Trunk Bay beach, located on the north coast of Saint John island in the US Virgin Islands, was distinguished as the best beach in the world in 2026, ranking first in the Global Beach Index prepared by the Beach.com portal. The ranking was built from hundreds of suggestions from travel experts, content creators, and local experts, cross-referenced with scientific information and over 93,000 reviews published on Google Maps. Among the criteria considered were water quality and tone, popularity, visitor opinions, accessibility, and climate conditions.
The beach stands out for the contrast between the very light sand, the turquoise-blue of the sea, and the green hillsides that practically surround the beach, which extends for approximately 480 meters. A significant portion of the island is integrated into the Virgin Islands National Park, which helped limit urbanization and preserve the natural landscape. The US National Park Service describes Trunk Bay as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Weather conditions are favorable for approximately 300 days a year, with the period between April and June being particularly recommended for visiting. The destination has a tropical climate, although conditions may vary during the wetter season and the Caribbean hurricane season. Despite the preserved setting, there are some visitor facilities, including restrooms, showers, a food area, and snorkeling equipment rental.
From Portugal, the trip typically goes through Miami, where there are flights to Saint Thomas operated by American Airlines. From Saint Thomas, it is necessary to take a ferry from the Red Hook terminal to Cruz Bay in Saint John, a crossing of approximately 15 minutes. Then, it is a short drive to Trunk Bay.