Beach Vacations
Sand and surf never go out of style, but certain beach vacations are better suited to specific occasions, times of year and personalities. Our Beach Vacations Web Guide offers insight into many versions of paradise, including the best beach trips to remote islands and adventure beaches, as well as beach suggestions for different budgets. Look for links to tools for planning the perfect beach vacation, booking flights and hotels, and advice for managing pre-trip necessities, such as passports and vaccines.
Expand All Guide SectionsBeach Travel Basics
There are roughly 220,000 miles of coastline in the world ... read more »
Beach Vacations
Whether you want to laze in the sand with an icy drink, scale craggy peaks with ocean views, or get ... read more »
Beach Travel Safety and Requirements
Before you hit the beach, take care of a few pesky but essential stipulations. This section ... read more »
Getting to the Beach
All you want to do is lay in the sand, but first you’ve got to get there. Online search tools ... read more »
Beach Hotels
After a long day of swimming, exploring ancient ruins, or sunbathing, you’ll want a place to come home to. Whether that place is a dorm-style hostel, a high-end hotel, or an eco-resort, you’ll find tools to find and book a room online.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Bigger search engines called “Meta Search Sites” are great for finding standard hotels, but for alternative accommodations like hostels, eco-lodges, and bed and breakfasts, you’ll probably have to shop around on niche sites. Try a search for your destination and type of lodging (for example, “St. Lucia + Bed and Breakfast”).
- If you’re interested in ecotourism, consider beaches in Central America. Much of the scenery is lush with rainforest, and many of the destinations are favorably priced. This article on SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle Web site, spotlights a few promising Central American eco-friendly locales.
- There’s nothing quite like sleeping in sand. Camping on the beach adds a different perspective to your backpacking or road trip, and can help you save money.
- In the United States, some states allow camping on the beach (for example, Carpinteria State Beach in California has campsites feet from the water), while others do not. There are plenty of state campgrounds along the Oregon Coast but camping on the beach is illegal.
- If you’re thinking about camping on a particular beach, check online forums to see if anyone else has done so. For example, this Lonely Planet Thorn Tree thread discusses camping in Costa Alegre in Mexico.
- According to the travel forums we’ve found (for example, this Travellerspoint thread), it’s difficult to book the really cheap “beach huts,” found throughout Southeast Asia, online; instead, just ask around when you arrive at your destination.
Dulcinea's Picks
