I have met people who don’t like the “sand” of a beach, but never dislike a beach. It is a pleasant area that brings back good memories and some bad, where you can lay back and possibly take a nap, swim usually in blue waters and feel a zephyr across your face. I like the quote about leaving your foot prints in the sand. My first recollection of being at the beach is with my dad and brother in the late 1950’s in Boca Raton, FL. At the age of four, I remember getting upset with my dad at the beach for some reason and decided to “walk home” by myself. It was a mile journey over a bridge. My dad was quite frantic and happy that I made it home to mom. Ever since then, I have this gift of knowing where I am and how to get there. My wife, Kathie, has none of that “sense.” Consequently we make the perfect pair. There are plenty of beaches but some more remarkable than others due to geographical features. My wife and I have had the opportunity to visit many nice beaches in our sojourns. Listed below is our “Baker’s Dozen” of our favorite beaches over the many years of travel. We know there are a lot more out there.
- Grace Bay in Providenciales, “Provo,” in Turks and Caicos. We walked and swam here on Easter Sunday, 2007, and there was literally no one around. What a gorgeous bay area with white sand and turquoise water.
2.Kaanapali Beach, Maui, near the famous Black Rock and Sheraton Resort. Snorkeling is close by and the water blue. At night the Sheraton puts on a show at the famous “Black Rock” with divers jumping off.
3. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Island. White sand, blue water you can’t beat it. You can nearly walk all seven miles and take a taxi bus back. The Grand Cayman’s are most famous for “Stingray City,” were you can pet wild but tamed Stingrays.
4. Farlasarna, Crete, a remote place but unsurpassed beauty. The clarity of water was nearly hundred feet. The water, though, is extremely cold.
5. Bondi Beach, Australia. What a great bay area with people surfing and learning how to surf. It was well worth a visit.
6. Destin area, Florida Panhandle. That white sand is so unbelievably fine. The water is blue and it feels like a bathtub. There is a good reason why so many people visit this area.
7. Hapuna Beach, Big Island of Hawaii. A nice wide beach and usually there is some wave action. My waterproof Canon camera became waterlogged trying to boogie board a wave. Even though Hapuna is away from civilization, a lot of people visit this beach.
8. Paradise Beach and Super Paradise, Mykonos, Greece. Lots of people watching here and scantly clothed. My wife prefers Super Paradise!
9. Waikiki Beach, Oahu Hawaii. What a fun place to roam around and people watch. Diamond Head is in the distance and the water is blue. I prefer Waikiki over Miami Beach.
10. Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon. The rock is massive and the beach is wide. The waters, though, are a bit too cold for me. There is great beauty up and down that Oregon coast.
11. Porto Katsiki Beach on the Greek Island of Lefkada. Most people take a boat from Vassiliki, famous for windsurfers. The waters at Katski is vivid blue and refreshing.
12. Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, over the hill from Quepos, Costa Rica. Love the wide beach and plenty of wave action. You may even get to see monkeys and sloths in the trees. The water is dark though, mysterious as the area.
13. Tofino’s Beach, Canada. Majestic, at times wild, this is a phenomenal area to view the rugged Pacific Northwest. People come just to view the storms. We have visited several times seeing eagles, whales and bears nearby.
Not making the list, but should: Bathtub Reef Beach, Hutchinson Island. A hometown beach filled with many happy memories. I have to confess that as a child I carved my name on exposed reef which is totally illegal today. Kathie and I have enjoyed many nice walks down to the inlet. I remember Rand’s Pier now gone and the area visited by nudists. Most of the area is now the exclusive Sailfish Point development. Not all changes are good.
