Favorite beach towns

cdudley · Post by **cdudley** » January 13, 2006 11:28 am

What are some of everyone’s favorite beach towns. I love to travel and have my own, but am always interested in hearing other opinions. Additionally, what drives the attraction or appreciation? A few of mine are:

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, The first time I went here to surf Salsa there was a crazy expat selling fresh juice on the beach, a barn converted to a bar on the beach, and all of the people in the village had their evening soccer match on the beach. Women, children, and crack heads all duking it out. It was a beautiful setting (one of the prettiest I have seen) with an eclectic mix to say the least. Just a neat Caribbean town.

Gregory Town, Eleuthera, Started going here years ago for the reef breaks and fell in love with the crazy little town. Reminds me of what Key West must have been like 60 years ago. Still has good spear fishing off of some of the northern beaches. Surfer Pete is a riot to drink with.

Dunmore Town (H.I.), Bahamas, What I wish all of the Caribbean was still like. Quiet, quaint, and friendly

Bronte, Australia, The best family environment I have ever seen in a beach town. Would love to settle down here.

New Smyrna, FL, I live near by so it is convenient. The Surf is good in the winter, fishing is decent in the summer, and I love the live music at night.

Boca Grande, FL, I Love Tarpon season, beautiful town, and am getting married there soon. It is what I wish the rest of Florida was like and is how I picture a Florida fishing town 40 years ago.

Bahama Breeze · Post by **Bahama Breeze** » January 13, 2006 11:49 am

Well I love Florida, I have a true passion for living here, Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, New Smyrna, Fort Lauderdale, My uncle lives on a cool Isalnd called St George Island in the panhandle, all of these are great places, however I do like Paradise Island(Atlantis) and snorkeling is good there.

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » January 13, 2006 11:54 am

San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

Been going for over 30 years, but, sadly, the secret is out.

http://www.sanfelipe.com.mx/

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » January 13, 2006 11:55 am

New Smyrna is good.

El mojito · Post by **El mojito** » January 13, 2006 11:59 am

San Diego Ca, It has a little bit of everything

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » January 13, 2006 12:02 pm

El mojito wrote:San Diego Ca, It has a little bit of everything

What can I say?
When you're right... you're right!

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » January 13, 2006 12:05 pm

Of the ones I've been to:

St. Augustine, FL
Lahaina, HI
Wainanalo, HI,
Kailua-Kona, HI
ALL of Georgia's coastal islands
Lan Tau, Island, Hong Kong
Penang, Malaysia

Ones I'd LIKE to go to:

Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Virginia Beach, VA
Dauphin Island, AL
S. Padre Island, TX
Catalina Island, CA

pbans · Post by **pbans** » January 13, 2006 12:11 pm

A couple of years ago we spent a week in Oxnard, CA in this beachhouse:
http://www.beachrentals.com/82/default.html.

I wasn't too excited because I'd never been to the area and "Oxnard" just doesn't conjure up pictures of vacation paradise....but it was the BEST trip we've ever had!

There was a great little bar right across the street from the house......HUGE PLUS

We rode the bikes all over Santa Barbara and up the coast on day....
The up in the mountains to Ojai and Solvang the next....

Magnificent!

onel0ve · Post by **onel0ve** » January 13, 2006 12:12 pm

Montauk, NY
Cape Hatteras, NC
Virgin Gorda

Wish I was at any one of them right now!

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » January 13, 2006 12:12 pm

Wino you know wrote:One I'd LIKE to go to:

Catalina Island, CA

I've travelled to every corner of my beautiful state of California. Literally...
I'm proud to say that I've gotten to experience most all of the state's great landmarks, but....

I've still never gone to Catalina Island!!

Gotta check that one off my list...

El mojito · Post by **El mojito** » January 13, 2006 12:16 pm

Lightning Bolt wrote:
Wino you know wrote:One I'd LIKE to go to:

Catalina Island, CA
I've travelled to every corner of my beautiful state of California. Literally...
I'm proud to say that I've gotten to experience most all of the state's great landmarks, but....

I've still never gone to Catalina Island!!
Gotta check that one off my list...

Ck. my avatar sig line

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » January 13, 2006 12:17 pm

Any beach on the windward side or the north shore of Oahu.

Big Beach on Maui.

Any beach in Hawaii, and every one of them are FREE.

I've been to beautiful beaches all over Cape Cod, Virginia Beach, the Outer Banks, Florida, California, and Bermuda. As beautiful as they are, they can't come close to Hawaii (for me. YMMV).....

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » January 13, 2006 12:21 pm

Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

My grandmother lived and ran a boarding house (like a B&B without the breakfast

) there, and I spent many a summer at the beach as a kid... good times...

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » January 13, 2006 12:23 pm

El mojito wrote:
Lightning Bolt wrote:
Wino you know wrote:One I'd LIKE to go to:

Catalina Island, CA
I've travelled to every corner of my beautiful state of California. Literally...
I'm proud to say that I've gotten to experience most all of the state's great landmarks, but....

I've still never gone to Catalina Island!!
Gotta check that one off my list...
Ck. my avatar sig line

aah, that's right!
So... you get island fever often?

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » January 13, 2006 12:24 pm

I'm not really a beach person.

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » January 13, 2006 12:27 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
Big Beach on Maui.

Is that the one on the west coast, just south of Wailea?
'cuz that was one very big, beautiful beach!

Lightning Bolt · Post by **Lightning Bolt** » January 13, 2006 12:28 pm

LIPH wrote:I'm not really a beach person.

Don't care for sand between the tootsies, eh?

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » January 13, 2006 12:35 pm

Lightning Bolt wrote:
SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
Big Beach on Maui.

Is that the one on the west coast, just south of Wailea?
'cuz that was one very big, beautiful beach!

That's the one!

**SIGH** (Come on, now... Did you really expect not to see this from me?

)

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » January 13, 2006 12:35 pm

I really enjoyed my visit to that area of Costa Rica as well. I also visited Cahuita, Limon, Jaco, Arenall and some other areas along both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. I'd love to return some day for a more extended visit but by the same token I'd also love to visit some other exotic locales.

As for beaches in general, I try to avoid the tourist trap areas at all costs. So far, here along the NC coast, the area I live in has yet to be developed in that manner but the day is soon coming so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

lilsalty · Post by **lilsalty** » January 13, 2006 12:41 pm

Montauk, NY
Wailea, HI
I'm going to the Carribbean for the first time (St. Thomas and St. John) so some of those beaches I'm sure will make the list too!