Silky, powder-white sand seems to get all the attention these days\u2014but what good is perfect sand without crystal-clear water to match? Like sand, not all bodies of water are created equal: due to certain natural filters like coral reefs or limestone, some oceans (and lakes, and rivers) simply look better than others. Here, we\u2019ve rounded up the world\u2019s bluest waters for your summer travel inspiration.<\/p>\n
Bonito, Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n Thanks to the high concentration of underground limestone\u2014which acts as a natural filter\u2014the rivers surrounding the Brazilian municipality of Bonito are exceptionally clear and vividly blue. (So blue that the region has been dubbed \u201cCaribe do Centro-Oeste,\u201d the Caribbean of the Central-West). Rio da Prata is one of the most dramatically blue rivers in the region, and is popular with snorkelers thanks to its water clarity and plentiful marine life.<\/p>\n Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy<\/strong><\/p>\n Lampedusa is the largest and most stunning of the Italian Pelagie islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and so far south that it\u2019s actually closer to Tunisia than mainland Italy. All of those are very valid reasons to pay a visit\u2014but what you\u2019re really here for is that famous water: shimmering, crystalline, and electric-blue. Rabbit Beach is the island\u2019s most popular swimming spot, offering blissful shallows to splash around in, framed by gently sloping limestone cliffs.<\/p>\n Lake Pukaki, South Island, New Zealand<\/strong><\/p>\n The largest of three near-parallel alpine lakes on New Zealand\u2019s South Island, Lake Pukaki is such an unearthly shade of blue that it looks like a scene out of a movie. (And it is: the lake was a backdrop for major scenes in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies). But that frosty, Gatorade-level blue is no special effect: the lake derives its hue from glacial flour\u2014a fine silt of pulverized rock suspended in the water that reflects blue light and give the lake its luminous appearance.<\/p>\n Maldives<\/strong><\/p>\n A roundup of the world\u2019s bluest waters would be incomplete without the Maldives, home of turquoise-blue waters so vibrant they seem surreal. In fact, Maldivian waters are so translucent, it often appears as if the boats sailing around the islands are floating in mid-air. As as if the water weren\u2019t already luminous enough, travelers on the Maldivian island of Vaadhoo have recently been witnessing water that literally glows blue as a result of a chemical reaction called bioluminescence\u2014allowing you to marvel its beauty, even in the dark.<\/p>\n Navagio Bay, Zakynthos, Greece<\/strong><\/p>\n It seems as if all the Greek islands are framed by that killer shade of emerald blue, but there\u2019s something about the waters at Navagio Bay on the tiny island of Zakynthos that makes your heart skip a beat. Perhaps its the sheer seclusion and protected location (it\u2019s sheltered on either side by soaring cliffs) that keeps its aquamarine waters so perfect and pure. For the ultimate vantage point, follow the signs to the Agios Gergio Kremnao monastery, which has a viewing platform overlooking the entire length of the beach.<\/p>\n Exuma, Bahamas<\/strong><\/p>\n The waters that surround Exuma’s 365 islands are so supernaturally blue and clear it feels as if you\u2019re in an infinity pool, whether you\u2019re swimming alongside adorable piglets on Big Major Cay or wading in the calm shallows of Small Hope Bay. Beautiful hue aside, Bahamian waters are calm and warm all year round\u2014rarely dipping below 72 degrees Fahrenheit\u2014which means you can swim comfortably even in the cooler winter months (December through February).<\/p>\n Moraine Lake, Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n If Moraine Lake looks familiar, it\u2019s probably because you\u2019ve seen it before: the lake is so picture-perfect, it\u2019s used as the default backdrop for Windows, Blackberry and Palm softwares, many Android products, and even the old Canadian $20 bill. Located in Alberta\u2019s Banff National Park, the lake\u2019s startling shade of cyan is thanks to the glacier sediment deposited by melt-water from the surrounding glaciers. Though Moraine is often overshadowed by the larger and more touristed Lake Louise, we think it\u2019s just as pretty (and infinitely more peaceful).<\/p>\n Boracay Island, Philippines<\/strong><\/p>\n Palawan may have recently been voted the world\u2019s most beautiful island by our readers, but when it comes to the water, Boracay remains king. The shallow, glassy water surrounding Boracay has the level of clarity you’d expect from a hotel pool and boasts a shade of turquoise so striking and ethereal it\u2019ll stop you dead in your tracks. Insider tip: skip touristy White Beach for the more secluded Diniwid Beach, where you can have Boracay\u2019s beautiful waters all to yourself.<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on cntraveler.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Silky, powder-white sand seems to get all the attention these days\u2014but what good is perfect sand without crystal-clear water to match? Like sand, not all bodies of water are created equal: due to certain natural filters like coral reefs or limestone, some oceans (and lakes,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":303,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions\/303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicecave.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}