Author

James Calverley

Beach reviewer

JC

James Calverley reviews beaches and coastlines for Beach Verdict. He cares about the practical reality of a place — parking, tides, walk-in access, and whether the swim lives up to the photo — and scores every beach on water, scenery, crowds, access, and facilities.

Guides

30 guides by James Calverley

Tenby North Beach in Pembrokeshire on a busy summer day, families on the golden sand around Goscar Rock below the town's green headland

destination guides

The 18 Blue Flag Beaches in Wales for 2026 (and Why Tenby North Lost Its Flag)

Zlatni Rat, the golden horn beach near Bol on the island of Brac, a triangular pebble spit jutting into clear turquoise water, Croatia

destination guides

We Ranked Croatia's 6 Best Beach Islands in 2026 (Hvar Didn't Win)

The turquoise water and white-sand cove of Navagio Shipwreck Beach on Zakynthos, framed by tall limestone cliffs, in the Ionian islands of Greece

destination guides

Ionian vs Cyclades: Which Greek Islands Have the Better Beaches?

Entalula Beach and the limestone islands of El Nido's Bacuit Bay in the Philippines, named the world's best beach for 2026

destination guides

The World's 50 Best Beaches for 2026 (and the 8 We've Reviewed)

Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower, the dramatic limestone pinnacle rising above the rippled low-tide sand under a blue sky, one of the best beaches in Wales

destination guides

The 11 Best Beaches in Wales: Gower, Pembrokeshire and Beyond

A white-sand Okinawa beach meeting graded turquoise-to-deep-blue water, with a tree-topped islet and subtropical greenery along the shore

destination guides

The 10 Best Beaches in Okinawa: Where to Swim, Snorkel and Skip the Crowds

Luskentyre beach on the Isle of Harris, turquoise shallows over white shell sand with the green Harris hills behind on a clear day

destination guides

The 10 Best Beaches in Scotland: Caribbean-White Sand From Harris to the Highlands

Myrtos Beach Kefalonia from the cliff viewpoint with the white-pebble crescent and turquoise Ionian water

destination guides

10 Best Beaches in Kefalonia for 2026: Myrtos and the Quieter Coves

Turquoise Caribbean water at Playa Norte Isla Mujeres with white sand and palm trees, one of the best beaches in Mexico

destination guides

8 Best Beaches in Mexico for 2026: Pacific vs Caribbean Coast

Playa Carrizalillo's protected cove in Puerto Escondido Oaxaca with turquoise water and the famous 167 stone steps trail

destination guides

8 Best Beaches in Oaxaca for 2026: Surf, Sanctuary, and Slow Living

Wide stretch of Atlantic Florida coastline with palm trees and turquoise water near Orlando

destination guides

Closest Beaches to Orlando: Which One Wins?

Gold Coast skyline behind a wide sandy beach with waves rolling in

destination guides

8 Best Beaches on the Gold Coast for 2026: Surf, Creeks and Calm Swims

Dramatic cliffside view of a Bali beach with turquoise water and golden sand

destination guides

8 Best Beaches in Bali for 2026: What Nobody Tells You Before You Go

Turquoise Caribbean water and white sand at Playa Delfines Cancun

destination guides

7 Best Beaches in Cancun and the Riviera Maya for 2026: Where to Swim

Turquoise Adriatic water meeting a white pebble beach along the Croatian coastline

destination guides

Best Beaches in Croatia 2026

Turquoise water and white cliffs at a Greek island beach

destination guides

Best Beaches in Greece: Honest Picks for 2026

Turquoise water and white cliffs at a Sardinian beach cove

destination guides

8 Best Beaches in Sardinia for 2026: Worth the Drive

Black volcanic sand beach in northern Tenerife with dramatic waves and green cliffs

destination guides

7 Best Beaches in Tenerife for 2026: Black Sand to Resort Gold

Colourful pieces of sea glass scattered on a pebble beach shoreline

activity guides

Best Sea Glass Beaches in the UK: Where to Actually Find It

Turquoise waters and white sand at Orange Beach Alabama with a fishing pier in the background

destination guides

Things to Do in Orange Beach Alabama: Local Picks (2026)

Red warning flag on a beach with waves in the background

travel tips

Beach Flag Colors Explained: What Every Flag Means

Sandy beach on the south coast of England with white cliffs

destination guides

Beaches Near London: The Best Day Trips From the City

People playing beach games on sand with ocean in background

travel tips

Best Beach Games for Groups, Families, and Couples

Clear turquoise water at a Florida Gulf Coast beach with white sand

destination guides

Best Beaches in Florida for 2026: Gulf, Atlantic and Panhandle

Turquoise water and white sand at a UK beach

destination guides

Best Beaches in the UK for 2026: Region by Region

South Padre Island Texas beach with clear water and sand dunes

destination guides

Does Texas Have Beaches? Yes, and Some Are Actually Great

Myrtle Beach boardwalk and coastline at sunset

destination guides

Is Myrtle Beach Safe? What You Need to Know Before Visiting

Hidden cove beach surrounded by cliffs with crystal clear water

hidden gems

8 Secret Beaches You Must Visit in 2026 (And How to Reach Them)

Huntington Beach pier with surfers in the water at sunset

destination guides

What to Do in Huntington Beach: Surf City USA Guide

Venice Beach boardwalk with palm trees and street performers

destination guides

What to Do in Venice Beach: Beyond the Boardwalk

Reviews

43 beach reviews by James Calverley

Pebble shoreline at Aldwick Beach looking west towards Pagham with calm sea and groynes

England·United Kingdom

Aldwick Beach

2.8 / 5

Anahola Beach Park on Kauai's east shore with reef-protected half-mile bay and ironwood trees behind the sand

Hawaii·United States

Anahola Beach Park

4.0 / 5

Golden sand and rolling surf at Bondi Beach Sydney with the iconic curved shoreline and surrounding buildings

Australia

Bondi Beach

4.0 / 5

Crystal clear turquoise water at Cala Goloritzé beach with the dramatic limestone Aguglia pinnacle rising in the background

Italy

Cala Goloritzé

3.4 / 5

White sand beach at Camps Bay with the Twelve Apostles mountain range rising behind palm trees and turquoise Atlantic water

South Africa

Camps Bay Beach

3.6 / 5

Wide view of Del Monte Beach in Monterey showing pale sand dunes with native ice plant and coastal scrub in the foreground, gentle breaking waves, and the Pacific horizon with the Santa Cruz coast visible in the distance

California·United States

Del Monte Beach

4.0 / 5

White sand beach with turquoise water and limestone cliffs on Entalula Island in El Nido Palawan

Philippines

Entalula Beach

3.4 / 5

Powder white sand and crystal clear turquoise water at Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales Turks and Caicos

Turks and Caicos

Grace Bay Beach

4.6 / 5

Elevated view of Harlech Beach in North Wales, a vast curve of golden sand backed by marram dunes, with tidal channels on the sand and the hills of Eryri across the bay

Wales·United Kingdom

Harlech Beach: Four Miles of Sand, Dunes and a Castle on the Skyline

4.2 / 5

Wide low-tide view of Hayle Towans beach curving along St Ives Bay with marram dunes behind and a big Atlantic sky

England·United Kingdom

Hayle Beach (Hayle Towans), Cornwall

3.4 / 5

Ho'okena Beach Park Big Island south Kona with black sand, calm bay, and the fishing village in the background

Hawaii·United States

Ho'okena Beach Park

4.0 / 5

Kahekili Beach Park on West Maui with the reef visible offshore and the West Maui Mountains in the distance

Hawaii·United States

Kahekili Beach

4.4 / 5

The deep red sand of Kaihalulu Beach in Hana Maui with turquoise water in the sheltered cove below volcanic cliffs

Hawaii·United States

Kaihalulu Beach

3.2 / 5

Karoumes Beach east Crete at the end of Chochlakies Gorge with calm Aegean water and pebble shore

Greece

Karoumes Beach

3.4 / 5

Aerial view of Ke Iki Beach on Oahu's North Shore showing deep blue water fading to turquoise over a pale sand beach lined with palm trees and low beachfront bungalows

Hawaii·United States

Ke Iki Beach

3.0 / 5

Rocky foreshore at low tide near Kettleness on the North Yorkshire coast with cliffs and village in the background

England·United Kingdom

Kettleness Beach

3.2 / 5

Kohanaiki Beach Park (Pine Trees) on the Big Island Kona coast with surf breaking on the lava-rock shore

Hawaii·United States

Kohanaiki Beach Park

3.8 / 5

Turquoise waters and white sand at Ksamil Beach in southern Albania with small islands visible offshore

Albania

Ksamil Beach

3.6 / 5

Kua Bay Beach (Manini'owali) Big Island with white sand, turquoise water, and lava rock cliffs at the ends

Hawaii·United States

Kua Bay Beach

4.0 / 5

The turquoise waters and towering limestone cliffs of Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Leh Thailand

Thailand

Maya Bay

3.0 / 5

Mystic Beach Vancouver Island BC with the waterfall dropping onto the sand and the sea cave at the south end

British Columbia·Canada

Mystic Beach

3.0 / 5

Aerial view of Navagio Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos with turquoise water and white limestone cliffs

Greece

Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach), Zakynthos

2.8 / 5

Olowalu Beach Maui at Mile Marker 14 with the fringing coral reef visible offshore

Hawaii·United States

Olowalu Beach

3.4 / 5

Aerial view of Pico de Loro Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas: the curved sandy shoreline of the gated resort beach with cabanas and lawns, the calm marine-reserve bay and forested headlands wrapping the cove

Philippines

Pico de Loro Beach: How to Get In When You're Not a Member

3.8 / 5

Pilone Beach Ostuni Puglia with fine sand, Blue Flag clear water, and the protected coastal dunes

Italy

Pilone Beach

4.0 / 5

Pissouri Beach Cyprus with the white cliffs of Cape Aspro framing the Blue Flag bay

Cyprus

Pissouri Beach

4.4 / 5

Sweeping view of Playa de Cofete's vast empty shoreline backed by rugged Jandia mountains on Fuerteventura

Spain

Playa de Cofete

3.0 / 5

The black volcanic sand and boulder shore of Playa de Guayedra beneath the cliffs of the Tamadaba massif on Gran Canaria

Spain

Playa de Guayedra

3.0 / 5

Turquoise water inside the collapsed volcanic crater of Playa del Amor on the Marietas Islands with sandy beach visible through the open ceiling

Mexico

Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach)

3.0 / 5

Dozens of olive ridley sea turtles returning to the Pacific at dawn on Playa La Flor with dry tropical forest in the background

Nicaragua

Playa La Flor

2.4 / 5

Pu'u Poa Beach below the Princeville bluff with the reef-protected lagoon and view across Hanalei Bay

Hawaii·United States

Pu'u Poa Beach

3.2 / 5

Rovinia Beach Corfu with the white pebble cove framed by limestone cliffs and clear deep turquoise water

Greece

Rovinia Beach

3.4 / 5

Wide stretch of golden sand at Sandbanks Beach in Poole with calm blue water and beachgoers on a sunny day

England·United Kingdom

Sandbanks Beach

4.0 / 5

White sand and clear turquoise water along Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman with resort buildings visible in the background

Cayman Islands

Seven Mile Beach

4.4 / 5

Aerial view of Skaket Beach in Orleans on Cape Cod Bay, showing sunbathers on the sand, calm turquoise water, patches of salt marsh, and cars in the parking lot

Massachusetts·United States

Skaket Beach

3.6 / 5

The white Point of Ayr Lighthouse standing on the wide sandy shore at Talacre Beach in North Wales

Wales·United Kingdom

Talacre Beach

3.2 / 5

Aerial of Tubod Beach on Siquijor, white sand and palm-shaded cabanas meeting clear turquoise water over the protected reef just offshore

Philippines

Tubod Beach, Siquijor: Snorkel a Protected Reef Straight Off the Sand

4.0 / 5

Turquoise Caribbean water and white sand at Tulum Beach with the Mayan ruins visible on the clifftop above

Mexico

Tulum Beach

3.8 / 5

Wide view of Upham Beach in St Pete Beach, Florida, showing freshly renourished pale sand, one of the black rock T-groins extending into the Gulf of Mexico, Blind Pass and the southern end of Treasure Island visible across the water, with beachfront condo towers behind the beach

Florida·United States

Upham Beach

3.6 / 5

Vrasna Beach Greece with golden sand, calm Aegean water, and umbrellas at Nea Vrasna

Greece

Vrasna Beach

4.0 / 5

Waimea Beach Kauai with the historic state pier extending into the river-mouth bay and dark sand

Hawaii·United States

Waimea Beach

3.8 / 5

Wharton Beach near Esperance, Western Australia: the curving 4.5km arc of white sand and turquoise water seen from the elevated lookout above the bay

Australia

Wharton Beach, Esperance: How to Visit the World's 3rd-Best Beach

4.0 / 5

Bright white silica sand and turquoise water at Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island, Australia

Australia

Whitehaven Beach

3.0 / 5