Beaches

16 - The Dead Sea, Jordan. You've heard about the buoyancy of the water in the Dead Sea, but until you experience it for yourself you don't have any idea how it feels to be unable to sink in water.

The world has thousands of remarkable beaches. Here's my favourites among the places I've been. Notable omissions from my travels are Waikiki beach in Hawaii, Cannon Beach in Oregon, and Long Beach on Vancouver Island.

15 - Eagle Beach, Aruba. This is the quintessential Caribbean beach. Warm water and a slow pace create an idyllic setting.

14 - Mykonos, Greece. A rocky shoreline on one of Greece's best islands.

13 - Diamond Beach, Iceland. Located on the south shore of Iceland, this beach is littered with pieces of icebergs that break off inland and flow out to sea here.

12 - Juno Beach, France. It is one of Europe's most important beaches and is very beautiful today, despite a bloody history.

11 - Wineglass Bay, Tasmania. It is located in the Freycinet Peninsula and is accessed by a steep hike over a mountain ridge.

10 - Pigeon Island Beach, St. Lucia. Overlooked by Fort Rodney, which changed hands between the English and French several times.

9 - Noosa, Australia. Located north of Brisbane on the Queensland coast, Noosa is a popular spot for surfing home to one of only two Everglades systems in the world.

8 - Vik Black Sand Beach, Iceland. Volcanic black sand dominates this beach on the south coast of Iceland near Vik. The ocean can be dangerous here as sneaker waves are common.

7 - Manual Antonio, Costa Rica. Surrounded by jungle, Manual Antonio is home to Sloths, monkeys, birds, armadillos, coati, agouti, deer, reptiles, frogs, and snakes.

6 - Coral Cove, Hamilton Island, Australia. Hamilton Island is an exclusive island in the Whitsundays in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is nearby and the water is teeming with marine life.

5 - Parlatuvier Beach, Tobago. On the less visited north side of Tobago is Parlatuvier Beach, a picture-perfect tropical beach with friendly locals.

4 - Batts Rock Beach, Barbados. One of hundreds of gorgeous white sand beaches on Barbados. Batts Rock is just north of the capital, Bridgetown.

3 - Dog Island, San Blas Islands, Panama. It's a hike to get here and very primitive, but extraordinarily beautiful. The San Blas are an archipelago of islands administered by the Kuna Gala people.

2 - Grand Anse Beach, Grenada. Just a fifteen-minute drive from the capital, St. Georges, Grand Anse Beach is as good as it gets in the Caribbean.

1 - Praia Dona Ana, Lagos, Portugal. Lagos is part of the most beautiful region in Portugal, the Algarve. Lagos is surrounded by protective walls, first erected by the Romans.