Travel Guide

Noosa's north-facing beaches deliver year-round calm swimming, a national park with koalas and hidden coves, point break surfing, and kayaking through the only everglades system outside Florida.

Use Google Maps satellite view to spot empty shoreline with no roads or parking. Combine with AllTrails coastal hikes and local intel from bartenders and dive shops to find beaches the tourism industry hasn't packaged yet.

From Jade Mountain's open-wall sanctuaries above the Pitons to overwater villas in the Maldives, these 10 couples-only beach resorts design every element around romance. Rates range from $350 all-inclusive to $2,500 per night for private islands.

Sayulita is a colorful surf village on Mexico's Riviera Nayarit with a beginner-friendly point break, $2 fish tacos, and a bohemian energy that hasn't been polished away by development. Forty-five minutes from Puerto Vallarta, it runs on its own clock.

The Cook Islands pair Rarotonga’s reef-enclosed lagoon and night markets with Aitutaki’s legendary lagoon — 15 motus, sandbar post offices, and water colors that look digitally enhanced. Together, they deliver South Pacific perfection at a fraction of Bora Bora’s price.

Everything you need for underwater photography at the beach: gear recommendations from $350 to pro setups, the best shore-entry photo spots from Hawaii to Bali, and techniques for color, lighting, and composition underwater.

Lombok broken down: the south coast's white-sand bays and beginner surf, Gili Trawangan's diving and parties, Gili Meno's underwater sculptures, Mount Rinjani's crater rim trek, and practical details on fast boats from Bali, motorbike rental, and dry season timing.

Punta del Este transforms from a quiet town of 25,000 into a destination for half a million each summer. From Playa Mansa's calm waters to José Ignacio's celebrity-chef restaurants and Cabo Polonio's off-grid isolation, here's Uruguay's full beach playbook.

The Canary Islands offer year-round beach weather with volcanic landscapes unlike any other European destination. This guide covers the best beaches on Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote — from Saharan sand dunes and black lava beaches to sheltered turquoise coves — with travel logistics and seasonal details.

From San Diego's free beach wheelchair program to Barcelona's assisted bathing service, here's a practical guide to beach accessibility for wheelchair users -- what works, what doesn't, and how to plan ahead.

A guide to St. Thomas beaches covering Magens Bay, Coki Beach snorkeling, Sapphire Beach, Lindquist Beach, Hull Bay surfing, Charlotte Amalie duty-free shopping, day trips to St. John and the British Virgin Islands, restaurant picks, and practical tips on driving, cruise ship schedules, and the best time to visit.

Croatia's sunniest island delivers Adriatic swimming at its clearest, from the Pakleni Islands' pine-shaded coves to Hvar Town's sunset-facing rocks. Add lavender fields, serious wine, and 2,726 sunshine hours per year.

Vanuatu beaches span from Champagne Beach's fizzing volcanic sand to Tanna's black-sand hot springs, with the world's largest accessible wreck dive, blue holes, and Mount Yasur's nightly lava show. This guide covers the best islands, dive sites, and cultural experiences.

Skip the all-inclusive and go where Jamaicans actually go. From Boston Bay's jerk shacks to Lime Cay's Sunday boat parties, these are Jamaica's best beaches beyond the resort fences.

How to find legitimate last-minute beach vacation deals: Google Flights Explore for cheap flights, HotelTonight for discounted rooms, and the specific destinations (Mexico, Thailand, Portugal) where last-minute booking works best. Includes strategies for flexible travelers and warnings about when last-minute doesn't save money.

Montañita packs serious surf, nonstop nightlife, and South America's best-value beach scene into six blocks on Ecuador's Pacific coast. This guide covers the waves, the party, and where to escape both along the Ruta del Sol.

Da Nang's coast from My Khe to Hoi An: beach chairs and surf schools, Marble Mountains' cave pagodas, Son Tra's endangered langurs, Hoi An's tailor shops and lantern streets, and Cham Islands diving. Includes VND prices, Grab transport tips, and month-by-month weather guide.

From pontoon snorkeling to Cod Hole liveaboards, Cairns delivers the best access to the Great Barrier Reef's 2,300 kilometers of coral, plus island day trips and the Daintree Rainforest where reef meets jungle.