Coastal Destinations Rated -- National Geographic Traveler

Photo: Cape Spear lighthouse Newfoundland

Newfoundland's Avalon Pennisula scored highest in our annual geotourism survey.

Photograph by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux

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.

Read Introduction by Geotourism Editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot »

Featured Destinations

Newfoundland and Labrador: Avalon Peninsula

Newfoundland and Labrador's Avalon Peninsula is home to a winding coastline dotted with picturesque fishing villages.
Italy: Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre's steep, rocky coast has afforded its towns a natural seclusion from the rest of the mainland.
Jamaica: Southwest/Northwest Coasts

The coast of Jamaica offers a tale of two shores: the party-hearty northwest coast and the low-density alternative along the southwest.
Mozambique: Northern Coast

The remote north coast of Mozambique has tawny sands, turquiose waters, coral islands, tropical woodlands, and centuries-old Portuguese forts.
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro's Beaches

Rio de Janeiro's beaches maintain their appeal despite contending with slums, traffic, and crime in the surrounding city of six million.
Sri Lanka: South Coast

Still rebuilding from the deadly 2004 tsunami and years of civil war, Sri Lanka is looking to tourism to achieve its goals.
Coastal Louisiana

Much of the wetlands that define coastal Louisiana were damaged in the 2010 oil spill, but a good portion of the western coast was spared.

Photo Gallery

The World's Top Coastal Destinations

About the Survey

Geoutourism Challenge

Vote for the Best Ideas

Ashoka’s Changemakers, National Geographic, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) are looking for innovative solutions for coastal, waterway, and island destinations that protect the environment and strengthen the heritage and livelihoods of local residents. Prepare to vote for the 2010 Geotourism Challenge winner beginning January 19, 2011.