TripAdvisor picks: World's best beaches
By Marnie Hunter, CNN • Published 18th March 2014
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Flip-flop weather must be right around the corner. While nearly any sun-soaked stretch of sand sounds perfect just now, some beaches clearly take the sand and surf prerequisites to a higher level.
The pinnacle for beach-goers? Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha, a volcanic archipelago off the coast of Brazil.
This pristine Brazilian beach takes top honors on TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice best beaches list, released Tuesday.
The beach rankings, in their second year, are determined by analyzing the quality and quantity of a year's worth of TripAdvisor user reviews of beaches across the globe. Baia do Sancho moved up from a No. 4 ranking last year.
Click through the gallery above to see the top 10 beaches around the world.
Overall, the best beaches awards include 322 beaches and lists of the most highly ranked beaches for Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific and the United States.
Here's how TripAdvisor ranks U.S. beaches:
1. Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii
2. Ka'anapali Beach, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
3. Siesta Key Public Beach, Siesta Key, Florida
4. Hanalei Beach, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
5. Wai'anapanapa State Park, Hana, Maui, Hawaii
6. Wailea Beach, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
7. Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort, South Carolina
8. Manini'owali Beach (Kua Bay), Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
9. Saint Pete Beach, Saint Pete Beach, Florida
10. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
2. Ka'anapali Beach, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
3. Siesta Key Public Beach, Siesta Key, Florida
4. Hanalei Beach, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
5. Wai'anapanapa State Park, Hana, Maui, Hawaii
6. Wailea Beach, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
7. Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort, South Carolina
8. Manini'owali Beach (Kua Bay), Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
9. Saint Pete Beach, Saint Pete Beach, Florida
10. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
