10 Beautiful Hidden Beaches You Won’t Find in Guidebooks

Playa del Amor, Mexico — The Secret Beach Hidden Inside a Cave

Located in the Marieta Islands off the coast of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, the literal translation of Playa del Amor is the “Hidden Beach.” Invisible from above, this sun-soaked cove lies at the bottom of a collapsed volcanic crater, and can only be reached by swimming through a 30-meter-long water tunnel at low tide.

Protected as part of a national park, the crescent-shaped bay boasts dreamy turquoise waters, powdery white sand, and an otherworldly sense of solitude. The enclosed setting, like a natural amphitheater, is both womb-like and awe-inspiring at the same time — sunlight pouring through the collapsed crater creates a golden hue that envelops the space like a natural sauna.

Access to Playa del Amor is restricted, to help preserve the unique natural features and fragile ecosystem of the Marieta Islands. Small-group tours from Punta Mita or Puerto Vallarta will arrange the half-day adventure, including kayaking to the beach. The journey through the tunnel to the sand is part of the fun, so wear your swimsuit, towel, and suncream on your head, and prepare to gasp when you first emerge from the tunnel into this hidden natural wonder in Mexico. It’s one of the most unusual, beautiful, and secret beaches in the world.

Cala Mitjana, Menorca, Spain — The Balearic Islands’ Best Kept Secret

The Balearic Islands conjure visions of party beaches, loud music and cocktails under the stars. But that’s not the Mediterranean we know and love. We discovered this tucked-away beach on the southern coast of Menorca Island while staying in the small town of Ferreries — it’s as far away from Ibiza and Mallorca as you can get on the island, and yet it’s every bit as beautiful.

Cala Mitjana is a small, sheltered cove with clear turquoise waters and beaches of soft white sand, bordered by pine trees, and hidden away from the nearest road and resorts by a short, 20-minute walk down a forested trail. It’s a magnet for tourists when they realize how close it is to the town, but there’s plenty of space to keep it serene even in high season. Swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, picnicking or just relaxing under the sun, it’s a microcosm of the Mediterranean at its very best.

If you don’t mind getting your toes wet, follow the path past Cala Mitjana to its tiny twin next door, Cala Mitjaneta. That’s a quieter gem, sheltered in its own small cove. They’re ideal backdrops for your next holiday snaps, so don’t forget your camera — and your snorkel and fins, if you want to explore the clear blue waters up close.

Secret Beach, Kauai, Hawaii — The Wild and the Peaceful Meet

Hidden among the 50 Islands of Hawaii, few beaches remain as untamed and raw as Secret Beach on the island of Kauai. Officially called Kauapea Beach, it gets its name from the thick, jungle-covered headland that screens it from view. 

Access is difficult, via an unmarked and steep trail off the main road, so it’s not overrun with tourists. In return for your effort, you’ll be rewarded with almost a mile of long, pristine, golden sand, lapped by aquamarine waters, and dramatic views over the Pacific. This is unspoiled nature — and the untamed beauty of Kauai on full display.

Secret Beach is all about exploration and discovery. The waves are often too big for swimming (unless you’re a great surfer), so it’s better for strolling along the strand, investigating tide pools, or picnicking in the sun. If the day is clear, you can see Kilauea Lighthouse perched on the far side of the bay, and Kauai Channel beyond.

Secret Beach is not as secret as it once was, but it’s still out of the way enough to stay quiet and peaceful. A trip to Secret Beach is the perfect way to get a taste of the wild side of the islands.

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia — A Slice of Heaven You Can Own

Whitehaven Beach has appeared on the radar of travelers lately, but it’s still a secret. Well, at least relative to the crowds of Bondi, or the famous beaches of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, it still has a private feel.

Whitehaven Beach is a long stretch, over seven kilometers (over four miles) in length, with almost unbelievably soft, white sand that’s 98% pure silica — some of the whitest, and finest on Earth. The swirling colors and patterns where the sand meets the aquamarine waters make for an almost psychedelic seascape, best admired from the air, or from the lookout at Hill Inlet. 

While it’s gaining more fame, there are still no permanent buildings at Whitehaven Beach — no hotels, restaurants, or souvenir shops mar its natural beauty. Whitehaven’s remoteness keeps it special. Visitors come by boat or seaplane for a day trip only. When they leave in the evening, the beach is pristine once again. It’s an oasis, a place of magic in an otherwise tourism-ravaged part of the world.

Anse Cocos, La Digue, Seychelles — A Paradise Journey

The Seychelles are famed for their picture-postcard-perfect beaches, so it’s hard to imagine that the one we loved most on La Digue island is also one of the most hidden. Anse Cocos is overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, Anse Source d’Argent, even though the latter is really just a postcard view.

Getting there is part of the fun — a gentle, 30-minute trek along a winding trail that passes through thick tropical forest and past granite boulders scattered like giant toys. It’s a perfect warm-up for swimming in the clear, turquoise lagoon that awaits you at Anse Cocos once you arrive. This is paradise on earth — and most of the time, you’ll have it all to yourself.

Silky sand hugs a wide crescent beach dotted with swaying palm trees. Lava rock formations create natural rock pools at the far end of the beach, sheltering a calm spot of shallow water, even when the surf is up. 

La Digue is becoming more popular, but the effort involved in reaching this cove, and the relative lack of beach towels you’ll find on the sand, keeps Anse Cocos tranquil and hidden from the madding crowds. That’s the best kind of secret beach — a secluded cove, but with friendly, helpful locals on hand to make you feel at home.

Sancho Bay, Brazil — The Emerald Paradise

Buried inside Fernando de Noronha, a remote archipelago off the northeast coast of Brazil, is Baía do Sancho, aka Sancho Bay. Although it’s famous among kayakers and adventure travelers, it’s still one of the most beautiful, and secluded beaches you can visit — and you have to earn it.

Access is by boat, or by climbing a narrow set of stairs hewn into the cliff face, next to a small chapel on the headland above. In return for that effort, Sancho Bay rewards you with spectacular views, emerald-green waters, and some of the whitest sand on the planet. The coral reefs surrounding the crescent bay are also a natural aquarium, alive with sea turtles, dolphins, and fish.

Snorkeling at Sancho Bay is one of life’s great experiences, and watching the sun drop down over the ocean from the headland at sunset is as good as it gets. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches in South America, if not the whole world, which is why it was named a UNSECO world heritage site in 2001.

Sancho Bay isn’t a secret any more, but it is still difficult to get to, and that, and the conservation ethos of Fernando de Noronha, keep it peaceful. There are no hotels or roads on the archipelago. Visitors are kept to strict limits, and the lack of development on Sancho Bay means it has stayed pristine.

Playa Escondida, Costa Rica — A Tropical Island Hidden by Nature

Hidden beaches don’t always have to be in remote places — you just have to know where to look. On a peninsula just a stone’s throw from the throngs of Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, we stumbled upon Playa Escondida — or literally, “Hidden Beach” in Spanish.

Shielded on one side by thick vegetation, on the other by cliff faces, Playa Escondida is only accessible at low tide or by paddling in a kayak or small boat. It’s a quiet cove of turquoise waters and fine, white sand with palm trees swaying above. The thick jungle screening the cove and muffling the noise from across the bay also means it doesn’t appear on many maps, so most visitors to Manuel Antonio never find it.

You can check out the tides ahead, and make sure to time your visit right, or the waves will crash across the cove and reclaim it. Bring a picnic and spend the morning or early afternoon in this private paradise. Swinging monkeys and tropical birds are more likely than other tourists.

Koh Yao Noi, Thailand — An Undiscovered Atoll in the Andaman Sea

Thailand’s beaches have become famous for crowded resorts, packed with tourists, but Koh Yao Noi is the exception to the rule. This small island halfway between Phuket and Krabi is off the grid, and it’s one of Southeast Asia’s last true beach sanctuaries.

Life moves at a more leisurely pace here. The beaches are quiet, lined with coconut palms, mangroves, and local fishing villages that haven’t been steamrolled by development. Koh Yao Noi has an authenticity that most of the rest of Thailand is lacking these days.

Pasai Beach and Tha Khao Bay, the main stretches of sand near the center of the island, are some of the most peaceful and quiet, offering a sense of escape from the outside world. You’ll see locals rather than tourists, coconut-frond-roofed huts rather than flashy hotels, and watch fishermen still do what they’ve done for centuries, rather than crowded souvenir shops and resorts.

Koh Yao Noi is a hidden beach destination that will give you a sense of what Thailand was like before the crowds, and that’s why it’s one of our favorite places to go.

Praia da Ursa, Portugal — The Most Spectacular Secret Beach in Europe

Tucked away just past the famous Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of mainland Europe), hidden away by cliffs, scrubby forest, and an absence of roads, lies Praia da Ursa. It’s a wild, windswept beach that should be the domain of goats rather than tourists. For a long time, it was.

Incredibly, Ursa (Portuguese for “bear”) Beach was one of Europe’s most secret beaches, reachable only by a steep, rocky track. Even those who knew of its existence hesitated to visit, because reaching the beach requires a tricky descent down a steep trail — though, it’s less dangerous than it looks.

But then, Praia da Ursa Beach became more popular, for better or worse. As most people turned back at the trailhead, giving the area something of a Wild West feel, the trail itself has been improved to make the journey safer, and more people made the effort to reach the cove on foot.

This rugged slice of coastline in Portugal is worth it — and at its most beautiful at sunrise and sunset, when you can also find some solitude on the sand. Towering cliffs enclose this crescent cove, and the surf of the Atlantic pounds onto sculpted sea stacks. From the top of the cliffs above the beach, the views over the sea are sublime.

Awaroa Beach, New Zealand — The People’s Beach

On New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park on the northern edge of the South Island, there’s a stunning beach called Awaroa. A huge sweep of golden sand, lapped by calm aquamarine seas, and bordered by forest-covered hills. An hour’s hike across sandflats at low tide, a day kayak from Wainui Bay or even a short flight by small plane, and you can enjoy the quiet solitude of this New Zealand beach.

It’s beautiful, and one of New Zealand’s last secret beaches, but what makes it even more special is how it was saved. Awaroa Beach was on the verge of being developed and built over by a wealthy businessman when New Zealand citizens banded together to fund a project to save it. In fact, the local Maori people gifted the land to the whole nation. It’s now run as a national park in the traditional ways of the Maori people, and one of New Zealand’s real hidden beaches treasures.

Tips for Enjoying Hidden Beaches Responsibly

Hidden beaches are a precious resource that we should all do our best to protect. They often belong to local people, and depend on nature to remain hidden and private. But these precious treasures can be fragile, threatened by erosion, litter, and over-tourism.

Here are some simple tips on how to enjoy hidden beaches responsibly: 

• Respect the locals: Understand that the beach belongs to them, not you. 
• Leave no trace: Pack out what you bring in, including trash.
• Protect the environment: Don’t touch coral reefs or disturb wildlife. 
• Be sun-safe: Wear reef-safe sunscreen to protect sea life. 
• Travel in small groups: Crowds damage ecosystems.
• Support local: Eat at local restaurants and stay in community-run homestays.

Conclusion: Hidden Treasures, Hidden Worlds

Hidden beaches are a reminder that in our modern, wired-up world there are still secrets to be found. Quiet places, small, secluded coves, beaches and islands that have escaped the crowds, the development, and the consumer culture that swamps so many of our favorite travel destinations these days.

There’s no better way to reconnect with nature, with the planet, and with our own sense of adventure than by finding and visiting these last secret places on Earth. The world is full of undiscovered beaches that are only an adventure away. So pack your bags, and book your next getaway with your map turned off, and an open mind.