By JOE YOGERST
A few favorite spots for sinking your toes in the sand.
AFRICA
Mauritius
Île aux Cerfs
The Vibe: Sea, sun, and supermodels
Listen: Seggae Experience by Kaya
Eat: Fresh fish and palm-heart salad at the Paul et Virginie & Sands Bar (230/402-7400)
Stay: Named after a nearby shipwreck, the 175-room One&Only Le Saint Géran is just up the east coast from Île aux Cerfs.
Floating off Mauritius’ exotic east coast, Île aux Cerfs is ringed with fine white sand shaded by tamarind trees. Hit the inner beach (on the lagoon side) for hard-core water sports and outdoor eateries, and then walk the boulder-splattered outer strand in search of your own sandy cranny.
Seychelles
Anse Source d’Argent
The Vibe: Garden of Eden (seaside annex)
Read: The Nightmare Tree by Richard René (set in the Seychelles)
Listen: Nouvelles Seychelles: New Beats from Paradise
Eat: Fresh fish steamed in banana leaf at l’Océan on the island’s north shore (248/234-180)
Go: Plan an excursion to La Digue with 7°South; after lunch you can relax on the famed beach or take a bicycle tour of the island.
Thousands of miles from major cities or industrial areas, Seychelles’ beaches are among our planet’s most pristine, and none is as splendid as Anse Source d’Argent on tiny La Digue Island. Like abstract works of art, granite rock formations mingle with pink sand and water that flaunts a dozen hues of blue. Snorkel or swim the lagoon inside the reef, or hike the hinterland in search of old French plantations and local wildlife.
South Africa
Sodwana Bay
The Vibe: Seaside safari
Listen: Mama Africa by Miriam Makeba
Eat: Fisherman’s basket of prawns, calamari, and fish-and-chips at Leatherbacks Seafood and Grill (Sodwana Bay Lodge; 27-35/571-6000)
Stay: One of six luxury lodges at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, a short drive (19 miles) from Sodwana Bay.
Tucked up in the northern corner of South Africa’s long Indian Ocean coast, the sands of Sodwana curl around a bay with some of the best scuba and snorkeling in mainland Africa. Slip into the water for close encounters with whale sharks, dolphins, manta rays, and four species of sea tur-tles. Explore the long, empty shoreline by foot, horseback, or quad bikes, and then head inland to photograph the “big five” at local game parks such as Phinda and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi.
SOUTH PACIFIC
AUSTRALIA
Whitehaven Beach
The Vibe: Wild blue yonder
Read: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
Eat: Shrimp on a barbie at the Whitehaven campground
Stay: Farther south in the Whitsunday archipelago, Qualia resort features 60 rooms and suites crafted from local timber and stone.
Composed of nearly pure silica, Whitehaven Beach in Queensland’s idyllic Whitsunday Islands is like no other beach on the planet. It’s so special, in fact, it was nearly “mined” for use in satellite dishes and other high technology until the Aussies made it a national park. Don’t forget your shades, sunscreen, and hat, because Whitehaven’s bright white packs quite a punch.
New Zealand
Karekare Beach
The Vibe: Wild and wave-swept
Read: The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
Listen: Together Alone by Crowded House (recorded at Karekare)
Stay: The opera-themed Mollies in Auckland has only 13 rooms, but all of them are dramatically different and thoroughly over the top.
Cinematically immortalized in 1993’s The Piano, Karekare is a dramatic strip of black sand along the North Island’s rugged west coast. Framed by high cliffs and dissected by a clear blue stream, the beach looks much today as it did 150 years ago when the first European settlers arrived on the North Island. Stroll along the long dark shore, laze in the sun, or attempt to surf the often-turbulent waves. If you’re lucky, you may catch a horse race along the sand, an occasional charity benefit.
ASIA
Bali
Sanur Beach
The Vibe: Old-fashioned fabulous
Listen: Banondari by Uun Budiman and the Jugala Gamelan Orchestra
Eat: Pumpkin soup with coconut milk and lemongrass, and prawn salad with young papaya at Kayu Manis Café (Jalan Tandakan 6; 62-361/289-410)
Stay: The Balinese-style Amankila offers 34-suites surrounded by rice terraces and rain forest in the highlands above Sanur.
Kuta and Nusa Dua might be more famous, but Sanur is the classic Balinese beach, a strip of flaxen sand along the east coast known for its calm water, huge shade trees, and alfresco cafés. Get a massage right on the beach, or bike the paved path that stretches nearly five miles along the strand. And keep an eye out for the traditional Balinese ceremonies along Sanur – in particular, funeral processions that end with casting the ashes into the sea.
Malaysia
Tanjung Rhu
The Vibe: Undiscovered Southeast Asia
Read: Evening Is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan (set on the Malaysian mainland
opposite Langkawi)
Eat: Otak-otak kelapa (coconut-flavored fish cakes), nasi goreng (fried rice), and spicy beef rendang at Ikan-Ikan in the Four Seasons (60-4/950-8888)
STAY: Many of the 91 guest villas and pavilions at the Four Seasons Resort, Langkawi open directly onto the beach.
Perched at the northern extreme of Malaysia’s heavenly Pulau Langkawi, casuarina-shaded Tanjung Rhu looks out over the Andaman Sea and the mountainous islands of southern Thailand. Laze along the long white-sand beach, or hire a boat to explore the nearby sea caves, where many local myths and legends originated.
Singapore
Sentosa
The Vibe: Spring break à la Southeast Asia
Read: Tanamera by Noel Barber
Eat: Seafood and squid-ink risotto at Café del Mar (40 Siloso Beach Walk; 65/6235-1296)
Stay: Perched on a nearby bluff, the 112-room Capella Singapore blends romantic British
colonial architecture with modern style.
Who knew that industrious Singapore could have such a rowdy beach scene? At Sentosa Beach, residents of the Lion City let it all hang out, especially on weekends, when the party lasts until well after midnight. Stretching across three coves, the beach boasts an intoxicating blend of bars, outdoor sports, and sparkling Southeast Asian sunshine with views of Indonesia in the hazy distance. Escape the crowds by swimming out to one of the small sandy islets just offshore.
Thailand
Khao Lak
The Vibe: Turn on, tune in, drop out
Read: The Beach by Alex Garland (set at a Thai beach paradise)
Listen: Jakajan: Music from New Siam by Fong Naam
Stay: The 56-room beachfront Sarojin resort offers an “imagineer” – a special concierge who creates tailor-made adventures in the waters and national parks around Khao Lak.
One of the beach areas most devastated by the 2004 tsunami, Khao Lak has since rebounded to become an even better resort than it was before the Boxing Day disaster. Fifty miles north of Phuket on the azure Andaman Sea, the golden sands front an interior of rainforested national parks and offshore riches like the Similan Islands. But you can just as easily laze along the strand relishing a Thai-style beach massage, sipping an ice-cold Singha, or simply contemplating the sea.
EUROPE
Greece
Koukounaries Beach
The Vibe: ABBA lives
Read: Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis
Listen: Sound track from Mamma Mia!
Eat: Olives, octopus, and ouzo at Kabourelia Ouzeri (on the western end of the harbor in Skiathos village; 30-242/702-1112)
Go: Greece a la Carte’s three- or four-day visit includes private sailing excursions, dive trips, and picnic lunches on the beach.
Transform Mamma Mia! fantasies into the real deal at Koukounaries Beach on Skiathos Island, where much of the 2008 movie was filmed. The name derives from the pine trees behind the beach, a wonderful scent that drifts across the strand in the early morning. From sailing and waterskiing to horseback riding, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Located in the Sporades Islands in the northern Aegean, Skiathos is best reached by ferry from Agios Konstantinos on the Greek mainland north of Athens.
Spain
Playa de la Concha
The Vibe: Sophisticated Spanish shore
Read: The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Listen: Sounds ofthe Basque Country by Asier Polo
Eat: Getaria anchovies on toast at La Perla (Paseo de la Concha; 34-943/45-88-56)
Go: Plus Travel Spain can craft a city itinerary for San Sebastián that includes a beach break on La Concha.
Europe’s best urban beach nestles in the heart of San Sebastián along the Basque coast of northern Spain. Protected by Monte Urgull, with its statue of Jesus, and the Isla de Santa Clara, the bay is a perfect venue for aquatic pursuits. The golden sand is speckled with blue-and-white umbrellas during the summer high season but is lusciously empty during the slower months. Walk along the paved shore-side promenade, which forms part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route across northern Spain. After dark, the shoreline glimmers with light from romantic beachfront eateries.
CARIBBEAN
Anguilla
Shoal Bay
The Vibe: Margaritaville personified
Listen: Jimmy Buffett Live in Anguilla (on the beach at Rendezvous Bay)
Eat: Barbecued ribs, crayfish, and rum punch at Uncle Ernie’s (264/497-3907)
Stay: At the 93-room CuisinArt Resort & Spa on Rendezvous Bay, the dishy beachfront location is complemented by some of the island’s finest cooking, prepared with goodies from the resort’s own hydroponic farm and organic garden. For a residential retreat, book one of the new expansive villas.
Double your pleasure at Shoal Bay on Anguilla’s north shore, where a scrubby headland separates the talcum-powder-fine sand into two distinct grooves. The lively western stretch boasts beachfront bars and restaurants, while the quiet eastern end is for lovers and solitary beach bums. Offshore lie rich coral gardens and a dramatic underwater drop-off into the deep blue sea.
Bermuda
Warwick Long Bay
The Vibe: Bermuda undiscovered
Read: The Deep by Peter Benchley (set along this same coast)
Stay: The beach is an easy walk from the 593-room Fairmont Southampton, a coral-pink hilltop hotel with its own golf course and spa.
On an island where the shore is often packed, refreshingly uncrowded Warwick offers plenty of elbow room along its half-mile length. Low bluffs speckled with bay grape and cedar trees back the beach, colored pink from a scarlet protozoan called foraminifera. Swimmers and snorkelers revel inside a reef that clutches dozens of sunken ships. (The island merits inclusion even though it’s not technically in the Caribbean.)
British Virgin Islands
The Baths
The Vibe: Seaside hide-and-seek
Read: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (the real-life story took place in BVI)
Eat: A piña colada and shrimp salad sandwich at Mad Dog (near the entrance to The Baths)
Stay: The clifftop Sense spa at the 100-room Rosewood Little Dix Bay offers several BVI-themed treatments, such as the Virgin Gorda goat milk and honey wrap.
The Romans should have it this good: natural pools and grottoes filled with warm Caribbean water and separated by granite boulders formed 70 million years ago by submerged volcanoes. Trails lead through the coastal scrub to nearby Devil’s Bay National Park and the historic remains of an old copper mine. Tropical fish flit among the elkhorn coral in the shallow waters right off the beach, a patchwork quilt of sandy patches wedged between the monoliths.
Dominican Republic
Playa Dominicus
The Vibe: David Hockney colors come to life
Listen: Bachata Rosa by Juan Luis Guerra
Eat: Mojitos and ropa vieja at El Cafecito de la Cubana (in Bayahibe village; 809/757-9601)
Stay: Golf, tennis, and polo ponies are the three trademarks of the sprawling 450-room Casa de Campo resort, located about half an hour from Bayahibe and Dominicus.
Punta Cana gets all the press, but the DR’s most photogenic beach is Playa Dominicus, with its towering palms and iconic black-and-white lighthouse. The powdery sand, copious shade, and warm, translucent water attract a mix of families and young singles. Waterfront cafés and bodegas make nearby Bayahibe town a throwback to the Caribbean before big resorts. Twenty dive sights draw the scuba crowd, while nearby Isla Saona and Parque Nacional del Este lure birders and nature lovers. This was the first beach in the Caribbean to earn eco-friendly Blue Flag status from the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe because of its outstanding water quality, safety, and eco efforts.
Jamaica
Frenchman’s Cove
The Vibe: Old-school Jamaica
Listen: Legend by Bob Marley
Eat: Spicy jerk pork, chicken, or fish from roadside stalls at nearby Boston Bay
Stay: The 53-room Jamaica Inn on the eastern edge of Ocho Rios exudes a bygone Caribbean mood. Request one of the private cottages.
Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, and Tom Cruise are among those who have frolicked over the years at Frenchman’s, a gorgeous private beach now open to the public for a small fee. Rocky headlands frame a picture-perfect cup of golden sand and turquoise water, fed by a jungle stream with a “Tarzan vine” suspended from an overhanging tree.
Saint Bart’s
Anse du Grand Cul-de-Sac
The Vibe: Côte d’Azur goes Caribbean
Read: Murder in St. Barts by J.R. Ripley
Eat: Foie gras and tiger prawns at Le Bartoloméo (at the Guanahani; 5-90/27-66-60)
Stay: With 68 bungalows overlooking the sea, Hotel Guanahani & Spa sprawls across 16 acres of private gardens on one of the peninsulas that form Grand Cul-de-Sac Bay.
As its name suggests, this immaculate white-sand strand looks out on a huge “dead end” – a luminous cove formed by two emerald green headlands. Further protected by a reef at the outer edge of the bay, the warm, shallow water is perfect for various water sports. Cul-de-Sac is a haven for French Riviera-style people watching, and chic alfresco eateries host a cosmopolitan beach crowd.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Tobago Cays
The Vibe: Deserted island hideaway
Read: Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk
Listen: This Is Soca: 15 Massive Carnival Hits
Stay: Three private beaches, a casino, an Asian-style spa, and numerous restaurants round out the 88-room Raffles Canouan, which offers boat launches to the cays.
It’s BYOB (bring your own boat) to reach these five secluded, uninhabited islands set in and around a horseshoe-shaped lagoon. Protected by coral reefs and sandy shallows, the cays are ready-made for scuba, snorkeling, and swimming. The tiny archipelago annually lures thousands of Caribbean yachters and speedboat day-trippers from nearby Canouan and Union.
LATIN AMERICA
Belize
Placencia Peninsula
The Vibe: Apocalypse Now meets Apocalypto
Read: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Listen: Wagner’s classic Twilight of the Gods
Stay: The 18 Balinese-inspired cabanas at Francis Ford Coppola’s beachside Turtle Inn have thatched roofs, screened decks, and fridges stocked with Belikin beer.
Seeking a secluded retreat far from Hollywood, Francis Ford Coppola happened upon Placencia and the rest of Belize. Thirty years later, the peninsula remains refreshingly out of the way, 11 miles of powder-soft sand tucked between the Western hemisphere’s longest barrier reef and an interior replete with jaguar sanctuaries and ancient Mayan ruins. Browse beachfront stalls for locally made Goss chocolate, and duck into Tuttifrutti for a scoop of homemade gelato.
Brazil
Búzios
The Vibe: Where the Girl from Ipanema is today
Read: Buried Strangers by Leighton Gage
Listen: Millennium Collection by Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66
Eat: Fresh fish (with a caipirinha, of course) at Restaurante do David (Rua Manoel Turíbio de Farias 260; 55-22/2623-2981)
Go: Rent a beachside villa with a private concierge and chef through Matueté, a Virtuoso advisor partner in Brazil.
The biggest gem along Brazil’s glimmering Emerald Coast, Búzios was originally “discovered” by Brigitte Bardot back in the 1960s. Hugging a peninsula 100 miles north of Rio, the upscale beach town flaunts chic boutiques, art galleries, and some of Brazil’s best surfing. With its soft golden sand and consistently great waves, Praia de Geribá is the best of 20 strands that surround Búzios.
Mexico
Playa del Amor
The Vibe: South-of-the-border Swept Away
Read: Rupert Thomson’s Air & Fire, an epic love story set in nineteenth-century Baja
Listen: Boleros Para Siempre by José Feliciano
Stay: The 173-room One&Only Palmilla is all about fusion, a perfect blend of desert and ocean, seclusion and celebration, Mexico and Mediterranean.
One of the most stunning strands in all of Mexico, Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach) sits between towering rock formations at the extreme southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. The only way to reach the secluded golden sands is by kayak, water taxi, or private boat from nearby Cabo San Lucas. Snorkel the adjacent underwater sanctuary or paddle around the point to El Arco – Cabo’s celebrated sea arch. Amble through the rocky pass to Playa del Divorcio (Divorce Beach) and its rough waters on the western side of Land’s End.
USA
California
Venice/Santa Monica Beach
The Vibe: California eclectic
Read: North of Montana by April Smith, a murder mystery set in Santa Monica
Eat: Huevos rancheros with a Bloody Mary at the Sidewalk Café (1401 Ocean Front Walk; 310/399-5547)
Stay: Situated in Santa Monica, Shutters on the Beach is one of the few LA-area hotels whose backyard really is the beach. Its 198 residential-style rooms were recently renovated.
“Carnival by the sea” best describes the shore shared by the Venice and Santa Monica areas of Los Angeles. The spacious sands and copious waves nearly take a backseat to the frenetic action along the boardwalk: chalk artists and street musicians, craft stalls and outdoor cafés, bikini-clad Roller-bladers, and bare-chested weight lifters, even a pleasure pier with thrill rides. The beach is long enough that you can take a lone stroll along the much less populated northern sands.
Florida
South Beach, Miami
The Vibe: Are you cool enough?
Listen: Sound track from Miami Vice
Eat: Rainbow ceviche and rum-vanilla-cured smoked marlin at Ola (1745 James Avenue; 305/695-9125)
Stay: The Tides South Beach, where all of the 45 rooms are suites with beach views.
Star of television, film, and steamy novels, South Beach is more like a living, breathing celebrity than a static stretch of sand. This is beachfront eye candy gone wild – fancy cars and beautiful people. Art deco facades and faces you’ve seen on a million magazine covers. Endless sunshine and all-night dance parties. Everything you love (and loathe) about southern Florida comes together in one place. Yet it’s not just a pretty face: South Beach also lures with superb sand and hardcore beach volleyball, especially the courts at 8th and Ocean.
Georgia
Cumberland Island
The Vibe:
Gone With the Wind goes to the beach
Read: Palindrome by Stuart Woods (set on Cumberland)
Listen: Gullah – Songs of Hope, Faith and Freedom by Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers
Stay: The 444-room Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island sprawls across an enticing beachfront locale eight miles from Cumberland Island.
Once a private getaway for the Carnegies, Georgia’s largest barrier island boasts 18 miles of pristine beach protected as a national seashore. Backed by low dunes, the strand is nearly 1,000 feet wide. Beachcombing is superb, and keep a lookout for dolphins, wild horses, and more than 300 bird species. Visit Dungeness (the ruined Carnegie mansion) near the south end of the beach and the tiny Baptist church where JFK Junior married Carolyn Bessette in 1996.
Hawaii
Hanalei Bay Beach
The Vibe: Hawaii unplugged
Read: Tangled Lies by Anne Stuart (set on Kauai)
Eat: Teriyaki burger and banana milk shake at Bubba’s (Kuhio Highway; 808/826-7839)
Stay: The new 252-room St. Regis Princeville Resort scales a jungle-covered bluff overlooking Hanalei Bay.
Nestled near the eastern end of Kauai’s dramatic Na Pali Coast, this eclectic beach curls around a crescent-shaped bay of the same name. The cove attracts more locals than tourists, and the calm, shallow waters lend themselves to surfing, kayaking, fishing, snorkeling, and windsurfing. Scenes from South Pacific (1958) were shot in and around bayside Hanalei town, renowned for its one-lane bridge and taro farms.