Best Beaches

I've been to beaches my whole life from Daytona to Jacksonville, FL through family and individual vacations. Here are some of the best beaches:

The best beach for shelling is Sanibel Island in Fort Myers, Florida. With more than 400 varieties of shells the island is so popular with shell seekers that it holds an annual three-day Sanibel Shell Fair and Show in the spring and has a name for the shell seeker's posture: "The Sanibel Stoop." For more information call 800-237-6444 or go to FortMyers-Sanibel.com.

In Boston the best overall beach is Crane Beach at Argilla Road in Ipswich. Admission is half-price when entering after 3 p.m. Nestled in the northern suburb of Ipswich, the beach is definitely one of the most magnificent beaches in the area. For information call 978-356-4354.

Texas is known for many things but beaches are often overlooked. At Mustang Island/Port Aransas you'll see a quaint, central coast beach located at the northern end of Padre Island. Port Aransas is the perfect getaway and destination.

A lively resort town can be found at Rehoboth Beach, DE which boasts wide, clean beaches and a traditional wooden boardwalk with plenty of amusements for young and old.

With over 70 miles of sandy coastline and blessed with warm, clear waters that range from tranquil snorkeling coves and ecological preserves to some of the best surf spots in the world, San Diego beaches epitomize the Southern California beach culture. In addition to oceanfront beaches San Diego is also home to Mission Bay, a massive inland bay and prime water wonderland for water skiing and windsurfing.

Hilton Head is a sea island off the South Carolina coast, around two hours each from Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC. Something a bit different from Florida Hilton is a very ecology conscious, high quality holiday development in the atmospheric Deep South. There are a variety of high quality residential and hotel developments. The beach is a long, wide strip of soft, white sand ideal for walking, playing, relaxing, cycling, and patrolled by lifeguards. Fly either to Hilton Head direct or to Savannah and change or drive to the dripping moss covered roads to Hilton Head.

The beaches of the Virgin Islands are always mentioned among the best beaches in the Caribbean and no matter which hotel or resort you select you'll never be far from the fun on the beach. On St. Thomas you have more than 40 beaches to choose from. Over on St. John - Trunk Bay Beach is a must-see for anyone but can be crowded so you may want to discover other beaches such as Cinnamon Bay Beach, Great Maho Bay Beach, Drunk Bay Beach, Hawksnest Bay Beach, or Salt Pond Beach. St. Croix has one of the longest beaches in the Caribbean at Sandy Beach - which is also a nesting area for sea turtles - so it's only open on weekends and closed during hatching season for the Leatherback Turtles.

The Bahamas have more than their share of great beaches. In Abaco Guana Beach is considered by some guidebooks to be one of the Bahamas' best. Treasure Cay Beach boasts the endorsement of National Geographic Magazine as a superb beach - one of the best in the world. Cat Island's North Shore Beach is five miles of pink sandy beach with few visitors which makes this beach an ideal one for the independent traveler who just wants to relax in peace and harmony with the sea.