What was the best beach you have been to? Mine was on the Bahamas. I jumped in the beautiful aqua

[debm55]

colored water. I forgot to close my eyes and mouth. I got a mouth full of salt water. It can be fresh water or salt water.

[Lifeafter70]

1. Bora Bora

We went to Tahiti in 2006. Visited three islands, beautiful beaches.

[debm55]

8. Oh wow, that sounds wonderful!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. Hanauma Bay, Oahu

SCUBA diving there when I was 14, two different times.

Okay so it wasn't so much 'the beach' as it was ... the Bay and it's denizens

[debm55]

9. How beautiful! Love the colors of the water in the bay.

[Chainfire]

3. St. George Island in Florida.

[debm55]

10. Is that by the Keys?

[Chainfire]

22. No, it is up in the big bend area. An Island about five miles off the coast (bridge)

With the finest white beaches you could ever ask for. It also has a really nice state park to give visitors a place to shelter and shower.

I went there often when I was younger. I like everything about the beach except for the sun, the sand and the salt water.

[debm55]

23. Thanks Chainfire.

[Lifeafter70]

17. Visted there when we lived in Ga

Indeed it is beautiful. The most unique island we vacationed at in the south was Jeckyll Island in Ga. Went there several times. We called it our dogs vacation because they were very dog friendly. So was St George.

[yellowdogintexas]

4. East Beach on Cozumel. Not a diving or snorkeling beach

just regular sandy beach with nice waves. Just a few beach bars here and there, otherwise undeveloped.

I have not been to very many beaches, but this one was so nice

[debm55]

11. I like the natural beaches. Sounds great.

[brewens]

5. Beaches on the Snake River in Idaho. I've never gone to the ocean for beaches. It has really

nice white sand beaches and pretty good fishing. I've mostly been 50 miles or so downstream from Hell's Canyon.

[debm55]

12. Sounds terrific.

[brewens]

18. We're lucky we are downstream from a wilderness area. The Snake winds through quite a bit of

farming and ranching country before Hell's Canyon. It's about an hour drive from my house to the end of the road upriver. We launch our catarafts there fish for small mouthed bass mostly in the summer. At least the water we are in has gone through that wilderness area for quite a distance to clean it up.

We then have a long stretch to float and fish where there isn't much development, so it's almost like being upriver in the wilderness area.

[debm55]

55. That sounds very nice--being in a wilderness area and away from the developments.

[applegrove]

6. Playa El Agua on Margarita Island in Venezuela. We were delivered to

a specific restaurant on the beach by our taxi driver. We sat on the beach all day. I noticed people doing the opposite of body surfing and jumping into the waves head on. I tried that and it is fun ... like a summer sault but not quite. Not a lot of ocean toys so it looked natural. At the end of the day we had a 1.5 inch thick steak for dinner. Our driver waited for us the whole day. It was glorious. We drove back and our driver stopped to buy beer for him and us. We had had a few so we didn't complain. Probably not the smartest thing my friend and I did.

[debm55]

13. Sounds like a terrific vacation.

[wryter2000]

7. Galapagos

On a small island. It was a tiny, white sand beach. A zodiac took the old folks from our tour ship (only about fifty passengers total, btw) to the island. Just four of us plus a naturalist (required by law). We shared it with a mama sea lion and her pup, who checked us all out as we swam and crept up and poked one of us on the arm. A pelican came by, as did a penguin. The water was crystal clear and warm. Fish swam between our legs.

The truly cool thing was we were the only people on the entire island for the time we were there. The island was untouched. We could have been the only people on the planet.

The younger, more agile folks were off on a hike somewhere, but I was glad I got to go to the island, instead.

[debm55]

14. Wow, would love to go there. It sounds so special and the animals.

[wryter2000]

35. It's amazing

There are people on some of the islands, but most have never been inhabited. It's a national park now, and Ecuador has wisely decided to keep it exactly like it is. There's a requirement that you only go onto an island with a naturalist. There are animals everywhere, and for the most part they're not afraid of humans. There are strict rules that you have to stay 12 feet away from them, but if they come to you, that's another thing. You can't take anything, not even sand, and you can't leave anything, either.

We took a National Geographic cruise, which was really expensive but worth it. It's the trip of a lifetime.

[Trailrider1951]

15. Sand Key, Florida, back in the early 1970's

before the developers found it. Miles of untouched beach with natural vegetation. Today it looks like this:

[debm55]

28. Went to Miami in 1979. Hotels built right on beach. We didn't like it and went to Orlando instead.

I agree over built but the water looks beautiful.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

16. Easy, Torremolinos. On the Med in Spain.

[debm55]

26. Wow the sand and water are beautiful.Very large sandy beaches.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

40. Wonderful place.

Go if you can.

[Diamond_Dog]

19. St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands

Aqua blue water and misty purple mountains.

Unfortunately on that trip our hotel room was broken into and burglarized and I got a case of sun poisoning ….

[debm55]

24. So sorry, Diamond, it sounds beautiful.

[WestMichRad]

20. Lake Superior

North end of Grand Island, near Munising MI. Nice sandy beach in a sheltered cove. On a calm day, the water temperature is quite inviting, not frigid like the waters of that lake generally are. So secluded, you have the world all to yourself!

[debm55]

25. WestMichRad. Wow, that sounds great. Since my SO is from Boston we went to the beaches---cold water.

I didn't swim in it, just sat on the beach.

[WestMichRad]

58. Lake Superior has fabulous coastline

Mostly rocky, but some sandy beach. Michigan has a lot of public-accessible coastline, especially in da Yoop. Great places for walks and hikes!

[debm55]

59. I love to walk along the coastline, Thank you, Michigan isn't too far from us-western PA

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Pennekamp In Key Largo

Learned to scuba dive there. Snorkled, too.
Crystal clear water 20 feet down. Awesome flora & fauna. White sand beaches, unlike the lower Keys (aside from Bahia Honda).
Been a few times. We honeymooned in Islamorada, just down the road.
I've been nowhere else that came close.

[debm55]

27. Would love to go there. I am going to write the name down.

Last edited Sat Jun 17, 2023, 09:31 PM - Edit history (1)

[ProfessorGAC]

29. The Full Name Is...

...John Pennekamp Memorial Coral Reef Park. Lots of good restaurants around there, too.

[debm55]

32. Thank you

[Diamond_Dog]

34. We took our 3 kids to Pennekamp back in the 90s

All 5 of us snorkeled there. It was beautiful. My youngest son was only 5. He learned fast!
I wonder if the corals and the fish are still the same.

[debm55]

56. I tried to snorkel in the Bahamas. Wasn't successful. but I did swim with the dolphins.

[bahboo]

30. Eagle Beach in Aruba....

warm clear water. Perfect white sand....palapa bar....aahhhhh.....

[debm55]

46. Love white sand. Thank you

[Deuxcents]

31. Maui, Hawaii. Followed some locals and was just jaw dropped

At the beauty of that special place without the tourists.

[debm55]

47. Avoiding tourist traps are the best.

[snowybirdie]

33. In Ocho Rios

Snuck onto a private estate beach (young and foolish) Two waterfallls falling onto a white sand beach. It was used in the filming of Dr. No, one of the original Bond movies. Just us, young and in love! that was 52 years ago! Would go back.

[debm55]

48. The waterfalls and the white sand beaches sound wounderful. thank you.

[DFW]

36. Although I love Hawaii

For me it’s an even tie between the tiny beach at Vista do Mar on Mahé, Seychelles, and Long Nook beach at Truro, Cape Cod.

[debm55]

49. I have been to Truro at Cape Cod. Loved it.

[GreenWave]

37. Chichiriviche, Falcon Venezuela

[GreenWave]

38. And in second place: Pink Beach!

Sucre, Venezuela

[debm55]

50. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

[debm55]

51. Absolutely beautiful.

[GoodRaisin]

39. Coastal highway A1A, back in 70s. I'm sure it's different now.

There were miles and miles of unoccupied beach along the highway back then. I was stationed at Naval Air station in Jacksonville for about 7 months. I purchased a used Kawasaki motorcycle for about $800 and would ride it between Jax Beach, through Ponte Vedra and on to Daytona Beach with other friends who had bikes. There were lots of places along the highway that butted right up to the sandy beach and we’d just stop and go swimming in the ocean on our way to and from Daytona Beach. I have great memories of that summer and that stretch of beach was fantastic.

[debm55]

57. We took A1A --beautiful beaches. That was in the 1979. It was so beautiful back then. I would

imagine they over built the heck out of it.

[Archae]

41. Muir Beach, San Francisco.

First time I had ever seen or touched the ocean!

&ab_channel=RossSauer

[debm55]

52. It is a great experience when you are from the inland to visit the ocean. the salt on your lips, the

sea breeze, the waves.

[sinkingfeeling]

42. Rottnest Island, Australia. Beautiful water.

[debm55]

53. I have heard that Australia has some beautiful beaches.

[wnylib]

43. I grew up with good beaches.

Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie at Erie, Pa has 13 beaches on a natural peninsula that extends into the lake, forming a natural harbor and bay. The beaches are on the lake side of the peninsula.

The peninsula suffers from storm erosion each year after winter, so in the spring, the state assesses and repairs erosion damage. The Boy Scouts do an annual cleanup in the spring to clear away debris (fallen tree limbs and dead fish washed up on the shore).

There are life guards at each beach. Some beaches have concession stands. There are picnic areas near the beaches with tables and grills. One has roofed pavilions. There is a bay side marina for renting boats or for docking your own boat. There are also nature hiking paths.

I was spoiled by growing up there. Lake Erie can be calm as glass, with waves gently lapping on the sand. It can have a bit larger waves that break at the shore. Or, it can have huge waves that crash one after the other. When that happens (due to storms), the beaches are closed and off limits. And, no sharks to worry about in fresh water.

The bottom of the lake shifts due to winter storms so each year, before the park is open to swimmers, every public beach is checked for drop offs and undercurrents and safe swimming areas are marked with buoys.

PHOTOS:

https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/presque-isle-state-park

https://uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-presque-isle-state-park-erie-pa

[debm55]

44. Pittsburgher here. I have been to Presque Isle State Park

Used to go bass fishing there

[wnylib]

45. A lot of Pittsburghers drop in at Presque Isle.

My former husband's father's family was from the Sharpsville area. They used to spend a week in Erie every summer in order to go swimming and boating at Presque Isle.

It's not as glamorous or well known as places in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, but the variety of outdoor activities and nature features make it a winner with me. Of course, I have a home town bias.

[debm55]

54. The first time I saw the ocean was up in MA near my in-laws home in Quincy. It was in December. We

had just gotten engaged in November and I was to meet all his relatives. We drove down to the beach hear his home. The beach had a light cover of snow. I have pictures of us in our down jackets and boots. We walked to the jetty and saw all these small starfish attached to the rocks. I'll never forget it. Of course we didn't swim. But the waves, and mist and taste of salt on my lips left an impression.The name of the beach was Wollaston Beach. We later stopped at a dinner and got "real" clam strips (as my husband calls them.)