While there are many beautiful beaches in the world, not all of them have the rare quality of being remote as well. The thing is, the harder it is to get to a beach, the fewer people you’ll find there.
Here are some of the most isolated, sometimes even abandoned, beaches on the planet, ranging from tropical to desert to arctic. Regardless of where it is, an empty beach tends to be all the more beautiful for its emptiness, for its quietness, and for its isolation.
Monkey Beach – Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
Monkey Beach was the primary setting for the film, The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but it is pretty hard to get to, so it remains remote. First, you have to get to Phuket, Thailand, then you have to take a boat to an island, and then you have to take a kayak to another smaller island. That’s how you get to Monkey Beach.
If you’re scared of monkeys, steer clear of Monkey Beach. Sure its gorgeous, crystalline, tropical waters might entice you, but monkeys are much more numerous than humans here, and they’re always looking for food.
Manzanillo Beach – Providencia, Colombia
On the isolated island of Providencia, off the shores of mainland Colombia, is Manzanillo Beach. There is no way to get there directly from the Colombian (or any) mainland, which keeps most people away. The two ways to arrive include a charter flight from another island called San Andrés or to take a ferry.
The ferry only leaves once every six days, and it’s a three and half hour ride. Once you get there, the island is sparsely populated, and Manzanillo Beach has only one building in sight, a dinky Reggae beach bar.
Entalula Island – Philippines
The teeny-tiny island of Entalula is part of the El Nido region of a slightly larger nearby island in the Philippines called Palawan. While El Nido as a whole can tend to be a tourist hotspot, Entalula Island is a peaceful, more isolated place to relax and swim and just be.
The island is private, so legally, you can only go there with a tour, but the tours are generally small. The island itself is pretty much a jungle, with a small, pristine strip of white sand beach to lounge on.
Praia Do Penedo – Portugal
Porto Santo is a small Portuguese island near Madeira. Praia Do Penedo is the quietest of the island’s beaches, with sprawling golden sand juxtaposed with the clearest waters on its shores. Located far from the Porto Santo’s commercial zone, it is in the southeast area of the island.
The island does have a very small international airport, but the most popular way to arrive is by ferry from Madeira. Tourists tend to stick to Madeira if they even venture off of mainland Portugal, which is why Praia Do Penedo remains such an isolated beach.
Navagio Beach – Greece
Navagio Beach, on the Greek Isle of Zakynthos, is also called Shipwreck Beach. It is only accessible by boat, though there is a clifftop viewpoint above the beach that can be reached by car. There is an old smuggler’s ship wrecked on the beach, which is how it got its other name.
The remote beach is located in a small cove surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides, meaning it is impossible to hike between the viewpoint and the beach itself. The turquoise-colored sea in the cove help to make it such a magical and beautiful spot.
Pig Beach – Bahamas
There is an island in the Bahamas that is inhabited by pigs, where no humans live. It is called Big Major Cay, though it has been nicknamed Pig Beach. How they got there remains a mystery, though the pigs are adorable and friendly, and you can swim with them.
As you might imagine, it’s not so easy to get to Pig Beach. It’s only accessible by boat, either on a guided tour or by chartering a boat to take there yourself. It’s pretty expensive to do either, which is how this little beach populated by pigs remains so secluded.
Hidden Beach – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Hidden Beach, off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is only accessible during low tide. You’ll have to swim in from a boat that can’t reach the shore. You’ll arrive on a chartered boat, as the Marieta Islands are an environmentally protected area. The islands have no human inhabitants.
There is about six feet of clearance above the water level at low tide and the roof of the “cave.” Once you get through that water tunnel, the roof opens up to let the tropical sun in, and finally, you’ll find yourself on a tiny, isolated beach.
Champagne Beach – Vanuatu
The tiny island nation of Vanuatu is as remote as they come. From the main island of Vanuatu, you can reach an even smaller island called Espiritu Santo, and on it, an isolated patch of tropical paradise called Champagne Beach.
Cruise ships stop here, making the beach crowded on those days, but if you arrive any other day, you’ll likely have the beach to yourself aside from the cows and sea turtles. There is nothing on the beach but beach, and it is kept pristine by way of its entrance fee, just shy of $20 USD.
Solheimasandur – Iceland
Decades ago, a plane crashed at Solheimasandur, a beach in Iceland, and its remains are still there. Luckily no one died in the crash, so it makes it a little less spooky. What enhances how amazing this beach is, aside from being in a remote corner of the far northern world, is that the sand is black.
To get to the beach, you have to park and hike about four miles round trip. It’s a flat hike, but it takes longer than usual because you are walking on rocky black sand.
Les Sables Roses – Rangiroa, French Polynesia
Tahiti is already far, far away from the rest of the world. Still, in order to get to Les Sables Roses in Rangiroa, French Polynesia, you have to go yet another hour on a plane to an even smaller, even more, isolated island. Les Sables Roses contains beaches made of crushed coral, which has turned the sand pink.
This island holds some of the most remote beaches in the world, in part because of its location, right smack in the middle of the South Pacific, about halfway between Australia and South America.
Shell Beach – Western Australia
Shell Beach in remote Western Australia is aptly named. It is covered in pinkish-white shells stretching for 75 miles and, in some areas go up to 32 feet deep. A fair distance from most of the places in Australia tourists or even many people travel to, Shell Beach remains remote and quiet.
Sitting on the edge of an isthmus in Shark Bay, this is one of only two beaches in the world where instead of sand, it is made up entirely of shells. Shell Beach a far trek from civilization, the closest city being nearly 500 miles away by road.
Grenen – Denmark
Denmark is home to one of the most secluded beaches in the world, quiet of human noise pollution, but with plenty of natural noise from the seas. Grenen is a long sandbar at the northernmost point in Denmark, just north of a small town called Skagen.
Grenen is where the North Sea meets the Baltic Sea, and this meeting creates an extraordinary and very noticeable collision between the waters. Because of how far north it is, Grenen is infrequently visited and not the easiest to get to. Likely, if you come here, you’ll be totally alone.
Quirimbas Archipelago – Mozambique
The beaches in Quirimbas Archipelago in Mozambique are secluded and completely unspoiled. Part of the reason for this is because of the tide; many beaches are altered or completely disappear depending on if it is high or low tide, making it impossible to build too close to the shore.
All over Quirimbas Archipelago, it feels like you’re at the end of the world. The water is stunningly clear and blue and warm throughout the entire coastline, which consists of 32 separate islands. Start at Ibo Island and work your way around, exploring from that jumping-off point.
Vatersay – Outer Hebrides, Scotland
No one thinks of Scotland when then think of fantastic beaches, but the Outer Hebrides islands off of the country’s northern coast is a landscape to be reckoned with. The waters on the Atlantic beaches of Vatersay, in particular, have turquoise that will match any of the best tropical locations.
Also, because Vatersay is challenging to get to, its beaches are isolated and empty. In order to get to Vatersay, you first have to go to Barra, another island in the Outer Hebrides, by either ferry or flight. Then use the two-lane causeway that connects the two islands.
Salt Whistle Bay – St Vincent And The Grenadines
Salt Whistle Bay is on the north end of Mayreau in the southern Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The beaches of Salt Whistle Bay have blinding white sand, gorgeous turquoise waters, saltgrape plants, and lots of jungly foliage for shade.
Mayreau can only be reached by sea, as there are no landing strips on the island. As such, it is very unpopulated, making Salt Whistle Bay’s beach one of the most secluded on the planet. You can either fly to nearby Union Island and arrive by water taxi from there or take a ferry from St. Vincent
Railay Beach – Thailand
Often, the most private, secluded, isolated beaches on Earth are not easy to get to, and Railay Beach in Thailand is no exception. It is actually still on the mainland peninsula of Thailand but is only accessible by boat because of the topography around it known as karst, full of sinkholes and caves, impossible to traverse.
There are many ferries you can take to get to Railay from Phuket or other nearby towns or islands. Once you arrive, expect no roads, just footpaths. The waters of Railay Beach are incredibly calm and crystal clear, with limestone cliffs all around.
Elafonissi Beach – Greece
Find Elafonissi Beach at the southern tip of the Greek island of Crete. Elafonissi is actually on an island, though it’s so close, you can walk to it from mainland Crete. You can reach Elafonissi by bus or car. However, first you’ll need to fly or take a long ferry ride to Crete.
The whole tiny island is a protected nature area, and perhaps this is what keeps it so secluded. People often stay on the mainland Crete side of the beach, which has a parking lot and modern services, while the island itself is pure paradise.
Dry Tortugas – Florida
Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands just west of Key West, Florida, that can only be reached by boat or seaplane. It turns out, it’s a US national park, though because it is so hard to get to, it is one the least-visited. Thanks to how remote it is, its sea life is abundant.
Arrive at Dry Tortugas by ferry, seaplane, or private boat. There are several keys that make of Dry Tortugas, though if you don’t have your own boat, you’ll only have access to Garden Key, which is home to the former military post, Fort Jefferson.
Lord Howe Island – New South Wales, Australia
Located in the Tasman Sea off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, is Lord Howe Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The only way to get there is to fly or sail, and a very limited number of guests are allowed on the island at a time, so you’ll have to book everything far in advance if you want to visit.
This tiny subtropical island is home to miles and miles of pristine beaches and clear and calm waters full of coral. The island can be traversed from one end to the other by bike in about 20 minutes.
Marahau Beach – New Zealand
Marahau is a small town at the far northern edge of the South Island of New Zealand. The beach is the remote gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, which can be reached only by kayaking, tramping, or a water taxi.
New Zealand is not the easiest place to get to, as it consists of two islands in a far corner of the world, so it’s already pretty unpopulated as a whole. Marahau’s beautiful beach happens to be one of its best-kept secrets, usually sparsely populated with visitors, as many travelers chose to explore other parts of the country.
Kvalvika Beach – Lofoten Islands, Norway
Kvalvika Beach, located on the Lofoten Islands of Norway, is only accessible by foot. Of course, first you have to get to the Lofoten Islands, which are in the far north of the country, above the arctic circle. You can get there by plane, car, or ferry.
Once on the islands, Kvalvika Beach is on the north side of Moskenesøy. From the trailhead, the hike to the beach is an easy one hour, and well worth it for the stunning northern turquoise water and steep mountains around it. It is truly at the edge of the world.
Le Morne Beach – Mauritius
The island of Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, is full of beautiful beaches. However, most of them are not nearly as remote or isolated as Le Morne Beach, way down on the southwest coast of the island. It is a secluded cove at the bottom of the majestic Morne Brabant mountain.
You can arrive at Le Morne Beach by either car or bus, though a car will be much faster. It is a truly isolated tropical beach paradise with the softest white sand and bright blue warm waters.
Wildcat Beach – California
In order to get to Wildcat Beach, on the Pacific coast just north of San Francisco, you have to hike over five miles. That alone keeps it remote, as the trek is not the easiest for the distance alone. Plus, the hike is moderately difficult, meaning it has some elevation changes.
Once you get to the beach, all that hard work will pay off with not only a beautiful Pacific coastline and great crashing waves, but Alamere Falls is at the south end. It is one of only a few waterfalls that land directly in the Pacific ocean.
Pulau Ubin – Singapore
The island of Pulau Ubin off the coast of mainland Singapore is a true blast from the past. It is still rustic and is basically a fishing village; it feels like you’ve gone back in time to Singapore’s earlier days once you get there.
You just grab a small boat from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal in central Singapore and you’re there in 20 minutes. The island is a tropical paradise with plenty of wildlife, including monkeys, and lots of lovely beaches where you can easily spend the night camping, listening to the waves under the stars.
Famagusta – Northern Cyprus, Turkey
The Varosha Beach Resort used to be a popular Greek beach holiday destination full of luxury hotels back in the early 1970s. However, in the summer of 1974, the Turkish were about to invade, so all the tourists and even the nearly 40,000 people living there packed up and left immediately.
The north part of the island of Cyprus still belongs to the Turkish to this day. The Varosha quarter remains abandoned. Only the Turkish military, UN officials, and certain journalists are technically allowed access, so enter at your own risk.
Isla Del Espiritu Santo – La Paz, Mexico
Espiritu Santo Island is located off the coast of La Paz, Mexico, on the southeastern side of the Baja Peninsula. It is a Natural Protected Area and UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is one accessible beach in the north of the island, and it is small, secluded, and gorgeous.
The island is a desert landscape, covered in red rocky cliffs and cacti, but the water is a crystal clear blue all around it. In order to get to the beach, you have to arrange a boat to take you from La Paz, as only those with a license are allowed.
Neskowin Beach – Oregon
In general, the beaches of the Oregon coast are vast and empty and untouched. Neskowin Beach takes it further, as the whole town has avoided commercialization, leaving the area, especially the beach, quiet and isolated from the rest of the world.
The beach is juxtaposed with enormous rocky cliffs, and in one area, at low tide, you can see the stumps of what used to be a forest of 2,000-year-old Sitka spruce trees. The forest was destroyed by massive storms in the late 90s then buried by either an earthquake or tsunami, which has incidentally preserved them.
Carro Quebrado – Brazil
At nearly the most eastern coast of mainland Brazil is Carro Quebrado, a desert beach that is long, empty, and virtually untouched. Facing the ocean, you’ll see beautiful bright, clear green water, and if you turn inland, you’ll see high red cliffs. The contrast is stunning.
The closest city, Maceió, the capital of the state of Alagoas, is only an hour away by car, with its own gorgeous, though much more populated beaches. Carro Quebrado doesn’t have any services except for one tiny bar. Otherwise, it is completely and stunningly in the middle of nowhere.
Pwll Du Bay – Wales
Pwll Du Bay in Swansea, Wales, is known for its amazing privacy and remoteness. The pebble beach on the south Gower Peninsula has gorgeous northern scenery all around it and a breathtaking view of the ocean. It is most commonly used by locals, as it is too out-of-the-way for most tourists to bother, even if they should.
The way to reach this crescent-shaped beach is by one of three footpaths. There are no services, no toilets, and no car park, which keeps most people away. If you’re looking for a secluded beach, Pwll Du Bay is the answer.
Skeleton Coast – Namibia
Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is on its northeastern shore. If you go there, you’ll likely be alone (with your group). It’s very difficult to get there. You have to join a safari and fly in, and it certainly is not cheap.
Skeleton Coast beaches are vast, desolate, and empty, save for all the dead ships that have run into it thanks to the wild Atlantic waters. That’s where the region got its name. To add to its eerieness, the Skeleton Coast is also inside of the red and barren Namib desert. While it looks bleak, it sure is beautiful.
Jess Lakritz 