There's a reason this one's a favorite among jet-setters. Beyond being so removed from the hustle and bustle you have to take a series of planes or boats to reach it, the food is incredible, and the water is crystal clear.
The Maldive Islands are made up of twenty-six atolls in the Indian Ocean, and the incredibly clear water, combined with the reef, is one of the major draws. In fact, a couple of our favorite underwater attractions in the world are here, from LIME Spa to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Hilton's resort here. The diversity and color of the wildlife are a stark, beautiful contrast to the pure white sands and blue waters.
(image via Instagram)
Cayo Coco is an island in central Cuba, known for its all-inclusive resorts. With travel to Cuba from the U.S. becoming easier and easier, Cuba is one of our trendy destinations for 2016, and you can expect Cayo Coco to see a lot of that influx. It's too gorgeous not to.
(image via Flickr)
Even without the water, Sabah is a beautiful country. The weathered granite patterns of Mt. Kinabalu are unearthly, and when you get down to lusher ground, you will find yourself in a breathtaking rainforest. But of course, added to all of that is the water itself, prime for diving into from any of the nearby islands.
Aragusuku is a remote island with no shops or commercial interests and a population of only six. The locals call it "Panari," which means "separated." Since the only way in or out is through private touring companies and overnight camping is forbidden, the place stays pretty pristine, from the shimmering sands to the sun-pierced waters.
(image via Instagram)
You don't have to venture to the Caribbean to find crystalline water. Lake Tahoe is located in the Sierra Nevada. It's been around for about two million years, and it's one of the deepest in the country. And yet, the water—among the clearest in the world—is what gets top billing here. Or at least, it shares top billing with the gorgeous mountains that ensconce the alpine lake.
Another strikingly clear American beach is Siesta Beach in Florida, named the best beach in the U.S. in a TripAdvisor poll last year. The water is blue but clean and clear, and the sand is fine, white, powdery stuff that stretches for miles. If you're looking for an escape from traditional Floridian Spring Break beaches, you could do a lot worse than this.
(image via Flickr)
In southwest Turkey, along the Aegean Sea, sits Bodrum. Here is St. Peter's Castle, which has a museum of underwater archaeology. It's amusing to imagine that people just swam around and plucked things from the glassy waters and plopped them down next door. While that's probably not what happened, the clarity of the water might make you feel like it could've.
It may seem counterintuitive that this is both one of the most colorful places on earth and some of the clearest water. But for all of the striking color of Five Flower Lake, there's no denying that you can see clear through to the bottom. So maybe this one is more for admiring than actually snorkelling in, but can you blame us for being captivated by this forest-ensconced wonder?
(image via Instagram)
The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 cays and islands in the Bahamas, and all of it is surrounded by the purest, clearest water the Bahamas has to offer. The resorts along the stark white sands tend to be on the exclusive side, but you could always stay at a nearby all-inclusive resort and venture forth on your own.
