My favs
1. Macao. La Altagracia. Dom Rep. -- This is my favorite beach. During my Peace Corps days I found El Macao and used to stay at Coco's Cabanas' simple huts or just pitch a tent on the beach and enjoy the spectacular sunrise. Either way I'd enjoy fresh fish and ice cold beer at Coco's. It's on the east coast, aka the 'Gold Coast'. It's a wide open beach with powdery white sand and it's lined with coconut palms and wild surf. The beach goes on as far as you can see to the north and rises into cliffs on the south. The water is balmy and turquoise. There's a constant breeze and I've seen the waves vary from 4 to 10 feet. The slope of the beach makes for perfect body surfing. It's in a nature reserve so there are no hotels or significant development, unlike nearby Bavaro and much of Punta Cana. I had a chance to revisit this summer and was ecstatic that Macao hadn't changed. There's a surf camp down the road and a few vendors who set up shop during the day but the beach is the same. Coco's Cabanas was washed away by a hurricane years ago. Playa Macao is the best.
2. Rincón. Samaná . Dom Rep. -- Playa Rincón is listed in the travel brochures as a top beach, It's the prettiest beach I've seen. It's postcard perfect. The beach lies in a two mile cove on the beautiful Samaná peninsula. The sand is bright white and as fine and powdery as can be. The surf is gentle and a perfect turquoise color. There's a deep green palm forest the length of the beach and beyond, with high cliffs on the opposite side of the cove. The water is as warm as bath water, which makes a dip in the cool spring fed river at the end of the beach all the more refreshing. Luckily, on top of being a bit difficult to reach, the beach sits in a nature reserve and remains undeveloped.
3. Bonita, Las Terrenas. Samaná, Dom Rep. -- Las Terrenas has it all. The beaches are exactly as everyone imagines vacation beaches are supposed to be. And the town is a cool mix of foreigners and Dominicans. There's lots to do and now with the new roads it's easy to get to. The beaches have perfect sand, they're lined with deep green coconut palms and the water is tropical turquoise. There aren't many vendors and it's easy to find restaurants and bars.
4. Yelapa, Jalisco. Mexico. -- Cool place. Yelapa is a community of 150 or so families on Mexico's Pacific coast. It's on the edge of the jungle and is accessible only by boat. Mostly it's a day trip destination for cruise ships and tourist hotels from Puerto Vallarta. The beach is very nice. Fine brown sand and the warmest water I've ever swam in. You can have a cold drink at one of the beachside restaurants, take a snorkeling trip to the Marietas Islands or take a walk to one of the waterfalls not far away. The jungle has it's own fame. It was the setting for Arnold Shwarzenegger's Predator movie. We greatly enjoyed this beach. The only hitch was a reported sea snake sharing the surf with us. That happens when you're swimming at a jungle beach!
5. Wishing Well, Aguadilla. Puerto Rico. -- Years ago I spent some time in Puerto Rico. I loved it. It has the infrastructure of the US with the carefree lifestyle of Latin America. My rental car tour took me to Aguadilla and I happened to stop for an afternoon at this small undeveloped beach. It was just me and a few local teens that day. And it was a great beach. The sand and water are as nice as anywhere and there are excellent waves for bodysurfing. I later learned that there are top surfing competitions held at neighboring Rincón beach.
6. Bávaro, Punta Cana, Dom Rep. -- Bávaro is a truly beautiful natural beach. I remember it as an isolated spot back in the old days. It has deep pure white sand and it's lined with palm trees. The water is bright turquoise. Though there is a near constant breeze on this eastern facing beach, the surf is limited by a reef half a mile out. Nowadays a zillion all-inclusive hotels line the beach uninterrupted for miles. There are casinos and many tourist activities available. And it's all relatively new. All these hotels were built since 1990.
7. Playa Grande. Cabrera. Dom Rep. -- This is the best beach on the north coast hands down. As it's name suggests it's a long wide beach. The sand and surf are great. The waves form far out and you can body surf them quite a distance. On shore there are a bunch of truly excellent fish shacks and beer places. A day at Playa Grande is the perfect day at the beach.
8. Bahia Honda, Big Pince Key, Fla -- The Florida Keys are known for bridges and beaches and Bahia Honda has the best of both. The sand is fine as can be and the water feels like it's body temperature. The water is a sort of light green I haven't seen anywhere else. Lucky for us this beautiful beach is in a state park right off the main drag thru the Keys. The ranger warned us of Portuguese Man-of War jellyfish the day we were there, but I skillfully evaded their venomous tentacles.
9. Baga. Calangute, Goa, India. -- Hundreds of miles south of Mumbai on India's southwest coast, Goa is a former Portuguese colony. The Portuguese influence is still visible in the churches, the food and the people. I even rented a room and a moped from a family named Rodrigues. The Calangute area has been a hangout place for hipster westerners for a long time. Way back they even made a movie about it. But it also draws the Indian vacation crowd. All these elements make it a fascinating place to visit. I watched Indian women wade into the sea fully clothed while nearby Australian women sunbathed topless, And then a cow walked down the beach. Guessing she was local. Very warm water. Arabian Sea sunsets. Heavy rep. Hip. Cool place.
10. Egypt, Scituate, Mass -- The beach of my childhood has to be in my top ten. Instead of building a sea wall they dumped piles and piles of smooth river stones creating a barrier 30 feet high and 90 feet wide. As kids we ran and played on the super heated rocks and in the frigid water. We must have had tough feet. These days I try to take my own kids back to Egypt beach once every summer. They think I'm crazy for liking this beach so much, but I think they enjoy my exaggerated stories. At low tide there are clams and starfish out on the point and there's even traces of a sandy beach. In August the water warms up a bit and there are waves large enough to draw surfers. No place like it.
11. Head of Meadows, Truro, Mass -- Dunes, dunes and more dunes. I remembered this one from when I was a kid and I revisited it this summer with my own kids. Back then I remember climbing the high dunes and sliding down on a flattened cardboard box. Nowadays the dunes are protected and more beautiful than ever. There is a modest surf, uninterrupted soft, coarse sand and 50'-60'dunes. The beach seems to go on forever. There are lots of seagulls and many seals enjoying the icy water which ranges from the mid fifty to mid sixty degree range during the summer months.
12. Great Flamingos, Nuevo Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico -- Very nice natural beach on the north side of Bahia de Banderas. Home to many resorts, the beach is lined with palm trees. The water temperature while we were there was a balmy 85 degrees. The sand is a light brown, the water is clear without a spec of seaweed and there's a respectable surf. It's a great beach!
13. Coast Guard / Nauset Light, Eastham, Mass -- This is the National Seashore; the best part of Cape Cod. The beach seems to extend forever. The sand is light brown and coarse but it's soft underfoot and perfect for building sand castles. The beach is natural and wild. The surf is the biggest and coldest in the northeast, with waves from 6'to 10' and summer water temps from the mid fifties to mid sixties. I can remember one particularly big wave face planting me on the beach in my college days. The beach attracts seagulls and seals in numbers. I take the kids each summer while we camp at Nickerson and it's always the highlight of the weekend. We've biked and kayaked to the beach from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. A full beach lot can't keep us from the surf.
14. San Rafael. Barahona. Dom Rep. San Rafael is a beautiful beach on the southwest coast lying smack between the Caribbean and the base of a small mountain. I remember a sharply sloped beach with large waves crashing down hard on the shore. Once upon a time I found myself in one of those waves being bodyslammed to the fine sand. The rip tide that day at San Rafael was fierce. I counted myself lucky to escape its grasp. There's a spring near the beach with a cement pool that's very popular. And there's the right amount of vendors to make for a fun day. The ride from Barahona along the coast is especially beautiful.
15. Chichiriviche, Falcón, Venezuela. Travelling with a buddy, we found this small out of the way place to be a sort of oasis between Caracas, Valencia and Maracaibo. Along the way I saw about a million pink flamingos hanging out in their winter digs. Here and in Tucacis the people were super laid back and way friendly. The beach was Caribbean beautiful. Not much surf, but plenty of scenery.
16. Tucacas. Venezuela. See Chichiriviche. Believe we ate BBQ horsemeat at a parador here. Washed it down with little beers.
17. Playa Arriba, Miches, El Seibo,Dom Rep. -- This was my local beach for the two years I lived in the DR. The road to get here through the hills of El Seibo was long, rough and scenic. And the small town of Miches was known as the departure center for yolas (small boats taking illegal immigrants) headed for Puerto Rico, But the beach outside of town was beautiful and unspoiled. I remember riding my motorcycle miles down the beach and not seeing a soul. Though another time I fell asleep on the beach and had my back pack stolen. Stories..... With the new carretera and the Punta Cana area saturated with all-inclusives this Gold Coast beach will certainly be targeted for major development. Only my memories of the place will never change.
18. Cabarete. Cabarete. Dom Rep. -- This is a really nice beach on the north coast. It's known for it's steady breezes and reliable 5' - 7' surf. Cabarete has found a niche with the windsurfing crowd. They regularly host competitions here. The beach is a couple of miles long with nice sand and an excellent assortment of shops, bars and restaurants right on the beach.
19. East Beach, Chappaquiddick, Mass -- Very cool island beach. You take a car to get to the Cape, a ferry to get to the Vineyard, and a bike to get to Chappaquiddick. Then you take the mini Chappy ferry from where you can continue biking to the beach. The beach is nice, All-Natural. Not crowded. Good sand plus a little surf. Vineyard waters are warm. Didn't somebody lose control of a car here?
20. Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata, Dom Rep. -- Puerto Plata was chosen for tourist development years ago because of its beautiful gold sand beaches and warm calm waters. Lush green mountains are the background behind the beach. There are a million all-inclusive hotels lining this north coast beach; most with casinos, bars and restaurants - even golf courses. Every tourist activity imaginable is available. The city offers everything you could ever need.
21. Gopalpur-on-Sea. Gopalpur-On-Sea, Orissa, India. Journeyed here by train and bus from Calcutta. Found it to be a relaxing and friendly place. A college kid I met on the train told me this was a big resort back in the day but that it had been out-competed by another place called Pure. I enjoyed swimming in the Indian Ocean, saw a lot of fishermen at work and played cricket on the beach with local kids. I could always hit! A walk a couple of miles down the beach led me to a restricted nuclear facility protected by armed guards and what looked to be gun turrets. Hmm. After that I turned my walk back around and I stopped thinking about how nice and warm the water was.
22. Playa Norte -- Peniscola ñí , Spain - Playa del Sol. Close to a popular boardwalk. The clear water and well-raked sand had us wondering if the Mediterranean had any seaweed at all. There's a castle on a high hill overlooking the beach and lots of activity all around. The beach reportedly gets crowded with the local, hotel and cruise ship crowds, but it wasn't too bad while we were there. Water temp was 75, not much surf. Some topless ladies.
22. Playa del Postiguet. -- Alicante, Spain - Playa del Sol. Close to a popular boardwalk. The clear water and well-raked sand had us wondering if the Mediterranean had any seaweed at all. There's a castle on a high hill overlooking the beach and lots of activity all around. The beach reportedly gets crowded with the local, hotel and cruise ship crowds, but it wasn't too bad while we were there. Water temp was 75, not much surf. Some topless ladies.
22. El Capitán, -- Santa Barbara, Cali -- Went for an early swim. I had the beach all to myself. Southern California. Wide Pacific Ocean expanse with oil rigs in front of me, dried out brown hills rising behind me. I was in about 8 feet of water. Relaxed. Then I saw a big fin coming toward me. Fast. I reached a moderate level of panic and scrambled toward shore. When I gained my footing I turned to see four dolphins swimming past. Hah. I tripped over myself and fell backwards in relief. Santa Barbara's a nice town. The beach is pretty nice too.
23. La Playita. Las Galeras,. Samaná , Dom Rep, -- This is the place the locals go to enjoy a swim while the tourists take boats, 4x4's and ATV's out to Playa Rincón, 7 miles up the coast. The sand here is just as fine, the water just as warm, the palms just as green. Granted, you can't take as long a walk on La Playita, 'The Little Beach'. but it's almost as nice as it's famous cousin. And it's a lot easier to get to.
24. Bayahibe, La Romana, Dom Rep, -- Bayahibe was once a little village outside of La Romana. It had more fishing boats that hotel rooms. The beach only drew crowds on weekends. More than once I slept on the beach, swam in the ocean and rinsed off in the nearby fresh water spring. All within a few hundred yards of the town. It was a really cool place. Nowadays a couple of all-inclusive resorts dominate the landscape and the fishing boats have been mostly replaced by a fleet of catamarans that take the tourists bused in from Punta Cana out to Isla Saona. Bayahibe faces south (Caribbean).
25. Vanderbuilt, Naples, Fla -- I enjoyed Naples beaches for many years while visiting my parents at their retirement community. Gulf beaches have warm calm water and this one had more shells than I've ever seen. The beach extends a long ways and there is a super high, super long pier that's enjoyed by many fisherman and walkers. Pelicans and dolphins are on the sight menu with beautiful sunsets for dessert.
26. Lovers Key, Estero, Fla -- This one is at the south end of Fort Myers beach. Where Fort Myers is developed, crowded and more suited to the Spring Break crowd, Lovers Key is a relaxed, giant sand bar in a state park. It's a great place to take a long walk and swim in the warm gulf water. No surfing here. The waves are measured in inches not feet, which befits it's mellowness.
27. Causeway Beach, Sanibel, Fla - There's a causeway that connects super wealthy Sanibel Island with the rest of Florida. And beneath the causeway lies a pretty nice beach. I came here with a buddy once when a hurricane was out in the Gulf. The waves were outstanding. Deep sand. Lots of shells.
29. Playa Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Macorís, Dom Rep. -- Juan Dolio is a small town with a good beach close to Las Americas airport and not too far from Santo Domingo. There is a cluster of small hotels and a few bars and restaurants. The beach faces south (the Caribbean) and features nice sand and surprisingly good waves. The area is surpassed in popularity by Boca Chica, and doesn't rival Puerto Plata or Punta Cana in size.
30. Misquamicut, Westerly, RI -- Misquanmicut is a really nice beach towards the Rhode Island Connecticut state line, just off the Long Island Sound. The sand is deep and soft. The water is warm. The beach gets very crowded summer weekends but the atmosphere is pure fun. I always enjoyed coming here when I lived in Conn.
31. Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH -- This is a long, wide treeless beach that's very popular in summer. The water is cold, there's not much surf and there's a parking lot instead of trees, but the ocean view is nice and there's 100% sand covering the beach. Shops, arcades and restaurants line the mile long boardwalk. By day it's a nice family place, but at night the atmosphere changes it's a bar scene. Hampton Beach a fun place to be all summer long.
34. Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fort Lauderdale Fla -- Came here with college friends for Spring Break back in the day. Oh man we had some fun! Drove all the way down from northern Vermont in a Dodge Colt. Lost ourselves in the throngs of party-goers. I think the beach was pretty nice too.
35. Second (Saquest), Newport, RI -- Very nice beach in Newport and/or Middletown. Good sand, small surf, More of a college crowd. Good times here when 20 of us shared a summer house rental toward the town center.
36. Good Harbor, Gloucester, MA -- This is one of the better beaches on the North Shore, Parking's impossible, but I had the good fortune to have a friend who lived nearby. The beach is long and sandy. There are rocks offshore to make the view more interesting. There' s a fun crowd at this beach with volleyball the preferred activity.
37. Crane, Ipswich, Mass -- This is a scenic beach on the north shore. It's a nice long cold water beach with beautiful dunes. Parking lots fill early on summer weekends. Be prepared to battle large and abundant greenheads. Their ravenous bites drive people right off beach!
38. Humarock, Scituate, Mass -- Great high school memories with good friends. Every year on July 3rd they'd have bonfires on the beach at every road entrance. Party-goers would migrate between the fires in a fun social atmosphere. The beach is long and wide but has lost a lot of the sand it used to have.
39. Mile Road, Wells, Maine -- Nicest beach I've been to in Maine, Well, Maine's not really known for beaches. Still this is a nice one. Wide beach with good sand and moderate surf. Good crowd. Fun atmosphere. Water's just a little cold.
40. Daytona Beach, Daytona, Florida -- Came here as a kid. My dad drove the family truckster right down onto the beach. Remember a wide wide beach with super hard packed sand. I've heard this is a great place for bars but I didn't see much of that as a 9 year old.
45. Salisbury, Salisbury, MA -- Long wide beach on the NH border. Nice sand. Cold water. There's a state park with plenty of parking and a touristy town center with bars, sandwich places and ice cream shops. Salisbury once rivaled nearby Hampton.
46. Craigville, Centerville, Mass -- Prototypical Cape beach. Sand, Warmish water, Crowds. Route 28 motels, Clam shacks, Ice cream and miniature golf places nearby. Summer on the Cape is fun.
47. Coco Beach, Coco Beach, Fla -- Atlantic facing Florida beach. I remember jogging a long ways on this long natural beach. Many hotels. Piers. Good surf. Water was colder than I expected.
48. Sand, Bar Harbor, Maine -- Pretty little beach in Acadia National Park. Sand here is made from pummeled sea shells. There's a sign warning you not to swim if you have any heart condition -- 'cuz it's ice cold. The only way to enter is to run and dive. And when you go under you feel like you've been punched in the head. And then you get out quick. They say the water temp never gets above 55. I believe it. Coldest water I've swum in.
49. Sosua, Dom Rep. -- Sosua is a beautiful strip of perfect sand beach on the north shore not far from Puerto Plata. The beach is very nice, with warm calm turquoise water. Vendors are plentiful and aggressive. Small, tight bathing suits are popular among older overweight European men. There are lots of hotels, bars and restaurants. Sadly sex tourism overran the place many years ago. The one time I visited I hated the place.
50. First (Easton), Newport, RI -- Beach closer to the town right near the Cliff Walk, Calm waters. More of a family beach.
51. Onset, Wareham, MA -- Nice sandy beach on Buzzard's Bay. Cape feel. Heck you're pretty close to the Cape. Warm water. No surf. Canal is nearby.
52. Scusset Beach, Sandwich, MA -- Cool beach on the Bay side of the Canal. There's a breakwater and the start of the Canal Bike Trail. You can see the curve of the whole inside of the Cape and up along Plymouth too. Sand. Cold water. Not much surf. But watching the boats enter and exit the canal is good. If you're up for it you can ride the Canal Trail for 8 miles each way.
53. Revere Beach, Revere, MA -- Popular spot north of the city. It's a long hard-packed sand beach with the Boulevard running the length of it. Local teens to twenty somethings find endless pleasure cruising the strip and standing around parked vehicles. The beach is actually pretty nice and it's accessible by the T.
54. Pennecamp Coral Reef Key Largo, Florida Keys -- Supposed to be a nice snorkeling beach but we were only swimming. Mangrove trees. Warm super salty water.
55. Bend-in-the-Road, Oak Bluffs, Mass -- Ok beach along along the Oak Bluffs - Edgartown bike trail. State Beach goes on for two miles. Clean. Families. Warm water. No trees, No dunes, No surf.
56. Luquillo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico. -- Beach on the Northwest Coast known to families.
57. Landing, Brewster, Mass -- On the bay side of Cape Code. Pretty. Nice sand. No waves. Easy bike ride from Nickerson on the Cape Code Rail Trail. The tide goes out about a mile at low tide leaving tidal pools for the kids to play in. Pretty cool. They warned us not to get stranded on a sand bar too far out when the tide came back in. Nice place for families with young kids.
58. Sand Hills, Scituate, MA -- Sandy beach towards the lighthouse. No place to park so it's never crowded. Lot of summer people and we know what they're like....
59. Sandy, Cohasset, Mass -- This is a small town beach in a pretty area. As a high school kid the parking lot was a gathering spot on summer nights. Fun times just hanging out.
60. Los Cocos, Puerto la Cruz. Venezuela. -- This is a developed area of Venezuela's nicest coastal city. A buddy and I planned our trip so we'd be in a nice hotel with a balcony over the malecon for New Year's. But Venezuelans aren't Dominicans and this wasn't Santo Domingo. It was deadsville.
61. Wollaston, Quincy, Mass -- Once part of my North Quincy jogging route. It's an MDC beach. The beach-goers here tend to stay close to their muscle cars on the strip, drinking beverages and looking down at the beach scene below. It's not such a great beach. Kind of dirty. But it has nice views of Boston. Popular for jogging and babe watching.
62. Pegotty, Scituate, MA -- Less than average beach close to the harbor draws the cliff people. Some sand. Mostly rocky. No surf.
63. Winslow, Feeport, Maine -- Beautiful park overlooking Casco Bay featuring a small sandy beach. Cold water. No surf. Impressivc tides. At high tide we were diving from the swimming dock. At low tide we were tripping over it.
64. Carson, South Boston, MA -- Very much a city beach. Good for walking, jogging and people watching.
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| Macao Now |
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| Macao Then |
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| Coco's Cabanas |
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| Playa Rincon |
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| Las Terrenas |
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| Yelapa |
5. Wishing Well, Aguadilla. Puerto Rico. -- Years ago I spent some time in Puerto Rico. I loved it. It has the infrastructure of the US with the carefree lifestyle of Latin America. My rental car tour took me to Aguadilla and I happened to stop for an afternoon at this small undeveloped beach. It was just me and a few local teens that day. And it was a great beach. The sand and water are as nice as anywhere and there are excellent waves for bodysurfing. I later learned that there are top surfing competitions held at neighboring Rincón beach.
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| Bavaro |
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| Playa Grande |
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| Calangute |
10. Egypt, Scituate, Mass -- The beach of my childhood has to be in my top ten. Instead of building a sea wall they dumped piles and piles of smooth river stones creating a barrier 30 feet high and 90 feet wide. As kids we ran and played on the super heated rocks and in the frigid water. We must have had tough feet. These days I try to take my own kids back to Egypt beach once every summer. They think I'm crazy for liking this beach so much, but I think they enjoy my exaggerated stories. At low tide there are clams and starfish out on the point and there's even traces of a sandy beach. In August the water warms up a bit and there are waves large enough to draw surfers. No place like it.
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| Head of Meadows, Truro, Cape Cod |
12. Great Flamingos, Nuevo Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico -- Very nice natural beach on the north side of Bahia de Banderas. Home to many resorts, the beach is lined with palm trees. The water temperature while we were there was a balmy 85 degrees. The sand is a light brown, the water is clear without a spec of seaweed and there's a respectable surf. It's a great beach!
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| Coast Guard |
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| Nauset |
13. Coast Guard / Nauset Light, Eastham, Mass -- This is the National Seashore; the best part of Cape Cod. The beach seems to extend forever. The sand is light brown and coarse but it's soft underfoot and perfect for building sand castles. The beach is natural and wild. The surf is the biggest and coldest in the northeast, with waves from 6'to 10' and summer water temps from the mid fifties to mid sixties. I can remember one particularly big wave face planting me on the beach in my college days. The beach attracts seagulls and seals in numbers. I take the kids each summer while we camp at Nickerson and it's always the highlight of the weekend. We've biked and kayaked to the beach from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. A full beach lot can't keep us from the surf.
14. San Rafael. Barahona. Dom Rep. San Rafael is a beautiful beach on the southwest coast lying smack between the Caribbean and the base of a small mountain. I remember a sharply sloped beach with large waves crashing down hard on the shore. Once upon a time I found myself in one of those waves being bodyslammed to the fine sand. The rip tide that day at San Rafael was fierce. I counted myself lucky to escape its grasp. There's a spring near the beach with a cement pool that's very popular. And there's the right amount of vendors to make for a fun day. The ride from Barahona along the coast is especially beautiful.
15. Chichiriviche, Falcón, Venezuela. Travelling with a buddy, we found this small out of the way place to be a sort of oasis between Caracas, Valencia and Maracaibo. Along the way I saw about a million pink flamingos hanging out in their winter digs. Here and in Tucacis the people were super laid back and way friendly. The beach was Caribbean beautiful. Not much surf, but plenty of scenery.
16. Tucacas. Venezuela. See Chichiriviche. Believe we ate BBQ horsemeat at a parador here. Washed it down with little beers.
17. Playa Arriba, Miches, El Seibo,Dom Rep. -- This was my local beach for the two years I lived in the DR. The road to get here through the hills of El Seibo was long, rough and scenic. And the small town of Miches was known as the departure center for yolas (small boats taking illegal immigrants) headed for Puerto Rico, But the beach outside of town was beautiful and unspoiled. I remember riding my motorcycle miles down the beach and not seeing a soul. Though another time I fell asleep on the beach and had my back pack stolen. Stories..... With the new carretera and the Punta Cana area saturated with all-inclusives this Gold Coast beach will certainly be targeted for major development. Only my memories of the place will never change.
18. Cabarete. Cabarete. Dom Rep. -- This is a really nice beach on the north coast. It's known for it's steady breezes and reliable 5' - 7' surf. Cabarete has found a niche with the windsurfing crowd. They regularly host competitions here. The beach is a couple of miles long with nice sand and an excellent assortment of shops, bars and restaurants right on the beach.
19. East Beach, Chappaquiddick, Mass -- Very cool island beach. You take a car to get to the Cape, a ferry to get to the Vineyard, and a bike to get to Chappaquiddick. Then you take the mini Chappy ferry from where you can continue biking to the beach. The beach is nice, All-Natural. Not crowded. Good sand plus a little surf. Vineyard waters are warm. Didn't somebody lose control of a car here?
20. Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata, Dom Rep. -- Puerto Plata was chosen for tourist development years ago because of its beautiful gold sand beaches and warm calm waters. Lush green mountains are the background behind the beach. There are a million all-inclusive hotels lining this north coast beach; most with casinos, bars and restaurants - even golf courses. Every tourist activity imaginable is available. The city offers everything you could ever need.
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| Gopalpur-On-Sea |
22. Playa Norte -- Peniscola ñí , Spain - Playa del Sol. Close to a popular boardwalk. The clear water and well-raked sand had us wondering if the Mediterranean had any seaweed at all. There's a castle on a high hill overlooking the beach and lots of activity all around. The beach reportedly gets crowded with the local, hotel and cruise ship crowds, but it wasn't too bad while we were there. Water temp was 75, not much surf. Some topless ladies.
22. Playa del Postiguet. -- Alicante, Spain - Playa del Sol. Close to a popular boardwalk. The clear water and well-raked sand had us wondering if the Mediterranean had any seaweed at all. There's a castle on a high hill overlooking the beach and lots of activity all around. The beach reportedly gets crowded with the local, hotel and cruise ship crowds, but it wasn't too bad while we were there. Water temp was 75, not much surf. Some topless ladies.
22. El Capitán, -- Santa Barbara, Cali -- Went for an early swim. I had the beach all to myself. Southern California. Wide Pacific Ocean expanse with oil rigs in front of me, dried out brown hills rising behind me. I was in about 8 feet of water. Relaxed. Then I saw a big fin coming toward me. Fast. I reached a moderate level of panic and scrambled toward shore. When I gained my footing I turned to see four dolphins swimming past. Hah. I tripped over myself and fell backwards in relief. Santa Barbara's a nice town. The beach is pretty nice too.
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| La Playita |
24. Bayahibe, La Romana, Dom Rep, -- Bayahibe was once a little village outside of La Romana. It had more fishing boats that hotel rooms. The beach only drew crowds on weekends. More than once I slept on the beach, swam in the ocean and rinsed off in the nearby fresh water spring. All within a few hundred yards of the town. It was a really cool place. Nowadays a couple of all-inclusive resorts dominate the landscape and the fishing boats have been mostly replaced by a fleet of catamarans that take the tourists bused in from Punta Cana out to Isla Saona. Bayahibe faces south (Caribbean).
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| Naples |
26. Lovers Key, Estero, Fla -- This one is at the south end of Fort Myers beach. Where Fort Myers is developed, crowded and more suited to the Spring Break crowd, Lovers Key is a relaxed, giant sand bar in a state park. It's a great place to take a long walk and swim in the warm gulf water. No surfing here. The waves are measured in inches not feet, which befits it's mellowness.
27. Causeway Beach, Sanibel, Fla - There's a causeway that connects super wealthy Sanibel Island with the rest of Florida. And beneath the causeway lies a pretty nice beach. I came here with a buddy once when a hurricane was out in the Gulf. The waves were outstanding. Deep sand. Lots of shells.
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| Horseneck |
28. Horseneck, Westport, Mass -- Horseneck features a long sandy beach, moderate dunes and an easy 2'-6' surf. When shallow Buzzard's Bay heats up in the summer months the waters here can get into the low to mid seventies, easily the warmest in the region. For us it's an easy day trip and parking is easy because it's a state park. It's always a lot of fun.
29. Playa Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Macorís, Dom Rep. -- Juan Dolio is a small town with a good beach close to Las Americas airport and not too far from Santo Domingo. There is a cluster of small hotels and a few bars and restaurants. The beach faces south (the Caribbean) and features nice sand and surprisingly good waves. The area is surpassed in popularity by Boca Chica, and doesn't rival Puerto Plata or Punta Cana in size.
30. Misquamicut, Westerly, RI -- Misquanmicut is a really nice beach towards the Rhode Island Connecticut state line, just off the Long Island Sound. The sand is deep and soft. The water is warm. The beach gets very crowded summer weekends but the atmosphere is pure fun. I always enjoyed coming here when I lived in Conn.
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| Hampton Beach |
32. Guayacanes, San Pedro de Macorís, Dom Rep. -- Guayacanes is a nice beach close to San Pedro. I stopped here several times on my way from El Seibo to the capital. We had a memorable Close of Service celebration here as well. The beach has nice sand and the water is calm and Caribbean warm. There are mid-range hotels. bars and restaurants along the south facing beach and it's popular with Dominican and foreign tourists though it has not kept up with the larger developments on the north and east coasts. Guayacanes is accessible from Santo Domingo and an easy ride to or from the airport.
33. MacKerricher, Fort Bragg, Cali -- Once upon a time I drove cross country, mostly camping in state parks, and enjoying the views. A swing through northern California led me to my first Pacific Ocean beach. It had super coarse dark sand like I'd never seen before, ice cold water and significant surf, I camped nearby under pine trees. It was different kind of place. A world of it's own,
35. Second (Saquest), Newport, RI -- Very nice beach in Newport and/or Middletown. Good sand, small surf, More of a college crowd. Good times here when 20 of us shared a summer house rental toward the town center.
36. Good Harbor, Gloucester, MA -- This is one of the better beaches on the North Shore, Parking's impossible, but I had the good fortune to have a friend who lived nearby. The beach is long and sandy. There are rocks offshore to make the view more interesting. There' s a fun crowd at this beach with volleyball the preferred activity.
37. Crane, Ipswich, Mass -- This is a scenic beach on the north shore. It's a nice long cold water beach with beautiful dunes. Parking lots fill early on summer weekends. Be prepared to battle large and abundant greenheads. Their ravenous bites drive people right off beach!
38. Humarock, Scituate, Mass -- Great high school memories with good friends. Every year on July 3rd they'd have bonfires on the beach at every road entrance. Party-goers would migrate between the fires in a fun social atmosphere. The beach is long and wide but has lost a lot of the sand it used to have.
39. Mile Road, Wells, Maine -- Nicest beach I've been to in Maine, Well, Maine's not really known for beaches. Still this is a nice one. Wide beach with good sand and moderate surf. Good crowd. Fun atmosphere. Water's just a little cold.
40. Daytona Beach, Daytona, Florida -- Came here as a kid. My dad drove the family truckster right down onto the beach. Remember a wide wide beach with super hard packed sand. I've heard this is a great place for bars but I didn't see much of that as a 9 year old.
41. Minot, Scituate, Mass -- The popular beach for Scituate high schoolers. It's a narrow sandy beach with a giant rock at one end for kids to explore. It has a 15 foot seawall where my friends and I invented Wall Ball. Two players compete on a marked sand court. The first player throws a tennis ball off the wall. It needs to rebound back onto the court. The second player has to catch the ball before it lands. Then he throws it. You score if your throw rebounds onto the marked court without being caught. You play to 21. Blocking is not discouraged. The curved wall allows for long and short rebounds. So much fun. Last time I checked the kids were still playing Wall Ball on Minot Beach.
42. York Beach, York, Maine -- Nice wide sand beach in Maine. Perfect for any activity. Good summer crowd.
43. Devereux, Marblehead, MA -- Deep sand. Clean, Snack bar. Came here a few times when staying with my bro back in the day. RIP BK.
44. Nantasket, Hull, Mass -- Nanatasket is a popular state beach south of the city. As a kid we lived about 10 miles away and visited Paragon Park and rode the wooden roller coaster. Paragon is gone but the beach is nice, especially at low tide. At high tide the beach is underwater and visitors scramble up on the rocks and seawall competing for space. Assortment of restaurants and shops. Great old carousel.42. York Beach, York, Maine -- Nice wide sand beach in Maine. Perfect for any activity. Good summer crowd.
43. Devereux, Marblehead, MA -- Deep sand. Clean, Snack bar. Came here a few times when staying with my bro back in the day. RIP BK.
45. Salisbury, Salisbury, MA -- Long wide beach on the NH border. Nice sand. Cold water. There's a state park with plenty of parking and a touristy town center with bars, sandwich places and ice cream shops. Salisbury once rivaled nearby Hampton.
46. Craigville, Centerville, Mass -- Prototypical Cape beach. Sand, Warmish water, Crowds. Route 28 motels, Clam shacks, Ice cream and miniature golf places nearby. Summer on the Cape is fun.
47. Coco Beach, Coco Beach, Fla -- Atlantic facing Florida beach. I remember jogging a long ways on this long natural beach. Many hotels. Piers. Good surf. Water was colder than I expected.
48. Sand, Bar Harbor, Maine -- Pretty little beach in Acadia National Park. Sand here is made from pummeled sea shells. There's a sign warning you not to swim if you have any heart condition -- 'cuz it's ice cold. The only way to enter is to run and dive. And when you go under you feel like you've been punched in the head. And then you get out quick. They say the water temp never gets above 55. I believe it. Coldest water I've swum in.
49. Sosua, Dom Rep. -- Sosua is a beautiful strip of perfect sand beach on the north shore not far from Puerto Plata. The beach is very nice, with warm calm turquoise water. Vendors are plentiful and aggressive. Small, tight bathing suits are popular among older overweight European men. There are lots of hotels, bars and restaurants. Sadly sex tourism overran the place many years ago. The one time I visited I hated the place.
50. First (Easton), Newport, RI -- Beach closer to the town right near the Cliff Walk, Calm waters. More of a family beach.
51. Onset, Wareham, MA -- Nice sandy beach on Buzzard's Bay. Cape feel. Heck you're pretty close to the Cape. Warm water. No surf. Canal is nearby.
52. Scusset Beach, Sandwich, MA -- Cool beach on the Bay side of the Canal. There's a breakwater and the start of the Canal Bike Trail. You can see the curve of the whole inside of the Cape and up along Plymouth too. Sand. Cold water. Not much surf. But watching the boats enter and exit the canal is good. If you're up for it you can ride the Canal Trail for 8 miles each way.
54. Pennecamp Coral Reef Key Largo, Florida Keys -- Supposed to be a nice snorkeling beach but we were only swimming. Mangrove trees. Warm super salty water.
55. Bend-in-the-Road, Oak Bluffs, Mass -- Ok beach along along the Oak Bluffs - Edgartown bike trail. State Beach goes on for two miles. Clean. Families. Warm water. No trees, No dunes, No surf.
56. Luquillo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico. -- Beach on the Northwest Coast known to families.
57. Landing, Brewster, Mass -- On the bay side of Cape Code. Pretty. Nice sand. No waves. Easy bike ride from Nickerson on the Cape Code Rail Trail. The tide goes out about a mile at low tide leaving tidal pools for the kids to play in. Pretty cool. They warned us not to get stranded on a sand bar too far out when the tide came back in. Nice place for families with young kids.
58. Sand Hills, Scituate, MA -- Sandy beach towards the lighthouse. No place to park so it's never crowded. Lot of summer people and we know what they're like....
59. Sandy, Cohasset, Mass -- This is a small town beach in a pretty area. As a high school kid the parking lot was a gathering spot on summer nights. Fun times just hanging out.
60. Los Cocos, Puerto la Cruz. Venezuela. -- This is a developed area of Venezuela's nicest coastal city. A buddy and I planned our trip so we'd be in a nice hotel with a balcony over the malecon for New Year's. But Venezuelans aren't Dominicans and this wasn't Santo Domingo. It was deadsville.
61. Wollaston, Quincy, Mass -- Once part of my North Quincy jogging route. It's an MDC beach. The beach-goers here tend to stay close to their muscle cars on the strip, drinking beverages and looking down at the beach scene below. It's not such a great beach. Kind of dirty. But it has nice views of Boston. Popular for jogging and babe watching.
62. Pegotty, Scituate, MA -- Less than average beach close to the harbor draws the cliff people. Some sand. Mostly rocky. No surf.
63. Winslow, Feeport, Maine -- Beautiful park overlooking Casco Bay featuring a small sandy beach. Cold water. No surf. Impressivc tides. At high tide we were diving from the swimming dock. At low tide we were tripping over it.
64. Carson, South Boston, MA -- Very much a city beach. Good for walking, jogging and people watching.
