To all the landlocked countries in the world: I’m sorry. Lakes, rivers, ponds–sure, they’re nice, too, but can they compare with staring off into the endless horizon over the ocean? I think not.
The less crowded the beach, the better, even if it takes hours or days to get there. Hey, you don’t have to worry about somebody stealing your stuff while you swim when there’s nobody else there!
It doesn’t even have to be sunny for it to be a score; there’s still something very alluring about the moodiness of the water on a grey, cloudy day.
One of my all-time favorite spots is Tofino’s Chesterman Beach, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. It’s total rainforest up there, and the beach is known for fantastic surfing and storm-watching. My first pug, Ozwald, used to swim and frolic and run like the wind on our visits. It was very uncharacteristic for his mellow little self, so Chesterman was definitely our special spot.
I’ve included photos of some of my favorite beaches from over the years in this post and I want to hear about yours, too. Beaches are places of many happy memories.
Tell me about your favorite beach! Leave me a comment with the name and location of the beach you dream about and why you love it so much (or really want to go there, if you haven’t yet). You’ll be entered in a draw to win an ebook copy of my travelogue Tro-tros and Potholes, West Africa: Solo. For more about the book, here’s a rocking review by Texas author Jo VonBargen. Two randomly-drawn winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 7th. (This will be a good incentive for me to learn how to use those nifty random-drawing generator tools!)
This is one of my good memories — best beach for finding nothing except white sand and sweet children: Zanzibar, Tanzania. Here are before and after pictures– before the kids saw my camera, and then after I’d had my camera out for about 90 seconds.
Happy beach dreaming, everybody! And if you’re going to one soon, don’t forget the sunscreen. Seriously. All of my beach hopping has left me with a giant mono-freckle on my forehead. If I only knew then what I know now about suntanning with baby oil…
Updated on 8/7: The two winners have been drawn and they are Jo VonBargen and Barbara Phinney! I’ll be sending you two an email with the coupon code shortly.
My favorite beach lines the Atlantic coastline of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. There are prettier beaches and nothing on the water’s edge is as beautiful as the spun sugar sands of the Florida Panhandle around Destin, but I love walking a beach steeped in history. The Wright Brothers flew on one end, and Blackbeard the Pirate hung out on the other. And the Cape Hatteras lighthouse looks out over the “graveyard of the Atlantic.”
Now that’s a place I hope to visit soon! We’ve got friends in Asheville and Rocky Mount, the latter only being a couple of hours from the beach and from Cape Hatteras, from what I could see on the map. And that is some pretty cool history…
Many thanks for the mention! My favorite beach is down a slope behind the Fireside Motel in Yachats, Oregon, where I’ve visited many times with my brother, Chip, and his Alaskan huskies. Fireside allows dogs. It’s the most powerful view on earth! When I’m on my last legs, I want them to prop me up in a little boat there, pile on the flowers, and launch me into eternity.
That would be a grand way to go out, Jo!
I’ve never been quite that far down the Oregon Coast, but it’s definitely within driving reach. Probably about six hours from Seattle. I bet the pug would love it!
The beaches along the southern coast of Australia, the Great Ocean Road. Amazing. But I have the book. I can give it to someone else!
I’m having so much fun mapping all of these beaches! So I haven’t been to that side — the Great Ocean Road — but I’ve been along the coast on the other side of Melbourne to go to Phillip Island and see all the wee penguins. I remember it being veeeeeery windy when I was there! Thanks for sharing, Jodi, and absolutely, you can pass on the book if you win it!
Yaqeta Island, Fiji!
Paid for by the Committee to Move to Yaqeta Island. No arguments here!
My fave beach is in Cuba on Cayo Coco. The water is extraordinarily blue and the beach is right next to a bar.
I laughed when I saw your beach because I knew right away, “Canadian!” One of my biggest mistakes was that I didn’t go to Cuba before I left Canada — it would have been way easier! And you can’t go wrong with a beach that’s next to a bar. Thanks for stopping by and playing, Barbara.
Maria la Gorda, Cuba. On the western tip of the island there is a very remote area known for it’s spectacular diving sites where so many Spanish ships wrecked centuries ago, and there’s this tiny little hotel and dive centre on the most amazing stretch of beach. There is hardly anyone there, and you need to drive through a protected bio-reserve to get there, so when you stand on the beach you have nothing but jungle behind you, and nothing but ocean in front of you. It was the first time I saw a tropical beach, so that may be part of why this particular place is so special to me, but it is also where I learned to scuba dive, and this was the first trip I had ever done with my son who was 19 at the time, so there are so many amazing memories.
And another Cuban-traveling Canadian! Your description makes it sound spectacular, Estelle, and I love that it’s a place you shared with your son. Just thinking about it, I can completely hear it in my head, how the only sound would be wind and water and how all that vast space would be stretched out in front of you.
Ras Nungwi, Zanzibar is hands down my favorite beach visit of all time. Between the feeling of complete isolation and white sand that felt like flour between your toes, it was magical. I still go all doe-eyed every time I think about it.
Now how did you get there, Jon? Out of Dar or via Kenya?
I had to go searching for the beach I stayed at and I finally found it down on the south coast. It’s called Jambiani, and when I was there, there wasn’t even electricity. Now I saw that there’s a resort on the beach that has free wi-fi! It was bound to happen… The beach still looks empty, though.
I think we found everything in Lonely Planet. We got there by bus (matatu?) We got there from Kilimanjaro airport. We flew from Kili to Stonetown.
I have heard that Ras Nungwi has been invaded by a couple of resorts. That will take away from some of the feeling of intimacy..but it was a perfect little slice of the world.
My favorite beach is Cisco, on Nantucket Island! Nantucket beaches are facing an erosion issue, but the cliff at Cisco is my favorite. Looking off onto the endless Atlantic, time becomes unimportant; and clarity seems to settle in.
Ooh, I did a little satellite-picture searching on that one — it looks wonderfully secluded. I didn’t know about the erosion, but what I saw on Wikipedia said it loses about 15 feet a year on the south shore. That’s insane! That’s a lot of beach! Yikes. Hope it’s still there so Francis and I can go visit it one day. Thanks for playin,’ Jayme!
My favorite beach is a wonderfully secluded beach that is owned by the Whale Watch Inn in Gualala Bay, CA. The Whale Watch Inn’s secluded beach is accessed by a set of very narrow, step set of stairs from the inn. The beach is located in a small cove, closed in on either end by cliffs or trees. When you get down the rickety set of stairs, you are all alone with not another soul in sight, (unless another Inn patron has the same idea you do which has never happened in the times I’ve been there) If you want, the Inn can provide a picnic lunch. To me, there is nothing more sublime than going down to that beach with a picnic basket with a bottle of wine, dried fruits, cheese and dried meat. That is my idea of heaven and it is absolutely perfect.
It does look like heaven! And it’s another place that’s pet friendly, too. Thanks for sharing it, Tylia.
Second Beach, on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.
Yup, that’s a gooder, alright!
No Fair, I need to check your blog more often! 🙂 I have a favorite beach – though sadly, I missed the opp to win a copy of your book!!! Well it is probably the one in N. Queensland, Australia where the rainforests come down to the “reef” (you know, gorgeous aquamarine waters you can just jump right in and snorkel in the coral reefs). I could live there…
Ah well, there will probably be another contest in the future! Yeah, you can’t go wrong with N. Queensland. Nice and quiet and remote, too. *Sigh*.
Wayag Island, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. One of the most remote places to get to in the world, but once you’re there it’s absolutely one of the most rewarding feelings you’ll ever have.
You had me at “remote!” I checked out some photos — looks pretty amazing.
Thanks for your add, Mario!