Top 10 longest beaches in the world
For many people, the beach is the perfect place to go on their well-deserved vacation. Whether people prefer beaches for long romantic evening walks, relaxing hours of sunbathing on a sunny day or just for all kinds of sporting activities, beaches around the world are known as the most iconic symbol for the holiday.
The good news is that beaches are not uncommon. Most bodies of water have beaches. But not all beaches are the same. These can include pebbles, shingles, gravel, and most importantly, sand. Sandy beaches are the most common type of beach and are usually caused by the sea or ocean (although sandy beaches are also rare). It is not surprising that white sandy beaches are the most popular type of beach and a favorite destination for beach tourists.
But beaches also vary greatly in size. They can be relatively small hidden spots, but they can also be impressively long areas stretching tens of kilometers per mile. Usually, along the long beaches is where tourism booms the most. Hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, etc. All want to be located near the beach.
The following ranking will show you where on our planet you can find the longest beaches in the world.
10 longest beaches in the world
Top 10 longest beaches in the world (summary)
254 km / 158 miles
182 km / 113 miles
151 km / 94 miles
120 km / 75 miles
97 km / 60 miles
88 km / 55 miles
82 km / 51 miles
56 km / 35 miles
45 km / 28 miles
34 km / 21 miles
The 10 longest beaches in the world by length, as measured by beaches that are not interrupted by any body of water, streets, buildings, etc.
1. Praia do Cassino, Brazil
254 km / 158 miles long
Location: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Largest city by the beach: Cassino
Praia do Cassino (“Cassino Beach”) is the longest beach in the world. The beach is located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost tip of Brazil. It stretches over a length of 254 km / 158 miles from the north of the town of Cassino (after which the beach is named) all the way to the south until it is crossed by the Arroyo Chuy River which marks the border between Brazil and Uruguay.
2. Padre Island Beach, USA
182 km / 113 miles long
Location: Texas, USA
Largest city by the beach: Corpus Christi
Padre Island Beach is the second longest beach in the world. At the same time, this is also the longest beach in the United States of America. The beach marks the shoreline of Padre Island, a small island located just off the mainland of Texan. It stretches from the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas all the way to the Brazos Santiago Pass, almost reaching the US-Mexico border. Thus, the beach reaches an impressive length of 182 km / 113 miles.
3. Ninety Mile Beach, Australia
151 km / 94 miles long
Location: Victoria, Australia
Largest city by the beach: Loch Sport
Its name doesn't give enough credit to Ninety Mile Beach in Australia, because of the fact the beach is even 94 miles or 151 kilometers in size. This makes the Pacific Ocean's longest beach. It is located in the Australian state of Victoria on the South East coast of the country, east of Melbourne and south of Australia's three largest national parks (Yara Ranges National Park, Snowy River National Park & Kosciuszko National Park). . You can find several small coastal towns right at the beach.
4. Cox's Bazar Beach, Bangladesh
120 km / 75 miles long
Location: Chittagong Division, Bangladesh
Largest city by the beach: Cox's Bazar
Cox's Bazar Beach is the fourth longest beach in the world. At the same time, the beach is the longest beach of the Indian Ocean and of the whole of Asia. The beach is named after the city of Cox's Bazar, located in the Chittagong District of Bangladesh. That's where the beach begins. It then stretches south along with Himchari National Park before being interrupted by the Reju Canal after a length of 120 km/75 miles.
5. Grand Strand, USA
97 km / 60 miles long
Location: South Carolina, USA
Biggest city by the beach: Myrtle . Beach
Grand Strand is another American beach featured in the Top 10 longest beaches in the world. The Grand Strand is also the longest beach on the US Eastcoast stretching 97 km or 60 miles across the coast of the US state of South Carolina from the Little River to Winyah Bay. The most popular beach is Myrtle Beach, a popular tourist town in the region.
6. Ninety Mile Beach, New Zealand
88 km / 55 miles long
Location: Northland, New Zealand
Largest city by the beach: Ahipara
You don't see a couple, there's actually another Ninety Mile Beach. Unlike the Australian version, the beach in New Zealand doesn't really deserve the name, as it is "only" 55 miles long. The beach may be named after confusing the metric system with the British system of measurement, as the beach is nearly 90 kilometers long (88 to be exact). This is still an impressive length for a beach located in the northernmost state of Northland in New Zealand.
7. Playa Novillero, Mexico
82 km / 51 miles long
Location: Nayarit, Mexico
Largest city by the beach: Playa Novillero
Playa Novillero (“Novillero Beach”) is the seventh longest beach in the world. The beach has an impressive length of 82 km / 51 miles and is therefore the longest beach on the North American Westcoast. The beach stretches from the Teacapan Estuary, which marks the border between the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, all the way south to the Agua Brava Lagoon in Nayarit.
8. Virginia Beach, USA
56 km / 35 miles long
Location: Virginia & North Carolina, USA
Biggest City by the Beach: Virginia Beach
Another beach in the US is part of the 10 longest beaches in the world. Virginia Beach is also known as the longest beach in the world. Especially in the Virginia part, you'll be hard-pressed to find any point of the beach without a hotel, restaurant, bar, or other entertainment facility right by the beach. Virginia Beach stretches from the city of the same name in Virginia all the way to Oregon Inlet in North Carolina.
9. Long Beach, USA
45 km / 28 miles long
Location: Washington, USA
Biggest city by the beach: Long Beach
Bai Dai is also another American beach in the Top 10 longest beaches in the world. The beach is 45 km / 28 miles long and is located on Bai Dai Peninsula in Washington state, Northwestern United States, right next to the Pacific Ocean. Unlike the other American beaches in this ranking, Bai Dai does not have a major tourist infrastructure and remains largely natural with only a few small towns adjacent to the beach.
10. Ibeno Beach, Nigeria
34 km / 21 miles long
Location: Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
Largest city by the beach: Kwa Ibo
Ibeno Beach has a length of 34 km / 21 miles, which is the longest beach in Africa. The beach is located in the state of Akwa Ibom, Southeast of Nigeria. It stretches from the town of Kwa Ibo in the West all the way to the easternmost corner of Akwa Ibom, just near the river border with the neighboring State of Cross River.