affordable beaches

WORLD’S
BEST
AFFORDABLE
BEACHES
1
Crab cakes at Hawk Creek
Café, in Neskowin.
TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
affordable beaches USA
Chatham’s Main Street.
A Cape Cod National Seashore beach.
A cottage at Coast
Cabins, in Manzanita.
Whalewalk
Inn & Spa, in
Eastham.
Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock.
CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS
AN ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC
Driving across the Cape Cod Canal—
the thin strip of water that separates
this 70-mile-long peninsula from
mainland Massachusetts—is like
entering a summer wonderland.
Perhaps no town better embodies
the timeless charms of this Atlantic
Coast getaway than Chatham,
with its white picket fences and
quaint Main Street. Settle in at the
Captain’s House Inn (369-377 Old
Harbor Rd., Chatham; 800/315-0728
or 508/945-0127; captainshouse
inn.com; doubles from $260), made
up of a 19th-century Greek Revival
mansion, a carriage house, and con-
verted stables. Or book the romantic
Salt Box Cottage at Eastham’s
Whalewalk Inn & Spa (220 Bridge
Rd.; 800/440-1281 or 508/255-0617;
whalewalkinn.com; doubles from
$220). Some of the best bets for dining are also the most casual options,
such as Liam’s at Nauset Beach (239
Beach Rd., East Orleans; 508/2553474; lunch for two $30), set right on
the sand and known for its addictive
onion rings and fried clams. T+L TIP
For the perfect beach picnic, pick
up lobster rolls at Arnold’s Lobster
& Clam Bar (3580 State Hwy.;
508/255-2575; lunch for two $30).
OREGON COAST
WILD, WILD WEST COAST
Rain lashes the surf and patches of
beach grass outnumber sunbathers
on this dramatic northern stretch
of Oregon’s totally public shoreline.
Twenty minutes south of Cannon
Beach (and its iconic Haystack
Rock), the town of Manzanita has a
laid-back surfer vibe and an almost
impossibly broad beach. A couple
of blocks from the water, Coast
Cabins (635 Laneda Ave., Manzanita;
800/435-1269 or 503/368-7113;
coastcabins.com; doubles from $215)
consists of five modern cottages
with featherbeds and teak loungers.
Browse the mom-and-pop shops
along Laneda Avenue, then get on
Highway 101 for a straight shot down
the coast to Lincoln City, where the
141-room Surftides (2945 N.W. Jetty
Ave., Lincoln City; 800/452-2159;
surftideslincolncity.com; doubles
from $134) was updated by the
same folks who run the hip Farmer’s
Daughter Hotel, in Los Angeles.
T+L TIP Come mealtime, head to
nearby Neskowin and the Hawk
Creek Café (4505 Salem Ave.,
Neskowin; 503/392-3838; dinner for
two $60), which serves lumberjackworthy breakfasts and tasty pizzas
and clam chowder.
2 TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
The North Pillar Room
at Tensing Pen.
A Deluxe villa at
Club Seabourne.
affordable beaches CARIBBEAN
A boat tour around Negril cliffs.
Cliffside massage cabanas at
the Rockhouse Hotel.
Coconut shrimp at Club
Seabourne’s restaurant.
The entrance to
Culebra’s Playa Flamenco.
NEGRIL’S WEST END, JAMAICA
CULEBRA, PUERTO RICO
All is serene on the westernmost
point of Jamaica, where limestone
cliffs jut up from a tranquil bay. This
staggering stretch of coastline is a
draw for bargain-minded travelers
in search of clear, sapphire-blue
coves and sunset views. Just minutes
from Seven Mile Beach, the cliffside
Rockhouse Hotel (West End Rd.;
876/957-4373; rockhousehotel.com;
doubles from $160) is nothing like
the sealed, all-inclusive compounds
that occupy much of the island,
though you’d still be hard-pressed
to leave the premises. There’s plenty
to please the indolent (book the
Twenty-two miles east of Puerto
Rico, the sleepy island of Culebra
makes its sister isle, Vieques, seem
downright rowdy by comparison.
Well off the radar for most travelers,
Culebra is largely uninhabited—in
human terms, that is: endangered
leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles
nest along the water, and the island is
home to one of the oldest bird refuges
in the country. Of the 10 beaches that
ring the shore, Playa Flamenco may
well be the Caribbean’s most pristine.
The sole town, Dewey, is dotted
with pastel-hued restaurants, a few
framed in swaying strands of lights.
THE ESSENCE OF CHILL
hot-rock massage at the spa) as well
as the adventurous (leap into the
snorkel-worthy waters of Pristine
Cove, right outside your bedroom
door). Also at Negril’s far western
end, Tensing Pen (West End Rd.;
800/957-0387; tensingpen.com;
doubles from $195) has 21 rusticrefined rooms with lazy fans to stir
the sultry air. T+L TIP A short walk
south, Rick’s Café (West End Rd.;
876/957-0380; drinks for two $14)
is another spot for cliff diving, that’s
a rite of passage for locals, although
you may find the Rastapolitan cocktail enough of an adrenaline rush.
A CARIBBEAN HIDEAWAY
Stay at Club Seabourne (State Rd.
252; 787/742-3169; clubseabourne.
com; doubles from $150, including
breakfast), a compound of lemonyellow cottages with plantation-style
interiors. Insiders know to stop for
heavenly empanadas at Mamacita’s
Bar & Grill (66 Calle Castelar;
787/742-0322; dinner for two $40),
a friendly guesthouse and restaurant.
T+L TIP The little gallery and gift
shop Butiki (74 Calle Romero;
butikiculebra.com; 708/935-2542)
sells colorful island-made bracelets
and landscape paintings by local
artist Evan Schwarze.
affordable beaches MEXICO
3 TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
Looking out at the beach from
a terrace at Coqui Coqui.
Outside the Petit Hotel Hafa.
A store near
Sayulita’s central plaza.
Tuna tartare
at Don Pedro’s
Restaurant & Bar.
A room at Coqui Coqui.
SAYULITA, MEXICO
TULUM, MEXICO
Free of high-rise hotels and package
tours, the surfing village of Sayulita
feels like a flashback to a calmer,
simpler Mexico. The town is known
for its boutique accommodations—
Petit Hotel Hafa (55 Calle Revolución; 52-329/291-3806; hotelhafa
sayulita.com; doubles from $53), an
open-air hotel with vibrant Moroccaninspired interiors, is one enchanting
option. But renting a vacation house
will allow you to truly fall into the
laid-back rhythms of local life. Thanks
to an influx of expat Americans and
Europeans, rentals are plentiful,
ranging from classic palapa-roof
This yoga-centric strip of beach
and jungle on the southern edge
of Mexico’s Riviera Maya was once
a destination for the hippie set.
But Tulum has definitely graduated
from its bare-bones roots. In the
past 10 years, the thatched beach
cabanas have made way for a few
small, exquisite resorts and boutique
hotels—although the bohemian
spirit remains. At the five-room
Coqui Coqui (Km 7.5, Carr. Tulum
Ruinas Boca Paila; 52-984/155-0201;
coquicoquispa.com; doubles from
$270), the spa is devoted to natural
therapies (try the scrub made with
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY ESCAPE
bungalows to beachfront villas with
infinity pools. Avalos Sayulita Realty
(move2sayulita.com; houses from
$100 per night) has more than a
hundred properties. Street food is
a viable and delicious option, but
have at least one meal by the water
at Don Pedro’s Restaurant & Bar
(2 Calle Marlin; 52-329/291-3090;
dinner for two $40), which serves as
Sayulita’s unofficial social center.
T+L TIP No trip to Sayulita is complete
without catching a wave. Sign up for
lessons at beginner-friendly Lunazul
Surf School (lunazulsurfschool.com;
individual lessons from $55).
FROM SEA TO CENOTE
sea salt and shredded coconut),
and the cream-and-cocoa interiors
feature beds draped with netting.
Order the lobster for dinner at
Posada Margherita (Km 5, Carr.
Tulum Ruinas Boca Paila; 52-984/8018493; dinner for two $50), and don’t
miss a nighttime tour of the Tulum
Archaeological Site (Km 230, State
Road 307; 52-984/802-5405; tickets
$15). T+L TIP The Caribbean Sea
beckons, but you can also take
the plunge at one of the Yucatan’s
many freshwater caves, such as
the Gran Cenote (grancenote.com),
10 minutes west of Tulum.
The pool at Xanadu
Island Resort.
4 TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
affordable beaches CENTRAL AMRERICA
Xanadu Island
Resorts’s dock.
A beach on
Drake Bay, on the
Osa Peninsula.
On a jeep ride through
the rain forest.
Out and about in San
Pedro, on Ambergris Cay.
AMBERGRIS CAY, BELIZE
OSA PENINSULA, COSTA RICA
Simple and pared-down is the name
of the game on Ambergris Cay, a
25-mile-long island off the northeastern coast of Belize. Its main
town, San Pedro, consists of just
three big streets: Front, Middle, and
Back (as they’re commonly known
by locals). At Estel’s Dine by the
Sea (San Pedro; 011-501/226-2019;
breakfast for two $19), the huevos
rancheros are legendary and the
sand floor stretches all the way
to the beach. A mile outside town,
the thatched-roof dwellings at
Xanadu Island Resort (San Pedro;
011-501/226-2814; xanaduresort-
Dense with coastal rain forest, the
rugged Osa Peninsula attracts nature
lovers with its abundant wildlife and
distinctive eco-lodges. Ever dreamed
of staying in a tree house? At the
Black Turtle Lodge (011-506/27355005; blackturtlelodge.com; tree
houses from $95 per person per
night, including breakfast and dinner), the two-bedroom cabins have
decks high in the rain-forest canopy.
At the tip of the Osa, the Bosque
del Cabo Rainforest Lodge (011506/2735-5206; bosquedelcabo.
com; cabins from $160 per night per
adult, including meals) has comfort-
CAREFREE IN THE TROPICS
belize.com; doubles from $190)
surround a coconut palm–flanked
pool. Friendly hotel staffers arrange
activities through trusted guides,
including Alphonse Graniel of Lil’
Alphonse (San Pedro; 011-501/2262814; from $25), who’ll take you on
a snorkeling tour of Hol Chan—a
marine reserve on the second largest
barrier reef in the world. T+L TIP You
won’t find better entertainment than
at Sunset Restaurant Bar & Marina
(San Pedro; 011-501/226-2601; drinks
for two $16), where you can feed
leaping tarpon with one hand and
clutch a piña colada with the other.
CALL OF THE JUNGLE
able bungalows with outdoor showers and a kidney-shaped pool. The
resort’s two naturalists lead nighttime treks (and can show you how to
spot the eyes of bats in the dark). In
the town of Puerto Jiménez, stop
for lunch at Corcovado Marisquería
(just east of the city dock; 506/88982656; lunch for two $20), where
locals while away the day over grilled
fish and cold beer. T+L TIP Lovers
of exotic plants shouldn’t miss Casa
Orquideas (north of Golfito; 011506/8829-1247), a six-acre botanical
garden reachable only by boat and
renowned for its orchids.
Inside Notos Hotel.
affordable beaches EUROPE
5 TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
Entering the pool
terrace at Kyrimai Hotel.
The Aegean Sea, as viewed
from the peninsula.
A harbor scene in the
Bodrum Peninsula.
Fresh fish at Lela’s Taverna.
The pool at Butterfly.
KARDAMILI BAY, GREECE
BARDAKÇI BEACH, TURKEY
The beaches are pebbled and the
waters crystalline on the Gulf of
Messinia, where the seaside village of Kardamili serves as a good
jumping-off point for exploring the
entire Mani Peninsula of Greece. Half
a mile from town, Elies Hotel (3027210/73140; elieshotel.gr; doubles
from $149, including breakfast) has
24 cheerful rooms and maisonettes
shaded by olive trees. Notos Hotel
(30-27210/73730; notoshotel.gr;
doubles from $145) is made up of
14 simple apartment-style units on
a hillside, with views of Ritsa Beach.
Craving sand between your toes?
The Bodrum Peninsula—a swath of
rock, sand, cypress, and cedar that
reaches from Turkey’s southwestern
coast into the stained-glass blue of
the Aegean—has its share of opulent
villas and over-the-top resorts. But
near Bodrum’s crescent-shaped
Bardakçi Beach, surrounded by
the summer mansions of Turkey’s
elite, Butterfly (24 1512 Sk.; 90252/313-8358; thebutterflybodrum.
com; doubles from $200, including
breakfast) is a surprisingly affordable
option. The six suites mix antiques
and thoughtful details like whisperlight locally made cotton sheets.
HISTORY IN THE LANDSCAPE
Hit the beaches in the small resort
town of Stoupa, 10 minutes south of
Kardamili. But for sheer romance,
nothing tops the Kyrimai Hotel
(Gerolimenas; 30-27330/54288;
kyrimai.gr; doubles from $146,
including breakfast). Located in a
little fishing village another hour’s
drive south from Stoupa, the former
mayor’s residence is a warren of
stone stairways, arches, and courtyards that make it seem like a castle
by the sea. T+L TIP For authentic
Greek home cooking, head to the
family-run Lela’s Taverna (Kardamili;
30-27210/73541; dinner for two $35).
COOL ON THE WATER
At dusk, savor a drink on one of the
hotel’s candlelit garden patios, many
of which have Cinemascope-worthy
views. Then head to the marina for
excellent seafood at Memedof (176
Neyzen Tevfik Cad.; 90-252/3134250; lunch for two $50) or the lamb
with smoky aubergines at Kocadon
(1 Saray Sokak; 90-252/316-3705;
lunch for two $80). T+L TIP Looking
to splurge? Commission a pair of
custom-made sandals from Ali Güven
Sandalet (38 Çarsi Mah; 90-252/3132216; sandals from $600), a master
cobbler who counts Mick Jagger and
Madonna among his clients.
Boating in the Khao
Dang Canal.
6 TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
affordable beaches ASIA
The private dining room at Bon Ton,
perched over its lagoon.
A shack on
Pranburi beach.
Bon Ton Restaurant and
Resort’s pool area.
X2 Kui Buri’s stone-walled spa.
PRANBURI, THAILAND
THE NEXT WORLD-CLASS RESORT?
Three hours south of Bangkok, this
pine tree–lined stretch of coast is
free of the wandering masseurs and
banana-boat operators who crowd
many of the country’s beaches.
You’re likely to see only the occasional couple strolling the sand,
enjoying views of the fishing boats
plying the Gulf of Thailand. Owned by
Bangkok fashion designer Yingluck
Charoenying, the whimsical 12-room
Brassiere Beach (210 Moo 5, Tambon
Samroiyod; 66-32/630-5555; brassierebeach.com; doubles from $115)
is a garden oasis of cool blue and
whitewashed walls. Thai architect
Duangrit Bunnag designed X2 Kui
Buri (52 Moo 13, Ao Noi, Muang; 662/101-1234; x2resorts.com; doubles
from $135, including breakfast), a
series of low-slung stone-and-wood
bungalows with glass doors. Be sure
to sample the flavorful street food—
som tam, or spicy green-papaya
salad, and honey-basted grilled
chicken—dished up at the seaside
shacks. T+L TIP Take a beach break
by exploring Khao Sam Roi Yot
National Park (dnp.go.th), a rugged
region of limestone hills, calciteencrusted caves, and wildlife-rich
marshes just south of Pranburi.
LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA
STILL UNDER THE RADAR
This cluster of 99 islands off Malaysia’s
northwestern coast (the name refers
to the archipelago in general and
to its largest island specifically) is a
relative neophyte when it comes to
tourism. Though development is on
the march, the main island remains
a nature-lover’s paradise, swathed
in mangrove and tropical rain forests
and ringed with white beaches. To
the southwest is Pantai Cenang, a
strip of talcum-white sand with a row
of guesthouses and bars tucked amid
coconut palms and casuarinas. Jet
Skis and motorboats buzz about the
bay, and teenagers flock to a beach-
side food truck called Tsunami Laksa
(Pantai Cenang; no phone) for asam
laksa (hot-and-sour fish soup with rice
noodles). But just a 10-minute walk
away, the allure of colonial Indochina
lives on at Bon Ton Restaurant &
Resort (near Pantai Cenang; 604/955-3643; bontonresort.com;
doubles from $145, including breakfast), a small village of Malay wooden
stilt houses that seems straight out
of a Marguerite Duras novel. T+L TIP
At the northeastern end of the island,
Tanjung Rhu beach is a tranquil oasis:
two miles of near-deserted silver
sand lapped by calm waters.
7 TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 2010
The dunes at Race Point Beach on
Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
TRAVEL+LEISURE
Editor IRENE EDWARDS
Art Director WENDY SCOFIELD
Photo Editor BETH GARRABRANT
Assistant Editor KATHRYN O’SHEA-EVANS
Reporter JAMES JUNG
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Cedric Angeles (5)
Roland Bello (4)
Paul Costello (4)
Tara Donne (1, 7)
Christian Kerber (5)
Robert Landau/Corbis (1)
Whitney Lawson (Cover)
Anne Menke (3)
Morgan & Owens (2)
Martin Morrell (5)
David Nicolas (2)
Ryan Phillips (1)
Andrew Rowat (6)
Scott Woodward (6)