Correction to post 26: the beach with the coral reef in shallow water is on the southern tip of Grand Turk, not Provo.
Aruba! We have traveled to many islands in the Caribbean, and in my opinion the Eagle Beach / Manchebo Beach area is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. We’ve been to Aruba three times for one week vacations, and each time I have walked across the beach at the sand point at Manchebo to enjoy the 180+ degree view of the beach and sand.
It is pretty easy to get to Aruba. Be aware though that Aruba is a desert island, so it does not have a tropical feel when you are inland. On the upside, there is very little rain. If you go somewhere tropical you will probably have some light rain most afternoons.
One more suggestion – the pink sands of Crane Beach in Barbados. It is a beautiful spot, but it is a short beach without much opportunity for long walks on the beach. Check out the Crane Resort.
You have a lot of wonderful suggestions so far. 2 weeks is a long time. I think a major factor when deciding is what other interesting things are there to do in the vicinity besides the beach.
Based on your description OP, I suggest:
The Caymen’s beaches are beautiful. And if you like diving it’s special. If you don’t want people some of the Caymen’s have less people than others.
Montenegro and Croatia ( clear water to 30 feet, interesting spots and amazing beaches which aren’t crowded)
Cinque Terre, Nice/St. Tropez etc, most Italian beaches in the North ( definitely no, unless your idea of a beach is wall to wall bodies and umbrellas on a tiny spit of sand) (Some of the Italian islands are great though).
South Africa: Yes but not that time of year.
Hawaii ( You said you’re not interested) I think Maui is a great choice.
Caneel Bay St John’s ( beautiful, don’t know if it would be crowded that time of year).
Cape Hatteras and further south. The beach on Oracoke Island was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Riptide is an issue, however. Hardly anyone on the beach. The outer banks are gorgeous.
Nantucket: Get out of town and go to the far beaches. They are lovely. Not going to say which as I like it too much to share.
Bermuda: No, there is essentially a handful of small beaches. Otherwise very rocky. Plus Bermuda is great but the beaches are not the selling point. IMO.
Many beaches in the US can be crowded at the drop off points, or areas with hotels but really deserted once you get away from the crowds.
I would say #1Montenegro, #2Cape Hatteras/#3Nantucket.
Northern Michigan/Lake Michigan. Fine sandy beaches and you can find them easily where there is no one around at all. I have a pic of the kids when they were little on the beach in Cayman and on our home beach and you cannot tell the difference in the water color or the sand color and texture. I only know which photo is which because I took the picture so remember which swim suits they had on in each and I have them framed side by side for “fun.” I’ve honestly been to many places for winter get-aways and never found beaches as good as what we have in our backyard. My son got stung by jellyfish in the Caribbean and prefers unsalted water free of things that bite or sting. In Michigan they call it sugar sand or singing sand. August and early September is the best time in Michigan for bathtub temperature waters otherwise the water is cool in June and July. I prefer northern Michigan than down closer to Chicago. I think the water is more turquoise up north and the water definitely more clean plus the beaches are more pristine and vacant because less day-trippers and tourists.This is a pretty good listing but there are hundreds and hundreds of beaches from Chicago to the bridge on Lake Michigan not to mention the other great lakes. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-beaches-michigan/ and singing sand for fun: http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/singing_sand
@Happytimes2001 Caneel Bay was wiped out by the storm, is involved in litigation as far as rebuilding, and is not at all operational. Cross that one off the list. There are many other properties on St. John, however.
you guys are amazing…thank you!! I can’t wait to let you know where we end up going : )
You’ve received a lot of great suggestions.
I for one, could definitely take a 2 week beach vacation - of course I would do more than just beach time, but I could totally make due with miles of beach to walk, hikes to take and good food and little towns to explore. Don’t need a museum to even be in the mix!
BUT if I had two weeks, I’d want to really take advantage of so much time to explore perhaps more than one place. So my suggestion I didn’t note above (sorry if I missed it) is the south of France. Make your way along the southern coast and explore beautiful beaches/water, calenques, towns, food, etc. Marseille to Nice.
And I always have to throw my vote in for a Michigan adventure. Up the Lake Michigan coast to Traverse and the Leelanau Pennisula. Just a beautiful trip!
Also cost is a factor. Some beach vacations cost beaucoup bucks and others are relatively inexpensive.
My two favorite beaches/places in the world:
- Ocracoke Island, NC. The water is not particularly blue but the beaches are beautiful! Can only be reached by a car ferry and you can drive on the beach. The island is laid back, really feel as if you are away from it all. You can ride your bike around town or rent a golf cart.
- St John, USVI. Every beach is beautiful! The water is beautiful and the snorkeling is awesome! The island also has that laid back feeling. I cannot wait to go back.
@MomofWildChild Good to know. St. John: It’s beautiful but not my idea of heaven ( would be #100 or so). So many other places with more interesting culture and things to do nearby.
St. John IS my idea of heaven and has been since the mid-90s when we started going. The general feeling of the island is like no other, and the culture (and Kenny Chesney) is very special. But it’s not for everyone, I guess (fortunately) which is why it is so different. We like to watch sunsets, drink boat drinks on our deck, go to different beaches (some of which require a hike), snorkel, run, take sailing or power boat excursions to the BVI and support the local economy.
In July…what about San Diego area? Rent a beach house in La Jolla. Very nice beaches, weather is perfect…and there is plenty plenty to do in the greater San Diego are for two weeks. Plenty.
Oh…not too exciting if you are coming from San Francisco.
What about Sanibel!
St John in USVI is a perfect destination. You can take day trips to the Baths on Virgin Gorda and, for a fun beach party scene for your D, a day trip to Soggy Dollar Bar or Foxies on Jost Van Dyke.
I prefer the beaches north of Camp Pendleton to south. I love San Clemente but the sand is still grainy and the water not as clean and clear as I prefer. I want to see the bottom sand ripples when I am in water up to my neck! My sibling loved St. John and I am a St Maarten fan.
Another idea is sailing from island to island in Greece. Not as expensive as you might think and you could visit multiple islands and beaches.
There are many things I love about California, but the beaches are not one of them. I like to look at the water and walk on the beach, but as far as a “beach day”- no thanks. The water is too cold and simply not as nice as the Caribbean.
I’ve been all over the world (Thailand, Mexico, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Brazil, Hawaii, Greece…….etc.) and the best sand beaches are in the panhandle of Florida, bar none. St Andrew’s state park has miles of beach and I’ve walked on it with no one around. Having said that, this is the nicest beach, and I mean beach only. There isn’t much to do or see like you would in Thailand, Vietnam, France, or Greece where its much more populated. If you want more than a beach I like @Lindagaf for her ideas.
Living in CA, I’m with you, MomofWildChild. I LOVE living so close to the Pacific (actually spent the day at Stinson today) but to get me INTO the water, I need warm temps, clear water and soft sand. San Diego is brrrrrrr and that’s teh best we’ve got. No thanks! I’m having fun looking at St. Thomas, Aruba and Italy. So many options. I’m interested that no one has mentioned the DR. In past years I’ve heard good things about their beaches.
To be honest, I can’t tell one beach from another when I am in Caribbean. What makes it fun/interesting is the resort and what things I could around the resort. I agree with MOWC about CA beaches, not the nicest.
I haven’t been to Club Med in the 2 years and have been going to other all inclusive resorts because my family want to try something new. Unfortunately after each vacation, someone would say, “Maybe we should just go back to Club Med.” Club Med provides a lot of activities on the resort. It is very vibrant with a lot of young people working there. The best part is most activities are included in the price, so guests get to try new sports they have never done before. My sister and BIL are avid tennis players. They couldn’t find people to play double with at the resort we were at, but at Club Med they could always find friendly people at their level they could play with. They have resorts at many islands, especially in Europe.