The world's bluest water

Here at CV Villas, we recently discovered that Europe is home to the world's bluest seas, beating the likes of Bora Bora and the Maldives.

As most holiday anecdotes involve swimming in ‘the bluest water you have ever seen,’ we wanted to finally settle the debate and reveal where in the world actually has the bluest sea.

How did we do this?

We took unedited Google map screenshots of two hundred beaches around the globe and used a colour dropper tool to find the RGB code of each body of water. This was then cross-referenced with the RGB code of the world’s bluest shade of blue (YInMn Blue), which was officially declared the bluest shade of blue in 2016 by Oregon State University. Then, by using the colormine.org calculator, we worked out which locations’ water was closest to YInMn Blue, crowning it the world’s bluest shade of blue. 

What did we find?

Results revealed that Pasqyra Beach in Albania claims the top spot with its sea being just 12.4 points off the YInMn Blue shade. Known around the world as ‘Mirror Beach,’ it is considered to be a highlight of the Albanian coastline when the sunlight hits the surface of the sea, creating a mirror-like effect.

Closely followed by...

Two Greek beaches rank as the second and third bluest waters in the world; Paralia Mpoukas in Peloponnese is second being 13.6 points away from YInMn Blue, followed by Kassiopi in Corfu which has a 14.1 coefficient difference to the world’s ‘bluest blue.’

Lets round this up...

From our top thirty, we discovered that Greek holiday locations win more than any other country, claiming seven spots on the list. Outside of the top three podium, Crete’s Voulisma Beach ranks in sixth place which may come as no surprise to those who have visited, as the ultra-white sand and bright turquoise sea make for a postcard-perfect picture. Closely following Voluisma is Foki Beach in Kefalonia (seventh), which is followed by yet another Crete beach, Omprogialos, in ninth position. Greece continues to rule supreme elsewhere in the list, as Antisamos in Kefalonia is 18th and the small-but-sweet Dafnoudi Beach in Edios is 23rd in the world rankings of blue water.

Dig a little deeper...

Plage de la Vernette in Marseille, France, claims the fourth bluest waters in the world, which is one of only two French beaches to make an appearance on the list, as the globally renowned Paloma Beach on the French Riviera ranks 24th in the blue water rankings.

Spain also makes several appearances; the seven-kilometre stretch of Los Lances Beach, Andalucia is 10th, Cala Saona is 16th, Platja es Tancats which forms part of Cala Algaiarens is 21st, followed by Mallorca’s Platja des Coll Baix which is 22nd, and Cala Figuera Beach on the island of Majorca is 26th on the list.

Croatia claims three spots; Zlatni Rat (affectionately known as Golden Horn Beach) on Brac is home to the 12th bluest water in the world, whilst Plaza Kutlesa in Mimice and Štikovica, Dubrovnik rank in 19th and 20th places, respectively.

Troon Beach in Scotland also claims its place as having the 11th bluest beach water in the world, whilst its not-so-distant relative across the Atlantic, Keem Bay on the west coast of Ireland is 17th in the world.

Elsewhere In The World...

Only four of the top 30 bluest waters in the world are outside of Europe. Kaputas Beach in Kas, Turkey has the fifth bluest shade of water in the world, with a nearly 17-point difference between its colour code and the YInMn Blue code. The stunning sea can be accessed by parking up at the mountains above and walking down 180 steps to fully immerse yourself in the beautiful shade of blue.

Cannon Beach’s stunning coastline has views of the iconic Haystack Rock, a 235-foot sea stack that rises from the middle of the incredibly blue ocean, placing this Oregon location 15th in the world. Matira Beach in Bora Bora is 28th in the world for its blue shores and Argentina's Playa El Doradillo completes the top 30.

Our Villa Specialists are happy help locate villas near these beaches. If you are feeling inspired by some of the bluest beaches and would like to speak with one of our Specialists, make an enquiry or browse our Beach Villas Collection today.