If you are already dreaming of your next tropical vacation, you’ve come to the right place. These are our tried and true destinations of choice when it comes to the best tropical destinations of 2025.
With crystal clear blue water, incredible marine life, beautiful coral reefs, and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I’ve fallen in love with these tropical locations. For those who need more than just a beautiful beach to relax on, you’ll find plenty of options for snorkeling, diving, and sailing to keep you busy.
Some of these spots may lie outside of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, but they will still give you the best tropical vacay you could possibly have. Here are some of my favorite tropical travel destinations for your 2025 travel bucket list.
Best Tropical Travel Destinations for 2025
MALDIVES
The Maldives have become my home away from home in the last few years. I spend a few weeks here each year, trying out new resorts and returning to old favorites, so I can’t have a list of tropical destinations to visit without the Maldives.
The Maldives are made up of over 1,000 tiny islands dotted with palm trees and the clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean. It’s one of the most beautiful and pristine destinations for diving and experiencing marine life. You can swim with whale sharks, manta rays, and all different kinds of tropical fish. Wherever you are in this chain of islands, you feel like you’re a world away from everything else.
The Maldives are famous for the luxury overwater bungalows for good reason. If you want to experience the ultimate luxury vacation, the Maldives offers massive villas with your own personal slide and even private islands you can have all to yourself.
However, you can also make this a more affordable trip by staying closer to Male and skipping the charter flight or by staying in a more affordable Maldives resort. You don’t have to break the bank to experience the incredible views in the Maldives.
MALDIVES TRAVEL TIPS:
Top 20 Maldives Resorts
Best Maldives Resorts for a Honeymoon
Affordable Maldives Resorts
Best Maldives Resorts for Snorkelling
Best Maldives Resorts for Couples
One Week Four Seasons Maldives Itinerary
PACIFIC COAST OF MEXICO
Yes, the east coast of Mexico is amazing, but I find myself feeling more relaxed and at home on Mexico’s west coast. Cabo is the big draw for most travellers, but Baja California and the Pacific Coast of Mexico have some real gems to explore.
Sayulita is a beach-loving foodie’s mecca. Todos Santos is a bohemian surf town oozing with charm & Puerto Escondido is a surfer’s paradise with a laid-back vibe & many sustainably minded hotels to enjoy!
The Costalegre region is another area that cannot be missed. An off-the-beaten-path destination that combines pristine nature, impeccable 5-star boutique hotels & an authentic Mexican experience.
Don’t be afraid to get out of the big tourist spots and explore more of the West Coast’s off-the-beaten-path destinations.
MEXICO TRAVEL TIPS:
Best Places to Visit on Mexico’s West Coast
Best Places to Visit in Baja California
Top Hotels in Mexico for Couples
Where to Eat in Sayulita
Sayulita Travel Guide
Things to Do in Todos Santos
EAST COAST OF MEXICO
The West Coast of Mexico is where I’ve spent most of my time on recent trips, but I do love Mexico’s East Coast as well. I especially love Tulum and Yucatan.
Tulum is popular for a reason. With a slow pace, earthy feels, and a smoothie bar around every corner, Tulum is more than just beaches and cenotes. This incredibly unique Mexican beachside town is the perfect place to enjoy a girls’ trip or romantic weekend away.
The Yucatan Peninsula has more to offer than just Tulum. Cancun, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen are also great spots to visit. Don’t miss the cenotes like Dos Ojos, one of my favorites, while you are there.
FRENCH POLYNESIA
French Polynesia is a bucket list destination for most. With the iconic images of the Four Seasons Bora Bora overwater bungalows and people swimming with rays and sharks in the shallow lagoons, French Polynesia is well-known as a top tropical travel destination.
With palm trees, water in crazy shades of blue, delicious fresh seafood, dense tropical rainforests, a variety of marine life that calls the reefs home, and amazing people, who wouldn’t want to visit the islands of French Polynesia?
Bora Bora is the most well-known of the 100 islands and atolls in the South Pacific Ocean that make up French Polynesia. If you are going to Tahiti, you can’t skip Bora Bora.
However, don’t miss out on a trip to Mo’orea. It’s easier to have more of a local experience in Mo’orea where you can explore the lush rainforests & mountains of the island in addition to being one of the best places in the world to swim with whales!
FRENCH POLYNESIA TRAVEL TIPS:
What to Do in Bora Bora
Bora Bora on a Budget
Mo’orea and the Coral Gardiners
French Polynesia Travel Guide
SEYCHELLES
The Seychelles were on my bucket list for a while before I was finally able to experience these incredible islands. Known for its granite islands, pristine beaches, giant tortoises, turquoise waters, and beautiful nature reserves, the Seychelles blew me away.
It’s not the easiest destination on this list to get to, but when you arrive, you find it was worth the effort you put into it. Once you arrive, you’ll find some of the world’s best hotels here including the Six Senses Zil Pasyon and the Four Seasons Desroches. A trip to La Digue island is a must to see the beach the Seychelles is most famous for – the Anse Source d’Argent.
SEYCHELLES TRAVEL TIPS:
Seychelles Travel Guide
Best Things to Do in the Seychelles
WHITSUNDAYS, AUSTRALIA
Since Australia is my home, I have to include one of my favorite tropical destinations in Australia, the Whitsundays. The best way to see this area is by boat on a private sailing charter, but you can also base out of Hamilton Island to explore the area & join the many tours available!
There are 74 islands in the Whitsundays, and the vast majority are uninhabited. When sailing the Whitsundays on a private charter, you’ll find an abundance of marine life, coral reefs, secluded bays, turquoise waters, and white sand beaches, including the world-famous, stunning Whitehaven Beach.
At the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, you’ll find Wilson Island and Heron Island. These islands are not part of the Whitsundays, but they are an off the beaten path destination worth visiting at while in the southern Great Barrier Reef.
They feature abundant marine life, powder white sand, crystal clear water, and relaxation, adventure, and romance all existing alongside nature. These tiny secluded islands will let you take in both sunrise and sunset over the ocean each day as the perfect way to start and end your days.
AUSTRALIA TRAVEL TIPS:
Sailing the Whitsundays
Western Australia Road Trip
Four Day Gold Coast Itinerary
Wilson & Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef)
TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Tropical North Queensland is known for its access to the Great Barrier Reef, a tropical destination everyone needs to visit before they die. But it has a lot more to offer than just a day trip to see the reef.
Lizard Island is a truly special way to see the reef from the northernmost resort on the Great Barrier Reef. A one-hour scenic flight from Cairns will take you across the reef and have you landing on this remote slice of paradise, where luxury and sustainability are at the heart of your stay.
The Daintree Rainforest is another amazing area of Tropical North Queensland to see. With incredible lodges, lots of options for waterfall hopping and quaint towns to explore throughout the hinterland, spend some time exploring this beautiful section of Australia.
AUSTRALIA TRAVEL TIPS:
Tropical North Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef
BAHAMAS
The Bahamas are one of my favorite places to go in the Caribbean. I loved sailing through the Exumas, waiting up in sheltered turquoise bays, and cruising through the laidback cays of the Bahamas.
You can stay on Great Exuma Island to explore the nearby islands, Little Exuma and Stocking Island. From here, you can also do tours out to some of the more popular spots in the Exumas like Pig Beach. We opted to rent a luxury catamaran to be able to see even more of the area, and I’m so glad we did.
BAHAMAS TRAVEL TIPS:
Best Things to Do in Exumas Bahamas
Exumas Cays Sailing Itinerary
ZANZIBAR
While I still have a lot more of the African Continent to explore, Zanzibar is certainly one of the most beautiful beach destinations I have ever visited (Cape Town competed with the adorable penguins). In Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, the combination of long white sand beaches, azure waters, the culture, and people make this place so special.
I loved sitting under our timber shade shelter after an ocean dip while watching the traditional sailing boats cruise by. I can’t wait to go back and spend more time relaxing on the beach here in the future.
DAYMANIYAT ISLANDS, OMAN
It’s hard to believe that this place exists in Oman. The Daymaniyat Islands are a cluster of uninhabited rocky islands surrounded by turquoise waters. These islands are part of a nature reserve for diving and snorkelling. And I’ve never seen so many turtles in one place!
You can access these islands from Muscat or the Shangri-La Al Husn (where we stayed) with a 40-minute boat trip. Swimming in clear warm waters was a totally unexpected highlight from our Oman travels.
OMAN TRAVEL TIPS:
Best Places to Visit in Oman
Oman Travel Guide
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