Browsing: Beach Vacations

Little Gustavia, capital of the French Caribbean island of St. Barthélemy, is a fine showcase for local culture and traditions while also displaying a wider connection to the international cosmopolitan retail and culinary worlds present along its winding streets.  Once a Swedish colonial outpost, the Gustavia of today merged from its past as a quiet harborside fishing village in the mid-twentieth century when St. Barths caught the interest of international globetrotters and trendsetters.

Thanks to …

The small village of Tortuguero is tucked away in the northeastern corner of Costa Rica, within a vast protected national park. It is one of the most important nesting sites for sea turtles in the Western Hemisphere. Each year, thousands of endangered green turtles arrive en masse to lay their eggs on the long, isolated stretches of beach. Here, you can witness one of nature’s most marvelous ancient reproductive rituals.

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The chilled seaside city of Essaouira lies a mere three hours away from Marrakech by bus. A perfect antidote to the chaos of the metropolis, its atmospheric and bustling medina is magnificently located next to a long stretch of sandy beach and the crashing Atlantic Ocean. Essaouira offers an ideal combination of beach life and Moroccan culture and is also an excellent destination for a winter break, with daytime temperatures remaining balmy throughout the year.…

Everything can happen in just a day on Little Cayman, and then again nothing much may happen at all.  Along the way, either experience becomes something to savor.  Just a short flight from Grand Cayman, this corner of the western Caribbean remains one of its quietest.  For those usually in a rush to do it all, be prepared to adjust quickly to the luxuriant pace of Little Cayman time–where the speed limit is usually 25 …

Cabarete hardly misses a beat, even in a pouring tropical deluge.  Arrive by taxi along the main coastal road from Puerto Plata on a mid-summer day, and the route into this ever-lively resort town swiftly becomes jammed with traffic—cars, taxis, the local guaguas (mini-vans that make frequent stops), and of course the Dominican favorite, the motorbike.  As they enter the center of town, all ply their way at maximum speed along the two-lane road overburdened …

The story of Glass Beach begins in the early 20th century when, even more so than now, environmental consciousness was far from the forefront of public concern. Located in Fort Bragg, approximately 170 miles north of San Francisco, Glass Beach is a unique spot along the coast.   In 1906, following a devastating earthquake in San Francisco, Fort Bragg residents began using the coastline as an unofficial dump site. For decades, the local community discarded household …

Approximately 180 miles east of Puerto Rico lies the island of Saint Martin. This small, 50-square-mile island is divided between two nations: the French Republic in the north and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the south. The French part, known as the Collectivity of Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France, while the Dutch part, Sint Maarten, is one of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The division of …

Just barely 30 minutes outside the hustle and crowds of Puerta Vallarta lies charming Bucerías, a beach town offering the best of two experiences: Traditional Mexican beach town with lots of over-ocean restaurants, a town square and cobblestone streets and a more modern, upscale district offering trendy boutiques, rental condos and a variety of cuisine options.

Long a popular getaway and destination spot for Puerta Vallarta residents and seasonal snowbirds, Bucerías has been growing with …

The coast of Portugal’s southernmost region, the Algarve, is a chain of old fishing villages that have, over time, transformed into charming resort towns adorned with steep cliffs, secret caverns, and wonderful sandy shores. One such beach town was just named the “best in the world.” The accolade was bestowed upon Praia da Falésia, a name that aptly translates to “cliff beach” in Portuguese. This beach is beautifully positioned between the towns of Albufeira and …

Sayulita, Mexico isn’t Cancun or Cabo San Lucas — The coast is not dotted with all-inclusive resorts, and it’s not a Spring Break mecca — And that suits those just fine that that choose to visit this sleepy hamlet about an hour north of Puerta Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in the region known as “Riviera Nayarit.”

Built around the protected Bahia (Bay) de Banderas, the Sierra Madre mountains ring Sayulita and provide immediate elevation …

From early colonial days to the present, the eastern Caribbean island of Antigua emerged first as a naval base and later a favored port for sailors and seafaring adventurers. Down through the centuries, those changes have included the presence of British admiral Horatio Nelson in the late eighteenth century and, in more recent times, yachting enthusiasts of all levels.

The island’s naval legacy has its origin in the wider conflict and competition across the Caribbean …

Lately, I’ve had a lot of bad luck with my luggage while traveling on long-haul flights. My bags were delayed three trips in a row – reaching my destination only 1 to 3 days after I had arrived. After these three consecutive luggage mishaps, I was confident the airlines could not mess up a fourth time.

They didn’t – but my bout of bad luck did not end with that fourth flight. Arriving at Paris …

Australia shows up on more people’s bucket lists than most other destinations and for good reason.  This continent-nation offers an amazingly wide mixture of landscapes, wildlife, and adventure, providing a veritable palate of opportunities for anyone wishing to enjoy an exhilarating travel experience in ever-changing locales: there is no single “Australian itinerary.” With that said, and knowing Australia has so much to offer, here are my five top reasons to visit Australia.

The variety of …

There may be no more diverse destination on the planet than Hawaii.  Not only is the terrain amazingly varied – deserts, beaches and lush rainforests, mountains and oceans, deep valleys, and soaring volcanoes – but the climates there range from sub-arctic to tropical.  The available activities are almost without end. The culture is a mix of Polynesian, Asian, European, and American.  But perhaps the most varied aspect of the Islands is the way that this …