Beach

Today is the first truly wintery day in San Francisco, although to be fair it’s not even winter yet. Still, a strong storm blew in last night; this morning I woke up to blustery winds and a downpour. And so I sit here wearing a parka as I type, cup of tea at my side, ready to write about beaches. Oh, not the bright hot skin of tropical paradise, but the cozy warm bundle of the 3 best winter beaches.

1. Petroglyph Beach: In Southeast Alaska in a town called Wrangell there is a beach littered with stones that have been carved with ancient artwork. Scattered among the rocks at Petroglyph Beach are three dozen or more large stones bearing designs and pictures chiseled by unknown artists, although most attribute the carvings to the Native American Tsimshian or the Tlingit. You can access the beach via a boardwalk where you’ll find plaques describing the site along with carved replicas of the petroglyphs for visitors to make rubbings.

Estimates place the petrogyphs at roughly 10,000 years old.

2. North Beach, Point Reyes: Okay, I am biased as this is a definite favorite beach of mine. But honestly, if you’re somehow lucky enough to catch North Beach on a sunny day you should buy a Lotto ticket. If not, well, you’re pretty darned lucky even when it’s foggy and cold. There is something incredibly massive about North Beach, stately, dramatic. This is not a beach that needs palm trees or even sun to be spectacular.

Surfers in the fog.

3. Nobska Beach, Cape Cod: The quintessential wintery beach with a New England lighthouse to boot. Something about this photo makes me yearn for a long walk (and then a hot cup of tea), so it’s a good thing that the grounds of this historical place is open to the public every day.

Nobska Lighthouse with snow.

My lights are flickering: once, then twice. Outside the storm is blowing and I am pretty sure my electricity is about to go out. So I will end with this: beaches are not just for the bikini-ed of heart. They are for sweaters and mittens, wind-chapped faces and brrrr, as beautiful in winter as any time of the year.

Photo credits in order of appearance: Nothip via Flickr, author’s own, Muffinman71xx via 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

North Beach: the Grand-Daddy of all beaches, the Godfather of the Point Reyes National Seashore. With over 10 miles of undeveloped sand, North Beach (and its sister beach to the south, aptly titled “South Beach”) boasts impressive dunes and the drama of heavy surf. Often shrouded in fog and open to the Gulf of Alaska’s every temper tantrum, high winds and all, this beach is not for the suntanned of heart.

Beach? What beach? Here there is fog. http://www.flickr.com/photos/yathin/2507059462/

What makes this beach so exceptional, perhaps, is the very thing that makes it relatively uninhabited. North Beach is wild. It is vast. It is exposed and salty, the water rough and unruly. Unpredictable. The sun may be shining in town and so you make the drive, crest the hill and then–bam! Met by a thick bank of fog. Or, better yet, in town it may be cold, windy and yet you bundle up to go to the beach anyway and then–wow! North Beach is bright, clear, the sweet warm scent of beach grasses lilt in the still air. Who knew? Who knows? This is North Beach, and here North Beach is boss.

On second thought... http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael_stark/347289761/

Then there is the water itself: Cold, thick, fast and burly. Just past the waters edge the beach drops off abruptly, creating severe rip currents and a strong undertow. Swimming is strongly not recommended, but there is a handful of local surfers who brave the cold and the sharks and the everything else scary for the thrill of the very large waves. Hopefully you won’t spot any Great White Sharks, but if you visit between January and May you just might spot a Gray Whale during their migration from Mexico to Alaska. They often swim close to the coast, popping up every now and then to spout off a quick spray of salt water right off the beach in front of you.

Sometimes simply referred to as The Great Beach, North Beach is nothing if not impressive. Cold? Yes, most days. Foggy, dangerous, windy, gray, and yet? Still: Beautiful, stunning, breathtaking, peaceful, quiet, noble, grand–The Great Beach, North Beach.