Chowpatty Beach, India
TripSavvy / Shraddha Gosavi
Chowpatty Beach is many things, but "beautiful" is not one of them, at least not in the sense that many other beaches on this list are beautiful. To be sure, the characteristic of Chowpatty Beach, located in Mumbai, India, which makes it so dangerous is directly related to how un-easy it is on the eyes: It's extremely polluted. The one time of day when Chowpatty Beach is beautiful is right at sunset, when brilliant oranges and pinks light up the sky and temporarily obscure the garbage floating in the water, but avoid getting in the water, as many of the locals tend to do, to avoid becoming ill.
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Copacabana Beach, Brazil
Miguel Angel Pulidoj via Flickr
Rio de Janeiro has what are arguably the best urban beaches in the world, a fact it's exploited for its upcoming stint as host of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. While Copacabana in particular has been immortalized in pop culture, it hides a dangerous secret in-between its golden sands and pure, blue waters: It's absolutely littered with thieves and other petty criminals, so while you don't need to worry about sharks or erupting volcanoes here, you should watch your belongings extra diligently.
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Virginia Beach, USA
Roberto Westbrook via Getty
Virginia Beach is neither the most popular beach in the US, nor the most beautiful. However, if you do happen to come here next summer (it is very convenient, after all), be aware that it is one of America's most dangerous beaches. This is because in recent years, wild animals like foxes and boars have decided they like to sun on the beach as much as people, and have been known to get aggressive, particularly toward pets.