Nature watching

Discover ancient mariner and unspoilt natural paradise on Trinidad and Tobago's beaches

La Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California, a desert peninsula of unspoilt and tranquil beaches

Winter is the perfect time to explore the rugged beauty of California's Big Sur Coast

A surfers and nature lovers paradise in Arugum Bay

A collection of natural wonders and crystal clear waters on Fraser Island, Queensland

Puffin spotting and UNESCO monastery ruins on West Ireland's Skelling Island

Whale watching at Europe's western-most point - the Azores

Sand and sex: party hangouts

Baywatch babes, the body beautiful and fitness fanatics at Santa Monica Beach

Port Antonio in Jamaica more than lives up to its reputation as the 'most exquisite port on earth.'

Take it easy on Negril Beach, MTV hangout.

Goa in India has been a favourite hippy and backpacker hangout since the 1960's.

Nowhere is beach culture bigger or more impressive than Rio de Janeiro

Chill out and "hukana mutata" at Nungwi beach - the Caribbean of Africa

Party amid the Art Deco architecture of Miami's vibrant South Beach

Enjoy the tropical high life in the island province of Hainan Dao

Chill out or party hard on the Adriatic Coast beach island of Hvar

Belle epoque beach life and Film Festivals at Venice's The Lido

The most photographed beach in the world - L'Anse Source D'Argent

Secluded beaches


Baja de Los Angeles, the Bay of Angels, one the most beautiful bays in the world

Unspoilt solitude on the stunning Costa Verde in Sardinia

Abel Tasman, New Zealand, is home to some of the most attractive, uncrowded and unspoilt beaches in the country

Kadavu in Fiji, a lush, mountainous paradise surrounded by coral reefs

The unspoilt haven of Bweju Beach, in Zanzibar

Brazil has become synonymous with beach life but you can find serenely remote places, such as Jericoacoara

Glistening powdery white sands in the tropical hideaway of Boracay Beach

Go salmon fishing in La Push with the Quileute Indians

Lakes, rivers and water parks


Chill out on the banks of Austria's Blue Danube

Almeria Park - a dramatic stretch of arid valleys and volcanic mountains, with the Mediterranean lapping at it's edges

National beach round up


Summary of Kenya's Best Beaches for sunbathing and snorkelling

Sri lanka is fringed with beautiful beaches and has a lively beach culture.

Guide to beaches in and around Sydney, including Bondi and Manly beach and the Sydney surfing scene

Go snorkelling on the Perhentian Islands (and other superb beaches of Malaysia)

Health and chill out


Chill out with a massage at the mineral springs in Varkala beach

Bury yourself in the hot volcanic sands of Kagoshima - "The Oriental Naples" of Japan

Vietnam's costal jewel, Nha Trang

Byron Bay surrounding Cape Byron, a winter sun paradise

Chill out and watch the sunset over the Bahamas on Eight Mile Rock

Chill out on the chocolate-colored sands of Seme Beach, beneath Mount Cameroon

Relax and enjoy the hospitable Black Sea Coast on Batumi Beach

Diving

Unusual volcanic underwater landscape on Champagne Reef

Placencia - the longest reef in the western hemisphere and a great location for scuba diving

The warmth of the Red Sea water creates a brilliant coral at Sharm El Shekh beach

Divers and surfers paradise in New Zealand's sub-tropical Northlands

Shipwreck hell: Gizo Island in the Solomon Islands

Watching the beautiful Korean Haenyo ladies diving for Sea Urchins on Jeju-do Beaches

Scuba diving in an unspoilt Paradise: Sihanoukville

Uncover the best beaches for diving and surfing in Indonesia

The fascinating array of sealife and clear visibility attracts the best divers to The Maldives

The 70 Honduran Bay Islands ringed by sandy beaches offer world class opportunities for scuba diving

Go diving in the Andamans Islands

Dive the world's most diverse reef ecosystem in the Red Sea

Go wreck diving for WWII relics in Chuuk and Yap

See a rare dugong diving in Vilankulo, the 'Galapagos of Africa'

Surfing and water sports

Tarifa beach - the windsurfing capital of Europe

Explore Essaouira, home to some of the best windsurfing in the whole of Africa

Divers and surfers paradise in the sub-tropical Northlands of New Zealand

Uncover the best beaches for diving and surfing in Indonesia

A surfers and nature lovers paradise in Arugum Bay

Sea Kayaking, secret agent style in Phananga Bay, the James Bond Islands

Pary hard and learn to surf with the pros on Waikiki Beach

The beaches on Tahiti are pounded by some of the most awesome surf on the planet

The Peruvians virtually invented surfing, and there is nowhere better to surf than with the "little horses" in Huanchaco

Diving with the Great Whites and surfing til you drop in Durban

The paradise islands of Cape Verde boast miles of sandy beaches, a tropical climate and great watersports

Golfing and 'sportugal' in The Algarve

See unique marine life above the water kayaking the Rock Islands

Beach huts

Colonial luxury with an ocean view in Ouidah, Benin

Great artists and schooners on the secluded tropical paradise of Carriacou

Best Beach huts in Tanna Island, Vanuatu.

Stunning Cape Leveque, on the west coast of Australia

Poly Plage - the prize jewel of the Ivory Coast

Cultural and historic beaches

Treasure Beach, an intimate tropical hideaway at the edge of a turquoise Caribbean sea

Spectacular Mayan ruins on the beach of Tulum

Sand Dunes and Salty air: scenic Cape Cod & Martha's Vineyard

Marooned on a desert island paradise: Robinson Crusoe Island

Diving, whale watching and bucaneering history on Isle St Marie and the beaches of Madagascar

Ecotourism in the tiny fishing village of Montezuma

A relaxing resort with a glamorous past, Jurmala has been a bathing haven since the 1800s

Homer's Calypso nymph and the Mediterranean's best beaches on Gavdos, Crete

Meet the Red Cliff Indians of Lake Wisconsin's Apostle Islands

Key West of the North: Peace memorials and rollercoasters on Put-in-Bay Island, Ohio

Lace making and fishing tradition in the lagoon island of Burano

Pirates, ghosts and Robinson Crusoe desolation on Moyenne Island, The Seychelles

Nudist beaches


Partying and pirates on the windy Greek island of Mykonos

Try nude bathing at the high class North Sea island resort of Sylt

Croatia was the first country in the world to offer nudist holidays, where you'll find naked people all over the coast, not just in nudist camps