The ferry captain running the Isla Mujeres route makes the crossing roughly 14 times a day, and on each he continues to announce the dolphins, cutting through the wake with the kind of casual indifference only a wild animal that has seen fourteen ferries a day for years can manage. His passengers never fail to get a charge out of the water mammals. Twenty minutes after leaving the concrete high-rises of the Zona Hotelera behind, …
Browsing: Beach Vacations
There are a few destinations in the Caribbean that have managed to retain an authentic sense of place while simultaneously establishing themselves among the region’s most exclusive escapes. Anguilla is one of them.
Situated in the northern Caribbean, just 19 kilometers north of St. Martin, this slender coral and limestone island stretches only 26 kilometers from end to end. Yet within its modest footprint lie 33 spectacular beaches, an internationally acclaimed dining scene, intimate luxury …
Cape Cod begins with a curve on the map and a change in mood. One hour south of Boston, the city gives way to a 400-square-mile hook of dunes, harbours and cedar-shingled towns where life still moves to the pull of tide and season. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay, the peninsula gathers 15 distinct towns into one of New England’s most enduring coastal escapes.…
Unless you’re at the beach, going anywhere on St. Vincent becomes an adventure in traveling up and down. This is a volcanic island with extensive hilly terrain, even near its shoreline, but it also offers a contrasting impression of green interiors, black beaches, bright pastel-colored buildings, busy town waterfronts, and dramatic rocky crags on islets just offshore. It takes a little more effort to get to St. Vincent than more accessible islands like Barbados, Jamaica, …
I travel frequently, and always prepare for my various jaunts doing fact-finding, participating in forums, asking friends, and even reading literature from my destination country. I’m prepared, but not too prepared, ever open to the spur-of-the-moment experiences traveling promises. For my month-long voyage to Southern India I spent an excessive amount of time planning. Hours, days, and months were spent investigating the merits of the SteriPEN® and concocting a route south from Mumbai. I weighed …
Located in the Caribbean, Barbados appeals to visitors who simply want to kick back and enjoy the sun, sea, and surf. With its aqua blue sea and powdery beaches, you are never too far away from a place to sit and relax. But when you feel like doing some exploring, Bridgetown (Barbados’ capital city) is the place to head to. It’s easy to get to from just about anywhere, no matter where you are in …
Scattered across the waters of the South Pacific, Vanuatu is one of the world’s most captivating yet underexplored destinations. This Y-shaped archipelago of 83 islands offers visitors an authentic Melanesian experience wrapped in pristine natural beauty, active volcanoes, and some of the most culturally diverse communities on Earth.
Vanuatu lies approximately 1,080 miles east of northern Australia and 310 miles northeast of New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean. The nation stretches across roughly 800 …
In a country famous for its pristine pebbled shores and crystal-clear waters, Susak stands as a geological anomaly. This small Croatian island, composed entirely of sand deposited by ancient winds onto limestone bedrock, offers something almost impossible to find elsewhere along the Adriatic coast: genuine sandy beaches that rival those of tropical destinations and very few crowds.
Susak sits in the Kvarner Bay, approximately 7.4 kilometers southwest of Mali Lošinj island, making it one of …
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 …