Algarve

The Algarve is Portugal’s premier holiday destination, with pretty beaches, brash resorts and picturesque whitewashed towns that flood with foreigners when summer arrives. While the party atmosphere isn’t for everyone, the setting is undeniably beautiful: breathtaking cliffs, wide golden sands, natural bays, scalloped beaches and long sandy islands with waves lapping at the shore. Outside the touristy enclaves, there are quiet castle towns, flower-covered hillsides and enchanting stretches of shoreline still untouched by development.

The towns themselves aren’t as varied as the coastline, but still offer a wide range of personalities. Lagos, with its cobbled streets, young crowd and abundant nightlife, is the carnival queen of the Algarve. Monchique is a quaint town with fine views over the steep wooded countryside. Tavira, set along a peaceful river, remains elegant and laid-back, with a history dating back to the Romans. The capital of the region, Faro, has a more Portuguese feel than some, and a fascinating medieval quarter. Out on the rugged west coast, small, charming towns like Sagres and Carrapateira attract a surf-loving crowd, while cliffside Albufeira sees a wider mix of travellers.

If you’re not keen on crowds and high-season prices, avoid coming from July to mid-September. This is when most Portuguese and other Europeans take their holidays: spring and autumn are lovely alternatives (though the water will be a bit nippy).

Magdalen Island Cave Swimming

Technically, this wet activity on Quebec’s gorgeous Magdalen Islands is called Cave Swimming. Don a thick wet suit, jump into the crashing waves of the freezing Atlantic, and allow them to smash you against the red cliffs that surround the archipelago. Remarkably, the waves buttress your impact, washing you in and out of crevices and sea caves. It looks, and feels, like you shouldn’t survive such an onslaught, and yet this commercially operated adventure is mostly harmless.

Sandals Grande St. Lucian

Ideally located on its very own peninsula, Sandals Grande St. Lucian is often described as the "closest vacation to a picture-perfect postcard." Cradled to the west by Rodney Bay - boasting the calmest waters in all of Saint Lucia - and to the east by the majestic Atlantic Ocean, this magnificent resort showcases awe-inspiring panoramic views that will linger in your heart forever. Volcanic mountains draped in blankets of green rise majestically from an impossibly clear blue sea. A sheltered mile-long beach extends an open invitation for days of endless water play. This is paradise as it was meant to be, full of natural beauty, rich in history, and resplendent in pure romance.

For a secluded, tranquil hideaway with unparalleled proximity to the beach, immerse yourself in the luxury of a beachfront Rondoval suite. Comprised of spacious, exquisite interiors with natural stone flooring and Roman soaking bathtubs perfect for two, these circular suites also offer unique outdoor opportunities on a private veranda, including alfresco dining, sunbathing and stargazing from your very own hammock, outdoor showers, and access to a private, refreshing pool and whirlpool. Secluded by lush, tropical greenery, these clandestine suites are the ultimate in luxury with extraordinary vistas of the famous Rodney Bay.

Cooper Island Beach Club

Just steps from the beach, our newly renovated guest cottages are nestled amongst palm trees, cactus gardens and tropical flowers. All rooms enjoy fabulous views of The Sir Francis Drake Channel and the islands beyond. A connecting door between balconies can be opened when friends are travelling together. Each open-plan room is bright and airy, featuring recycled teak furniture in driftwood tones.

Glass Beach

Glass Beach is a beach in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California that is abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town.

Trunk Bay, St. John

St. John is home to beautiful beaches, bays and coves, and the Virgin Islands National Park. The park land was donated to the people of the United States by the Rockefeller family and opened in 1956. Hiking the forest, camping, and snorkeling are major attractions of this rugged, lush, green island.

St. John is a short ferry ride from Red Hook in St. Thomas. Boats usually leave on the hour ($5.00 US for adults) from early morning to 11:00 PM. Home to a couple of first class resorts and hotels, St. John also has many private villas for the vacationer, and camping is available in the Virgin Islands National Park. There are also quaint places to shop like Mongoose Junction and Wharfside Village in Cruz Bay, and lots of great places to eat.

Trunk Bay is the most famous beach on St. John and possibly the most famous beach in all the Caribbean.  It has perfect powdery white sand and an under water snorkel trail with plaques describing the various items that snorklers can see on the bottom.  No visit to St. John is complete without a visit to Trunk Bay.  Run by the National Park, there is a fee to access the beach from land, $4 for visitors over 16 years of age.

Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach is a 7 km stretch along Whitsunday Island. The island is accessible by boat from the mainland tourist ports of Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour, as well as Hamilton Island.

Unlike regular sand, the sand on Whitehaven Beach does not retain heat making it comfortable to walk barefoot on a hot day.

Vieques Mosquito Bay

The Bioluminescent Bay (also known as Puerto Mosquito, Mosquito Bay, or "The Bio Bay"), is considered the best example of a bioluminescent bay in the United States and is listed as a national natural landmark. The luminescence in the bay is caused by micro-organisms, dinoflagellates, which glow whenever the water is disturbed, leaving a trail of neon blue.

A combination of factors creates the necessary conditions for bioluminescence: red mangrove trees surround the water (the organisms feed off the dead leaves); a complete lack of modern development around the bay; the water is cool enough and deep enough; and a small channel to the ocean keeps the dinoflagellates in the bay. This small channel was created artificially, being the result of attempts by the occupants of Spanish ships to choke off the bay from the ocean. The Spanish believed that the bioluminescence they encountered there while first exploring the area, was the work of the devil ('El Diablo') and tried to block ocean water from entering the bay by dropping huge boulders in the channel. The Spanish only succeeded in preserving and increasing the luminescence in the now isolated bay.

Kayaking is permitted in the bay and may be arranged through local vendors. Swimming is allowed on limited basis through guided tours.

Papafragas Beach

Location: 10 km east of Plaka

Description: Papafragas is an idyllic creation of nature that satisfies even the most demanding visitor. The sandy beach at the bottom of the cave, in combination with the crystal clear waters and the majestic cliffs make it a true masterpiece that should not be missed.
A few meters east of the cave stands the ancient city of Phylakopi, which developed civilization from the Neolithic era.

Access: The cave is located near the main road to Apollonia and access is very easy. However you must walk on the, carved into the rock, stairs to descend down to the beach.

Navagio Beach

Navagio Beach, or the Shipwreck, is an isolated sandy cove on Zakynthos island and one of the most famous beaches in Greece. It is notable because it is home to the wreck of the alleged smuggler ship Panagiotis; thus, it is often referred to as 'Smugglers Cove'.