Beach

Pretty little Manasota Key, located midway between the larger cities of Sarasota and Fort Myers on Florida’s Gulf Coast, boasts some of Florida’s least crowded beaches. Fewer than 1,500 people live on this 2.7 square mile barrier island. There are no high rises and no stop lights. Even the two-lane road that winds from end to end is barely wide enough for larger vehicles to pass in places. Yet this tiny spit of sand has four pristine, palm-studded beaches that rival any in the state.

Just two people to be seen on an endless stretch of sand at Manasota Beach

Manasota Beach, the northernmost of the four, is separated from the road by a wide sea-oats and sea grape studded dune. Beachgoers follow sandy paths through vegetation to the crest, where they are treated to a spectacular view of pristine Read More »

My husband is a surfer, the beach is his church. And so when our daughter first showed signs that she did not like the beach it was as if we had born a heathen, something ungodly if your god just so happens to be found in salt water. We tried–oh, we tried, taking her to Northern California beaches in the winter when it was cold, in the summer when it was colder, in the fall when the days were fogless, warm and perfect. But when we tried to put her on the beach she would curl her body up like a salamander with salt: she simply would not touch the sand. And don’t even get me started on the water. The water! Salt spray seemingly laden with acid. Somehow we had a daughter that hated the beach.

And so it was with absolute surprise and something of a relief when we all went to Del Mar a few weeks ago. We went to the beach expecting the same old same old, our daughter acting as if she would fall a hundred thousand feet should she step foot off the beach blanket. Imagine our surprise when she tested the sugary sand with one toe, then a foot. Soon she was elbow deep in sand fine and warm, playing with a strange boy’s sand toys (another subject for another day: strange beach boys).

Del Mar.

But the fun did not stop there. There was also water. Bubbley toes running laughing from the tide, waist deep in ocean. And while the look on my daughter’s face was priceless, it was really the look on my husband’s face that was the best of all: the look of a man falling in love with the beach all over again.

Not a bad place to learn to love it.

A white yawning beach stretches the entire length of the tony town of Del Mar. For those with kids, I recommend the area right out in front of 22nd street, though truth be told the entire coastline is perfect. Here there are lifeguard towers, surf classes, surfers, paddle boarders and pretty much any kind of beach sport found under a bright California sky, Hasselhoff not included. The water is bathwater warm and the sandy bottom spills out beneath the waves for what seems like forever when one is three years old.

Photo credits in order of appearance: kstarnes on Flickr, cranberry sky on Flickr.

Some of the best beaches in the world are not the most well known. I gathered up 10 beaches that are worth finding and unwinding on.

Wildcat Beach - Courtesy of USGS

Wildcat Beach, CA

You need to hike five miles to get to this beach but it is very much worth it. Wildcat is also one of two beaches where you can find a type of waterfall called a tidefall. Alamere Falls is forty feet and plunges straight into the Pacific – it is even more spectacular after it has been raining.

Los Frailes - Courtesy of Ecuador.com

Los Frailes, Ecuador

Once you get off that 30min., $10 bus ride from Puerto Lopez make sure you stop by the small store and stock up on beverages because you won’t find any of that on Los Frailes. It is a two hour hike from this small store to what has been called Ecuador’s most beautiful beach.

Playa Kenepa - Image by Sebastien Tobler

Playa Kenepa, Curacao

If you see a poster or brochure of Curacao, you are bound to find a photo of Playa Kenepa. It is one of the only beaches [if not the only one] on Curacao that is stereotypically Caribbean. White soft sand, azure blue waters and a coral face that doesn’t drop off until well out into the sea.

Playa Medina by Eleane Salim Haubold

Playa Medina, Venezuela

The crescent-shaped Playa Medina is considered one of Venezuela’s best beaches. Surrounded by a coconut plantation, there isn’t much else except for the occasional food vendor and some cabanas scattered here and there. It is no wonder this beach is the star of the Peninsula de Paria.

Cyclades - Courtesy of Vacation-Greece.com

Poles Bay and ancient Cyclades Beach, Kea, Greece

With mountains in the background seeming to race towards the sea, Poles Bay is both beautiful and dramatic. Located on the island of Kea, off the south-eastern coast of mainland Greece, this beach is very picturesque and a place one would remember for years to come. The Greek ruins overlooking Cyclades Beach are stunning especially during sunset.

Plage Blanche - By Flickr user bencomservato

Plage Blanche, Morocco

If you can imagine the white sands of the Sahara meeting the ocean then you have an image of impressive Plage Blanche, Morocco awaiting you in your dreams. Impressive? Yes. Dramatic? Yes.

Porat Beach Courtesy of Croatia-Expert.com

Porat Beach, Bisevo, Croatia

The Dalmatian Islands are quickly gaining tourist momentum and soon enough people will find themselves saying ‘I wonder what it was like five years ago…’ (I would be surprised people aren’t saying that already!) Porat Beach on the island of Bisevo is a beautiful sandy beach tucked away from the wind and offers only one beach bar and a seafood restaurant.

Hellfire Bay - Courtesy of News.com.au

Hellfire Bay, Australia

It is a two hour hike from Cape Le Grand but I hear it is possible to drive to Hellfire Bay although it is not as scenic of a journey. Is it worth a two hour hike? It would not be on this list otherwise! Blue waters, mountainous backdrop and soft sand, you will definitely find people here with a grill going.

Lonely Beach - Courtesy of Koh Chang Photos

Lonely Beach, Koh Chang, Thailand

Given the significantly fewer number of visitors on this side of Koh Chang, Lonely Beach (Haad Thanam) is aptly named. You can find this beautiful secluded beach on the southwestern side of the island.

Hainan Island Beaches - Courtesy of Hainan-Island-China.co.uk

Hainan Island, China

Although not unknown to the Chinese population, the tropical beaches on Hainan Island are not as popular amongst the lay traveler. It has been called the Hawaii of China and given the tropical landscape of the island, one can understand why.

Sebastien Tobler

Colliding Continents

The real name of this famous Hawaiian beach is Ehukai Beach Park, but almost everyone calls it Banzai Pipeline, a nickname that refers to barrel-shaped waves that form just offshore. This legendary wave draws surfers from around the world who consider tackling “Pipe” to be a rite of passage. The difficulty of the task is evident both on the beach and in the water. Every surfer fantasizes about ducking inside the “Green Room,” as the tubular wave is known, and spitting back out at the very last moment before the tube collapses into a seething cauldron of whitewater.

Surfer carves the face of a smaller wave, while a larger wave towers in the background

In those fantasies, they conquer Pipe effortlessly, impressing their surfing buddies and winning the admiration of spectators watching from shore. But when standing on Ehukai Beach for real, Pipe’s legendary power and danger can intimidate the most accomplished surfer. Some Read More »

Koh Tapu by René Ehrhardt

Nestled in the Andaman Sea is Phang Nga Bay, famous for its limestone outcroppings jutting out of the greenish blue water and introduced to many by the James Bond movie, Man with the Golden Gun. Some of these limestone structures reach 1,000 feet and are covered by dense vegetation making them even more spectacular. Each of these little islands are named after shapes  which they resemble such as Little Dog Island or Koh Ma Chu. The most popular and iconic image of the little limestone islands is Koh Tapu, meaning Nail Island. It is only 200 meters from the white sands of Phang Nga Bay and stands at 20 meters tall.

I distinctly remember approaching Phang Nga Bay by longtail boat from Krabi on a clear day many years ago. The breathtaking site rising in the distance was awe inspiring to say the least and reminded me of the Philippine islands or the much larger limestone hills in Guilin, China on the River Li. It was a very dramatic scene with a mystical feel to it.

I have to admit though that spending more than a few hours on Phang Nga Bay is more than enough time to get some great shots and some beach time. Apart from that, the number of tourists visiting this site is far more than a healthy does (in my opinion). Despite this fact it should still be on everyone’s list of ‘must-see-beautiful-places.’

Phang Nga Bay is part of the Ao Phang Nga National Park and the Thai government has done a decent job of preserving the site. Although, mass tourism and nature have never seen eye to eye and with more and more people coming into Thailand to see such amazing sites the challenge of preserving Phang Nga Bay, much like many sites around the world, continues to get even more challenging.

Sebastien Tobler

Colliding Continents

While on the West Punt side of Curacao I managed to convince a local fisherman to take me on a boat ride along the coast. It was a small boat and every time another [bigger] boat, let alone jet ski, went by it would get pretty rocky. In the end it worked out and managed to see the sun setting from Playa Khalki.

Sebastien Tobler

Colliding Continents

Madeira Beach bills itself as “an island two miles long and a smile wide.” Others refer to the island as “Grouper Capital of the World,” since it is host to the annual Grouper Fest, held the last weekend in October. Call it what you will, Madeira Beach is undoubtedly one of the best beach destinations on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Even with a storm rolling in, Madeira Beach's white sands are alluring

Seventeen beach accesses are available along the oceanfront, with the three major ones being Archibald Park at the north end; Madeira Beach Access Park in the center of the island; and Madeira Beach Park at John’s Pass, on the furthest southern tip. While any of the three provide easy entry to the island’s dazzling white sand and turquoise waters that are perfect for swimming, sunning, beachcombing, and a variety of water sports, the beach at John’s Pass has the added advantage of being located directly across the street from John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk, an old fishing village that has been transformed into a quaint waterside shopping center with 110 shops, galleries, restaurants, and water-sport vendors. Read More »

Palapas, chaises, and hammocks dot the red sand beach in Nha Trang

Despite Vietnamese travel operators who gush about the loveliness of Nha Trang beach, I wouldn’t rank this beach anywhere near the top ten, or even the top one hundred beaches in the world. True, it does have a remarkably reddish colored sand that flames in the setting sun, and the beach is strewn with wooden chaises and thatched palapas that provide respite from the searing sun. But in general, I found the waters of Vietnam – including those of Nha Trang – to be murky and steel gray and the sand far from powdery.

Still, Nha Trang’s beach is worth a visit from a cultural standpoint. Tran Phu Street, the main boulevard in Nha Trang, runs along the ocean for about 2.5 miles. On the ocean side of Tran Phu, a walking path and wide swath of trees separate the beach from the road. In the early mornings and late afternoons the path is packed with locals who ride bikes, sell snacks, and play board games on tables carefully placed beneath shade palms. Just steps away, others swim and play soccer on the sand.

When the midday heat drives visitors from the beach, they need only cross the wide boulevard to explore the back streets and alleys of Nha Trang. In one short stroll I was approached by a half dozen touts on motorcycles, all claiming to be the original “Easy Rider,” and promising to take me on the tour of a lifetime for very little money. On one side street a mechanic frantically worked to repair a broken down bus, while ten feet away, in the middle of the sidewalk, a man reclining in a barber chair was being shaved with a straight razor. Further along, a diminutive Vietnamese woman stepped from inside a store, smiled, and offered me an oval green fruit covered in red spikes. With sign language I made her understand that I did not know how to eat this fruit. She motioned for me to wait, retrieved a knife from her tiny shop and quartered the fruit, revealing a creamy white interior that was absolutely delicious – and she wouldn’t take a cent from me.

A shaded walking path runs the length of the park that separates the beach from the main street

Nha Trang’s beach may not be the most stunning in the world, but when paired with the cultural experience, this town – and its beach – are definitely worth a stop when visiting Vietnam.

Photos by Barbara Weibel

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

I admit–sometimes I sit down to write a beach post and my mind goes blank. What do I write about? Which beach, where, how and why? I call to my husband  in the other room, “Name a beach! Any beach!” And he spouts off beaches I’ve already covered. So then I turn to Google and type in: beach. Too much. Pretty beach. Not helpful. Ugly beach, beach with sand, beach with waves, tropical, cold, black, white and, um, beachy? Sometimes there are just too many options. So today I typed in: best beach Northern California, and this is what I got. Kirby Cove, my first thought, well, duh, why I hadn’t I thought of this before?

Kirby Cove is a darling little beach nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Marin Headlands, and yes, if you’re wondering–a beach can be called darling if it’s a cove. This beach is available for day-use but better visited as a camping spot, particularly with kids. To get there you must hike roughly a mile, starting high above the beach at eye-level with the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. Park on Conzelman Road and walk down through groves of cypress, eucalyptus and pine. (The smell is heavenly!) Along the way you will see the the abandoned Battery Kirby which was in service from 1898 to 1934, (a great opportunity to teach kids about the history of the area!). Once at the beach, you will find clean, coarse sand with a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, the bay spread wide before you. And if you’re very lucky, you may spot a whale. The water is fairly gentle but cold; there is no lifeguard on duty. Dress in layers for cold weather as the area is often foggy.

Kirby Cove includes four camp sites each with a maximum of ten people–reservations are highly sought after, so reserve well in advance. Kids can play in the trees or on the beach, watching sailboats and tankers glide beneath the Golden Gate. In the fall, watch for hawks, falcons, harriers and other birds of prey. Parking is restricted to three cars per site, within 100 yards of the campsites. Pit toilets, BBQ-pits, picnic tables, and fire rings are available, but there’s no water for drinking and hygiene. Call 1-800-365-CAMP for more information and reservations.

Photo credits in order of appearance: Golden Gate Bridge, Beach.

Climbing Mount Randall sand dune

I first visited Warren Dunes State Park as a child of nine or ten. My grandparents had retired to the country, purchasing a home just a few miles from the park. With each visit, my sister and I begged to go to the beach. Standing at the foot of the park’s giant sand dune, we would challenge each other to climb to the top. I always started out strong, sure I could reach the summit. Digging one foot after the other into the blistering sand, I would scramble up its shifting face, stopping every few minutes to catch my breath and make sure I still had a lead on my sis. The trick was to never look up, because no matter how far I had climbed, the top always seemed elusively far away. Even though I focused on the task at hand, the soft sand always got the better of me; I just couldn’t get to the top.

Now, many years later, with three miles of beaches, more than 300 campsites, a nature trail system, and cross-country skiing trails, Warren Dunes remains a tremendously popular destination in southwest Michigan. But as in my childhood, it is still the park’s high dunes that set it apart from other Lake Michigan beaches. The tallest, Mount Randall, towers 260 feet above the lake and is slowly creeping eastward because winds and foot traffic keep vegetation from taking hold. Visitors still climb the dunes; the more adventuresome among them hang glide or sandboard down in the summer and snowboard down in the winter.

View from the top

Although I can’t claim to have snowboarded or sandboarded down the dunes, I have spent many a night in the park’s campground and am pleased to report that I did eventually conquer Mount Randall. As a teenager, a friend offered to let me soar down on his hang glider. He even carried the contraption up the dune for me. At the top, I watched each hang-glider pilot strap in, take a few running steps, and launch into the air. Hugging the dunes, the gliders floated northward along the shore of the lake, catching updrafts that allowed them to gently spiral down to the beach and land in the soft sand. “I can do this…I can do this….I can do this,” I told myself. In the end I chickened out and, embarrassed, slid back down the torturous sands. But at least I finally made it to the top, and the view of the lake and surrounding countryside was every bit as spectacular as I had always imagined it would be.

Located in Sawyer, Michigan, Warren Dunes State Park is rated #1 by Michigan travelers and has been voted best State/National Park by Lake Magazine. The park is open year-round and offers extensive facilities, including restrooms, changing rooms, and a concession stand.

Photo credits: Dune climbing; View from the top

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels