Summer Bucket List Beaches + Perfect for Family Vacations

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Looking to escape to a tropical beach? We share the best beaches in the world for families.

Beach vacations are some of the most popular destinations for our family. We travel 200+ days of the year and most of those destinations involve a beach. We love the blue waters, snorkeling in the coral reefs, and walking through pristine sand. Our family loves the beach destinations!

We have been to a lot of beaches during our travels. We share some of the best beaches in the world for families. Grab your pen and paper to make notes for your bucket list!

Table of Contents

Best Beaches in the World for Families

Our first beach to make the best beaches in the world takes us to one of our favorite states in the United States . . . Hawaii.

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach in Hawaii

There are so many amazing beaches on the islands of Hawaii. Our favorite beach with kids is Punalu’u Black Sand Beach on the Big Island.

The Jones Family has been to all of the Hawaiian Islands many many times. We think the best of the Hawaii beaches is Punalu’u Black Sand Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Let’s first talk about the sand. The sand is black, which is amazing! Your kids will love playing and walking through the black sandy beach. I am sure you are thinking . . . why is the sand black? Nearby is the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The black sand is due to lava flowing into the ocean.

You will also find another surprise on this beach . . . turtles! Green Sea Turtles wash up on shore to relax and take a nap. Last year, we saw close to 20 turtles just chilling on the beach.

You can see these turtles up close, like really close. This is an amazing experience. You can pick up lunch nearby at one of the food trucks and have a picnic lunch at this amazing beach.

Trunk Bay in St. John’s

The Caribbean Islands have some of the most beautiful beaches. You can cruise or travel to Trunk Bay in the St. John’s Virgin Islands. Trunk Bay is part of the US Virgin Islands National Park. This means there is a lot of area to explore on land and in the water.

One of our favorite things to do in Trunk Bay is snorkeling. There is even a 225 yard long underwater coral trail that you can snorkel with your family. This is truly a beautiful beach with lush greenery, white sands, and turquoise waters.

Pink Sand Beach in the Bahamas

Do you love the color pink? If you do, the Pink Sand Beach in the Bahamas is perfect for you.

This beach is an easy beach to visit on a cruise or while visiting Nassau in the Bahamas. The pink color is from little bitty pieces of red coral that washes up on the shore of the Pink Sand Beach.

The turquoise waters washing up on the pink sand makes this beach truly breathtaking. Arrive early in the morning or later in the evening to get the most vibrant colors of this sand.

Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia

If you like camping and adventure, you may want to visit Cumberland Island National Seashore.

You rarely hear about Cumberland Island when people talk about beaches, but it is an amazing island in Southern Georgia. You may remember hearing Cumberland Island was where JFK Jr. got married years ago.

This island is a National Park. You can only get to this island by ferry. The ferry takes about 45 minutes to get from visitors center to Cumberland Island.

Once you get to the island, you can hike to your campsite. These are “rough” campsites with no facilities.

The highlight of Cumberland Island is walking down to the island beach. You may not see a single person in either direction. It is just your family and the stretch of sand and water.

You also may get lucky and see the wild horses that inhabit this island. It is truly an amazing beach experience for more adventure seekers. That is why it made our list of the best beaches in the world.

Clearwater/St. Pete Beaches in Florida

Our next beach is not surprise to make our best beaches in the world list. This beach destination is called Clearwater/St. Petersburg. These beaches are on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida. These beaches are continually ranked the #1 family beach in the United States.

The white-sand beach has soft sands, so perfect for playing in the sand. There are very little waves on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida, so perfect for kids. The waters are crystal clear and you will often see marine life like sea turtles or porpoise swim by.

This is also a popular beach for water sports. You can hop on a Jet Ski or rent a sailboat. For families, it is a perfect getaway. The Clearwater/St. Pete Beaches are also just a couple hours from Disney World and Orlando, so it is a perfect day trip.

Maya Bay in Phi Phi in Thailand

Some of the best beaches in the world are in Thailand. One of the highlights is Maya Bay in Phi Phi. This is the location of the The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. The waters in Maya Bay are spectacular blues and greens with amazing rock formations with lush greenery. It is truly breathtaking.

Maya Bay is more popular, so plan on arriving early to get the best spot and best pictures before exploring the bay and waters.

Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos

One of my favorite islands in the Caribbean is Turks and Caicos. I love this island! One of the best beaches for families on Turks and Caicos is Grace Bay Beach. The color of the water is crystal clear, you can see your toes.