Those flawless, Instagram-ready beach spots may appear breathtaking, but the actual experience is usually quite different from reality. A Cloudwards report recently examined TripAdvisor reviews for 200 of the world's most popular beaches to determine which sandy shores are leaving visitors feeling salty.
The report revealed that US beaches took up half of the "dirtiest" category based on complaints, with five of the top ten spots. Venice Beach in California tops the list with 60.6% of complaints mentioning cleanliness issues, followed by La Jolla Cove (57.9%) and Padre Island National Seashore (55.7%).
International destinations weren't immune to cleanliness problems either. Freedom Beach in Thailand (52.1%) and Bentota Beach in Sri Lanka (48.2%) rounded out the top seven beaches receiving complaints for lack of cleanliness. The complaints frequently mention improperly managed waste disposal systems, litter left by careless tourists, and in coastal areas with heavy development, urban runoff affecting water quality.
“These cleanliness issues aren't just aesthetic problems — they represent serious environmental and public health concerns. Visitors often report disappointment at finding what should be natural paradises marred by human negligence,” the report said.
One TripAdvisor reviewer at Venice Beach wrote that it "is dirty and some parts even smelled like urine," while another at Padre Island National Seashore lamented: "The amount of plastic that lingers around is astounding, and is augmented day by day by the visitors."
World's top 10 dirtiest beaches in 2025
The report revealed that US beaches took up half of the "dirtiest" category based on complaints, with five of the top ten spots. Venice Beach in California tops the list with 60.6% of complaints mentioning cleanliness issues, followed by La Jolla Cove (57.9%) and Padre Island National Seashore (55.7%).
International destinations weren't immune to cleanliness problems either. Freedom Beach in Thailand (52.1%) and Bentota Beach in Sri Lanka (48.2%) rounded out the top seven beaches receiving complaints for lack of cleanliness. The complaints frequently mention improperly managed waste disposal systems, litter left by careless tourists, and in coastal areas with heavy development, urban runoff affecting water quality.
“These cleanliness issues aren't just aesthetic problems — they represent serious environmental and public health concerns. Visitors often report disappointment at finding what should be natural paradises marred by human negligence,” the report said.
One TripAdvisor reviewer at Venice Beach wrote that it "is dirty and some parts even smelled like urine," while another at Padre Island National Seashore lamented: "The amount of plastic that lingers around is astounding, and is augmented day by day by the visitors."
World's top 10 dirtiest beaches in 2025
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