Beaches in Cuba, Turks and Caicos and Aruba named in TripAdvisor's list of Top 10 Beaches in World

Three beautiful sandy stretches in the Caribbean have been named in TripAdvisor’s annual list of the world’s best beaches as part of the 2017 Travellers' Choice Awards. Playa Paraiso in Cuba, Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, and Eagle Beach in Aruba were all listed among the top five beaches, with Brazil’s remote Baia do Sancho beach scooping the top spot.

The 2017 Travellers' Choice Awards have revealed their annual list of the Top 10 Beaches in the World. Three beaches in the Caribbean made the top five, while the top spot was secured by Baia do Sancho in Brazil.

Last year’s winner took second place this year; Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos is eight kilometres long and boast white sand and turquoise water lapping its shores. The sandy stretch is home a collection of luxury but affordable hotels and resorts, providing the perfect location for a sunshine escape. The beach is also home to the third-largest barrier reef in the world, making it a popular spot for scuba diving and snorkelling adventures.

In third place was Eagle Beach in Aruba in the Caribbean. The public beach has powder-soft white sand and is very wide, making it a hotspot for holidaymakers who want to relax, play games, or take a dip in the turquoise sea. There’s plenty of parking, a picnic area, beach huts, and a variety of motorised sports available. There are also a collection of low-rise hotels and resorts that are located across the road from the beach.

Dotted across the beach are red and white markers that protect the turtle nests. Four species of sea turtles come to the beach to lay their eggs every year – Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, and Leatherback. Each of the nests contains around 80 eggs, and if they’re lucky, holidaymakers can catching the new hatchlings take their first journey to the ocean when they emerge from the nests.

Playa Paraiso on Cayo Largo, Cuba was ranked in fourth place, down one spot from last year’s awards. Known as Paradise Beach in English, the sandy stretch was favoured by travellers for its soft sand, azure sea, and its swimming pool with clear water.

Cayo Largo is a beautiful island located south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea near the popular Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth). The tranquil isle provides a relaxing all-year-round retreat away from the crowds often found in more developed coastal destinations. The virgin island is 28 kilometres long and three kilometres wide, and is home to many unspoilt postcard-perfect beaches, as well as a diverse collection of wildlife such as pelicans, flamingos, turtles, and iguanas.

The ten beaches were rated by travellers who left comments, ratings and reviews on the TripAdvisor website over the past 12 months. These reviews then form the annual Travellers' Choice Awards, which also recognises the best attractions, hotels, restaurants and destinations across the world.