WORLD’S BEST AFFORDABLE BEACHES

WORLD’S BEST AFFORDABLE BEACHES

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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 din-ing are also the most casual options, such as Liam’s at Nauset Beach (239 Beach Rd., East Orleans; 508/255-3474; 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).

CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS AN ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC

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 lumberjack-worthy breakfasts and tasty pizzas and clam chowder.

a!ordable beaches USA

A Cape Cod National Seashore beach.

Chatham’s Main Street.

Crab cakes at Hawk Creek Café, in Neskowin.

Whalewalk Inn & Spa, in Eastham.

Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock.

A cottage at Coast Cabins, in Manzanita.

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All is serene on the westernmost point of Jamaica, where limestone cli!s 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 cli!side 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

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 rustic- refined 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 cli! diving, that’s a rite of passage for locals, although you may find the Rastapolitan cock-tail enough of an adrenaline rush.

NEGRIL’S WEST END, JAMAICA THE ESSENCE OF CHILL

CULEBRA, PUERTO RICOA CARIBBEAN HIDEAWAY

Twenty-two miles east of Puerto Rico, the sleepy island of Culebra makes its sister isle, Vieques, seem downright rowdy by comparison. Well o! 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.

Stay at Club Seabourne (State Rd. 252; 787/742-3169; clubseabourne.com; doubles from $150, including breakfast), a compound of lemon-yellow 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.

a!ordable beaches CARIBBEAN

Cli!side massage cabanas at the Rockhouse Hotel.

A boat tour around Negril cli!s.

Coconut shrimp at Club Seabourne’s restaurant.

The entrance to Culebra’s Playa Flamenco.

A Deluxe villa at Club Seabourne.

The North Pillar Room at Tensing Pen.

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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 Revolu-ción; 52-329/291-3806; hotelhafa sayulita.com; doubles from $53), an open-air hotel with vibrant Moroccan- inspired 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

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 uno"cial 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).

SAYULITA, MEXICOA FAMILY-FRIENDLY ESCAPE

TULUM, MEXICOFROM SEA TO CENOTE

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

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; 52-984/801- 8493; 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.

a!ordable beaches MEXICO

A room at Coqui Coqui.

Looking out at the beach from a terrace at Coqui Coqui.

A store near Sayulita’s central plaza.

Outside the Petit Hotel Hafa.

Tuna tartare at Don Pedro’s Restaurant & Bar.

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Simple and pared-down is the name of the game on Ambergris Cay, a 25-mile-long island o! the north-eastern 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-

belize.com; doubles from $190) surround a coconut palm–flanked pool. Friendly hotel sta!ers arrange activities through trusted guides, including Alphonse Graniel of Lil’ Alphonse (San Pedro; 011-501/226-2814; 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.

AMBERGRIS CAY, BELIZECAREFREE IN THE TROPICS

OSA PENINSULA, COSTA RICACALL OF THE JUNGLE

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 (011-506/2735-5005; blackturtlelodge.com; tree houses from $95 per person per night, including breakfast and din-ner), the two-bedroom cabins have decks high in the rain-forest canopy. At the tip of the Osa, the Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge (011-506/2735-5206; bosquedelcabo. com; cabins from $160 per night per adult, including meals) has comfort-

able bungalows with outdoor show-ers and a kidney-shaped pool. The resort’s two naturalists lead night-time 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; 506/8898- 2656; 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; 011-506/8829-1247), a six-acre botanical garden reachable only by boat and renowned for its orchids.

a!ordable beaches CENTRAL AMRERICAThe pool at Xanadu Island Resort.

On a jeep ride through the rain forest.

A beach on Drake Bay, on the Osa Peninsula.

Xanadu Island Resorts’s dock.

Out and about in San Pedro, on Ambergris Cay.

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The beaches are pebbled and the waters crystalline on the Gulf of Messinia, where the seaside vil-lage of Kardamili serves as a good jumping-o! point for exploring the entire Mani Peninsula of Greece. Half a mile from town, Elies Hotel (30-27210/73140; 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?

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 court-yards 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).

KARDAMILI BAY, GREECEHISTORY IN THE LANDSCAPE

BARDAKÇI BEACH, TURKEYCOOL ON THE WATER

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.; 90-252/313-8358; thebutterflybodrum.com; doubles from $200, including breakfast) is a surprisingly a!ordable option. The six suites mix antiques and thoughtful details like whisper-light locally made cotton sheets.

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.; 90-252/313-4250; 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; 90-252/313-2216; sandals from $600), a master cobbler who counts Mick Jagger and Madonna among his clients.

a!ordable beaches EUROPE

The pool at Butterfly.

A harbor scene in the Bodrum Peninsula.

Fresh fish at Lela’s Taverna.

Entering the pool terrace at Kyrimai Hotel.

Inside Notos Hotel.

The Aegean Sea, as viewed from the peninsula.

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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 oc-casional 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; bras-sierebeach.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; 66-2/101-1234; 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, calcite-encrusted caves, and wildlife-rich marshes just south of Pranburi.

PRANBURI, THAILANDTHE NEXT WORLD-CLASS RESORT?

LANGKAWI, MALAYSIASTILL UNDER THE RADAR

This cluster of 99 islands o! 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; 60-4/955-3643; bontonresort.com; doubles from $145, including break-fast), 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.

Bon Ton Restaurant and Resort’s pool area.

X2 Kui Buri’s stone-walled spa.

a!ordable beaches ASIA

The private dining room at Bon Ton, perched over its lagoon.

Boating in the Khao Dang Canal.

A shack on Pranburi beach.

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The dunes at Race Point Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

TRAVEL+LEISURE

Editor IRENE EDWARDSArt Director WENDY SCOFIELD

Photo Editor BETH GARRABRANTAssistant Editor KATHRYN O’SHEA-EVANS

Reporter JAMES JUNG

PHOTOGRAPHERSCedric Angeles (5)

Roland Bello (4)Paul Costello (4)Tara Donne (1, 7)

Christian Kerber (5)Robert Landau/Corbis (1)Whitney Lawson (Cover)

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Martin Morrell (5)David Nicolas (2)Ryan Phillips (1)

Andrew Rowat (6)Scott Woodward (6)