Beaches can be relatively small hidden spots, but also impressively long areas stretching tens of tens of kilometers/miles. Usually, it is along those longest beaches where tourism booms most. Hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, etc. all long to be located near the beaches. Because for many people, beaches are the ultimate place to be during their well-deserved holidays.
Whether one prefers beaches for long romantic walks in the evening, relaxing tanning hours during a sunny day, or just for all sorts of sporting activities, the beach is worldwide known as the most defining symbol for vacations.
The good news is that beaches are not rare at all. Most bodies of water feature beaches. But not all beaches are alike. They can consist of pebbles, gravel, and most importantly sand. Sandy beaches are the most common form of beach and typically occur by the sea or ocean (though sandy lake beaches are also anything but rare). The sandy beaches are unsurprisingly the most popular type of beaches and the preferred destination for sea tourists.
The following ranking will show you where on our planet you can find the longest beaches in the world.
Note: Also check out the Ranking for the Largest Islands in the World.
The 10 Longest Beaches in the World
1. Praia do Cassino, Brazil
254 km / 158 miles long
Location: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Biggest City by the Beach: Cassino
Praia do Cassino (“Cassino Beach”) is the, by far, longest beach in the world. The beach is located in the Southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It stretches over a length of 254 km / 158 miles from north of the town of Cassino (after which the beach is named) all the way South until it is interrupted by the river Arroyo Chuy which marks the border between Brazil and Uruguay.
2. Padre Island Beach, USA
182 km / 113 miles long
Location: Texas, USA
Biggest City by the Beach: Corpus Christi
Padre Island Beach is the second-longest beach in the world. At the same time, it is also the longest beach in the United States of America. The beach marks the coast of Padre Island, a thin island just off the Texan mainland. It stretches from the seaside part of Corpus Christi, Texas all the way down to the Brazos Santiago Pass, almost reaching the U.S.-Mexican border. The beach hence reaches an impressive length of 182 km / 113 miles.
3. Ninety Mile Beach, Australia
151 km / 94 miles long
Location: Victoria, Australia
Biggest City by the Beach: Loch Sport
Its name does not give the Ninety Mile Beach in Australia enough credit, because the beach actually even measures 94 miles or 151 km. This makes the beach the longest by the Pacific Ocean. It is located in the Australian state of Victoria on the Southeastern coast of the country, east of Melbourne and south of three of Australia’s biggest national parks (Yarra Ranges National Park, Snowy River National Park & Kosciuszko National Park). You can find several small seaside towns right at the beach.
4. Cox’s Bazar Beach, Bangladesh
120 km / 75 miles long
Location: Chittagong Division, Bangladesh
Biggest City by the Beach: Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar Beach is the fourth among the longest beaches in the world. At the same time, the beach is the longest one by the Indian Ocean and in all of Asia. The beach is named after the city of Cox’s Bazar, located in the Bangladeshi Chittagong Division. It is there where the beach starts. It then stretches South alongside Himchari National Park before it gets interrupted by the Reju Canal after a length of 120 km / 75 miles.
5. Grand Strand, USA
97 km / 60 miles
Location: South Carolina, USA
Biggest City by the Beach: Myrtle Beach
Grand Strand is another American beach featured in the Top Ten of the longest beaches in the world. Grand Strand is also the longest beach on the U.S. Eastcoast stretching over a length of 97 km or 60 miles on the coast of the U.S. state of South Carolina from the towns of Little River to Winyah Bay. The beach most famously features Myrtle Beach, a popular tourist town in the region.
6. Ninety Mile Beach, New Zealand
88 km / 55 miles
Location: Northland, New Zealand
Biggest City by the Beach: Ahipara
You are not seeing double, there actually is another Ninety Mile Beach. Unlike the Australian version the New Zealander beach does not actually deserve the name though, as it is “only” 55 miles long. The beach was likely named that way because of a confusion of the metric with the imperial system, as the beach does have a length of almost 90 kilometers (88 to be exact). This is still an impressive length for the beach which is located in New Zealand’s Northernmost Northland state.
7. Playa Novillero, Mexico
82 km / 51 miles
Location: Nayarit, Mexico
Biggest City by the Beach: Playa Novillero
Playa Novillero (“Novillero Beach”) is the seventh longest beach in the world. The beach measures an impressive 82 km / 51 miles in length and is therefore the longest beach on the North American West Coast. The beach stretches from the Teacapan Estuary, which marks the border between the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, all the way down South to the Agua Brava Lagoon in Nayarit.
8. Virginia Beach, USA
56 km / 35 miles
Location: Virginia & North Carolina, USA
Biggest City by the Beach: Virginia Beach
Another beach in the USA is part of the ten longest beaches in the world. Virginia Beach is also known as the longest pleasure beach anywhere on the planet. Especially in the Virginian part, you will hardly find any spot on the beach without a hotel, restaurant, bar, or other recreational establishment located right by the beach. Virginia Beach stretches from the city of the same name in Virginia all the way down to Oregon Inlet in North Carolina.
9. Long Beach, USA
45 km / 28 miles
Location: Washington, USA
Biggest City by the Beach: Long Beach
Long Beach is yet another American beach to be included in the Top Ten of the longest beaches in the world. The beach measures 45 km / 28 miles in length and is located on the Long Beach Peninsula in the Northwestern U.S. state of Washington, right by the Pacific Ocean. Unlike the other American beaches in this ranking, Long Beach does not feature a big tourism infrastructure and has largely remained natural with only a few small towns settling by the beach.
10. Ibeno Beach, Nigeria
34 km / 21 miles
Location: Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
Biggest City by the Beach: Kwa Ibo
Ibeno Beach measures 34 km / 21 miles in length which makes the beach the longest one in Africa. The beach is located in Nigeria’s Southeastern state of Akwa Ibom. It stretches from the town of Kwa Ibo in the West all the way to the Easternmost corner of Akwa Ibom, just by the river border with the neighboring state of Cross River.
The 10 Longest Beaches in the World:
Name of Beach: | Location of Beach: | Length of Beach: |
---|---|---|
1. PRAIA DO CASSINO | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil | 254 km / 158 miles |
2. PADRE ISLAND BEACH | Texas, USA | 182 km / 113 miles |
3. NINETY MILE BEACH AUSTRALIA | Victoria, Australia | 151 km / 94 miles |
4. COX’S BAZAR BEACH | Chittagong Division, Bangladesh | 120 km / 75 miles |
5. GRAND STRAND | South Carolina, USA | 97 km / 60 miles |
6. NINETY MILE BEACH NEW ZEALAND | Northland, New Zealand | 88 km / 55 miles |
7. PLAYA NOVILLERO | Nayarit, Mexico | 82 km / 51 miles |
8. VIRGINIA BEACH | Virginia & North Carolina, USA | 56 km / 35 miles |
9. LONG BEACH | Washington, USA | 45 km / 28 miles |
10. IBENO BEACH | Akwa Ibom, Nigeria | 34 km / 21 miles |
The Ten longest beaches in the world by length; measured by the length of beaches that is uninterrupted by any bodies of water, streets, buildings, etc.