15 Remote Beaches Abroad Where Travelers Find Real Quiet
You’re not looking for a beach club or resort playlist. You want space, calm, and the kind of coastline where time slows. The truth is, you can still find beaches abroad that feel like private worlds no crowds, no noise, just waves and sky. They’re remote, sometimes hard to reach, but that’s what keeps them wild. From hidden coves in Indonesia to Arctic sands in Norway, here are 15 beaches where you can still find quiet worth traveling for.
1. Uoleva Island, Tonga
On Uoleva Island in Tonga, you’re met with nothing but open horizon and miles of untouched sand. The island sits within the Ha‘apai group and is almost completely undeveloped no paved roads, no high rise hotels, just a few solar powered eco lodges scattered among palm trees. The air feels clean, the water stays calm, and you’ll often walk for hours without seeing another person. You arrive by boat and leave when you feel like you’ve remembered how to slow down. It’s simple, raw, and deeply peaceful.
2. Cabuya Beach, Costa Rica
Cabuya sits quietly on the southern edge of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, where jungle meets gentle surf. The beach itself is lined with smooth stones and coral, and the water is shallow enough for lazy wading. When the tide drops, you can walk across a sandbar to a tiny offshore island that serves as a cemetery a surreal, tranquil experience. Life here moves slow; the locals fish, cook, and nap without rush. There’s no nightlife, no souvenir stands just space to think and salt in the air.
3. Wedi Ireng Beach, Indonesia
Wedi Ireng Beach in East Java isn’t easy to reach, but that’s the point. You hike through jungle paths or take a small fishing boat from nearby Rajegwesi, and when you arrive, you find sand that shifts from white to volcanic black and water clear enough to see coral beneath your feet. There are no signs, lifeguards, or beach chairs just waves breaking against rock and the occasional bird overhead. It’s what Bali might have looked like before tourism took over, and you’ll feel that difference instantly.
4. Kvalvika Beach, Norway
Hidden among Norway’s Lofoten Islands, Kvalvika Beach sits at the end of a steep mountain trail, far from roads or villages. Once you crest the ridge, you see a crescent of golden sand surrounded by cliffs and the cold Arctic Ocean. The air smells of salt and pine, and the only shelter is a small hut built by hikers. You might camp under the midnight sun or watch storm clouds roll over the sea in silence. The effort it takes to reach this beach makes its quiet feel sacred.
5. Cayo de Agua, Venezuela
Cayo de Agua in Los Roques National Park feels like a mirage made real. Its defining feature is a thin, white sandbar that stretches between two tiny islands, surrounded by impossibly turquoise water. You can only visit by boat, and there’s no infrastructure; no shops, no hotels, not even shade. The water stays warm and shallow, and the sound of waves echo softly across the open expanse. Time slows here, and for a few hours, it feels like the ocean belongs only to you.
6. Playa Escondida, Mexico
Playa Escondida, or Hidden Beach, sits inside a collapsed volcanic crater on one of the Marieta Islands. You reach it by swimming through a tunnel that opens into a dome of sunlight and sand, a natural sanctuary shielded by stone walls. Visitor numbers are limited, so it never feels crowded, and once inside, the acoustics soften every sound. You float, listen, and realize how rare true quiet has become. The beach’s name isn’t just descriptive; it’s a promise.
7. Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia
Koh Rong Samloem is the kind of island that doesn’t care about Wi-Fi or schedules. The electricity runs for a few hours a day, and the night sky glows with stars and bioluminescent plankton in the sea. Saracen Bay is the main beach, lined with small bungalows and hammocks instead of hotels or loud bars. The water stays shallow, the sand fine and pale, and you can walk for an hour without hearing anything mechanical. It’s not fancy, but it’s beautifully human in its simplicity.
8. Whisky Bay, Australia
Whisky Bay hides inside Wilsons Promontory National Park in southern Australia. Granite boulders frame the cove, and the water shifts from deep blue to jade as the tide moves. There are no facilities beyond a few picnic tables, and the beach is reached by a short trail through coastal scrub. You come for the quiet, stay for the view, and leave with the smell of salt still clinging to your clothes. It’s the kind of place that makes noise feel optional.
9. Agios Sostis, Greece
Agios Sostis on Mykonos proves not all Greek beaches are about crowds or cocktails. You reach it by a dirt road, and when you arrive, there’s no music just the sound of wind and waves. The beach is small, golden, and open to the sun, with a single taverna serving grilled fish and chilled wine. The sea here is clear enough to see every stone beneath you. It’s not remote by geography but by atmosphere, giving you space to feel calm in a famously busy place.
10. Praia do Sancho, Brazil
On the island of Fernando de Noronha, Praia do Sancho sits hidden behind towering cliffs. You climb down metal stairs wedged between rocks to reach it, and once you step onto the sand, you understand why it’s often called one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. The turquoise bay is full of sea turtles, and the air hums with birds instead of engines. Visitor numbers are tightly controlled, so the sense of peace holds. It’s wild, unspoiled, and worth every descent.
11. Playa de Gulpiyuri, Spain
Playa de Gulpiyuri is not your typical beach it’s a saltwater pool tucked inland near Llanes in northern Spain. The ocean feeds it through underground tunnels, so the tides rise and fall without waves in sight. It’s surrounded by green meadows instead of cliffs, creating a quiet contrast that feels almost secret. You lie back in still water, hear distant surf, and realize you’re floating in a landscape that makes no sense but feels perfect. Few travelers stumble upon it, which keeps it wonderfully calm.
12. Red Beach, Santorini, Greece
Red Beach in Santorini looks otherworldly with its crimson cliffs and dark sand formed from volcanic rock. A short hike brings you there, and because the path is rugged, many skip it, leaving the cove quieter than most spots on the island. The water is clear and cool, contrasting sharply with the heat of the red stone. If you arrive early, you might have it to yourself, the only sound being small waves and wind brushing the cliffside. It’s Santorini stripped to its natural beauty.
13. Navagio Beach, Greece
Navagio Beach, also called Shipwreck Beach, lies on the island of Zakynthos and is accessible only by boat. The white limestone cliffs tower around it, creating an amphitheater of stillness. A rusted shipwreck sits in the middle of the sand, adding a surreal touch to an already cinematic view. The water glows an impossible blue, and when the last tour boat leaves, silence takes over. You sit there, waves echoing off the walls, and feel like you’ve stepped out of time.
14. Anse Marron, Seychelles
Reaching Anse Marron on La Digue requires a guided hike through tangled jungle and boulder passages, but when you arrive, you’re rewarded with one of the quietest places in the Indian Ocean. The beach is split by granite rocks forming shallow natural pools perfect for swimming. There are no cafes or umbrellas, just raw coastline. The sea laps gently against smooth stone, and the sunlight flickers through palm leaves. It feels like a secret the world forgot to spoil.
15. Playa de las Catedrales, Spain
On Galicia’s northern coast, Playa de las Catedrales reveals itself only at low tide. Giant rock arches rise from the sand like natural cathedrals, their shadows stretching across the beach as the sun moves. Access is limited by permit, keeping the crowds low and the atmosphere hushed. When the tide returns, the sea fills the arches and the path disappears. It’s fleeting and beautiful a reminder that true quiet often comes with impermanence.
