Three Australian beaches named among world’s 50 best for 2026

Experiences

Move over Bondi and Byron. The latest ranking of the world’s 50 best beaches has been released, and while one WA Beach has made the podium, the country’s most famous stretches of sand are absent from the list.

Wharton Beach has been voted as the third best beach in the world. Image: Getty

Australia has long traded on the strength of our coastline, but a new global ranking suggests the beaches Australians actually rate as their best are not the ones the rest of the world has decided to crown.

The World’s 50 Best Beaches has released its 2026 list, drawing on votes from more than 1,000 vetted travel professionals, judges and beach ambassadors who have spent careers traversing coastlines.

Wharton Beach in Esperance, Western Australia, came in at No. 3 globally, behind only Entalula Beach in the Philippines and Fteri Beach in Greece. Turquoise Bay on the Ningaloo coast followed at No. 15, and Tasmania’s Wineglass Bay rounded out the Australian contingent at No. 21.

Beaches are scored on how unspoiled they feel, swimming conditions, wildlife, crowd levels and whether the soundtrack is genuinely the ocean rather than jet skis and beach clubs.

Tine Holst, cofounder and CEO of The World’s 50 Best Beaches, told Forbes contributor Laura Begley Bloom that the trend is moving sharply away from high-traffic destinations.

“There’s a clear move away from well-known, high-traffic beaches toward places that feel more preserved and natural,” Holst said. “It’s not just about how a beach looks, it’s about how it’s maintained and whether that experience can still feel special.”