New research by CV Villas has revealed where in the world is home to the whitest sands, according to colour analysis theory. Following their recent discovery of the world’s bluest waters, CV Villas was inspired to explore which beaches have the most pristine sands. To discover this, they took unedited Google map screenshots of 200 beaches around the globe and used a colour dropper tool to find the RGB code of the sand in each location. This was then cross-referenced with the RGB code of the world’s purest shade of white (255, 255, 255) and the colormine.org calculator was used to calculate which locations’ shore is closest to the whitest white.

The research found that Tulum Beach in Mexico claims the top spot with its sand being just 1.4 points off the whitest shade in the world. Situated on the Caribbean coast, this beautiful beach is picture-perfect, with bright blue waves, and almost pure white shores.

Second on the list is Anse Source D’Argent in the Seychelles, which scored an impressive 4.3 difference in colour compared to the purest shade of white. This is the only beach on the African continent to feature in the top 30.

Meanwhile, beaches in Europe dominate the ranking claiming 15 of the top 30 beaches from around the globe. Marmari Beach in Kos, Greece is third on the global rankings, with just 6.5 of a difference in its sand colour compared to the purest white, followed by Tropea Beach in Southern Italy which is joint fourth with Spain’s Platja de Muro nestled along the coast of Alcudia in Majorca.

Spanish destinations feature in the top 30 more than any other country, claiming six of the top spots. Following Majorca’s Platja de Muro is Cala Pluma claiming the title of the world’s sixth whitest sand, which is often dubbed as Ibiza’s ‘secret beach’ thanks to its location hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the island. Los Lances Beach ranks further down the list in 22nd position with a small 11.2 coefficient between its sand and the whitest white. This long beach forms one side of the town of Tarifa offering views of the Straits of Gibraltar and the coast of Africa. Las Salinas in Ibiza is 26th on the list, closely followed by Port de Soller Beach in Majorca, and Menorca’s Platja de Son Xoriguer completes the top 30 whitest sands in the world.

World’s Top 30 Whitest Sands

North America

Although Europe is the continent claiming the most spots on the global top 30 whitest sands, North America is next in line with eight beaches featuring on the list. With a minor coefficient of 8.5, Stocking Island Beach in the Bahamas and Taylor Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos are joint ninth, closely followed by Cuba’s Varadero Beach in 11th place.

Carmel Beach, one of the most iconic spots on California’s Central Coast, is 14th in the world for its beautiful white sand, Siesta Key Beach in Florida is 16th, and Flamenco Beach is 18th, whilst Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos completes the top 20. The final beach on the continent of North and Central America to feature in the top 30 is Cuba’s Eagle Beach, which has an impressive coefficient score of just 11.7, placing its shores in joint 26th position.

Asia

All three of the beaches located in Asia that claim their place on the top 30 whitest sands in the world are located in Thailand. Maya Bay, most famous for being the filming location for Leonardo DiCaprio’s hit film ‘The Beach,’ is 13th in the global rankings. In 15th place is Bamboo Island,  just a 20-minute boat ride away from Maya Bay, and the final Thai beach to feature in the top 30 is Maenam Beach in Koh Samui (21st).

Oceania

Just one Oceania-based beach makes an appearance in the top 30 list, and with ‘white’ in its name, it’s no surprise that Whitehaven Beach is among the world’s whitest shores. Ranking in 25th position, Whitehaven Beach is a pristine location on Whitsunday Island that attracts visitors from all over the globe.