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A beautiful, almost tropical, beach in Sydney. Seems to be missed by most visitors, who stop when they get to Manly, but well worth the short walk.
Go to Manly on the ferry. Walk through to the beach and then turn right and walk along the seafront. You will end up at Shelly beach.
The one thing that has succeeded in halting the sprawl of LA: the Pacific Ocean. The beaches in LA - or more correctly in the Westside cities - offer an uninterrupted 7-mile stretch packed with all the cliches: rolling surf, golden sand, guaranteed sunshine (avoid June and July). Take the cycle path from Venice broadwalk, with its body builders and hawkers, to the fringes of Malibu and you'll believe you are Harry O.
This is quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth, nothing but golden sandy beaches, turquoise seas and flora and fauna to walk through. Sunsets, estuaries that will chase you across a flood plain.
You can choose to walk inland or by the beaches spending as much or as little time as you like there. Arrive by kayak or walk in, leave by water taxi admiring the splendor you have just tramped through. If you have not been there then go. Now.
www.doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProfile.aspx?id=38455
This is the Government website which is a little light on details but has the necessary details. It is on the South Island at the north tip near the ferry crossing.
Iona is special. An ancient island of Celtic Christendom, it houses an ancient and still very active abbey, chock full of Celtic and Viking remains. In the graveyard outside Scotland's ancient kings, including Macbeth, rub their bones. The late Labour leader John Smith is also buried there in a simple grave. After you've done the history, check out the beaches, which have pure white sand as fine as icing sugar. Better than the Caribbean.
Take the regular Calmac ferry across from Fionnphort on the west coast of Mull. Website: www.isle-of-iona.com
Cobbled streets, tiny whitewashed cottages tumbling down to a massive expanse of beach, seagulls wheeling - Robin Hood's Bay is a haven of peace. Walk along the cliffs towards Ravenscar, shimmering in the distance, the moors rising above the headland, cloaked in heather. Stroll back along the sands, where there are rock pools and fossils - a happy hunting ground for grown ups and kids.
The light is pearlescent - and the fish & chips at The Bay Hotel very good indeed.
Half a mile of golden sand, and stretching a good distance back to the cliff slopes. Ideal for an afternoon in the sun, swimming and with a wonderful surf - it's one of the UK Surfing Championship locations. In the cooler months it's perfect for walking, jogging and sport; you'll even catch the Toon training there on occasions.
Tynemouth is an old village bursting with charm and history. Located at the mouth of the River Tyne, (surprisingly!), ten miles east of Newcastle it is easily accesible by the local Metro service or car.
Stunning golden sand gently shelving - safe for kids.
West Wales Pembrokeshire.
On the far side of Hong Kong island (away from Victoria Harbour) is a great beach for swimming and sunbathing, with golden sand and some good places to eat. Go during the week and it is virtually empty, but go early at the weekend as it gets crowded later on.
There is a bus from the Star Ferry at Central, or a taxi is reasonable if shared by three people. The beach is on the south-western corner of Hong Kong island and the bus terminates alongside the changing rooms
In the late 17th century, when the Portuguese Bandeirantes (literally standard bearers or pioneers) discovered gold and precious stones in Minas Gerais, a safe deep water port was required to ship these riches back to Europe. The calm, sheltered waters of the Baía da Ilha Grande, accessed by the precarious Indian trails that traversed the Serra da Bocaina, were ideally suited for this purpose. Thus, in about 1670, the settlement of Paraty was founded and within 20 years was one of the most prosperous ports in the Iberian Colonies.
Unfortunately for the good burghers of Paraty, but happily for the modern traveller, by 1720 a much shorter trail had been blazed from the prospecting towns of Minas to Rio de Janeiro. Despite a brief disturbance during the coffee and sugar booms of the 19th Century, this historical accident, and the fact that Paraty only became accessible by motor vehicle in the 1950s, left the region in its own development-free time bubble.
Today Paraty is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its former wealth is reflected in some of the most beautiful and assiduously preserved colonial architecture in the whole of Brazil. The Centro Histórico is a masterpiece, with its baroque churches, roughly cobbled streets that flood with the rising tide and graceful merchants’ mansions. Set all this man-made elegance in a heart-stopping setting of rainforest-clad escarpments, the dramatic Costa Verde coastline, dozens of near deserted beaches and the tropical islands of the Baía and you have a combination of sophistication and natural exuberance that is hard to beat anywhere in Brazil.
It has to be said that, as a popular weekend retreat for the well-heeled of São Paulo and Rio, Paraty is not cheap by Brazilian standards but if anywhere around Rio is worth a bit of a splurge, this is it. One lower priced accommodation option is the Cigarras Pouso Familiar near the bus station. It is a popular location for makers of period movies and novellas and has en suite rooms including breakfast at R$100 and small self catering apartments for around R$150. My personal favourite, however, is the gorgeous Mercado de Pouso, Paraty’s former coffee market, on the old quayside beside the Santa Rita church, where a double room with air conditioning, ceiling fan and bathroom with breakfast included will set you back around R$250. The hotel also has its own 80 foot schooner and organises dolphin spotting, diving and beach cruises to the islands. For the truly budget minded, camping is available at the Camping Club do Brasil a short distance out of town beside the Praia do Pontal.
One of the real pleasures of Paraty is its bewildering profusion of excellent restaurants. In a high class field there are two that really stand out. The Restaurante da Matriz is situated in a colonial house on the main square, Praça da Matriz. It is rightly famous throughout Brazil for its deliciously authentic Caiçara dishes, named after the natives of this coastal region. Try the mouthwatering sea bass and shrimp moqueca, a traditional fish stew spiced with ferociously piquant dendê oil, or the prawns fried in batter with ginger and mango sauce.
If that doesn’t take your fancy, on Rua do Comercio you will find Merlin o Mago, an award winning establishment with an idiosyncratic fusion style that incorporates the best of Europe, Asia and Brazil. The restaurant is aptly named as its chef, the German-born former restaurant critic, Hado Steinbrecher, is truly a magician. His onion ice cream (yes, that’s onion ice cream) dumplings on tomato with grilled goat’s cheese are a sensation and you’ll have to go a long way to find anything to beat the lobster in orange sauce.
A good, if expensive, time to visit Paraty is during the low season months of July and August when two events draw visitors from all over the world. Every August since 1972 the town has organised the Festival da Pinga. Time was when the town and surrounding area had over 200 distilleries, or “alambiques”, producing Brazil’s sugar cane spirit, cachaça, the principal ingredient of the ubiquitous caipirinha. Whilst the alambiques are somewhat less numerous today, Paraty is still a major producer and the festival attracts some 20,000 aficionados who take their cachaça as seriously as any single malt whisky drinker.
For those of a less bacchanalian disposition, for four days every July Paraty becomes a sort of tropical Hay-on-Wye as it presents the annual Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty. Run by Bloomsbury Publishing founder, Liz Calder, the festival has played host to the likes of Martin Amis, Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie and, after only three years, is already established as one of the world’s premier literary events.
Do bear in mind that accommodation prices can double and even triple during these busy periods and hotel bookings should be made weeks, if not months, in advance.
As far as activities are concerned, clearly the sea plays a major role. A number of companies offer skippered sailing and motor yacht charters in modern, well equipped boats and Paraty is also one of Brazil’s scuba diving meccas with a host of companies to choose from. On the other hand, if just lazing on a palm-fringed beach is your thing, the boat ride to Praia do Sono is an absolute must. Quite simply, they don’t make beaches any lovelier. Praia do Sono and the larger, busier beach at Trindade can also be reached by bus.
Paraty’s other major attraction is the Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina, which straddles the border of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and is home to endangered species such as spider and howler monkeys, harpy eagles, tree porcupines and giant anteaters. Four wheel drive and horseback tours of the Park and the Trilha de Ouro (gold trail), with English speaking guides, can be arranged at the Centro de Informações Turisticas on Avenida Roberto Silveira.
Paraty is a magical, almost unreal place with a delight round every corner. From the moment you arrive your senses will be overwhelmed by a heady confection of sights, sounds, smells and tastes that few places in the world can equal. Don’t take my word for it, though. While anchored in the Baía da Ilha Grande during his second South American voyage of 1501, Amerigo Vespucci wrote in a letter home, “Oh God! If there was a paradise on earth, it would not be very far from here!” He was not wrong.
To reach Paraty from Rio, take an air conditioned coach from the Rodoviária Novo Rio bus station. The journey time is about four hours. Here are some useful websites: Paraty, www.paraty.com.br/iindex.asp. Mercado de Pouso, www.mercadodepouso.com.br/. Cigarras Pouso Familiar, www.paraty.com.br/cigarras/ICIGARRA.HTM. Merlin o Mago, www.paraty.com.br/merlin. Restaurante da Matriz, www.paraty.com.br/matriz/index.asp. For yacht charters, Coconut Yacht Adventures (www.geocities.com/bra1868/) is a reliable German run company and for diving, Mr. Big Paraty (tel. 024/3371-1327) has a good reputation.
Golden sand stretches for miles, ideal to play, surf, kite.
West Wales Pembrokeshire
On the coast, not far from St David's
Ericeira is a fishing village 50km northeast of Lisbon. It has the most beautiful beach, which is not as busy than those of cliched Estoril or Cascais. The hospitality of its people, the harmony of the old village with its narrow cobblestone streets, the characteristic housing, the sea, the fishing, the cuisine and the bold Atlantic views all interlace here in a grand way to welcome its visitors.
Buses run from Lisbon's Campo Grande terminal. Journey time: 1 hr 30 mins;
www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/costadelisboa/ericeira
Bronte beach is smaller than the other beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs, with a great ocean pool if you don't like swimming among the waves. The best way to get there (though by far not the quickest) is to walk along the ocean promenade from Bondi. The views are stunning and it's good exercise too. Once you're done, stop at any of the cafes that line the park and treat yourself to a fruit smoothie, some ricotta pancakes or a couple of slices of banana bread.
Forget Cannes. Get on a train and head beyond Monte Carlo to Menton. It's where the old people go to live! Very sensible. Decent beach, pleasant atmosphere. Fabulous old town, which can be explored in an hour or so. Well worth a day trip.
If you get fed up, come back to Monte Carlo, forget all the usual rubbish about the Casino and Royal Palace and visit the Botanical Gardens. A brilliant collection of cacti and other succulents (far better than it sounds!). It costs an entrance fee but it is well worth it. Also, a superb cave system which you can go down. Very strange; the temperature underground is warm, not cold.
The view from the Gardens over Monaco and out to the Mediterranean is excellent.
Seriously funky beach town which is said to be "7 miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care". The town of Manly is built on a naturally formed sand spit and contains two beaches, which are an absolute must visit. As is the town's beach side Fish and Chips shop. Manly is best reached via the Manly ferry which departs from Circular Quay and offers beautiful views as you joiurney to and from the beach town.
Try this fabulous, thick, black bean soup served with bacon bits, fried garlic and sometimes "queijo minas" cheese. Add some chilli sauce and enjoy. Portions are small but filling. You can find it in most restaurants even if it's not on the menu. Try Bofetada in Ipanema, a popular post-beach hangout.
Bofetada Rua Farme de Amoedo 87, Ipanema
Anthony Gormley's 100 cast iron statues staring impassively westwards is an eerie, yet atmospheric artwork. They appear and disappear with the ebb and flow of the tide (so check the tide times), and take a camera and some props for the arty and comedy photos you will just have to take.
Crosby Beach, Liverpool. Well signposted from the A565.
An amazing example of public art, these statues (100 of them) stretch along Crosby beach for 3 kilometres and out to sea for one kilometre. Go there at any time of day, but make sure you check the tides - you can't see any of them at high tide. It is atmospheric and beautiful, but at the same time down to earth - it's great to see whole families having picnics next to one of the figures and kids playing around them.
Crosby Beach
North Liverpool
We went to Porthcurno beach in Cornwall and when the tide was low we could walk round to another beach and it was hidden.
We were the only people on this beach and water wasn't very deep for a long way out. In the shallow water there were lots of little fish we could catch and rock pools filled with little crabs. When the tide was coming in and we had to leave the beach Mum and Dad got us to walk up the cliff path to the Minack Theatre.
We had the best cream tea with lots and lots of strawberry jam and we sat outside and looked over the rocky cliffs and could see the beach we had been on.
From Genevieve Monaghan (age 6)
You can go fossil hunting on the beach. It's fun because you get to take them home. There are geologists to help you. Some people bring special hammers to break the rocks to find the fossils.
From Ellie (age 7).
About 2 miles east of Lyme Regis
What do you want when you go on holiday? Great scenery, things to do, excellent restaurants... oh hang on, let's throw in some world class adventure sports and free wine, and not just some cheap plonk but some of the high-end stuff, too.
Despite its rather sedate sounding name, Margaret River, three hours drive south of Perth, has all of these.
It's the home of world-class surfing competitions with frighteningly large waves which break against the rugged coastline with awesome power and regularity.
It's the home of Moss Wood, Leeuwin Estates and a hundred other world-class wineries, many of which have cellar door tastings and attached restaurants.
The local produce is so fresh and tasty that most of the restaurants deliver something a little special. Vasse Felix is particularly good for a smart dinner, but most of them are interesting.
Margaret River Cheese Co. (yummy cheddar), Chocolate Factory, Simmo's Ice Cream and Bootleg Brewery are all good stops between wine-tastings.
And that's just inland. The coastline of this area is one of the most beautiful on this side of the continent - or any side of any continent to be frank.
And the coastline offers up plenty of places to stay: north to south you've got Dunsborough, Yallingup, Gracetown and Prevelly/Gnarabup, where you'll often get stunning sea views from your deck, as you sip your day's purchases.
Some of the comments on Perth are pretty critical - but they also miss one of the great advantages: when you've got an area this beautiful, you don't want it to get too over-crowded. Margs gets pretty busy around Christmas, but the rest of the year you can normal find a corner of it - a beach-break, a vineyard, a restaurant - to keep to yourself.
Margaret River is three hours south of Perth. We like staying at Bavu Beach House www.bayubeachhouse.com
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