Experiences are food for your soul – see these beaches glowing with magical bioluminescence!
Deciding where to spend our hard-earned money can be a challenge. As time goes by, more and more people realize that experiences are worth so much more than possessions. However, even choosing a holiday destination is sometimes hard. For people like me, who try to travel as much as we can with a full-time job, the days in the year that can be spent travelling are pretty limited. I admit it, I usually envy people with even 5 extra days of yearly holiday! So, yes, I am always looking for something unique to see and experience. And I don’t think bioluminescent beaches can just be “seen”. No, seeing these and swimming in these waters is a true experience!
How do bioluminescent beaches “work”? Well, it’s usually bioluminescent phytoplankton that does the job, but sometimes it can be bioluminescent shrimp or even firefly squid! The trick here is that the water needs to move in order to show its glow. This means that when you swim, the water ALL AROUND YOU glows. Yes, it’s truly magical!
Let’s dive in and see some of the best bioluminescent beaches in the world (and where to stay nearby!)
Table of Contents
- 1. Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico
- 2. Sam Mun Tsai Beach, Hong Kong
- 3. Manasquan, New Jersey, United States
- 4. Bunny Island, Tasmania, Australia
- 5. Carlsbad State Beach, California, United States
- 6. Cape Raoul, Tasmania, Australia
- 7. Tathra, New South Wales, Australia
- 8. Jervis Bay, Australia
- 9. Avila Beach, California, United States
- 10. Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay
- 11. Basin View, Australia
- 12. Lorne, Victoria, Australia
- 13. Ralph’s Bay, Tasmania, Australia
- 14. Larak, Iran
- 15. Pacific City, Oregon, United States
- 16. Bahía de Los Angeles, Mexico
- 17. Big Sur, California
- 18. Penmon Lighthouse (Trwyn Du Lighthouse), United Kingdom
- 19. Pistol River Beach, Oregon, United States
- 20. Roskilde Fjord, Denmark
- 21. Walker Bay, Grootbos, South Africa
- 22. Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- 23. Vaadhoo, Maldives
- 24. Toyama Bay, Japan
- 25. Bangsaen, Chonburi, Thailand
1. Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico
Closest budget hotel: Esperanza Inn
Prices per night start at: 90$
Booking.com review score: 8.8
2. Sam Mun Tsai Beach, Hong Kong
Closest budget hotel: YHA Bradbury Jockey Club Youth Hostel
Prices per night start at: 60$
Booking.com review score: 7.7
3. Manasquan, New Jersey, United States
Closest budget hotel: Atlantic Motel
Prices per night start at: 170$
Booking.com review score: 8.4
4. Bunny Island, Tasmania, Australia
Closest budget hotel: The Tree House
Prices per night start at: 177$
Booking.com review score: 9.2
5. Carlsbad State Beach, California, United States
Closest budget hotel: Days Inn by Wyndham Carlsbad
Prices per night start at: 177$
Booking.com review score: 8.0
6. Cape Raoul, Tasmania, Australia
Closest budget hotel: Port Arthur Motor Inn
Prices per night start at: 83$
Booking.com review score: 8.3
7. Tathra, New South Wales, Australia
Closest budget hotel: Tathra Beach House Holiday Apartments
Prices per night start at: 122$
Booking.com review score: 9.2
8. Jervis Bay, Australia
Closest budget hotel: The Huskisson
Prices per night start at: 93$
Booking.com review score: 8.0
9. Avila Beach, California, United States
Closest budget hotel: Avila Village Inn
Prices per night start at: 268$
Booking.com review score: 9.2
10. Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay
Closest budget hotel: Hotel Atlantico by Tay Hotels
Prices per night start at: 63$
Booking.com review score: 8.8
11. Basin View, Australia
Closest budget hotel: Jopen Complex
Prices per night start at: 62$
Booking.com review score: 8.2
12. Lorne, Victoria, Australia
Closest budget hotel: Lorne Hotel
Prices per night start at: 162$
Booking.com review score: 8.0
13. Ralph’s Bay, Tasmania, Australia
Closest budget hotel: Beach buoy
Prices per night start at: 189$
Booking.com review score: N/A (new holiday home)
14. Larak, Iran
15. Pacific City, Oregon, United States
Closest budget hotel: Surf & Sand Inn
Prices per night start at: 158$
Booking.com review score: 9.1
16. Bahía de Los Angeles, Mexico
Closest budget hotel: The Halfway Inn
Prices per night start at: 31$
Booking.com review score: 8.2
17. Big Sur, California
Closest budget hotel: Carmel Garden Inn
Prices per night start at: 267$
Booking.com review score: 9.0
18. Penmon Lighthouse (Trwyn Du Lighthouse), United Kingdom
It is rare, but if you’re very lucky, you can catch both the bioluminescent phytoplankton AND the aurora, very close by at the shores of Snowdonia National Park.
Closest budget hotel: Gwyndaf Bed And Breakfast
Prices per night start at: 123$
Booking.com review score: 9.9
19. Pistol River Beach, Oregon, United States
Closest budget hotel: Pacific Reef Hotel
Prices per night start at: 108$
Booking.com review score: 8.6
20. Roskilde Fjord, Denmark
Closest budget hotel: Strandsegård Ferielejlighed
Prices per night start at: 122$
Booking.com review score: 9.0
21. Walker Bay, Grootbos, South Africa
Closest budget hotel: Benguela
Prices per night start at: 71$
Booking.com review score: 9.6
22. Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Closest budget hotel: Ruiselares
Prices per night start at: 25$
Booking.com review score: 8.9
23. Vaadhoo, Maldives
Closest budget hotel: Ayada Maldives
Prices per night start at: 584$ (it is an island resort, but you can also look for a day trip for visiting)
Booking.com review score: 9.1
24. Toyama Bay, Japan
Closest budget hotel: Uozu Manten Hotel Ekimae
Prices per night start at: 92$
Booking.com review score: 8.6
25. Bangsaen, Chonburi, Thailand
Closest budget hotel: SP Home BangSaen
Prices per night start at: 35$
Booking.com review score: 8.8
Which one is your favorite? Have you seen other beaches with bioluminescence?
These are awesome! I can’t believe we lived in Oregon for 7 years, just an hour from the coast in Florence, and we never knew about the bioluminescence there. We’ve even been there at night and never seen it. I’ve only seen it in Alaska a long time ago and it was totally unreal. Great post!
Hehe! Thank you! I guess it does need certain conditions in order to “catch” it 🙂 One of them is definitely waves – if the water is too still, you wouldn’t be able to see it 🙂 Where did you see it in Alaska?? Was there a lot of bioluminescence over there??