TripAdvisor members vote Brazilian oasis world's best beach

A BRAZILIAN beach in a region designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has been named the world's best beach by the world's largest online travel community.
For the second year in a row, TripAdvisor members voted Baia do Sancho on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago in Brazil the best beach in the world for its dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters, and reclusiveness.
Gaining access to the beach requires scaling a steep, metal ladder between two rocks.
But the trek, visitors say, is worth it.
"As you walk through a small trail, you can't imagine what awaits you. The heavenly view seems like a mirage," wrote one TripAdvisor member.
The beach is popular among surfers and snorkelers for its teeming marine underworld. Fernando de Noronha is part of a National Marine Park and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for being home to the largest concentration of tropical seabirds in the Western Atlantic.
The waters are also important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, shark, turtle and marine mammals, including an exceptional population of dolphins.
The rest of TripAdvisor's best beaches list offers destination ideas around the world, spanning the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
Winners were determined based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period.
With the American Northeast and parts of eastern Canada in the throes of winter – Niagara Falls froze over this week – travel sites are inspiring people to armchair travel to tropical oases.
The Travel Channel likewise released its picks for the world's best beaches as part of its annual Beach Week 2015. On that list, Miami Beach was named the sexiest while Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands was named the most romantic.
Here are the world's best beaches according to TripAdvisor:
1. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
2. Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
3. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy
4. Playa Paraiso Beach, Cayo Largo, Cuba
5. Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
6. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
7. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
8. Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico
9. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia
10. Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
– AFP Relaxnews