The Beaches With The Clearest Water In The World

Nothing beats the oohs and aahs that come from looking out the plane window down at the azure and emerald water below, reconfirming you are just about to arrive in a picture perfect paradise. Booking a beach vacay remains one of the most common travel options for couples, families, and solo travelers alike. Whether it's a romantic honeymoon, family adventure, or backpacking bon voyage, the beach is a perennially popular place to vacation.

Some 35 miles southeast of the capital, Nassau, The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 islands and cays with some of the clearest sapphire-colored waters in the world. The crescent-shaped Tropic of Cancer Beach is the longest beach and prettiest one with pristine white powder sand and beautiful blue-green water. Head further north to say hello to the domesticated swimming pigs – yes, pigs! – who swim out to greet boaters in the hopes of a snack in Major's Spot Cay.

Okinawa prefecture is populated with many beautiful beaches, but Furuzamami Beach on Zamami Island is arguably the most picturesque. From its pure white sand to its translucent waters, the remote beach is a popular place for snorkeling and diving to admire the colorful coral reefs and tropical fish that call the waters here home.

The quiet, non-touristy Koh Lanta Yai, an archipelago in southern Thailand, is an oasis boasting miles of desolate beaches along the western coast. A world away from bustling Bangkok and party-hardy Phuket, it's a trek to get to this island in the Andaman Sea, but that is precisely the point – it's so worth it to swim in crystal clear waters and lounge on unspoiled beaches.

The sunny Croatian island Hvar was an important port during the Middle Ages. Today, it is a picturesque island filled with history and some of the best beaches on the Dalmatian Coast. The secluded beaches, like Dubovica Bay, a pebble beach on the island's south shore, offers picture-postcard views of the translucent Adriatic Sea.

A 15-minute hike through vegetation and boulders is rewarded with welcoming sea breezes and a tranquil beach on Virgin Gorda's southwestern tip. The protected land is part of the 58-acre Devil's Bay National Park, and it is a popular spot for hiking, swimming, and snorkeling.

There is no shortage of sand and surf in The Maldives, the archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean. Comprised of 26 atolls (underwater volcanoes surrounded by coral), the string of 1,190 islands and sandbanks are encircled by a lagoon of bottled water clear waters.

One of Belize's 200 cayes, Ambergris Caye, is one of the most popular cayes thanks to the cavernous sinkhole, The Blue Hole, one of the Caribbean's four atolls. Closer to the coast, the beaches here are some of the clearest in the Caribbean.

Some 195 miles from Manila, the tiny island of Boracay boasts two beautiful beaches with stunningly translucent water: White Beach, where two-and-a-half miles of powder fine white sand meets the Pacific Ocean, and Bulabog Beach, where adventurers come to kiteboard and windsurf.

It's not surprising Hanauma Bay was voted best beach in the U.S. in 2016 by Dr. Beaches. The marine life conservation area and underwater park was formed within a volcanic cone, yielding a lively marine ecosystem with clear aquamarine water. The bustling Hanauma Bay gets about 3,000 visitors a day, so arrive early. First-time visitors are required to watch a short video before entering the park to learn about the marine life and conservation efforts. They bay is closed on Tuesdays.

Halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, the Cook Islands are a remote paradise in the South Pacific. The most impressive of the 15 islands is Aitutaki. There are 15 magnificent motus (islets) that dot the secluded turquoise lagoon that is home to tropical fish and unspoiled beauty.

There are plenty of superlative beaches boasting pristine azure water in Greece. Some of the best include the beaches on the west coast of Lefkada, a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. Egremni Beach features dramatic, sheer cliffs that cut into the crystal clear turquoise waters.