What makes a great beach? I think we can all agree a great beach has soft sand, crystal-clear water, a variety of interesting seashells, good waves for boogie boarding or maybe surfing, a nice sand bar, or just a good beach bar. But, everyone has something they like in a favorite beach. One of the perks about working in the travel industry is we get to travel so here are some of our employees favorite beaches in Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Are White Sands Calling You?
Our favorite Hawaii Beaches
Big Beach on Maui – Is natural and authentic. Big Beach is great for boogie boarding, long walks and whale watching. It’s a huge beach, with no crowds, fun waves, and has clean,clear water. – Terry, Jason, Wendy, and Kathy
Ke’e Beach on Kauai – It is literally at the end of the road on the north shore – incredible sunsets, super tropical with mountains and natural vegetation and no development along this beach.
- Brian
Red Sand Beach in Hana (Kaihalulu Beach) on Maui – It is beautiful! The sand is red and black. It is remote and hard to get to, which makes it really nice.
Maluaka Beach on West Maui – It is wide, and has a big sandy beach. There are tons of turtles and good snorkeling too.
Hamoa Beach on East Maui – White soft sand and lots of waves, good for bodysurfing.
- Jeannie
Poipu Beach on Kauai – It’s great for families and small kids. With its gentle surf, soft sand, protected swimming area, frequent monk seal visits, and great snorkeling, Poipu is a fun and unique experience.
- Brian and Jeannie
Our favorite Mexico Beaches
Nikki Beach in Cabo Laid back and trendy, I love the party on Nikki beach! – Shanna
Los Muertos Beach in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta – It is such a great beach because of all the activities, people watching, beachfront restaurants and bars. Plus, you can walk for miles to the north along the Malecon for even more people watching. – Lori
El Palmar in Ixtapa – It’s so huge, uncrowded and clean.
The Bahia de Banderas Beach in Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit – It’s a wide sandy beach that stretches for miles, gentle rolling surf great for swimming, boogie boarding, and families. – Wendy
Maroma Beach in Riviera Maya – It has been ranked among the Top 10 Beaches in the World. I have never seen such a white beach in all my life. The sand is so very soft, like a super soft carpet. – David
Our favorite Caribbean Beaches
Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana – Endless white sand that stretches for 20 plus miles and is dotted by palm trees. It is the most beautiful beach I have ever been on. You can walk for miles and hardly see any sign of civilization. – Lori
7-mile Beach in Negril – Walking this beach is one of the best things to do in a beach location. Soft white sand and an ‘endless’ beach as far as the eye can see. The laid-back vibe, beer stands selling $1 Red Stripes at happy hour, and small hotels is super charming. – Lori, Brian and Alicia
Orient Beach St. Maarten – Visited this beach on my honeymoon and was so much fun. Great waves to play in and there is plenty of room to layout. You can walk up and down the beach to find many beach bars and different water sports. If looking for water sports price quote a couple different stands, they will most likely match their neighbors prices.
Sean, Delta Vacations
What’s your favorite beach? Let us know by replying to this post.
December 4th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Maho Beach, St. Martin, Dutch Antilles.
December 5th, 2009 at 2:00 am
My favorite beaches are Sunset Beach/Maho Beach in St. Maarten. Where else can you have a 747 fly 100′ over your head while enjoying the beach, water, and beer?
Additionally, I like Holland State Park in Holland, MI. Fresh water (no salt) and soft (not coral) sand that squeaks beneath your feet when you step!
December 5th, 2009 at 5:53 am
Any beach on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. No hotels, bars, or beach vendors in sight on any of them. Even during high season, you could easily be the only people on the beach.
Oh, oh…..I think just gave away my secret destination, at least I’m not going to talk about the beautiful Corn Islands which will be my “new” Vieques, if Vieques ever gets successfully “discovered”!
December 6th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Where to begin…?
Hawaii- I’ve only been to Oahu, but there were a number of beaches that could take the title of my top beach from this island alone. There’s more to Oahu than Waikiki.
-Waiamea Bay- Crystal clear blue water, a big wide beach & incredible snorkeling opportunities.
-Hanamea Bay- Amazing beach wrapped with cliffs, with a coral reef just off the sand. As picturesque as it gets.
Caribbean-
-Maho Beach (St. Maarten)- Not very big, but the water’s incredible, it features one of the world’s coolest beachside hangouts (Sunset Beach Bar) & there’s nothing like having 757s & 747s flying no more than 50 feet over your head. Great place to catch a sunset if you’re into that, as the beach faces West. SXM has plenty of great beaches, but Maho’s my favorite.
-Isla Verde Beach (Puerto Rico)- Lined by high-rises, but still with a beach feel, Isla Verde’s still a great spot to spend a day if you’re a beach fan.
-There’s a beach on Anguilla which was great, but I can’t remember its name. It was located right next to the dolphin experience there.
USA-
-Daytona Beach- I’ve always had a soft spot for Daytona & always will. There’s something fun about being able to drive on the beach & use your tailgate as an overhang (and most importantly, shelter from the sun in the summer) when kicking back on the beach. If nothing else, you don’t have to park, lug your stuff down to the beach & have to scramble for cover when it rains. Want to find a new spot? Load up the car & drive down the beach. (And Delta’s one of the only airlines that flies there…keep it up!)
December 13th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hawaii –
Kailua beach. I still remember the first time walking up to those beautiful turquoise waters on O’ahu…beware though, most of the year there are Portuguese Man of War out there.
And two more favorite beaches (although not Hawai’i, Caribean or Mexico) -
Manly Beach in Sydney. Didn’t go in the water, but the ferry ride and the setting was lovely.
Praia Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro – Very interesting atmosphere lying there, and the best part: you’re in Rio!
December 17th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Thank you all for sharing your favorite beaches! Sounds like I need to add a few more to my must see list.