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The limestone spire above the clear spring fed shallows of Cala Goloritze in Sardinia
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Flagship guide

The best secluded beaches in the world

A naturalist ranking of the planet's most hidden shores, read by their water and their shore rather than their fame. We weighed clarity, sand, reef and entry against how hard each one is to reach, then ranked the coves where solitude and clean water meet.
32
Secluded coves ranked
Water
First, then sand
Early
For empty sand
Honest
Verdicts
Book a beach club
Photo: Carlos Alberto do Amaral · via Google
Published 10 March 2026. Last reviewed 13 April 2026

The verdict

  • Who it is for. Travellers who will trade a hike, a rough track or a boat for a beach with clear water and almost no one on it, and who come prepared to bring their own shade and water.
  • The pick. For seclusion and water quality together, Cala Goloritze in Sardinia, reached by a gorge hike or boat and capped in numbers. Anse Marron on La Digue runs it close.
  • The one thing to know. The famous hidden beach is often the crowded one. Navagio on Zakynthos is a boat scene, not a secret, so we point you to coves like Stiniva and Calamosche where the quiet is real.
The brief

How a naturalist ranks seclusion

A secluded beach is easy to fake in a photograph and hard to fake in person. I read these shores the way I read any stretch of coast, by the water first: its clarity, the grade of the sand or pebble, the reef and seagrass that feed it, the entry underfoot, the shade and the tide. Seclusion only counts when the water is worth the walk, which is why a plain looking bay with extraordinary swimming will beat a famous cove with mediocre, churned up water every time.

The hard access is the whole mechanism. A gorge, a cliff stair, a rough track or a boat is what keeps a beach clear and empty, so I rank the genuinely difficult coves above the ones that merely feel remote. Where a beach trades safe swimming for raw wildness I say so plainly, and where the headline name is a crowded scene I send you one cove along. You can find the wider quiet stretches of each region on our destination guides, from the secluded coves of the Seychelles to the hidden beaches of Sardinia and the quiet corners of Crete.

The ranking

The most secluded, in order

Thirty two coves ranked where solitude and clean water meet, each with the honest verdict on the swimming and the single thing to know before you make the effort to reach it.

1
The limestone spire above the gin clear shallows of Cala Goloritze in SardiniaPhoto: Carlos Alberto do Amaral via Google
Sardinia, Italy

Cala Goloritze

Nothing on this list reads its water better than Goloritze. A cold spring wells up through the seabed and holds the cove at a clarity that looks lit from below, over pale pebble sand beneath a soaring limestone needle. You reach it only down a long gorge on foot or by boat, and the daily numbers are capped, which is exactly why it stays this pure. It sits at the top because seclusion and water quality peak together here in a way the rest only manage one at a time.

Hike or boatCapped numbersSpring fed clarity
Cala Goloritze guide
2
Sculpted granite boulders around the clear rock pools of Anse Marron on La DiguePhoto: Samuel heraud via Google
La Digue, Seychelles

Anse Marron

Reached only on a guided scramble over granite and through palm forest, Anse Marron is the most genuinely hidden corner of La Digue, a chain of warm boulder pools the colour of bottle glass. The water clarity matches Goloritze, but the swimming is sheltered pool more than open bay, so it slips just behind for anyone who wants to put their head down and cover distance. Go with a guide, wear shoes you can climb in, and you will likely share it with nobody.

Guided hikeGranite poolsSnorkel
Anse Marron guide
3
White pebbles and deep blue water at Cala Mariolu on the Gulf of OroseiPhoto: matthias chevrier via Google
Sardinia, Italy

Cala Mariolu

A few coves north of Goloritze, Mariolu pours the same Orosei clarity over a beach of tiny white pebbles, with bream and saddled sea bream hanging in the drop just off the shore. The water is every bit as good, which is why it ranks this high. It loses the top three only because the morning boats from Cala Gonone find it more easily than they find Goloritze, so the solitude thins by midday. Arrive early or walk the coast path in.

White pebbleReef fishBoat or trek
Cala Mariolu guide
4
Fine white sand and shallow turquoise water at Saleccia in the Agriates desertPhoto: Jean pierre BIrbes via Google
Corsica, France

Saleccia

A kilometre of flour white sand backed by dunes and umbrella pines, Saleccia sits inside the roadless Agriates and is reached by a long rough track or a boat from Saint Florent. The shallows run a clean Caribbean turquoise, broad and gentle for wading and easy swimming. It ranks here rather than higher because the openness that makes it feel vast also lets the wind work, and a stiff afternoon breeze can cloud the sand. Come in the calm of early morning.

Desert trackWhite sandShallow
Saleccia guide
5
The granite headland and clear water of Anse Major reached by coastal trail on MahePhoto: Tomas Titz via Google
Mahe, Seychelles

Anse Major

There is no road to Anse Major. You walk a granite coastal path from Bel Ombre to a small cove where the reef sits close in and the snorkelling is the best of any walk in beach on Mahe. The water is clear and lively rather than mirror calm, and there is little shade, so it suits a swimmer over a sunbather. It edges ahead of the next few purely on the quality of what lives in the water just off the rocks.

Trail onlyNo roadSnorkel
Anse Major guide
6
Juniper dunes and a pale lagoon at Kedrodasos beside Elafonissi on CretePhoto: Danilo Francioni via Google
Crete, Greece

Kedrodasos

A short walk from the coach park chaos of Elafonissi lies its quiet opposite. Kedrodasos has the same pale sand and luminous shallow lagoon, but no sunbeds, no canteen and a fraction of the people, fringed instead by ancient juniper that the locals call cedar. The contrast is the whole point and the honest naturalist lesson of the list: the same water, minus the crowd, one headland along. Bring everything you need, shade included, and tread softly on the dunes.

No facilitiesCedar dunesWalk in
Kedrodasos guide
7
The sea caves and broad clear bay of Cala Luna on the Gulf of OroseiPhoto: Tomas Gregor via Google
Sardinia, Italy

Cala Luna

The widest of the great Orosei coves, Cala Luna backs a curve of clear green water with a row of dark sea caves you can wade into. It is gorgeous and the water is excellent, but it is also the easiest of the Sardinian trio to reach by boat, so it carries the most company by lunchtime. Walk in from Cala Fuili for the version with room to breathe, and the caves give you shade the others lack.

Sea cavesBoat or hikeBroad cove
Cala Luna guide
8
The narrow cliff gateway opening to the pebble cove of Stiniva on VisPhoto: Vladimir Pasko via Google
Vis, Croatia

Stiniva

Stiniva is a near enclosed amphitheatre where two cliffs almost meet at the waterline, leaving a narrow gateway to the open Adriatic and a pool of startling deep blue inside. The steep path down keeps the numbers honest and the pebble shelves quickly into clean swimming depth. It outranks prettier sand beaches because the water here is genuinely cold clear Adriatic and the setting does something none of the others do. Take the path slowly and go before the day boats anchor outside.

Cliff covePebbleDeep clear
Stiniva guide
9
The sheltered clear bay of Calamosche inside the Vendicari reserve in SicilyPhoto: Antonino Coraci via Google
Sicily, Italy

Calamosche

Tucked inside the Vendicari nature reserve and reached by a level walk of about twenty minutes through scrub and salt pans, Calamosche is a short sheltered bay held between two rocky arms that block the swell and keep the water glassy. The snorkelling along the rocks is the best in this part of Sicily. With no road, no bar and no sunbeds, it stays calm and clear long after busier beaches churn up. Carry water and shade, since the reserve provides neither.

Reserve walkShelteredSnorkel rocks
Calamosche guide
10
The gorge mouth and deep clear cove of Agiofarago on the south coast of CretePhoto: George Paximadakis via Google
Crete, Greece

Agiofarago

You earn Agiofarago with a half hour walk down a dry gorge between rising rock walls that finally open onto a small deep cove on the Libyan Sea. The water is cool, deep and exceptionally clear, with caves and an arch to swim out to. It ranks just behind Calamosche because the entry shelves fast and the cove is small, so it suits confident swimmers more than waders. The walk itself is half the reward, and the shade of the gorge is welcome on the way back.

Gorge walkSea cavesDeep clear
Agiofarago guide
11
The lagoon shallows and dunes of Plage du Lotu in the Agriates on CorsicaPhoto: Martin Lendi via Google
Corsica, France

Lotu

Lotu is Saleccia gentler twin, a shorter arc of pale sand in the Agriates reached most easily by the little ferry from Saint Florent, with a shallow lagoon at one end where a stream meets the sea. The water is calm and clear and the backing dunes are wild and undeveloped. It sits below Saleccia only because it is smaller and the ferry brings a predictable midday wave of visitors. Take the first boat and walk the coast path toward Saleccia to leave them behind.

AgriatesLagoonBoat in
Lotu guide
12
The long pale sandbank and shallow turquoise water of Fulhadhoo in the MaldivesPhoto: The Fulhadhoo Beach Cottage via Google
Maldives

Fulhadhoo

Most Maldivian seclusion is bought by the night on a private island. Fulhadhoo offers it for the price of a slow boat, a sleepy local island in Goidhoo atoll with a long empty sandbank and a house reef a short swim out. The lagoon is the classic shallow turquoise and the reef edge holds real fish. It ranks here rather than higher because reaching it takes patience and timing the public ferries, but few beaches this beautiful are this quiet.

Remote islandSandbankHouse reef
Fulhadhoo guide
13
The pebble cove of Pasjaca at the foot of tall cliffs below Konavle in CroatiaPhoto: Daniel Gabor Patkos via Google
Dalmatian Coast, Croatia

Pasjaca

Pasjaca was carved out by villagers who cut a path down the cliff to reach the sea, and it still feels like a secret at the base of a vast rock wall south of Dubrovnik. The pebble beach drops straight into deep, clean, cold Adriatic water that is superb for a serious swim. The steep stair keeps casual crowds away and there are no facilities at all. Go in the morning before the cliff throws the whole cove into shadow.

Cliff staircasePebbleDeep clear
Pasjaca guide
14
The steep canyon walls framing the clear cove at Butterfly Valley near OludenizPhoto: Ibrahim Gunes via Google
Oludeniz, Turkey

Butterfly Valley

A sheer sided canyon drops to a single shingle and sand beach reached almost entirely by boat from Oludeniz, with a waterfall walk inland and clouded yellow butterflies in season. The water at the canyon mouth is clear and deep blue and the whole place feels sealed off from the world. It ranks in the middle because the day boats do arrive and the small beach fills for a few hours, but take the last boat back and the late afternoon belongs to almost nobody.

Boat accessCanyonClear cove
Butterfly Valley guide
15
Limestone cliffs and turquoise water at Mudjin Harbor on Middle CaicosPhoto: D Blood via Google
Turks and Caicos

Mudjin Harbor

While Providenciales packs its famous Grace Bay, the next island over keeps Mudjin Harbor almost to itself. Limestone cliffs and a sea cave frame a beach where the turquoise water can run gentle or lively depending on the swell. It is the most dramatic shoreline in Turks and Caicos and you may have the cliff trail and the sand to yourself. It ranks here rather than higher because the surf is less reliably calm than the sheltered coves above, so check conditions before a long swim.

Limestone cliffsDramaticFew people
Mudjin Harbor guide
16
Pale pink tinged sand and two toned water at Lighthouse Beach on EleutheraPhoto: Chris Bengtson via Google
Eleuthera, Bahamas

Lighthouse Beach

At the wild southern tip of Eleuthera, reached down a rough sand track that turns most cars back, Lighthouse Beach rewards the effort with pink tinged sand and two distinct seas, calm bank water on one side and open Atlantic on the other. There are no facilities and rarely more than a handful of people. It ranks in this band because the access genuinely tests a standard rental car, but that same track is the moat that keeps it empty. Bring a high clearance vehicle, water and everything else.

Remote tipPink tingeTwo waters
Lighthouse Beach guide
17
Pine forest meeting the rocky clear cove of Porto Selvaggio in PugliaPhoto: Aladino via Google
Puglia, Italy

Porto Selvaggio

Reached only on foot through an Aleppo pine reserve, Porto Selvaggio is a rocky cove fed by cold freshwater springs that keep the water bracingly clear and a touch cooler than the surrounding Ionian. The entry is over rock and pebble rather than sand, which thins the crowd and rewards anyone who came to swim and snorkel rather than lie down. It ranks here for the clarity and the wildness. Wear water shoes and bring shade from the pines down to the rocks.

Pine reserveRocky entryCold spring clear
Porto Selvaggio guide
18
The long thin sandbank tapering into shallow water at Dhigurah in the MaldivesPhoto: Anita Ludvig via Google
Maldives

Dhigurah

Dhigurah is a long thin island that tapers into a sandbank reaching far out into shallow turquoise, with South Ari atoll whale sharks cruising the deeper water offshore. The bikini beach is quiet and the snorkelling close in is genuine. It sits just below Fulhadhoo for seclusion because Dhigurah has grown a little more popular with divers, but the sandbank at its tip still empties out and the water is faultless. Walk to the very end for the quietest stretch.

SandbankWhale sharksSnorkel
Dhigurah guide
19
Bright white sand and clear blue water at Anse Georgette on PraslinPhoto: Shay Yardeny via Google
Praslin, Seychelles

Anse Georgette

Anse Georgette is the Seychelles at full strength, a short curve of bright white sand and clear blue water that you usually swim almost alone, because access crosses a resort that limits day numbers. Unlike the granite pool beaches, this one offers a proper open swim over clean sand. It ranks here rather than top only because the access is arranged rather than wild, calling ahead to clear entry. Once you are on the sand it is as good as Seychelles seclusion gets.

Gated accessSwimmableWhite sand
Anse Georgette guide
20
Shallow flats and a sandbar reaching off the empty beach at Bambarra on Middle CaicosPhoto: Pam Bojangles via Google
Turks and Caicos

Bambarra

Bambarra is a wide, pale, almost always deserted beach on Middle Caicos where the water is so shallow you can wade out toward a small sandbar at low tide. It is calm, warm and endless, made for floating rather than diving. It ranks below the more dramatic coves because the very shallowness that makes it serene also means there is little to snorkel close in, but for sheer empty sand and gentle water it is hard to fault. Time the tide and bring your own shade.

Shallow flatsSandbarNear empty
Bambarra guide
21
The palm lined river meeting the sea at Preveli beach on southern CretePhoto: Norbert Zlobl via Google
Crete, Greece

Preveli

Preveli is where a palm lined freshwater river meets the Libyan Sea, reached down a long flight of steps that keeps the idle away. You can swim in the cool river under the palms or in the clear salt water of the cove, a rare double that no other beach here offers. It ranks in this band because it has grown known and a midday boat arrives, but the early hours and the upstream pools stay quiet and shaded. Wear proper shoes for the steps.

Palm riverSteps downFreshwater
Preveli guide
22
The forested valley dropping to the turquoise cove of Kabak near OludenizPhoto: Safak Aslan via Google
Oludeniz, Turkey

Kabak

Below the village of Faralya, Kabak is a turquoise cove at the foot of a steep forested valley, reached by a stiff walk down or a shuttle from the top. The descent filters out the casual day tripper and leaves a calm clear bay favoured by walkers on the Lycian Way. It ranks alongside the other earned access coves rather than above them because a small cluster of camps backs the beach, so it is wild but not empty. Stay a night up the valley to have the dawn swim to yourself.

Steep walkForest valleyTurquoise
Kabak guide
23
The sheltered coral lagoon and palms at Pongwe on the east coast of ZanzibarPhoto: Pongwe Beach Hotel via Google
Zanzibar

Pongwe

Most of Zanzibar east coast drains to bare flats at low tide, but Pongwe sits in a sheltered curve where coral heads break the swing and leave swimmable water for more of the day. It is quiet, palm fringed and free of the kite crowd that fills livelier beaches. It ranks here for that rare combination of calm and seclusion on a coast defined by its tides. Check the tide table even so, and snorkel the coral heads near high water.

Sheltered lagoonCoralLow tidal swing
Pongwe guide
24
The wild dune backed sweep of Erbaju beach below Roccapina in CorsicaPhoto: Plage d Erbajo via Google
Corsica, France

Erbaju

Erbaju is a long wild sweep of sand below the Roccapina lion rock, undeveloped, dune backed and usually near empty even when its famous neighbour fills. The water is clear and the openness is the appeal, though that same exposure means a real swell on a windy day. It ranks here because it trades the sheltered calm of the top coves for raw space and solitude. Park above and walk in, and respect the dunes that hold the whole beach in place.

Wild dunesUndevelopedOpen swell
Erbaju guide
25
The calm reef sheltered water and palms of Soliman Bay on the Riviera MayaPhoto: Federico via Google
Riviera Maya, Mexico

Soliman Bay

While Tulum and Playa del Carmen roar, Soliman Bay stays a quiet residential crescent where an offshore reef flattens the water into a calm warm pool with turtles grazing the seagrass. It is not a sugar sand beach, since the seagrass that feeds the turtles also washes ashore, but the swimming and snorkelling are gentle and the crowds simply are not here. It ranks on calm and wildlife rather than postcard sand, an honest trade for the quiet. Snorkel out to the reef line at the bay mouth.

Reef shelteredCalmTurtles
Soliman Bay guide
26
The empty Atlantic sands and dunes of Ilha Deserta off Faro in the AlgarvePhoto: Anno Blaum via Google
Algarve, Portugal

Ilha Deserta

The southernmost point of mainland Portugal is a barrier island with a single low building and miles of empty Atlantic sand, reached only by boat from Faro across the Ria Formosa lagoon. The water is bracing rather than tropical, but the solitude is total once you walk away from the jetty. It ranks here because the Atlantic cool and the boat dependence temper it, yet few European beaches deliver this much empty space. Take an early ferry and walk south along the dunes.

Barrier islandBoat onlyWild dunes
Ilha Deserta guide
27
The wide undeveloped strand and palms at Rekawa beach near Tangalle in Sri LankaPhoto: N H via Google
Sri Lanka

Rekawa

Rekawa is a wide, wild, undeveloped strand best known for the turtles that nest here at night, with barely a building behind the palms. By day it is gloriously empty, but the honest naturalist note is that the surf is strong and the rip real, so this is a beach to walk, watch turtles and wade rather than swim hard. It ranks on seclusion and wildlife, not on safe swimming. Visit the nesting site after dark with the conservation rangers, and keep your distance from the nests.

Turtle nestingUndevelopedBig surf
Rekawa guide
28
The small cliff framed cove and rock pools at Mtende on southern ZanzibarPhoto: RAHIM BEST TOURS & SAFARIS via Google
Zanzibar

Mtende

Mtende is a small cliff framed cove on Zanzibar quiet south coast, a pocket of pale sand and clear rock pools that rarely sees more than a few people. At high water it is a lovely sheltered swim and at low tide the pools fill in among the rocks. It ranks below Pongwe because it is tiny and the tide rules it completely, but for a near private cove away from the resort strip it delivers. Come around high tide and bring everything, since there is little here but the view.

Cliff coveRock poolsLow key
Mtende guide
29
The pebble cove and deep clear water below the Tramuntana at Cala Deia in MallorcaPhoto: Florian Low via Google
Mallorca, Spain

Cala Deia

Below the artists village of Deia, a winding walk down from the road leads to a small pebble and rock cove where the Tramuntana mountains drop straight into deep, clear, cold Mediterranean. It is little and it fills in August, but out of season and early in the day it is a quiet swimmers cove with water far clearer than the island resort beaches. It ranks here on water quality and setting rather than size. Walk down early and snorkel the rocky edges.

Pebble coveMountain backdropDeep clear
Cala Deia guide
30
The shallow turquoise flats and sandbar at Tahiti Beach off Elbow Cay in AbacoPhoto: Brian O'Connor via Google
Abaco, Bahamas

Tahiti Beach

At the southern tip of Elbow Cay, Tahiti Beach is a shallow turquoise flat that bares a wide sandbar at low tide, reached by boat or a bike ride and a short walk through the bush. The water is warm, calm and clear and the sandbar feels like standing in the middle of the sea. It ranks in this band because it is more flat and sandbar than swimming beach, but for gentle wading seclusion it is a delight. Check the tide so you arrive as the bar appears.

SandbarShallow flatsBoat or bike
Tahiti Beach guide
31
The small calm cove backed by jungle at Jungle Beach near Unawatuna in Sri LankaPhoto: D via Google
Sri Lanka

Jungle Beach

Tucked behind the headland past Unawatuna, Jungle Beach is a small calm cove where the water is gentle enough to snorkel and the jungle comes right down to the sand. It is the sheltered swimming option on a stretch of coast better known for surf. The honest caveat is that its secret is out, so a midday boat and tuk tuk crowd can find it, but early morning it is still a quiet cove. Walk over the headland at dawn and you may have the snorkelling alone.

Tucked coveCalmSnorkel
Jungle Beach guide
32
The boulder framed white sand and cold clear Atlantic at Sandy Bay near Cape TownPhoto: Lance via Google
Cape Town

Sandy Bay

Cape Town most secluded beach hides behind a fifteen minute walk over rocks and fynbos below Llandudno, a long stretch of white sand framed by granite boulders with no road and no facilities. The water is crystal clear and genuinely cold Atlantic, so this is a beach for sunbathing and bracing dips rather than long swims. It ranks last not for any fault of beauty but because the cold and the effort are real, which is precisely what keeps it empty. Bring everything and time it for a windless afternoon.

Walk inBoulder framedCold Atlantic
Sandy Bay guide
Honest notes

What seclusion costs, and what it gives

Every beach on this list charges an entry toll that is paid in effort rather than money. The reward is water that the easy beaches lose by mid morning, and sand you may have entirely to yourself. The single best thing you can do at almost all of them is arrive early, before the one daily boat or the small afternoon trickle, when the water is calmest and clearest and the light is at its best.

Read the water before you commit to a swim. The sheltered coves like Calamosche, Pongwe and Soliman Bay invite a long easy snorkel, while open beaches like Rekawa, Erbaju and Sandy Bay can carry real swell and cold, and are for wading, walking and watching rather than distance swimming. None of these is a promise of safe conditions, which vary by day, so judge the sea on arrival and never swim a remote beach beyond your depth alone.

Tread lightly, because these places stay this good only if visitors are careful. Keep off the dunes that hold beaches like Saleccia and Erbaju in place, give the nesting turtles of the south coast of Sri Lanka a wide berth after dark, and carry out everything you carry in. The wider quiet beaches of Turks and Caicos and the hidden coves of Zanzibar reward the same light footprint.

Questions, answered

Common questions

What is the most secluded beach in the world?

No beach is truly untouched, but the closest to it on this ranking is Cala Goloritze in Sardinia, capped in numbers and reached only by a gorge hike or a boat, with water clarity to match. Anse Marron on La Digue runs it very close, reached only on a guided scramble. Both stay this quiet because they are genuinely hard to get to.

Which famous secluded beach is overrated?

Navagio, the shipwreck beach on Zakynthos, is sold as a hidden cove but is a boat scene that fills with day trips, has no real swimming setup, and has suffered rockfall closures. For honest seclusion with far better water go to a cove that earns it, such as Stiniva on Vis or Calamosche in the Vendicari reserve. The quiet is real where the access is hard.

How do you reach a secluded beach safely?

Most of these beaches trade easy access for solitude, so a hike, a rough track or a boat is part of the deal. Wear real shoes for gorge and cliff paths, carry water and shade since few of these places have facilities, and check the tide and swell before you plan a long swim. Telling someone your plan is wise on the genuinely remote ones.

Are secluded beaches good for swimming and snorkelling?

Often the best, because the same hard access that keeps people away also keeps the water clear. Coves like Anse Major, Calamosche and Porto Selvaggio reward snorkellers with clean water and lively rock and reef life. A few, such as Rekawa and Sandy Bay, are about wildness and scenery rather than safe swimming, so match the beach to what you actually want to do.

When is the best time to visit a secluded beach?

Early in the day and in the shoulder season, always. Even hard to reach beaches gather a midday boat or a small afternoon crowd in peak summer, so the first hours after access opens are when you get the empty sand and the calmest, clearest water. Early light is also the most flattering, so the photographer and the crowd avoider keep the same schedule.

Do these secluded beaches have any facilities?

Mostly not, and that is the point. The great majority of the beaches here have no canteen, no sunbeds and no shade, so you should arrive self sufficient with water, food, sun cover and sturdy footwear. A handful, such as Anse Georgette and Pongwe, sit near a resort or hotel, but treat every beach on this list as one you must come prepared for.

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