Australia · Australia
Noosa has figured out something that most beach towns get wrong: it is upscale without being pretentious. The main beach is a north-facing bay that stays calm enough for toddlers most days, while Noosa National Park wraps around the headland with trails that pass through koala habitat and drop down to hidden coves like Tea Tree Bay and Granite Bay. The surf at the points inside the national park is legendary, long right-handers peeling over sand and rock. Hastings Street has the boutique shopping and restaurant scene you'd expect from a town this polished, with wood-fired pizzas running about $25 AUD and fresh Mooloolaba prawns available at the fish markets. The Noosa Everglades, accessible by kayak from Boreen Point, are often called the river of mirrors and remain one of Queensland's most underrated day trips.
Western Australia's Margaret River region delivers heavy reef breaks at Surfers Point, sheltered swimming at Gnarabup and Yallingup, 200 cellar doors pouring premium wine, and the 135-kilometer Cape to Cape coastal walk.
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Box jellyfish in Australia, man-of-war in the Atlantic, mauve stingers in the Mediterranean -- here's how to identify the jellyfish in your water, what actually treats a sting (hot water, not urine), and when to get to a hospital.
Read more about thisNoosa'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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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