ll descend to see rainbow corals, peaceful turtles and more than 500 fish species,” she writes.
Finally, the sixth spot on the list is also in WA. It’s Gantheaume Point in Broome, which Pook describes as having a “backdrop of saffron-coloured cliffs and lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean”.
If you’re lucky here, you might spot ospreys, rare snubfin dolphins and 125-million-year-old dinosaur footprints, preserved in amber-coloured reef rock.
Related: The Definitive Top Ten Best Beaches in Australia
Related: Tasmania’s Best Beaches: Where Wild Beauty Meets Tranquil Shores
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