Posts Tagged ‘beaches’

Southern California Beaches

Written on September 3rd, 2010 by no shouts

Scenic coastline is one of the primary attractions which contributed to Southern California beaches to be one of the world-renowned tourist destinations. These popular coastal destinations stretch along the tropical beaches of San Diego to the beaches of Sta. Barbara, California. Along with the charm and beauty of these Southern California beaches comes the pleasant sunny and gentle climate, which is perfect for a beach setting.


One of the most prominent names when it comes to beaches are the shores of Malibu, known for surfing and impressive mansions watching over picturesque backdrops. Shopaholics and entertainment lovers may turn to the beaches of Santa Monica, which is just near Hollywood and Beverly Hills. For those who are fond of reminiscing history of California can flock to Santa Barbara beaches wherein rich Californian history is evident with its scenic coasts and mountains. And who would ever forget the ever famous Long Beach with its many boating opportunities? In addition, a visit to the Long Beach will give you the chance to experience skin diving at its best and a glimpse tour of the undersea life.


Inviting architecture of beach houses are the main come-on of Newport Beach. Beach lovers can also have fun engaging in boat rides as well as swimming on the beaches of this lovely town. For those who want to stay away from the crowd especially during summer, the beach town of Ventura is worth the try.


Each Southern California Beaches has its own inviting character that makes them stand out among other beach towns. The next time you visit California, stop at any and enjoy a real California beach tour.

Beaches of Jamaica

Written on August 14th, 2010 by 2 shouts

visit www.jamaicahotelstravel.com for more

Nude Beach Etiquette at Florida’s Naturist Beaches

Written on July 29th, 2010 by no shouts

The first things one thinks of when someone says Florida is sunshine. Florida has a mild climate for most of the year and this makes it the ideal place to get out and have some fun in the sun. The best place to soak up some rays is at the beach and with over 1,000 miles of coastline Florida is the perfect place to grab a beach towel, some sunscreen and hit the sand. So you go to the beach and get your tan, but what about all those pesky tan lines? Well, good news, should you choose to go ‘au naturel’ at the beach here are a few things you should know.

Nude tanning is really ‘taking off’, pardon the pun, in Florida according to James Thorner of the St. Petersburg Times, one Florida county is gaining “status as the North American Capital of Nudism.” That county – Pasco – just north of Tampa does have more than its share of residents and visitors willing expose themselves. Another popular place on the east coast is Playalinda Beach it is in the Cape Canaveral National Seashore and is a federally owned beach. Whether by word of mouth or force of habit, this remote stretch of beach is commonly to be a nude beach. Feel free to visit but be warned, according to FloridaNaturist.org, “inappropriate” dress is a crime in Brevard County due to a swimwear ordinance. As a matter of fact, at the out-of-the-way, but traditionally nude Federal Beach, a South American tourist was arrested for wearing a French-cut bikini. Yet, along the same coastline two hundred miles to the south, Miami-Dade County operates a legal clothing-optional beach, where any given weekend, a thousand or more totally nude men and women frolic in the surf and sun.

So what’s a body to do? While there is no Federal law against nudity it is not a guaranteed right. This means that state, county and local laws can take precedence.

That still begs the question: Is it legal to sunbathe in the nude at Florida beaches? Like many legal questions, the answer is “it depends”, in this case it depends on where you are, so your best bet is to check the local laws and be sure you know what they are, both county and local.

Ok, you’ve decided to go, you’ve decided to get a tan without tan lines here are a few tips, especially if you’ve never been to a nudist beach before, here are some commmon guidelines:

Gawking is impolite. If you want to go to the nudist beach for a thrill, do everyone a favor and buy a magazine instead. Ask for people’s consent before taking their photograph nude, or simply leave your camera at home. If you’re sunbathing nude in a secluded area, leave a bathing suit on a rock to let others know they are approaching an unclothed person. If you’re uncomfortable having your suit out of reach, bring a spare. On a wide open beach, position yourself in the open so you can see people coming and put something on before they get there if you need to. Get dressed before you leave the nudist beach. Be friendly, but respect others’ rights to privacy. Avoid sexual activity. It’s illegal and offensive. Advances of an unwelcome or unwanted nature are not acceptable anywhere, and especially at a nudist beach. Be Prepared. Sometimes, the nudist beach doesn’t have any amenities. Bring water, food, towel, sunscreen and anything else you need. Keep the nudist beach clean. If you carried it in, carry it back out.

So if you’re still in the mood for goin’ nude here are some places around Florida you might ant to check out:

Air Force Beach, Palm Beach County Apollo Beach, Volusia County Haulover Beach Sunny Isles, Miami-Dade County Hobe Sound Jupiter Island, Martin County Blind Creek Beach Hutchinson Island, Martin County South Beach Miami Playalinda Beach, Brevard County St. Lucie Inlet St. Lucie State Reserve, Martin County

Topless Sunbathing on Sydney Beaches

Written on July 9th, 2010 by no shouts

Topless Sunbathing on Sydney Beaches

Best Mediterranean Beaches for Family Fun

Written on May 14th, 2010 by no shouts

If you are planning a family getaway to Europe and you love the beach, perhaps Mediterranean beaches are the best option for you. The Mediterranean Sea divides Europe from Africa and makes the boundary for over a dozen nations such as Greece, Italy, France, and Spain. Countries like Israel, Egypt, Morocco, and Cyprus are pretty popular with the tourists and showcase the Mediterranean’s exotic beaches.

Nature lovers say that the Mediterranean is not just a place but in fact it is a state of mind. The mild climate in the Mediterranean and its hot dry summers makes for perfect beach weather. The deep blue waters are accentuated with the warm hospitality of the Mediterranean people who are well known as being passionate with a real zest for life.

The best time to visit the Mediterranean is between the fall and spring. If you are planning your holidays for August, be sure to make the arrangements way in advance. This is because the coastal towns are often full with vacationing Europeans during this time.

Italy, France and Corsica have some of the most beautiful beaches. Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera and is well-known for its sandy beaches which are animated all year round. You can expect to see people sunbathing and swimming right through the winter months. There are lots of private beach clubs where you can eat or rent a lounger for the day and at either end there are public beaches, and a municipal beach where you can rent deck chair and watch the world go by.

Corsica is an Island and is sophisticated, flashy, and perhaps among the best places in the Mediterranean for water sports. Corsica’s 600 miles coastline comprises a number of secluded coves and deserted shores. St Restitude, located near Calvi north-west, is best for a peaceful hideaway. It has a secluded small beach with clean water, soft sand, and adorable pine woods in plenty. There is also Palombaggia Beach, Golfe di Sogno Beach, and Santa-Giulia Beach near the couth-east Porto-Vecchio, an upmarket resort town situated on a rocky hill. The town is very popular among the tourists for its beaches, cafes, restaurants, yacht marina, lively streets, and a wide range of accommodation. The best beach in this town is Palombaggia Beach, a perfect crescent of white sand that is sandwiched between the blue sea and dune clusters.

One of best beaches in Italy is Terracina, situated at 1.5 hours south-west of Rome towards Naples. The Terracina beach is among the best beaches on Italy’s mainland and is very long, wide with plenty of soft sand to offer its visitors. Cap de Begur, situated nearly 40 mins from Girona offers plentiful Spanish culture both old and new together with a collection of beautiful small beaches such as Aiguablava, the nudist (families beware) L’Illa Roja, and the family-oriented Llanfranc and Platja de Raco.

Cheap flights to Lagos- Lagos has great beaches to satisfy every need

Written on May 2nd, 2010 by no shouts

Book your low cost Lagos Flights  securely online and instantly receive an online quote. Cheap flights to Lagos provides a wide choice of Airlines from budget economy options through to luxury. Cheap flights to Lagos will compare all the top  Consolidators providers to find you the very best deal on your Cheap flights to Lagos  Lagos has great beaches to satisfy every need. There is the Meia Praia Beach which is wide, white and sandy. The calm seas at Meia Praia are ideal for water sports.

Lagos is a port and most populous conurbation in Nigeria.Lagos Beaches . Lagos has great beaches to satisfy every need. There is the Meia Praia Beach which is wide, white and sandy. The calm seas at Meia Praia are ideal for water sports.Meia Praia (Half beach) – With soft and white sand, is one of the biggest bays in Europe and has a calm sea due to its width. Owing to its lack of rocks it is ideal for nautical sports. When the wind is strong, there are many sheltered sand beaches between the cliffs.Praia Solaria (Sunny beach).Praia Solaria is called the sunny beach and this is a great beach on which to work on your tan. The secluded Praia Batata holds summer music festivals, Dona Ana beach gets the most tourists who want to experience its thick sands and Praia da Luz is probably has the best water sports on offer. There is even a students beach – Praia Dos Estudantes.If you are interested in history and artifacts be sure to visit the regional museum which has many archaeological shards of pottery and Neolithic axe heads. The museum has some important belongings of previous Spanish kings such as a charter and a diptych.Praia da Batata (Potato beach) – It’s a small beach tucked between two small cliffs, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is also known by the small music festivals that take place there during Summer.Praia dos Estudantes (Students’ beach).Dona Ana – Probably the beach most frequented by tourists, and for good reason. The sand on Dona Ana is slightly thicker than the beaches in the surrounding area, and the beach itself is bounded by lovely rock formations. Many different shapes come alive when you look at the rock formation, a birthday cake, the titanic, and the sphynx’s to name a few. Dona Ana is essentially split into two beaches with a protruding cliff separating the two sides at high tide.Book your low cost cheap flights to Lagos securely online with cheap flights to Lagos Nigeria..

Ten Off-the-beaten-sand Beaches

Written on April 8th, 2010 by no shouts

Ten Off-The-Beaten-Sand Beaches

1. Konkan coast, Maharashtra, India

Pure white sand, backed by thick, lush forest, characterizes a string of gorgeous beaches running along a 370-km stretch of coast between Vasai and Vengurla. Hedvi, Velneshvar, Takarli, Harihareshwar and Ganpatipule, with its wonderful, red wooden 400-year-old temple, are among the delightful beaches awaiting the traveler ready to go the extra mile to find them. You can get to the coast from Mumbai by train or by air from Goa.

2. Nicoya peninsula, Costa Rica

Reef snorkelling, horseriding, jungle trekking and viewing the forest canopy from a zip-wire, along with the usual beach activities such as surfing, are treats on offer in this fairly remote, far northern region of Costa Rica. The wildlife is extraordinary: half a million turtles lay their eggs on the sand at Ostional beach, every two or three weeks from August to November, and the forests are full of howler monkeys, anteaters, coatis, armadillos and an array of spectacular birds, including the Resplendent Quetzal, with its shimmering green plumage, scarlet belly, white tail feathers and green tail, the rare and rapacious Harpy Eagle and over 50 species of hummingbirds and 75 different flycatchers.

3. Koh Mak, Thailand

Palm trees and the clearest of waters along a stretch of shore 25km long, as well as peace and quiet away from the crowds, are what you can expect on Thailand’s so-called ‘family island’. Set in the Gulf of Thailand, a little less than 50 km from the Cambodian coast, it’s reachable by boat from Trat on the mainland. You can stay here in a bamboo hut, a guesthouse, a thatch and rattan cottage or a good, but budget-priced hotel, and with luck you’ll see no one on the bit of beach you choose.

4. Obzor, Bulgaria

The Black Sea coast of Bulgaria has taken off lately as a destination for beach tourists, and nice and clean the beaches are too. Crowded during high season, however, they may not appeal to those who want something more secluded, who may instead look to Obzor, roughly halfway between Bourgas and Varna, where the E87 highway emerges from forested hills into a brief, open coastal stretch. Despite its convenient location and 6-km-long sandy beach (the largest between Golden Sands and Sunny Beach), this remarkably pleasant spot can be almost yours for the taking, even during peak season.

5. Vik, Iceland

Not a place for sunlovers, the remarkable, 10-km-long, black-sand beach at Vik was named one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth by Islands magazine in 1991. It is no less beautiful now, with its setting on the crisp-coloured south coast of Iceland, its bird visitors from a nearby colony and the Reynisdrangar, black lava columns sculpted by the sea, nicknamed The Three Trolls. The sea off this coast is rather wild and stormy: even in summer, it feels cold, it looks cold, it even sounds cold! But it is a marvel and a place of glorious seclusion.

6. Ile Sainte Marie, Madagascar

Ile Sainte Marie is a granite island 57 km long and lies 8 km off the eastern coast of mainland Madagascar. Frequented by pirates between the 17th and 18th centuries, it is now a tourist destination, with enchanting beaches, bordered by coconut palms and backed by rainforest. A long, white beach at Pointe des Cocotiers features a marvelous tropical garden and a 20-bungalow hotel. On the eastern coast’s peninsula of Amphanihy are more beautiful beaches. Between July and September, the island is a fabulous place for viewing humpback whales, which pass through the channel that separates the island from the mainland between July and September. Go later in the year, October to December, and you can enjoy scuba diving near two wrecks. This tropical paradise has one significant drawback: it rains a lot, even in the ‘dry’ season.

7. Wild Coast, South Africa

Relatively untouched, the Wild Coast of Eastern Cape is a well-named wild and rocky, typically African haven, where waterfalls tumble into the sea along a stretch of nearly 100km. Its beaches, open spaces and pristine forest areas provide an opportunity for the adventure traveller to discover a variety of leisure options, including fishing, abseiling, snorkelling, diving and trekking in the hinterland. Tourist accommodation is sparse but intimate, which helps to guarantee a memorable holiday there.

8. Angra dos Reis, Brazil

Tourism is highly developed here, but then with a mainland coastline and 365 islands to choose from, you are always bound to find a wonderful beach to yourself, with pristine waters perfect for swimming – among rainbow-coloured fish, if you like – or scuba diving. The town is 151 km from Rio de Janeiro, from where you can take a coach day tour. Better still, stay in the town and do your own exploring of the 2000 beaches. If you can’t find one to suit you, you’re not looking.

9. Hilton Dahab Resort Beach, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt

OK, you won’t be the first to discover it, but if you want nothing more than a beautiful beach at a comfortable resort with a quiet, remote, end-of-the-world atmosphere, this beach may be the place for you. The mountains of Arabia face you across the water, and the beach itself offers good opportunities for swimming and snorkelling.

10. Cote de Massa, Morocco

A 90-km strip of golden beaches between Agadir and Tiznit, this coast is still almost untouched, with just one recently opened hotel, sited on the dunes that rise away from the sea. To the far right of the beach at Sidi Moussa d’Aglou, there are three prehistoric fishermen’s cave dwellings, but you need to be pretty hardy to visit them. Beware: strong currents make swimming hazardous. The wetland reserves of Souss-Massa National are within near reach.

Project to give Cozumel Real Estate bigger beaches

Written on February 26th, 2010 by no shouts

A project to re-build several beaches in the Cozumel Real Estate area is scheduled to start in the middle of October.  On the island of Cozumel, which is a TOP Mexico Beachfront destination for real estate,  authorities plan to reconstruct approximately 1.5 km of beaches in different sites on the island, for which the project has allotted 131,000 cubic meters of sand.

Mexican authorities are investing 957 million pesos (70 million dollars) to recover a total of 16.8 miles of beaches in the Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel Real Estate areas.  The goal is to have beaches up to 40 meters wide, for which a total of 6.1 million cubic meters of sand will be needed.

To implement the project, the authorities have selected two sand banks known as “The Ollita” and “North Bank”, which will be dredged and the sand they collect will be deposited on beaches.  Additionally elaborate containment structures will be constructed with concrete to avoid losing the newly recovered sand.

On October 19th the extraction and pumping of sand with a huge dredger will start; the machine is currently located in the Port of Manzanillo on Mexico’s Pacific coast, but must cross the Panama Canal to arrive in Quintana Roo.

According to Chief Engineer of the Beach Restoration Project, Juan Carlos Espinal, the sand to be used on beaches “does not get hot in the sun, has a high density and is compatible with the existing sand.”

The works, which were initially announced in July this year, will begin in late October and will be conducted by the Mexican company Dragados, said a statement from the Trust for the Restoration, Recovery, Support and Maintenance of the Federal Zone Maritime Land state of Quintana Roo.

TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely.

The Fabulous Beaches of Rocky Point, Mexico

Written on February 12th, 2010 by no shouts

It’s all about beaches and ocean in Puerto Peñasco. Sandy beaches, rocky beaches, beaches for swimming, shelling or just bumming around. There is wind surfing, fishing, sailing, or jet skiing, and tide pools to explore when the tide is out. With miles of beaches available stretching from northwest to southeast of the town, whatever you want from a beach you can find here.

Note that in Mexico all beaches are are, by law, open to the public. Along the beaches of Rocky Point there are rarely any lifeguards available, so although the water is generally very safe for swimming, do take reasonable precautions. The best swimming is from May through October, as it is generally too cold for swimming during the winter months. And remember: all vehicles are prohibited on the beaches of Puerto Penasco.

You will find many references to beaches in the region as being “west” or “east” due to the way the land curves away as you head south. For instance, Playa Encanto and Playa La Jolla might be described as “Eastern beaches” while Sandy Beach is a “Western beach”. I find that somewhat confusing, though, so in case it confuses you, too, I will be describing the beaches as going from north to south, as indeed they ultimately do. To the right is a Google-earth satellite view showing the general lay of the land.

I’ll start this description of Rocky Point’s beaches at the northern end with Pelican Beach and head south as far as Playa San Jorge.

Pelican Beach: Beginning north of town are the beaches fronting the Laguna Shores and Laguna del Mar developments, which are located along the curve of Cholla Bay. These 2 masterplanned developments share a pristine estuary teeming with wildlife– bring your binoculars and camera! (Future plans for this area also include the Laguna del Sol and Marina Real communities.) Part of the larger Estero La Cholla (pictured at the top of this post), you are encouraged to help keep this estuary as clean and pristine as it is today. You know: “Take only pictures and leave only footprints”. Pelican Beach (so called because of the number of brown pelicans that hang out in the area) is located near the bottom edge of Laguna del Mar. It is a good place to go clamming or crabbing. This lovely stretch of beach curves to the southwest until it reaches the little jut of land where the La Cholla community is found. From the main highway north out of town, take the clearly marked turn off going to Laguna Shores/Laguna del Mar.

La Cholla (sometimes spelled La Choya): La Cholla is the oldest established foreigner-dominated enclave in the area. Set at the end of a little peninsula that juts like a finger into the Sea of Cortez at the southern end of Cholla Bay and Laguna del Mar, there is not much in the way of sandy beaches here. Probably the best one is called Tucson Beach. Though small, Tucson Beach offers calm water for wading and swimming when the tide is in. It also affords easy launching and retrieval of watercraft if you happen to be living or renting in the area and have a boat.

This peninsula is often called Pelican Point. Its rocky shores are part of a submerged 15-mile reef, and when the tide goes out it goes waaaay out! This is an advantage, however, for anyone who loves to explore tide pools, and due to the prevailing on-shore winds and shallow water it is excellent for kite sailing. This is also a great fishing spot for red snapper, whitefish, halibut, gold spotted bass and black sea bass! Don’t count it out.

Sandy Beach (Playa Arenosa): At the southern edge of the La Cholla peninsula begins the miles-long sweep of Sandy Beach. The construction along its edges (Sandy Beach Resorts) is the first thing you see when approaching town; you can see the highrise condos from 10 to 15 miles out. There are a lot of activities available at this beautiful beach area, including swimming, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, water skiing, parasailing, jet skiing, surfing, fishing, clamming, or just basking in the sunshine. The crescent-shaped beach has miles of largely undisturbed sand dunes flowing inland. At its southern end it merges into Playa Bonita, and the two areas share many attributes.

Playa Bonita/Playa Hermosa: Playa Bonita/Playa Hermosa sweeps from the bottom of Sandy Beach in a great arc southward to the Peñasco del Sol resort area of downtown and is the main beachfront for that area. Technically an extension of Sandy Beach, this beautiful stretch of beach is loved by both locals and visitors, with easy access throughout most of its length. When the tide is very low the seaweed, rocks and tide pools are exposed. This provides a perfect time to explore the pools for the strange and wonderful variety of marine creatures that live there. Kids of all ages love this, but do be careful what you touch.

At the northern end of this beach you will find the well-established Playa Bonita and Laos Mar hotels. Anchoring its southern end, as already mentioned, is the Peñasco del Sol (formerly Plaza Las Glorias). Within walking distance of the Peñasco del Sol are many shops and restaurants, which makes this a very popular location. On a busy day, parking anywhere near it can be challenging. This is also where the rocky area of the beach that circles most of the town begins.

Mirador Beach: Located right around the corner from Old Port’s Malecon, this is the closest beach to the oldest parts of downtown Rocky Point. Comprised of both sandy and rocky shores, it is only about three blocks south of the Peñasco del Sol. Besides having the advantage of an excellent beach and superior tide pooling when the tide is out, this area is home to many of the town’s favorite night spots such as Manny’s, Pink Cadillac, the Pithaya, and Baja Cantina. Mirador is Spring Break country, the center of action for partying for the young crowd every spring. The process of sprucing up the Mirador area is well underway, with upscale mixed use development planned for the area.

Las Conchas: Las Conchas is a 6-mile-long straight stretch of beautiful, pristine beaches with low bluffs and big sand dunes punctuating its length. Located along the northwestern shores of the Morua Estuary, this beach is mostly sandy and shallow; you can walk way out in many places even when the tide is not out. Excellent for shore fishing and shelling (and star gazing at night).

Playa La Jolla: Located at the East Beach development area, about 15 minutes south of town by car and separated from Las Conchas’ beach by the mouth to the Morua Estuary. Playa La Jolla offers a perfect place to take in the sun, go for a walk, collect shells and enjoy the scenery and serenity. While close to town, it is not uncommon to find yourself almost alone on this beautiful beach. The beach here is wide, sandy, and rock free.

Playa Encanto: Ditto Playa La Jolla, which essentially shares the same beach with La Jolla, and you already know what this beach area is all about. Both are excellent for shelling, so bring along a baggie to save your treasure in.

NORTH BEACH: North Beach is a development area that has been very controversial for a decade, and the controversy continues to this day. You can find out more about the real estate debacles there via Google, but for our purposes I will say only that the beaches are outstanding. Playa Dorada and Playa Miramar are two of the beaches/developments in this area.

Playa Dorada: Playa Dorada is almost a 30 minute drive from town. Like most of the beaches in the area it is wide, sandy, and covered in shells– some of them HUGE. If you like deserted beaches and quiet, you can’t go wrong with Playa Dorada.

Playa Miramar: Ditto Playa Miramar, just below Playa Dorada and sharing all of the latter’s attributes.

Mayan Palace: Located in the La Pinta Estuary, at kilometer 24 along the Peñasco â?? Caborca highway (a 30 to 40 minute drive), this massive resort development has about 2 miles of unspoiled beachfront. Located along the La Pinta Estuary, this place is an ecological haven for marine creatures and birds and has excellent shelling. On the southeastern part of the beach, about a mile from the resort, many sea creatures can be found during low tide, along with huge, hand-sized shells. The sand is also great for building sand castles.

Playa San Jorge: Just across the bay from the new Mayan Palace Resort, where the land curves more toward the south, is the San Jorge Estuary, with beaches that rival those of its neighbor. Though there is some development in the area, if you make it all the way down to Playa San Jorge you can be assured of isolation, if that is what you desire. Bring your own shade, water and plenty of sunscreen. And don’t forget your binoculars (for bird and critter watching) and camera. This is what beaches are all about.

And there you have it. Enjoy the fabulous beaches of Rocky Point, Mexico!

10 Best Beaches of France

Written on February 11th, 2010 by no shouts

When I think of France I don’t immediately think of beautiful beaches, I think of Paris. But I stand corrected because southern France has some of the most beautiful beaches on the world. There are actually a variety of beaches to please every kind of taste. France is surrounded by water, the English Channel, Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.

The French Riviera is located on the eastern Mediterranean coast from Cannes to Menton. This is the France holiday you want to take if you are looking for upscale adult vacationing. The Côte d’Azur is the coast to the south and is the ideal spot for “alone time” although it can get a little crowded in some spots. It is also a great spot for surfing. Brittany on the north Atlantic coast and the surrounding area has beaches with family attractions.

Cannes

While the world famous film festival may keep tourists busy, there is no denying the beach here is fun. This is a lighthearted beach town, steeped in the arts and film. Check out the sand castles while you are on the beach. If you hunt for bargains, this can be a reasonable beach vacation.

Beach at Nice

This beach is enormously popular on the French Riviera. The actual beach is comprised of pebbles instead of sand. It is very crowded in the summer.

Menton Beach

Menton is a quaint little beach town and of all the beaches on the French Riviera, Menton’s beaches are the most family friendly. The atmosphere is much more relaxed and it isn’t the wild partying beach town that its neighbors are.

Monaco

The beaches in Monaco are upscale and are adjacent to opulent high-rise hotels and casinos. This is an adult environment and there is plenty of fun to be had sun bathing during the day and gambling at night.

Arcachon Beaches

The small town of Arcachon sits next to the Atlantic Ocean. This beach area is free of crowds except at peak time of summer vacation. If you visit this beach you must walk along the Dune du Pyla, which lies between the ocean and the largest forest in France, Les Landes. This is huge dune elevated and overlooks the Atlantic.

Biarritz Beaches

While the Biarritz beachfront was once wildly popular, in the last forty or fifty years tourists have migrated to the French Riviera to empty their wallets. While these may not the most ideal beaches, they are less crowded, have less traffic, and have less expensive accommodations. Beaches are free to visit.

Garoupe Beach – Cap d’Antibes

This is a very exclusive beach that is split off into sections some of which are free to the public. This beach faces the east so when you are on the beach the sun is not in your face. It is also sheltered from the wind and this makes it pleasant.

St. Jean de Luz St.

Jean de Luz beach is located just south of Biarritz in the town of St. Jean de Luz. This is a clean well-kept beach with a nice sea wall separating the beach from the town. The architecture of the town has been carefully preserved and the old 17th and 18th century structures are just gorgeous. This is a quiet and peaceful beach experience.

Cap d’Agde

Located next to Montpellier, Cap d’Agde is famous for their nude beaches. But apparently the tendency to divest one’s clothes may extend to the entire city. Maybe we should leave the kiddies at home.

La Rochelle

This is a quaint port town located on the Atlantic coast. The beach has shallow waters and is great for families with young children.

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