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Photo: Michal and Wojtek Strzelecki, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The world’s most beautiful coral reefs

From Raja Ampat to the Great Barrier Reef: where to see the world’s finest reefs, when to go, and how to help protect them.

See the top 20

The islands of Piaynemo in Raja Ampat, Indonesia Top 20 coral reefs Raja Ampat, Indonesia: the richest coral reefs on Earth At the heart of the Coral Triangle, Raja Ampat has more species of reef fish and coral than anywhere else on the planet. How to get there, when to go and what you’ll see.
Corals seen while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef Top 20 coral reefs The Great Barrier Reef: the world’s largest reef, seen from space The Great Blue Hole on the Belize Barrier Reef from the air Top 20 coral reefs The Belize Barrier Reef: the Great Blue Hole and beyond

The world’s top 20 coral reefs

See all 20
  1. Raja Ampat Indonesia
  2. Lord Howe Island Australia
  3. Vatu-i-Ra, Fiji Fiji
  4. Bonaire Caribbean Netherlands
  5. Rangiroa French Polynesia
  6. Red Sea, Egypt Egypt
  7. Wakatobi Indonesia
  8. Palancar Reef Mexico
  9. Belize Barrier Reef Belize
  10. Pulley Ridge Gulf of Mexico, USA
  11. Great Barrier Reef Australia
  12. Florida’s Coral Reef Florida, USA
  13. Apo Reef Philippines
  14. Palau Palau
  15. Chagos Indian Ocean
  16. New Caledonia New Caledonia (France)
  17. Andros The Bahamas
  18. Mesoamerican Reef Mexico to Honduras
  19. Tubbataha Philippines
  20. Maldives Maldives

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Plan a reef trip

Where to goTwenty of the world’s finest reefs, from Raja Ampat to Belize, with the best time to visit each.See the top 20 How reefs workWhat corals are, how reefs are built and why they matter.Read the guide Book a reef tripSnorkel trips, dive days and liveaboards from trusted local operators.Find trips

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