Top 5 Hidden Beaches to Visit in 2018

• Pink Beach, Bonaire

The island of Bonaire is situated in the southern Caribbean, lies off the Venezuelan coast. Lined with reefs, this island offers 24/7 scuba diving, 365 days a year, and is protected by the Bonaire National Marine Park. With 63 official dive sites on Bonaire and 26 more on Klein Bonaire, this underwater paradise is home to more than 350 fish species and 57 species of soft and stony coral.

It’s easy to see how Bonaire is an award-winning diving destination, not only for the advanced diver but for beginners, so if you want to learn how to dive on your holiday this is the place. Pink beach is one of natures beautiful phenomenon’s, achieving its pink colour from the crushed shells of millions of microscopic bright pink sea creatures known as foraminifera. It’s a truly magical site to watch the beach turn bright pink when the tide comes in and wets the sand.

Despite the beauty of this island, it is not a standard tourist attraction. Tricky to get to, with no nearby facilities, you won’t find crowds here. The best way to get to the island would be to hire a boat, or if you really want to explore in style you could charter a yacht for the trip. Having an experienced Yacht crew would be great to help guide you if you want to scuba drive off shore.

Pink Beach is an excellent beach to visit if you want to chill out in exclusively, do some snorkelling or scuba diving, or even have a picnic whilst taking in the view. You can even explore the onshore wildlife of the island with lizards, donkeys and birds within the Washington Slagbaai National Park, marked by beaches, caverns, lagoons, and desert-like hills, all in all a truly beautiful getaway to relax and be at one with nature.

• Navagio Beach, Greece

Famously known as Smuggler’s Cove, this hidden gem is lodged between two immense limestone cliffs. It’s famous for having a three-decade-old shipwreck in the middle of the beach, which was crashed and abandoned there during stormy weather, now resting buried in the limestone gravel of the beach. It has been rumoured the ship was smuggling contraband such as cigarettes, wine and women.

This exposed cove on the coast of Zakynthos, is surrounded by the clear waters of the Ionian Sea and its Islands. Tricky to get to, many often travel by boat to get to the cove, so it’s not a main tourist point because of this. Not being a target for mass tourism, means the island retains its secret status and clear seas, so you can enjoy peace and quiet in paradise, taking time out on the white rimmed shore, making the most of the views and amazing photo opportunities with the Shipwreck.

• Sv. Ivan, Cres Island, Croatia 

Croatia is a fascinating island to explore with its many town quays and colourful culture. But out of all of Croatia, we recommend you visit Cres Island and the secluded beach of Sv. Ivan.

The crescent moon-shaped pebble beach of Sv. Ivan, is a difficult trek which is why majority travel by boat. The beach itself has no facilities and very little shade but is ideal for cutting off from the chaos of the rest of the world.

Travelling by boat or chartering a yacht will provide a unique opportunity to explore the island from a different point of view, whilst also enabling you to reach secluded shores such as that of Sv. Ivan. Charter Itineraries are available for those who want an organised experience exploring the Croatian coast.

The beach has no facilities and very little shade but is ideal for those who really want to get away off the grid and treat themselves to some sun and chill therapy.

• Hanifaru Bay, Maldives

A jewel in the biological crown of Baa Atoll, Hanifaru Bay is a funnel-like reef and one of the many uninhabited islands offering the perfect escape where you can get away from it all and go off the grid in tropical paradise.

This bay offers the best snorkelling and diving experience, allowing you to get up-close with the Manta Rays and whale sharks and plenty other marine life, recorded as the world’s largest feeding station for whale sharks and schools of manta rays. Snorkelling with Manta Rays is an extraordinary experience, and a great educational activity that David Attenborough would approve of.

Another great more traditional activity to do while you are here, is sunset fishing. Arguably the oldest profession in the Maldives, fishing is among the most rewarding activities made available to the active traveller. Experience reef bottom fishing with line and weights on the dive tender, where you can catch common reef fishes including Red Snappers, Jacks and Job Fish.

• Playa Llevant, Formentera

Ibiza’s sister island, Formentera is renowned for its relaxed culture and clear blue waters, a contrast from the partying reputation of its sister. It hosts a range of secluded beaches, while the small villages of Formentera host a range of luxury boutique bars and restaurants where you can dine, drink and experience the Spanish culture in all of its glory.

With no airport, the only way to get to this idyllic sand sanctuary is by boat, which shows how secluded and peaceful the island is. With an array of celebrity visitors having praised the island such as Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Kate Moss, this is a hidden gem to add to your holiday list.

We recommend the peaceful Playa Llevant, situated on the north-east coast of Formentera. You can sit and relax in peace and tranquillity with picturesque views of Ibiza on the horizon above clear blue waters. However, another unique beach on the island is La Savina.

La Savina has quite a nautical atmosphere, centred around the port area. But this beach is unique as it stretches out between the sheltered harbour and the inland lagoon of Estany Pudent- the largest of two lagoons on the island. Although it’s not one to swim in, it is definitely a sight to behold and an area to explore.