Beaches & Bikinis

6 Beaches. 6 Bikinis. Comparing the diverse beaches I’ve encountered during my travels and their uniqueness in style and landscape.

1. Enchanting Adriatic

Leaping and lounging on deck

During my Croatian island cruising, I alternated between lounging on deck and leaping off my sailboat into the shimmering Adriatic Sea. The Croatian coastline is simply stunning, with more than 1,000 islands scattered along its length. Ensconced in city walls curving along the shore, it makes a striking contrast between the brilliant blues of the sky and water. The coastline is also a beautiful place for lush scenery. I will never forget jumping into these luminous waters, floating on my back and feeling so lucky to be where I was.

2. Risqué Nice

Très risqué in nude coloured underwear

The beaches of Nice in France are often scattered with the occasional nudist. I took this practice as far as I could go. I stripped down to my underwear (which happened to be nude), so it really did look like I was topless from afar. Instead of sand, the beach is covered in pebbles. It was a little uncomfortable lying down at first, until I squirmed into a groove that massaged my back nicely.

3. Festive Ipanema

A Surfer’s Paradise

Sipping from a fresh coconut, I had the most perfect mosey from the beach of Ipanema all the way to Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hundreds of surfers were out catching a wave along Ipanema, and I admired the biggest waves that I had ever seen. The waves crashed down loudly on shore and refreshingly sprayed my skin. By the time I reached Copacabana, music was blaring from all directions and dancers filled the streets wearing big, colourful and festive costumes. Rio, celebrating life, is an everyday ritual that makes this beach scene both exciting and relaxing.

Ipanema

Copacabana

4. Electrifying Paradise

Vivacious and vibrant cocktails

Paradise Beach in Mykonos, Greece is the ultimate party paradise. What can I say about Mykonos cocktails . . . Well, they are a) very strong b) very expensive and c) very decorative.  These drinks cost about 10 Euros each, but as they were almost 100% alcohol, I got my money’s worth. There are so many people drinking, swimming, and dancing. I was told to look out for “The Elephant Man” and that I would know what it was when I saw it. Sure enough, I noticed a guy wearing only an elephant G-string.

5. Exciting Capri

Speed boating and jellyfish invasion

The Isle of Capri in Italy is surrounded by tall, craggy cliffs and bright, azure blue waters. It’s an island with so many activities to do, the most popular being boat rentals. We rented a speedboat and sped out into the Tyrrhenian Sea like rapid fire. We anchored our boat to jump into the water, but I was reluctant to do so since there were jellyfish surrounding the area. I took in the beautiful scenery and warmth while remaining on boat.

6. Exotic Red Sea

Snorkeling in a tornado of colourful and unusual fish

My snorkel experience in Egypt within the coral reefs of the Red Sea was beautiful. We went out in a small yacht with our snorkeling guide. I was really anxious to jump into the glimmering turquoise waters. The seawater felt great, although extremely salty. The snorkeling was amazing. The colours in the coral reefs and fish ranged from purples to reds to greens to blues to oranges and yellows. There were large areas where the reefs were extremely close to the surface so I could get lots of cool close up shots with my underwater camera.