If you ask a foreigner to name a beach in Australia, they’ll likely name Bondi Beach. But according to a ranking of the world’s best beaches, a less-well-known NSW beach should be top of their bucket lists.

Hyams Beach, about a three-hour drive south of Sydney, has been ranked number 10 on Enjoy Travel’s annual 50 Best Beaches in the World list.

The beach is known for having some of the whitest sand in the world, as well as crystal clear water. It is surrounded by a stunning national park that is teeming with wildlife. It is a popular spot for swimming and snorkelling, and visitors are told to look out for dolphins, seals and penguins.

However, Hyams Beach isn’t the only Aussie beach on the list. Queensland’s Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays – described as “among one of the purest in the world” – took out the fifth spot and Turquoise Bay near Exmouth in Western Australia was ranked 16. 

As their names suggest, Whitehaven Beach is known for its white sand, which is 98 percent pure silica, and Turquoise Bay is known for its turquoise waters, popular with snorkelers.

Taking out the top spot was the palm tree lined White Beach in Port Barton, Philippines. The beach is most commonly accessed by boat.

Cabo San Juan Beach in Colombia was named the second best in the world, while Jalousie Beach in St Lucia (also referred to as Sugar Beach) was ranked third and Kendwa Beach in Zanzibar was fourth.

The rankings were determined using aggregated scores from previous media results, official Blue Flag locations and contributions from the editorial team. Earlier this year on TripAdvisor’s Top 15 Beaches in the World, Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia, took out third place, while Sydney’s Manly Beach secured spot 13, and Lucky Bay in Western Australia’s Esperance as the world’s best beach claimed the top spot on Banana Boat’s World’s 50 Best Beaches 2023.

This story originally appeared on news.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission.

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