Coastal Destinations Rated Photos -- National Geographic Traveler

Newfoundland and Labrador: Avalon Peninsula (Score 84)
Photograph by Barrett & MacKay, Corbis
Holding fast to their island rock, houses cluster on Newfoundland's rugged shore.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
New Zealand: Tutukaka Coast, Northland (Score 80)
Photograph by Douglas Pearson, Corbis
Scalloped by countless inlets, coves, and bays, the northeastern coast of New Zealand's North Island offers a veritable playground for sports enthusiasts—and photographers.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Wales: Pembrokeshire Coast (Score 80)
Photograph by Justin Foulkes, SIME
All lemony sunlight and pastel-hued houses, the Welsh coastal town of Tenby has been a favored holiday destination for generations.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Chile: Chilean Fjords (Score 79)
Photograph by Richard T. Nowitz, Corbis
Glacier-carved fjords—here the Garibaldi Fjord—finger the serrated southern coast of Chile.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Hawaii: Na Pali Coast, Kauai (Score 79)
Photograph by Jenny Mann, My Shot
Misted by the sea, Kauai's Na Pali coast remains a landscape out of time.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Oman: Batinah Coast (Score 79)
Photograph by Reinhard Schmid, SIME
Fresh-caught fish await takers at a dock in Mutrah, outside Oman's capital of Muscat.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
British Columbia: Gulf Islands (Score 78)
Photograph by Chris Deakin, My Shot
Salute to the sun: A First Nations totem stands tall along British Columbia's rugged Strait of Georgia.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Australia: Broome (Score 77)
Photograph by Atlantide Phototravel, Corbis
Camel-riding on a beach in North Africa? Try the seaside Australian resort town of Broome, where outfitters offer a range of sightseeing-by-camel experiences.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Nova Scotia: South Shore (Score 77)
Photograph by Blaine Harrington III, Corbis
One boat, two boats: Seafaring is a treasured way of life in proud Nova Scotian settlements like rock-bound Peggy's Cove.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Scotland: Moray Firth Coast, Inverness to Peterhead (Score 76)
Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic
Twilight settles over the village of Pennan's cottages and boats on the Moray Firth.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Argentina: Valdés Peninsula (Score 76)
Photograph by Paul Souders, WorldFoto/Aurora Photos
Whiskered Southern sea lions romp in the Atlantic Ocean around Argentina's Valdés Peninsula.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Italy: Cinque Terre (Score 76)
Photograph by Atlantide Phototravel, Corbis
Visitors enjoy a sunset meal in Vernazza, one of the five lands, or Cinque Terre, that make up this popular destination in northwestern Italy.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Namibia: Skeleton Coast (Score 75)
Photograph by George Steinmetz, Corbis
Sand, sand everywhere: Dunes ripple their way west to the Atlantic Ocean on Namibia's famously arid Skeleton Coast.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Oregon: Oregon Coast (Score 75)
Photograph by Craig Tuttle, Corbis
Red-capped Heceta Head Lighthouse, which has helped ships negotiate Oregon's coast since 1894, today doubles as a B&B.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Cook Islands: As a Whole (Score 75)
Photograph by Mark Lewis, Getty Images
Sitting pretty, a pair of flower-crowned girls perch on an outrigger in the Pacific's Cook Islands.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
New Zealand: Great Barrier Island (Score 75)
Photograph by David Hancock, Alamy
Gin-clear waters and secluded coves lure sailors to New Zealand's Great Barrier Island.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Prince Edward Island: Coastal Areas (Score 74)
Photograph by Karl-Heinz Raach, laif/Redux
Fields of lupines quilt the bucolic landscape of Canada's eastern Prince Edward Island.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.
Georgia, U.S.: Georgia Sea Islands (Score 74)
Photograph by Stefan Eberhard, My Shot
Clattering palmetto fronds and gnarly live oak branches crowd an unpaved road on Cumberland Island, Georgia.
Traveler's annual destination scorecard focuses on 99 coastal areas, from Italy to Mozambique. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. This gallery represents the top-rated destinations. You can see the full list here.