Traveler magazine's experts rate 99 of the world's great islands, coastlines, and beaches for sustainability and authenticity.
Top Rated
In excellent shape, relatively unspoiled, and likely to remain so.
Newfoundland and Labrador: Avalon Peninsula 84
Wales: Pembrokeshire coast 80
New Zealand: Tutukaka Coast, Northland 80
Chile: Chilean fjords 79
Hawaii: Na Pali Coast, Kauai 79
Oman: Batinah Coast 79
British Columbia: Gulf Islands 78
Nova Scotia: South Shore 77
Australia: Broome 77
Argentina: Valdés Peninsula 76
Scotland: Moray Firth coast, Inverness to Peterhead 76
Italy: Cinque Terre 76
Namibia: Skeleton Coast 75
Cook Islands: As a whole 75
New Zealand: Great Barrier Island 75
Oregon: Oregon coast 75
Prince Edward Island: Coastal areas 74
Georgia (U.S.): Sea Islands 74
Doing Well
Retaining sense of place, with a few surmountable problems.
Portugal: Southern Atlantic coast 73
Malaysia: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 72
Morocco: Essaouira, Atlantic coast 72
Bermuda: As a whole 72
Croatia: Dalmatian Coast 71
Antarctic Peninsula 70
Costa Rica: Caribbean coast 70
Jamaica: S.W. coast, Savanna-la-Mar to Old Harbour 70
Mozambique: N. coast: Cabo Delgado/Quirimbas 69
Puerto Rico: West coast 69
Samoa: As a whole 69
Brazil: Bahia, northern coast 69
Philippines: Palawan 68
California: The Peninsula, San Mateo/Santa Cruz coast 68
Greece: Crete, south coast 67
Florida: Forgotten Coast (Apalachicola area) 67
Greenland: Southwestern coast 66
Seychelles: As a whole 66
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro beaches 66
Colombia: Cartagena coastal region 65
France: Guéthary, southwest coast 65
In the Balance
A mixed bag of successes and worries, with the future at risk.
Bonaire: As a whole 63
India: Kerala coastal areas 63
Germany: Baltic Coast 62
Alaska: Juneau 62
Mauritius: As a whole 62
Denmark: Jutland beach areas 61
Italy: Sardinia, Costa Smeralda 61
UAE: Abu Dhabi 61
Maldives: As a whole 61
Mexico: Tulum to Sian Kaan 61
Washington: Puget Sound 61
Israel: Haifa 61
Tanzania: Swahili Coast 61
Turkey: Turquoise Coast (Aegean) 60
California: Santa Catalina Island 60
Morocco: Mediterranean coast 60
Chile: Viña del Mar 60
Greece: Santorini 60
England: Torbay, Devon 60
Sri Lanka: South coast, Galle to Hambatota 59
Spain: Tenerife, Canary Islands 58
Belize: Coast and barrier reef 58
Honduras: Northern coast 57
Spain: Mallorca 57
Latvia: Jurmala area 56
Costa Rica: Pacific coast 55
Dominican Republic: Cabo Samaná 55
England: Brighton, East Sussex 55
Facing TroubleUnder severe pressures; many places working to recover.
Tunisia: Coastal resort region 54
Florida: Treasure Coast (Boca Raton-Vero Beach) 54
Arizona: Lake Powell 53
South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal coast 52
Albania: Coastal regions 52
Greece: Crete, north coast 52
Indonesia: Bali coasts 52
South Korea: Pusan 50
China: Hainan 51
Thailand: Andaman coast 51
Kenya: Mombasa to Malindi 50
Bulgaria: Black Sea coast 49
California: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta 49
Monaco: As a whole 49
Australia: Gold Coast 48
Japan: Okinawa 48
Bottom Rated
Severe problems; some destinations fighting back, some not.
Mexico: Zihuatanejo 47
Gambia: Atlantic beach coast 45
Hawaii: Waikiki, Oahu 45
Jamaica: N.W. coast, Montego Bay-Ocho Rios 45
Portugal: Algarve 44
Lebanon: Coastal areas 43
Vietnam: Nha Trang to Mui Ne 43
South Carolina: Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach and region) 43
Spain: Costa Blanca (Alicante) 43
India: Goa 41
Egypt: Sharm el Sheikh area 38
Cambodia: Sihanoukville 38
UAE: Dubai 37
New Jersey: North Shore 36
Near Catastrophic (A disaster occurred. Tourism has a role in recovery.)
Mississippi: Gulf Coast 33
Louisiana: Gulf Coast 24
