2013 may not be over yet, but before I swap in my bathing suit and towel for sweaters and scarves I wanted to share what I consider to be my favorite beaches from my travels this year. There’s still a lot  for me to see as far as beautiful beaches go, but this summer I was extremely fortunate to see some of the most dazzling, natural and peaceful beaches. Below are some of my favorite beaches in no particular order that range from Europe, Asia, Central America and North America.

 Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio

White sandy beaches, monkeys, sloths, mango trees and warm turquoise water is what you will find visiting Manuel Antonio just outside of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The beaches are part of Costa Rica’s National Park system so the beaches are preserved in their natural state so the beaches are literally covered with native fruit trees, exotic reptiles, birds and monkeys. Getting to Manuel Antonio’s white sandy beaches takes a bit of a 5 mile hike through a forest of exotic plants and trees and once you reach the split in the trail you can decide whether you want to go to the beautiful beach to the left or the beautiful beach to the right. Whichever beach you decide to venture off first, dipping into that warm blue water is the greatest natural feeling ever.

 

Korcula Island, Croatia

Croatia is a country known for its calm, tranquil and clear beaches so it’s hard to select one or two beaches as my favorite. The Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia is home to a cluster of islands, one being Korcula. Korcula won my heart over with vineyards growing along the sea’s edge, but what I really loved was the secluded coves the island had to offer. You can swim here for hours and only see a few people throughout the day. While it is a very beautiful island, its neighboring islands like Hvar are much more popular for visitors so the small town village feel that Korcula offers is a rather genuine and is great because the beaches aren’t as crowded.

College Cove, Humboldt County California

College Cove, Trinidad, Humboldt County

Humboldt County is known for many things, but what it’s probably most famous for is its vast acres of old growth redwood trees which is why College Cove in Trinidad, a few miles north of Eureka, California, made my best beaches list. Down from the beach if you look up in any which way, you will see deep forests of redwoods. Enough about the trees though, the beaches of Humboldt County are just as remarkable and beautiful, but the near freezing water temperature makes it unswimable unless you have a thick wetsuit on. It’s also a popular spot among local surfers. The beach is home to several tide pools and large mounds of rocks protruding out of the water which also makes it a popular place for rock climbers.

 Kas, Turkey

 

Kas, Turkey is right on Turkey’s famous turquoise coast between Antalaya and Fethiye, so nothing but warm, turquoise water should be expected. The pebble beaches in Kas are popular in the tourist scene, but many of the them are unspoiled as far as developments go. The neighboring cities have more water front resorts, but in Kas, there is much more accessibility to public beaches. Even though the beaches are crowded in Kas, there seemed to be more excitement and eagerness to get in the water rather than people just lounging around and tanning, possibly because the sea had more waves here. It could also have something to do with the excessive heat and humidity, but nonetheless Kas did have very beautiful beaches.

 

 

 

What are your favorite beaches around the world? What makes them special? It’s summer in the southern hemisphere, are you going to be ditching the cold for the warm sun? –Tell us your plans!