Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life
    2. Travel

    So where exactly are the incredible beaches you keep seeing on Instagram?

    Because other people are on holiday, and we’re not…

    By Caroline Leaper
    Published 9 August 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    The beach
    The beach
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Because other people are on holiday, and we’re not…

    We’ve rounded up the eight most Insta-worthy beaches in the world. Bring on the wanderlust….

    Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos It’s like a poster for a travel agent, isn’t it? Except this is the totally un-Photoshopped beach of Grace Bay, located in the Turks and Caicos Islands of the Caribbean. As this pic by @Theplumetisgirl proves, its sands are pure and its waters crystal clear. Oh and it’s the number one rated beach on TripAdvisor, just sayin’.

    Lopez Mendes, Brazil Now this one is a bit of an effort to get to (we’ve had the insect bites and sunburn to prove it) but oh wow, when you get there it is worth it. Located on the island of Ilha Grande, about three hours south down the coast from Rio, Lopez Mendes is only accessible via a tricky 2 hour trek, or a boat ride and a 15 minute trek around from the island’s main town. On arrival, the beach actually ‘greets you’ as its flour-like sand is so pure that it squeaks under your feet.

    Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas Not all beaches are made equal, and not all beaches were made with gold sand and blue sea. In fact, the Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island in the Bahamas literally boasts rose tinted sand, thanks to the microscropic animals called Foraminifera that wash up there. Picture: Instagram/@Beautycon

    You may like
    • Burberry summer fashion pop up From Burberry in Antibes to Gucci in Monte Carlo, These Are the Luxury Fashion Pop-Ups Worth Visiting
    • Mischa Anouk Smith on a sunset boat trip along Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast Forget Capri, Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast Is the Mediterranean’s New Luxury Hotspot
    • Shakira performs at Todo Mundo no Rio in Rio de Janeiro Are We Travelling to See Places, or Become Someone Else While We're There?

    Boulders Beach, South Africa A picture perfect beach isn’t always a pure white sand vs turquoise sea affair. As @BiancaBass proves, a quirky twist can be even more beautiful – like spending the day admiring South Africa’s largest penguin colony at Boulders Beach in the Table Mountain National Park.

    Pig Island, Exumas Likewise, a day swimming with wild pigs in the Bahamas is pretty Insta-popular right now. A favourite amongst fashion bloggers, a boat trip to feed the pigs and watch their piggy paddle has become a must-do if you’re in the area. Something tells us, however, that we wouldn’t look as graceful as @RosieLondoner, in practice.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Dune Du Plya, France Literally a giant sand dune, the Dune Du Plya in France is around 60km from Bordeaux. The money shot for Insta, naturally, is to roll down it. Picture: Instagram/@vanessalax

    Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall The Cornish coast is full of beauty spots, but Porthcurno Beach is particularly Insta-popular thanks to this key angle you can get of the cove. Picture: Instagram/@meena_ph

    Whitehaven Beach, Australia This 7km stretch along Whitsunday Island in Australia is as impressive from the air as it is when you sink your feet into its footprint-free sands. Its swirling white sand patterns are Instagram gold. Picture: Instagram/@ashleycashmanmakeup

    What’s your favourite beach in the world? Tweet us @MarieClaireUK.

    Caroline Leaper
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Burberry summer fashion pop up
    Fashion From Burberry in Antibes to Gucci in Monte Carlo, These Are the Luxury Fashion Pop-Ups Worth Visiting
    Mischa Anouk Smith on a sunset boat trip along Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast
    Travel Forget Capri, Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast Is the Mediterranean’s New Luxury Hotspot
     
     
    Shakira performs at Todo Mundo no Rio in Rio de Janeiro
    Travel Are We Travelling to See Places, or Become Someone Else While We're There?
    Christopher Esber Flip flops
    Fashion From Luxury Beach Resorts to London Streets, Everyone Is Wearing These Designer Flip-Flops
     
     
    Latest in Travel
    Mischa Anouk Smith on a sunset boat trip along Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast
    Travel Forget Capri, Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast Is the Mediterranean’s New Luxury Hotspot
    Sensoria Dolomites
    Travel Part Ski Resort, Part Sanctuary, Sensoria Dolomites is Capturing the Wellness Zeitgeist
     
     
    Portrait Milano
    Travel I've Discovered the Luxury Milan Hideaway That’s Perfect for Shopping, Sightseeing and Feeling Like You've Been Gone a Week in Just Two Days
    Cala San Miguel, Ibiza
    Travel Yes, Ibiza Can Work for Grown-Ups: My Recent Trip Proves It's Perfect in Your 30s and 40s
     
     
    Latest in Features
    The best things to do this September
    Culture The Agenda: The New-Season Cultural Reset
    Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event
    Fitness Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney
     
     
    NYFW ss27 outfits to wear now
    Fashion I Just Got Back From New York: These 6 Outfits Deserve a Spot in Your Autumn Rotation
    Michelle Obama Liffner bag
    Fashion Michelle Obama Just Wore the Sophisticated Bag Brand Every Fashion Insider is Obsessed With
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.