Pagudpud’s Saud Beach among 25 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World
Nicknamed “Boracay of the North,” Saud Beach in Pagudpud has been named one of 25 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World by Travel & Leisure.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) said the inclusion of Saud in the international travel site’s A-list “is a first for the coastal area of Pagudpud.”
Editors at Travel & Leisure prefaced its list with “With all due respect to mountain people, there's simply nothing in this world like a beautiful beach.”
We agree wholeheartedly. Filipinos are spoilt for choice when it comes to beach destinations with our islands routinely joining “the best” lists curated by the travel industry. This includes Boracay, El Nido, Coron and Siargao among others.
Travel & Leisure said of its choices of 25 Best Beaches, “Whether your personal beach style is rustic and remote or well-equipped and lively, our curated list offers a peek into some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.”
And of Saud? The travel bible said, “If you're searching for Southeast Asian beach bliss, super-mellow Saud Beach on the island of Luzon is a sure thing. Its white sand pitches gradually into the clear-as-glass water, like a real-world example of a zero-entry swimming pool. Swim in the peaceful waves, lunch under a thatch-roof cabana under the palms, or hire an outrigger for excursions on the water.”
Joining Saud on the list is Elafonissi Beach in Crete, Greece, an island “separated from the mainland by the shallow water and sandbars that only disappear under about three feet of water at high tide.”
Tanzania’s Nungwi Beach is described as having “pristine, easy-swimming water, craggy rocks, and lovely sunsets dipping below the dhow-dotted sea complete the picture.”
Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii is also on the list for its beauty and popularity with surfers in the winter, “when the waves pick up size and speed.”
World-famous Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil spells fun along its “three miles of glorious golden sand, a party-like vibe, and a dazzling skyline of jagged mountains and Art Deco and modernist architecture.”
Cape Le Grand National Park in Western Australia “is home to several distinct beaches and bays, each one beautiful and quintessentially Australian. Le Grand Coastal Trail winds through scrubby heath and rocky bluffs, visiting Hellfire Bay (where granite boulders, clear blue water, and an arcing beach form fantastic scenery) and Lucky Bay (the site of some of the world's whitest sand). For a bird's-eye view, hike the 1.5-mile, wildflower-strewn Frenchman Peak Trail.
Nestled in Florida’s thousand-plus coastline is Clearwater Beach, where you will find “dolphins leaping over the water and pelicans hanging out with the fishermen on Pier 60.”
The Canary Islands’ Sotavento Beach in Fuerteventura “is the antidote to the island's brassy, built-up beach resorts…with golden dunes, immense sandy beach, and rolling teal waves.”
Also on the list are Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town, South Africa; Anse Source D'Agent in La Digue Island, Seychelles; Boa Vista in Praia de Santa Monica; Playa de Ses Illetes in Formentera, Balearic Islands; Shark Creek Beach in Great Harbour Cay, the Bahamas; Whitehaven Beach in Whitsundays Island, Australia; Le Morne in Mauritius; Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; Bai Dam Trau in Con Dao Islands, Vietnam; Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman; La Pelosa Beach in Sardinia, Italy; Matira Beach in Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; Scala dei Turchi in Sicily, Italy; Railay West in Krabi, Thailand; Praia de Marinha in Algarve, Portugal.
Click here for Travel and Leisure’s complete list.