United States · North America
Destin sits on a stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast where the sand is so white and fine it squeaks under your feet — a product of Appalachian quartz ground down over millennia and washed south. The water is that emerald-green-to-turquoise gradient that earns this region its 'Emerald Coast' name, and it's warm enough to swim in from April through October. The harbor is packed with charter fishing boats, and the self-proclaimed title of 'World's Luckiest Fishing Village' isn't just marketing — the deep-sea fishing here is legitimately world-class. Henderson Beach State Park offers a mile of undeveloped shoreline that feels like a national park. Crab Island, a submerged sandbar in the middle of the harbor, turns into a floating party on weekends. Fresh Gulf shrimp and grouper sandwiches at the harbor dockside restaurants run about $14 and taste like they should cost double.
Five beach destinations optimized for retirees and long-stay travelers, with monthly cost breakdowns, healthcare access details, visa requirements, and base town recommendations for the Algarve (Portugal), Penang (Malaysia), Crete (Greece), Hua Hin (Thailand), and Spain's Costa Blanca.
Read more about this
The cheapest places to get PADI certified without sacrificing quality: Koh Tao ($260), Utila ($280), and Dahab ($250) all put you on tropical reefs with turtles and reef sharks for your certification dives, at prices that make your local dive shop look like highway robbery.
Read more about this
15 family beach destinations in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Central America where a family of four can aim for about $300 a day on the ground, with current fees and the costs that catch people out.
Read more about this
Business class to beach destinations doesn't require $8,000 per ticket. This guide covers three practical strategies — credit card point transfers, mistake fares and positioning flights, and upgrade bidding — with specific award costs for Caribbean, Maldives, and Mediterranean routes.
Read more about this
Nine beach destinations for women traveling alone, from Portugal's Algarve and Iceland to Bali and Costa Rica, rated against current US, Canadian and UK travel advisories, with the specific warnings that apply to each.
Read more about this
A guide to Europe's best beach destinations accessible by train, covering routes from Paris to Nice, Madrid to Barcelona, Rome to Puglia, Lisbon to the Algarve, and Athens to the Pelion. Includes travel times, advance fare prices, and the beaches waiting at each station.
Read more about this