A day at the beach is definitely a relaxing time. There is nothing like laying back on a towel, walking through the soft sand or diving into the crystal blue water to take any stress out of life. That is, of course, if a spot is available, as some beaches are full to the max with people trying to catch some sun or take a swim, which can make it difficult to find a place to put a towel down. Some beaches have plenty of reasons why they attract so many people, such as other activities around, while others offer amazing views, warm water and a great place to tan. But there are some hidden gems as well that don’t get the same attention but offer the same, if not better, quality beach experience, without the waves of people kicking sand on your towel.
So don’t judge a beach just because there isn’t a lot of people. Warm water, great sand, and perfect sun can be found in many different places. And some of them offer spectacular views in an exotic place, without a bunch of people creating noise, kicking sand or taking your spot. So show these beaches some love if looking for a beach vacation.
25 Crowded: Coney Island
Coney Island is one of New York’s most popular beaches which is generally jammed packed throughout the summer.
The beach is free to the public so it gets very crowded quickly, so get there early to find a spot near the water.
It’s popular due to other attractions around, such as Luna Park, which offers plenty of rides, and the Deno’s Wonderwheel Amusement Park with its 1920 Ferris wheel, so it’s a full day of action at the beach, but it’s just as busy as anyone would expect a New York beach to be.
24 Not Enough Love: Happy Bay Beach
Happy Bay is a relatively unknown beach in of St. Martin, which has to do with the fact that the beach is not that easy to access.
It’s a 10 to 15-minute walk through under bush to get to the beach before you get to the postcard-worthy beach sand that is perfect for a quiet day.
There is no commercial activity on the beach, which helps keep it quiet, so anyone visiting has to remember to bring everything with them. But once there, it’s palm trees, white sand, and the bluest water to swim in.
23 Crowded: Beach of Durres
The Beach of Durres is the largest beach in Albania, which is right beside Italy and Greece in Europe.
It’s the main getaway for beachgoers during the summer months and gets very crowded because of that.
There is the Amphitheatre of Durrës nearby that people stop at while catching a tan. It is estimated by albca.com that 600,000 people visit the beach each year. That’s a lot of people to have to share an area with and battle for umbrella space with, so it might be worth looking for something a little more secluded.
22 Crowded: Miami Beach
Miami Beach may be a great place for stargazing, but it is a popular spot for cruise ships which means, plenty of people are getting off and spending time in Miami before they get on their cruise ship, or head back home after a cruise.
Miami Beach is actually a man-made island according to escapehere.com, and it’s actually where suntan lotion was invented.
So it’s obviously a great spot for tanning, of course, if there is a spot to put a towel down and catch some sun.
21 Not Enough Love: Alona Beach
Alona Beach is one of the most famous stops on Panglao Island in the Philippines, but it still doesn’t get the same visit count as some of the other beaches in this list.
White sand, blue waters, world-class diving, it’s a paradise that doesn’t get the same love as more popular beaches.
The beach isn’t that large and it can be walked in about 10 to 15 minutes, so it’s perfect for a great romantic walk on Panglao Island. And there are hotels and restaurants, so it’s not like everything needs to be carried to the beach.
20 Crowded: Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach is a resort beach, so already it should be obvious that plenty of people are going to be setting up umbrellas and towels as close to the water as they can.
The small city has a population of over 22,000 and living that close to the coast, it’s obvious what the residents are doing.
It does offer plenty of coves to visit, but being in California, it’s a huge area for surfing and diving, as well as sunbathing, so get there early to claim your spot.
19 Crowded: Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is South Korea’s most popular beach according to the Korea Tourism Organization, as they hold numerous cultural festivals. During the peak months of June to August, thousands of people come to lay claim to their spot in the sand. With so many umbrellas up, it looks hard to try and catch a tan, but every year, more and more people hit the sands at Haeundae. In fact, it’s been said the beach is ‘hyper-crowded’, which is not something anyone wants to hear when describing a beach.
18 Not Enough Love: Cirali Beach
Just read some of the reviews on tripadvisor.ca about Cirali Beach and the picture is painted. “Too lovely for words”, “The best place to view a sunset” and “A calm and quiet beach”.
It’s everything anyone could want, and it’s also a turtle reserve.
This beach is located in Turkey in the small town of Cirali, so really only the locals know about it. With plenty of green mountains overhead, it’s as perfect a picture of a beach as anyone could ask for.
17 Crowded: La Perla Beach
According to USA Today, La Perla Beach is the most crowded beach in Argentina. For those looking for a Southern beach to suntan on during the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, La Perla is great, if of course a spot in the sand is saved.
It gets very crowded due to it being a family beach and it features plenty of playgrounds and volleyball courts, so there is a lot of action going on every day.
People have even said that there are so many people, it seems like they are stuck together.
16 Crowded: Dameisha Bathing Beach
In China, bathing beaches become major attractions, and with Dameisha Beach being free to the public, it’s one of the most crowded.
Located in Shenzhen, it’s the most popular beach in the city and draws thousands of people looking to soak in the sun, if they can find room.
Some reviews of the beach have said it is “bumper to bumper”, which is what someone would expect to hear talking about traffic in a busy street, not a beach that someone wants to spend the day at.
15 Not Enough Love: Ko Lanta Beach
Thailand has plenty of beaches to visit, but one that is secluded is the Ko Lanta Beach, which does have hotels and resorts and is popular, but is in the Northwest corner of the country and offers a very laid back beach day.
According to lanta-islands.com, the beaches all are on the west coast, perfect for watching the sunrise, and during the peak season, it is never crowded, compared to some of the other beaches in Thailand. This beach is LA great example of how it is worth it to do some homework before deciding to visit Thailand for a beach vacation.
14 Crowded: Brighton Beach
Brighton is a famous seaside resort, so already anyone can just imagine how busy the beach is going to be. It’s a short distance from London, England, and with plenty of museums, Royal Palaces, and other attractions according to visitbritain.com, it’s no wonder that during the peak summer days, the beach fills up fast with people from London.
There is even a Ferris wheel on the beach, making it similar to Coney Island in the United States.
So be warned when visiting Britain that this beach is going to have a lot of people looking for a spot.
13 Crowded: Myrtle Beach
According to oceanreefmyrtlebeach.com, Myrtle Beach was named the top family vacation in a poll by TripAdvisor, so already anyone can tell that it’s going to be crowded.
It’s home to a famous golf course and has plenty of miles of white sand, but the South Carolina beach is so popular, it might be best to try something a little more secluded.
There are actually 104 golf courses in the area, so it’s definitely a tourist destination, which brings plenty of people to the beach looking to swim and tan.
12 Not Enough Love: Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach is located in Delaware and is a small town community of just 1,253 people according to hometownlocator.com. So there aren’t many locals coming down to the beach and even fewer tourist coming to what is a beautiful beach.
The population does go up during the peak season to 15,000, but the town as a reputation for being quiet, which is exactly what anyone wants to hear when they want a quiet beach location.
It does have its own boardwalk, some hotels and everything for a quiet summer getaway trip.
11 Crowded: Ipanema Beach
Ipanema Beach was made world famous by a Bossa Nova song, “The Girl From Ipanema” and is the second most popular beach in Rio de Janeiro.
It’s bustling with activity in the beach city, with volleyball and soccer games going on at the same time people are trying to catch a tan.
Add in windsurfers, wake-boarders and divers, there is so much activity that if a relaxing trip is what you’re looking for, Ipanema Beach might be something to skip for something a little less active.
10 Not Enough Love: Salema Beach
When The Telegraph calls a location a secret seaside beach, it’s got to be secluded. In fact, it hasn’t been touched much and is all natural and part of the Costa Vicentina Natural Park. The old fishing village has an amazing beach with a great view if looking out at the water or back at the city, as part of the village is on a cliff overlooking the water.
The water in this Portugal beach is also Blue flag certified, which means it is the highest quality water.
With no strong waves, the water is calm and ideal for swimming and windsurfing
9 Crowded: Plage de Rabat
In the capital of Morocco is the Plage de Rabat, which is home to the country’s most famous museum and Royal Palace, as well as the famous crescent-shaped beach. But with 1.2 million people in the area, that beach is always packed with people, with half the beach being taken up by people playing sports, such as soccer.
Hard to get a tan going when a soccer game is going over your towel.
Sitting on the Atlantic Ocean, however, some people don’t mind a little noise, as Plage de Rabat has a lighthouse to walk up to that offers a breathtaking view. Just be mindful of an attacking striker looking to score a goal.
8 Not Enough Love: Phú Quốc Island
The Phu Quoc Island beaches are located in the Gulf of Thailand and are underdeveloped and little explored. Because of this, they are very clean and quiet beaches that do have a military presence but they are mostly just a nice secluded place to swim and tan. There are some tourist resorts and small beaches that offer even more seclusion, and the island is mostly accessible by motorbike. The best time to head to the Phu Quoc Islands is during November and March, where it’s still warm and the monsoon season can be avoided.
7 Crowded: Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach doesn’t really have a downtime of day. According to Sydney.com, the most popular beach in Australia is buzzing morning, late afternoon and night and has an amazing night scene that brings a lot of people out.
Add in the golden sands, turquoise water, and the world famous surfing0luring waves, it’s no wonder why Bondi Beach has plenty of people filling up the spaces.
As some have said, during the summer, it’s hard to see sand through the waves of people. Not exactly what a sunbather would be looking for.
6 Not Enough Love: Ned’s Beach
Ned’s Beach on Lord Howe Island is a Sanctuary Zone, which offers some unique view of different coral, fish, and marine life. Tourist can be part of the experience of this zone, which also helps to keep the swimming, beach going population to a minimum. The beach is right up against the forest and offers amazing sand and crystal blue water and some amazing views. The reason for the low numbers is because the tourist numbers are capped, making Ned’s Beach a paradise with a limited number of people on the beach, so there will always be free space to put a towel down.