Some people love mountains, others a quaint countryside. Some are fascinated by volcanoes or find ultimate paradise in the mist of a thundering waterfall. Me? I love blue water. Especially the kind you can snorkel in. Here are my top 8 best blue water locations around the world:

Savai’i, Samoa

I visited Samoa in 2013 when my sister lived there. After I arrived by plane on the mainland we took a ferry to the smaller island of Savai’i. It was my first (and only!) experience on a South Pacific island and it was magic. So many of the beaches in Samoa were completely deserted, it was bizarre and wonderful. I’ll definitely be back in the region one day.

Crete, Greek Islands

I knew I would love the Greek Islands and Crete didn’t let me down. The water is that deep rich blue, different to what you find around tropical islands. I probably swam more there than in my entire life.

Coral Bay, Western Australia

Andy took me to Coral Bay for my birthday after we’d been together about 6 months (way to set the bar high early!). The water is extremely clear and the Ningaloo Reef provides some of the best snorkelling in Australia.

Caye Caulker, Belize

Kayaking near the Split

I don’t think I’ll ever be over this small island off the coast of Belize. When someone asks me where my favourite place is from our 16 month long trip I always say Caye Caulker (and Mexico). The snorkel trip we did there was probably the best day of my life to date! I have a large framed photo of the turtle below on my desk at work.

Snorkelling in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve off Caye Caulker

Dhermi, Albania

Dhermi

So blue. So cheap. Friendly locals. What’s not to love?

Floating

Banff, Canada

Moraine Lake

A controversial entry, given all my other blue water destinations are warm and involve swimming, but the glaciers in Banff give the lakes the most incredible blue colour. It almost doesn’t look real. I actually think Moraine Lake is even more spectacular than Lake Louise.

The Archipelago of San Bernando, Colombia

The Archipelago of San Bernardo is a set of nine coastal coral islands and one artificial island belonging to and governed by Colombia, located in the Gulf of Morrosquillo in the Caribbean Sea. We stayed in the most incredible floating tree house hostel there, surrounded on all sides by the most beautiful water.

Esperance, Western Australia

This was meant to be a list of 7… but then I remembered one of my most beloved places on this green earth. There’s a reason I look 25 trips to Esperance over the three and a half years I lived in the region. It has the most beautiful, secluded beaches I’ve ever experienced. So often I’ve been the only one on the sand (save for a few friendly local kangaroos). It’s a long drive there but so worth the journey.

Got any blue water destinations you can recommend? What do you look for in a travel destination?