People sometimes forget the sheer vastness of The Bahamas. You may know there are 700 islands and cays, but you may not realize that The Bahamas covers an expanse of almost 655,000 square kilometers. It is not just a country — it is a turquoise-hued universe, and across its shimmering waters you will find every manner of beach, from tiny coves to pink-sand masterpieces and undiscovered sandbars hidden away in the sea. You could fill an entire list of the best beaches in the region exclusively using Bahamas beaches — they’re that good.

As you can imagine, then, narrowing down a list of our 25 favorites is no small task, but we’ve put together a comprehensive ranking that touches on nearly every accessible land mass in The Bahamas, from popular beach destinations to some out-of-the-way gems.

Here are the 25 best beaches in The Bahamas.

Gold Rock Beach, Grand Bahama The signature stretch of sand on on gorgeous Grand Bahama, this “welcome mat” of the island is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of the  wider Caribbean, set on the edge of the Lucayan National Park. It gets its name from the way the sunset can illuminate a small offshore cay in the distance; and when it comes to Bahamas beaches, it’s the gold standard.