When You Get The Chance To See The Ocean

I’m heading back to Mexico soon. I know how fortunate I am to be able to travel to different, often exotic locations on a regular basis. One of my absolute favorite things to do when I travel is, you guessed it, find the close beaches. Having traveled to very different areas of Mexico that face different bodies of water has been a spectacular way to enjoy different beaches. The majority of my travel to the Caribbean has been via cruise ships, which gives me a great opportunity to enjoy a beach for a day, but not the ability to lounge for the entire week. 

No matter how much time you have—anywhere from two hours to two weeks—I’ve got some awesome locations for you to consider as you plan your next beach trip!

To restate from my previous blog on close US beaches: There is no beach on earth without some redeeming quality that stands ready to provide you with a few hours of peace and calm as you stare into the surf listening to the birds and the waves as they hit the shore. 

Let’s get right to it and talk about beaches off the Pacific, Atlantic, and even the Gulf of Mexico!

Some Of The Best Areas In Mexico

This was a tough section for us, and Sweet Husband had a few comments about the close beaches I’ve included on this list. While there are plenty of Mexican beaches worth your visit, I chose to focus on some of the smaller, lesser known spots. We absolutely love Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta for a fantastic beach day, and they only got “cut” from this list because of the familiarity people have with those locations. Let’s chat about three of my favorites, two of which might just give you a new location to try:

Cancun, MX

This is the uber-popular and well-known big sister of this group. Most people have at least a passing knowledge of Cancun, and for all the right reasons! We have loved spending weeks in Cancun, enjoying the waves of the beautiful, blue water. Jet skiing is a favorite thing to do from this location and jumping over the incoming waves provides us with some of our favorite memories. Cancun made this exclusive list for one very important reason: It is famous because the majority of properties in the tourist corridor are all-inclusives. We absolutely love the all-inclusive model (similar to cruises), because we like to pay one price in advance and simply enjoy everything on property. Consider one of these spectacular, beachfront all-inclusives next time. 

Costa Maya, MX

A much smaller, and newer-to-the-vacation-scene location is Costa Maya. With a small Malecon and minimal tourist area, this location is perfect for a very quiet and relaxing vacation. The water is very calm and warm—lounging in a beach chair with my legs in the water was a wonderful way to spend a day. With extremely reasonable prices on both food and drinks, you can enjoy this location with minimal cash outlay. Plus, all of the bars and restaurants are right on the beach, so you don’t have to move from your spot under a lovely palapa to enjoy your lunch. Actually, they delivered a cold beverage to me right in the water…on my beach chair…with my bottom half in the water. Pure heaven.  

Puerto Penasco, MX

Rocky Point, Mexico has been a favorite of snowbirds and residents of Arizona and Nevada for many years. The only location on today’s list of close beaches that I can actually drive to, Puerto Penasco is about five hours due south of Las Vegas, and is worth every minute of the drive. While the main tourist corridor can become quite crowded with resorts being very close to each other right at beachfront, we rented a lovely condo slightly off the beaten tourist path but still beachfront. Spending a week at this beautiful location gave us opportunities to enjoy the fantastic low tide that made it possible to lounge right in the water and enjoy a calm surface, while still enjoying the waves present at high tide. Nearby bars and restaurants allowed for a very relaxing daytime and excitement at night. 

Some Of The Best Close Beaches I’ve Seen In The Caribbean

The majority of our beach time in the Caribbean has been excursions from cruise ships, so we had one day at a time in most of these locations. Those cruise trips have given us a very clear picture of what islands we would return to for a week-long vacation, and which islands don’t have enough of a draw for us to devote a full vacation to. I can so unequivocally that ALL of the countries/territories on this list are well-worth your time, and would be spectacular for anything from a day to a lifetime. 

Grand Cayman

The most famous beach on this fabulous (and tax-friendly!!!) island is Seven Mile Beach, so named for not only its length, but with the prevailing laws in Grand Cayman, the unobstructed use of this gorgeous area. With multiple resorts right at beachfront, you can easily spend a week in this location, having food and drinks delivered right to you in your beach chair. While you are here, don’t miss a visit to Sting Ray City. This famous sandbar off the coast of Grand Cayman is home to hundreds of rays that are more than willing to eat from your hand while you stand in three feet of water. Definitely a once in a lifetime, not to be missed attraction.  

Turks and Caicos

Perhaps the least disturbed and most natural of the beaches on this short list, a visit to Grand Turk will be both beautiful and quite relaxing for you. Another island with all beaches free to the public, it is easy to find a calm and quiet spot to lay down and enjoy a relaxing day. While not particularly known for spectacular snorkeling, a visit to Governor’s or Cockburn Town Beach will allow you to snorkel right off the shore in calm, clear water. Visit Boaby Rock Point for the best snorkeling the island has to offer.

St. Thomas, USVI

Saint Thomas has a fantastic distinction in our family. That day when Sweet Husband and Sweet Stevie rode a wave to shore accompanied by a huge sea turtle will forever be engraved in our memories. The clear, beautiful water was so translucent we were able to watch the entire event occur from our spot closer to shore. Having visited top close beaches including Magens Bay, Sapphire Beach and Coki Point Beach, I can attest to the fact that there is no bad choice on this wonderful island. The key point on Saint Thomas for us was the availability of restrooms and food at the beach—be sure to do your research on those items before heading out for the day.  

St. Lucia

Having spent a week in a beachfront all-inclusive years ago, I can easily say that St. Lucia holds a very special place in my heart. The calm, beautiful azure ocean contrasts beautifully with the white, gold and even black sand beaches that dot the shoreline of this island. Having visited Marigot Bay and La Toc Beach, there is absolutely no bad choice here. Unspoiled and mostly deserted, these beaches will be fantastic for you to unwind and relax while listening to those dulcet beach sounds. Visit Sugar Beach for some swimming and snorkeling in the beautiful Caribbean Sea. 

Private Islands, the Bahamas

I’ve saved this for last, because it is strictly a cruise ship stop. The larger cruise ship companies maintain their own private islands for use strictly for their cruise ship passengers. While you can’t go to one of these private islands on your own for a vacation, they are so incredible that I strongly encourage you to book a cruise that specifically visits the private islands. These private islands usually have man made beaches designed to accommodate the over 2000 people on the ship, but you can walk just a little ways and feel like you are truly alone.

In addition, the ship will transfer all services—including food and beverages—to the island itself, making this day not only enjoyable, but quite economical. You won’t get good snorkeling, due to the dredging the cruise ship company did to make the dock, but otherwise these are some of my favorite days (Staring directly in your eyes, Disney’s Castaway Cay!). 

Everywhere Else  

This was a tough list to come up with, and I strongly encourage you to comment below with the best international beaches you have seen. Feel free to comment on the ones I’ve mentioned here, and let me know which ones I missed! Everywhere I highlighted above has multiple beach locations within their maps, and I hope you will help me find somewhere to go on my next vacation!

Packing Minimally

Don’t forget – you’re flying to any of these locations, so packing will be significantly more minimalist. Whereas my CRV is packed when we drive to California, I can’t fit everything into my suitcases. Here is exactly what I do to ensure we have everything we need for a great beach vacation:

• Pack sunscreen and aloe – these are notoriously expensive in beach towns. They are worth the suitcase space
• Pack a few throwaway beach towels – then, throw them away at the end of the vacation! More room for souvenirs
• Pack a collapsible cooler – I need my cold soda on the beach, you know.
• Pack your beach bag – or use it as your carryon. You’ll be very happy you have something to carry your book, phone and keys in at the beach 

Just Pack And Go 

Most importantly, just get out there! This world is quite large, and there are just so many different beaches to enjoy. Don’t let another week off go by without spreading your wings and trying something new.

Then, remember to let me know where you went, and how awesome it was.

As for me…I’ll be lounging in the water with that cool beverage in my hand.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR!!!

Thank you for reading all about beaches close!

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