Scenic Gulf Drive

World’s Prettiest Beaches

by Dave Jackson

Known as the garden island, Kauai is the oldest most lush of the Hawaiian chain and the filming site of “South Pacific” and “Jurassic Park.” With some of the best surfing and beach combing in the world, students will have the opportunity to access incredible coral reefs from remote beaches, snorkel aside sea turtles in crystal clear waters and explore the best preserved island in Hawaii. Hawaii and Florida also offer great places for families to hunt for seashells, build sand castles or play with the dolphins.

Once the site of the original settlement of the area (1620s), the community center shifted to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport in the late 18th century, leaving Cape Porpoise to survive primarily as a fishing village. Today, Cape Porpoise is part of Kennebunkport, sharing its town government, taxes and schools. The area, admired for its sandy beaches, lush tropical landscape, and friendly locals, is experiencing a boom in vacation home and hotel growth. It’s a great time for travelers to come, too. But did you know there were so many off the beaten path areas that offer a pristine view of our laid back lifestyle on Hilton Head Island? This informative map of Hilton Head Island Parks and Beaches has been reprinted from the official town of Hilton Head website: http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/ .

Sea turtles nest on the beaches here, and you can safely look at alligators at Huntington Beach State Park, just north of North Litchfield Beach. Golf is nearby in the Seascape Resort as well as several other championship courses in the area including those in the Sandestin Resort. The Whales Tail restaurant is very close as well as several others along the beach on Scenic Gulf Drive and Scenic 98. For changing and refreshments, you can use the public areas of the nearby hotels. Hotels also offer their own watertsports center.

Head to one of the spectacular St John USVI beaches, and you’ll see firsthand why they consistently receive top billing among the world’s best. St John and surrounding islands. Known for its excellent windsurfing, Bluebeard’s Beach is quiet and un-crowded. St John is a fabulous island to explore, and we recommend a car rental for some or all of your stay.

Morningstar is not only one of the most attractive beaches in the Virgin Islands, it is also truly unique, providing everything you need for a comfortable, fun day. Rent a lounge chair and umbrella for the day and sit back with a cool drink from one of the two full-service bars. Watersports has become a very popular activity along the beaches & some islands are now recognised as world renowed watersports destinations such as wind-surfing in the Dominican Republic. If you want to experience paradise then the Caribbean is the place to go!

Along the main stretch of beach, the sand is public to the high-water mark, so a nonstop line of visitors and vendors parade from end to end. The walk is sprinkled with many good beach bars and open-air restaurants. The largest and prettiest, Siesta Beach is known for winning Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s “World’s Finest, Whitest Sand” award based upon its content (99% quartz), texture (crystal shapes), and the amount of shoreline (quite wide). The shallow, robin’s-egg blue waters lap the shore, making it ideal for children.

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