As summer fades into the unofficial start of fall, there’s still plenty of time to squeeze in one more beach trip — and according to a 2024 study, the whitest sand in the entire United States isn’t found in Hawaii or Florida. It’s on California’s Central Coast.
How The Ranking Was Determined
The study, conducted by luxury villa travel agency CV Villas, analyzed more than 200 beaches worldwide using a distinctly technical approach: researchers pulled Google Maps screenshots of each location, extracted the sand’s RGB color code using a color dropper tool, and compared it against the RGB value representing pure white. An online color difference calculator then ranked each beach by how close its sand came to that ideal shade.
Tulum Beach in Mexico topped the global list, landing just 1.4 points off pure white, with Anse Source D’Argent in the Seychelles taking second place. Researchers noted that satellite imagery can be affected by factors like lighting and water clarity, so the rankings offer a quantifiable starting point rather than a definitive measurement — but they still provide a fun, data-driven way to compare beaches around the world.
Credit: Juanita Turner/Getty Images
Carmel Beach Takes The U.S. Crown
Among American beaches, two made the global top 20: Carmel Beach in California, ranked 14th worldwide and the top domestic pick, and Siesta Key Beach in Florida, ranked 16th globally.
Carmel Beach sits along California’s Central Coast, its pale, sugar-toned sand making it one of the most photographed shorelines in the state. It’s well suited to classic beach-day activities — building sandcastles, sunbathing, and long barefoot walks — while the Pacific swells offshore draw surfers looking for solid rides. The beach is also known for its relaxed atmosphere and richly colored sunsets, and notably, it’s dog-friendly, making it a popular stop for travelers bringing their pets along.
A Storybook Town To Match
Carmel Beach sits just steps from downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, a walkable, one-square-mile village on the Monterey Peninsula with a long history of attracting writers, actors, and artists. Authors Jack London, George Sterling, and Mary Austin all lived there at various points, as did actors Doris Day and Joan Fontaine, and the town has drawn photographers, including Ansel Adams, since the early 20th century.
Today, the village is filled with independently owned galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, along with boutique hotels such as L’Auberge Carmel, a Relais & Châteaux property built in 1929 that sits just a short walk from the beach’s pale sands.
Frequently Asked Questions
How was the “whitest sand” ranking determined? Researchers from CV Villas analyzed Google Maps imagery of more than 200 beaches, extracting each beach’s sand color as an RGB code and comparing it to pure white using a color difference calculator, then ranking the results.
Which beach has the whitest sand in the world overall? Tulum Beach in Mexico ranked first globally, followed by Anse Source D’Argent in the Seychelles.
Is Carmel Beach dog-friendly? Yes. Carmel Beach is known for welcoming pets, making it a popular destination for travelers who want to bring their dogs along.
What’s nearby if I want to plan a full trip around Carmel Beach? The beach is within walking distance of downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, a walkable village with galleries, boutique shops, restaurants, and hotels, including the historic L’Auberge Carmel.
Can satellite-based color rankings like this one be affected by outside factors? Yes. Researchers noted that lighting conditions and water clarity in satellite and map imagery can influence the color readings, meaning the rankings should be treated as a useful comparison tool rather than a precise scientific measurement.
Sources: Matador Network (via CV Villas’ 2024 study) and Travel + Leisure, cited above.
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