Epic beach fails: the brochure vs reality
Disappointing beaches

Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cala Brandinchi, Sardinia, Italy

Cala Brandinchi, Sardinia, Italy

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia

But from ground level, the whole experience is somewhat underwhelming. It just looks like any other beach, really. If you do want to be awed you'd better take to the skies instead.
Diani Beach, Kenya

Diani Beach, Kenya

Elafonisi, Crete, Greece

Elafonisi, Crete, Greece

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Bondi Beach, Australia

Bondi Beach, Australia

Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Navagio Beach, Zakynthos, Greece

This picturesque beach is one of Greece's most famous, thanks to the hulk of a shipwreck that's seemingly sinking into its sands. The MV Panagiotis freightliner ran aground here in the 1980s and now gives this cove a Cast Away kind of vibe. But don't expect to be stranded here alone...
Navagio Beach, Zakynthos, Greece

With this kind of fame comes crowds, and Navagio is rarely found empty these days, except perhaps in the depths of winter. Boat trips from the surrounding areas stop off here for picnics and to allow visitors to explore the wreckage, and so your hopes of playing the lone survivor will be well and truly crushed. Check out more of the world's most beautiful shipwrecks too.
Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

Jökulsárlón, Iceland

Jökulsárlón, Iceland

Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India

Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India

Luskentyre, Harris, Scotland

Luskentyre, Harris, Scotland

Come to Luskentyre and you're more likely to be faced with this rather drab view than anything quite so idyllic. There's more than just beaches to see on Harris, so check out our guide to the island.
Glass Beach, California, USA

Glass Beach, California, USA

Papkolea Beach, Hawaii, USA

Papkolea Beach, Hawaii, USA

Brighton Beach, England

Brighton Beach, England

There won't be a spare deck chair in sight, as this is the go-to beach destination for Londoners when the sun's out, and locals flock to the shores too. The beach bars and cafés under the promenade backing the beach get full very quickly, so expect to queue a while for those ice creams, and be vigilant around the pesky seagulls that will no doubt want a spot of your lunch. Sadly, the popularity of this beach is also damaging it, as when the crowds have gone, all too often beer cans and picnic leftovers are discarded right on the pebbles by careless visitors.
Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, Caribbean

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, Caribbean

That is, until a great big cruise ship comes and blocks the view. On Grand Turk, the cruise terminal is right on the beach and ships dock at a pontoon that leads straight onto the sand. It sounds ideal for passengers, who have a short walk to get to the sunbeds, but for the rest of us, it's certainly spoiling the view. Here are 50 experiences you didn't know you could have in the Caribbean (besides heading to the beach)
Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is on many a travellers' bucket list thanks to its starring role in Game of Thrones, the pretty cobblestone streets and its impressive city walls from which you can get glorious views. This coastal city has some stretches of sand too, which occasionally look like this.
Dubrovnik, Croatia

But visit in the height of summer and you might have to face trial by combat to find a spot for your towel. Overtourism has been a big problem in Croatia in the last few years, and particularly in Dubrovnik where huge cruise ships dock, thronging the city with visitors by day.
Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand

Movie fans will recognise this sandy crescent as the very stretch Leonardo DiCaprio lost his mind on in the film The Beach. Its bright-white sands and towering karst cliffs are an otherworldly sight, worthy of any beach bucket (and spade) list.
From Garfield to motorbikes, here are the strangest things to wash up on the world's beaches
Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand

But thanks to its worldwide fame, it has now been ruined by overtourism. So much so, that Thai authorities have banned access to the island entirely to try and restore the damaged corals and marine habitats. There's no reopening date yet but it's thought there will be a cap of 2,000 people a day, less than half the 5,000 reportedly visiting before the closure. There are hundreds of absolutely stunning beaches across Thailand's many islands though, so don't feel too disheartened – another (and probably quieter) paradise is just around the corner.
Loved this feature? See more epic travel fails from the Taj Mahal to Yosemite
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature