World’s Sexiest Beaches Part 2

Here is the second half of the best, sexiest, most beautiful, and most picturesque beaches in the world.

Santa Maria Beach, Ilha do Sal, Cape Verde

The vibe: The calm before the storm

Picture this: Ilha do Sal, the jewel of the ten Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa, is a place you’ll be reading more about. Young in-the-know fashionistas are heading en masse to the sublime beaches and laid-back nightlife of Santa Maria town. Lap up the eye candy, go deep-sea fishing, and swap tall stories in the mellow bars when the sun goes down. Get here before the stampede.

The crowd: Steaming-hot French and Italian kite-surfing hunks (they discovered Sal first) hang with the equally buff locals, while lithe beauties sun themselves on dive boats.

The sundowner: The lethal sugarcane brew Grog at Tam Tam bar in town.

Come to bed: Sleep late at the inviting Hotel Morabeza—the current “in” hotel on the beach. It has 140 guest rooms with private terraces, a gym, plus tennis courts and a freshwater pool.

Hotel Morabeza
Tel: 238 242 10 20
Doubles from $174

Laguna Beach, California

The vibe: California lovin’

Picture this: This prime slice of California coastline combines the wealth and glamour of La-La Land with a seriously hip surfside culture and artists’ haven. Strike a pose on your beach towel, check out the talent from behind your Wayfarers, and if you can actually surf, get out there and earn some cred.

The crowd: Pierce Brosnan, Tiger Woods, and Kelly Slater. Not to mention the hotties playing beach volleyball and wannabe actors in lifeguard training.

The sundowner: The Hippolyte Bouchard, the signature cocktail at the Studio at Montage, made with spiced rum, Chambord, house sour, and cinnamon sugar. It’s named after a pirate who supposedly buried a hidden treasure off the coast.

Come to bed: Overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a 50-foot bluff, the Montage Laguna Beach is especially worthwhile for its oceanfront spa laced with soothing whirlpools, saunas, 21 treatment rooms, and a lap pool.

Montage Laguna Beach
Tel: 949 715 6000
Doubles from $795

Ihuru Island, Maldives

The vibe: Just say no to shoes.

Picture this: Remember the show Fantasy Island? It had nothing on the reality that is Ihuru. Located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka, it’s got palm-fringed beaches, a lagoon, even a reef teeming with marine life and a kaleidoscope of coral. Trust us, when you see the plane, you’ll be sorry.

The crowd: Leggy Brit sophisticates in batik sarongs—plus lots of folks wearing fins.

The sundowner: Coconut water. There’s no better drink for a hangover. Really.

Come to bed: Bed down under a thatched roof in one of 45 villas with private gardens and verandas at the Angsana Resort & Spa, which operates a policy of sustainable tourism.

Angsana Resort & Spa
Tel: 866 822 6926
Doubles from $850

Playa Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The vibe: City kids get physical in a tropical playground.

Picture this: This supple slice of sand on the north Pacific coast in the province of Guanacaste is perfectly suited for surfing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, boogie-boarding, or horseback riding. Sound like too much activity? It’s also suited for kicking off flip-flops, dropping your butt into the sand, and chilling out.

The crowd: Freshly tanned New York City boys grappling with Windsurfers; curvy babes in gold metallic bikinis, broad grins, and black-n-blues

The sundowner: Find a beach shack bar, make new friends, and sample a guaro—the local liquor that’s similar to rum and is served as a shot or mixed with juice or soda.

Come to bed: Five luxury villas are tucked away at El Jardín del Edén, a boutique hotel set on a hillside just three minutes’ walk from the beach. Villas have terraces with magnificent views of the entire Tamarindo Bay, and the hotel also offers surfing and sport fishing.

El Jardín del Edén
Tel: 506 653 0137
Doubles from $145

[Need a Map of Costa Rica?]

Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece

The vibe: You’re only young once. If you’re not, keep drinking—you’ll feel young soon enough.

Picture this: Every hedonist worth his or her margarita salt comes to frolic on Mykonos, the naughty little Greek party island. Of the island’s dozen or so fun spots, Paradise Beach is one of the most playful. Think Club Med with your clothes off, spring break for grown-ups—where the afternoon scene is hotter than the nightlife of most other islands. The drill is simple: early drinks, late dinner, dance all night, sleep all morning, come to Paradise in the afternoon for swimming, schmoozing, and power-napping. Rinse. Repeat.

The crowd: Naturists and exhibitionists, bikinied girls on bar tables, gay boys with washboard stomachs, lots of red eyes

The sundowner: Join the party people at Tropicana Beach Bar right on the sand and knock back a few shots of Mastika, a herbal spirit that’ll remind you only a little bit of turpentine.

Come to bed: The frolicking continues at the Belvedere Hotel on the edge of Mykonos Town, where jet-setters stake out their favorite rooms months in advance and where professional party-thrower Colin Cowie just opened a new cocktail lounge. But despite the stream of celebrities, the Nobu outpost, and the general air of decadence, this is actually one of the island’s most elegant places to stay.

Belvedere Hotel
Tel: 800 525 4800
Doubles from $325

Tropicana Beach Bar
Tel: 30 22890 23582

Grande Plage, Biarritz, France

The vibe: Beach bums meet fashion plates.

Picture this: A few folks are saying non to St. Tropez these days—too much lizard-skin cleavage and too many bad toupees. Instead they’re opting for Biarritz, the surfer paradise on the Atlantic Ocean that’s attracting a more discreet clique of glitterati and showbiz stars. Come for the gloriously snooty restaurants gastronomiques, the sexy surf dudes, or the famous cellulite-shrinking thalassotherapy spas.

The crowd: Lolitas in board shorts and floppy hats, celebrities (look for Karl Lagerfeld, Isabella Rossellini, and Paco Rabanne), and Parisian socialites on spa weekends

The sundowner: Kick off with a citron pressé then fall off the wagon with a thud—make mine a magnum of Moët, mon chéri.

Come to bed: Quiet time is best at the Maison del Mar, a traditional Basque cliffside villa with views of the Atlantic Ocean from the wooden sundeck.

Maison del Mar
Tel: 44 207 432 8060
From $1,237 per person per week

Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii

The vibe: Chilled-out aloha spirit

Picture this: A big romance only comes along once in a lifetime (or maybe thrice…)? So embrace the Hawaiian cliché of sunsets, fresh-flower leis, and warm waters of the island’s upmarket west coast. You could stroll in the charming nearby town of Lahaina with its art galleries and restaurants, or explore the small coves of Napili. Or, just chill under the Hawaiian sun together and neck.

The crowd: Vacationers in Hawaiian shirts, artistic types in floaty caftans, bleached-blond boys. Ignore ‘em all and pay attention to the person you came with.

The sundowner: Pull up a bar stool and ask for a Tanned Beach Bum: dark rum, Kahlua, ice, and milk.

Come to bed: Set on 40 beachfront acres, the centerpiece of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa is a 750,000-gallon free-form pool with an underwater cave and grotto bar. Heat things up on your private lanai, or get amorous on the pillow-top mattresses floating above the Plantation-style wood beds.

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
Tel: 808 874 800
Doubles from $410

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The vibe: It was this big—honest!

Picture this: Out to land a big one? Then it has to be Cabo San Lucas. Where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, with the towering Sierra de la Laguna mountains as backdrop, Cabo’s whole raison d’être is interesting mash-ups—whether you’re fishing for billfish or blonds. The long sandy main beach, El Médano, is the place for swimming and more adrenaline-pumping water sports than you can poke a rod at. Go deep-sea angling, snorkeling, surfing, or exploring. Or curl up on the beach with a very steamy novel and a very tall drink.

The crowd: Rippling muscles, toned torsos, rich kids on spring break, cruise ship day-trippers, and city slickers turned barefoot surf gods

The sundowner: Margaritas, by the bucket. Or a Michelada cocktail—that’s Mexican beer kicked up with lime, Tabasco, and Worcestershire—perfect “hair of the dog.”

Come to bed: Check into your private villa at Montecristo Estates, an exclusive mountainside hideaway owned by Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas in Los Cabos. There’s plenty of room to sun yourself beside gorgeous infinity pools, on terraces, and in outdoor Jacuzzis.

Montecristo Estates
Tel: 52 624 142 9797
Villas from $1,450

The Similan Islands, Thailand

The vibe: Wash my hair tonight? Why bother?

Picture this: Nine tropical jungle islands, each ringed by troves of hidden-away beaches and surrounded by magnificent reefs. So unspoiled that they’re known by numbers rather than by name, they’re located across the water from the Phang Nga mainland, just north of Phuket.

The crowd: Barefoot beachcombers kissing in quiet coves, and pairs of snorkelers disappearing into the reefs

The sundowner: Take a sunset cruise around the islands and wine and dine on a boat moored in a shimmering bay.

Come to bed: You’ll have to stay on the mainland, which, trust us, is not a hardship. Slip between the sheets at the Sarojin in Khao Lak, where the concierge staff call themselves “imagineers.” The hotel offers tailor-made packages for couples, including private boat trips to the Similans on its 38-foot Lady Sarojin luxury boat.

Sarojin
Tel: 66 76 427 900 4
Garden Residence rooms from $340

Motu Tane, French Polynesia

The vibe: Fashionista air kisses and catwalks on the beach

Picture this: A short boat hop from Bora Bora, this private island is available for rent to those with serious cash. French interiors guru Christian Liaigre designed the chic thatched-roof bungalows. Strike a pose on the blanc sands, take a private four-wheel-drive excursion, go whale and dolphin watching, ask the caterers for a torchlit Polynesian feast on the beach. Paradise by design.

The crowd: Size 0 fashion doyennes, the design glitterati, supermodels posing for cover shots. Not a love handle in sight!

The sundowner: Whatever your heart desires, sweetie

Come to bed: To ensure exclusivity and privacy, Motu Tane can only be rented by one select group at a time. The 12 beach bungalows are stuffed with enough sumptuous furnishings and high-tech toys to keep the pickiest Parisian happy. Stay in touch with New York and Milan with the state-of-the-art IDD telephone system.

Motu Tane
Email: info@motutaneisland.com
From $43,000 per day for two to 20 people, including all meals and beverages

Wow, that last one is $43,000 per day?!? Whatever. Give me something a little less expensive. Although some of these places aren’t my kind of beach, (I’m not much of a partier) many of them sound like somewhere I want to go. And the prices on a lot of the hotels listed aren’t too bad.

Posted on August 17, 2007 - Filed Under Beach Vacations, Beaches to go See, Recommended Beaches and Places

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