12 Activities That Are Better at the Beach

Sand, sun and surf. Who doesn't love a day at the beach? And when you've had enough of lounging in the sun and splashing in the waves, here are 12 ideas that are more fun at the beach.

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Photo By: Capri Tourism Office ©Capri Tourism Office

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Dance the Hula

When in Hawaii, do as the Hawaiians. Join a luau, and shake your hula. The celebration shown here is in Lahaina, Hawaii on Maui.

Camp Out

National parks at beaches around the world offer rooms with a view — campsites actually — for those intrepid enough to pitch their tent by the shore. One of the most scenic placest to camp is at Apple Tree Bay in Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand.

Spin on a Catamaran

At Viceroy’s Sugar Beach Resort in St. Lucia, guests have access to specially designed bicycle-catamaran hybrid devices. Spin classes at the resort involve guests chasing instructors around the Anse des Pitons on the contraptions while checking out the marine life below.

Go Spelunking

The most famous attraction on Capri, an island off of Southern Italy, may well be the underwater caves of the Blue Grotto, a natural formation that glows blue and silver. Take a rowboat through the narrow passageway into the cave, and prepare to be stunned.

Cycle the Dunes

Ride your bike to the beach – or better yet, ride your bike through the beach. Cape Cod has 114 miles of cycling trails, including the 10.7-mile Shining Sea Bikeway and the 7-mile Province Lands trail through the dunes and beaches of Provincetown.

Ride a Horse

While there are still pockets of wild mustangs on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, today, beachgoers can also ride domesticated horses along the area’s windswept beaches. Equine Adventures offers tours and excursions on Hatteras Island.

Zip Away

Travel three-quarters of a mile at 300 feet above the canyon floor on a zipline tour that ends at the beach on Catalina Island.

Explore a Tide Pool

When the tide goes out, take the opportunity to explore the miniature sea worlds left behind in the rocky crevasses. You can find starfish, sea urchins, anemones and all matter of snails and periwinkles, kelps and seaweed in the tide pools of Seawall in Maine’s Acadia National Park.

Go on a Full Moon Paddle

On Oahu, when the moon is full, guests at the Turtle Bay Resort take paddleboards, surfboards and canoes out on a magical moonlit float across the quiet waters of Kawela Bay.

Swim With the Whale Sharks

In Mexico’s Playa de La Paz, beachgoers can join a guide for a swim with whale sharks, gentle creatures that are plentiful in the waters and are drawn to the area for its mangroves and rich plankton.

Pamper Yourself With a Beachside Massage

What’s more relaxing than a day at the beach? How about a day at the spa on the beach? At Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France, the Guerlin spa offers a variety of beachside treatments to serve the island’s jetsetters. Exhausted from your globe-trotting? Request the jetlag treatment.

Build a Sandcastle

The American Institute of Architects holds a sandcastle competition on East Beach in Galveston, Texas each June. But you don’t need to be a professional to build your dream house — just find some sand and start digging in.

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12 Activities That Are Better at the Beach

Related To:

Shop This Look

Dance the Hula

Camp Out

Spin on a Catamaran

Go Spelunking

Cycle the Dunes

Ride a Horse

Zip Away

Explore a Tide Pool

Go on a Full Moon Paddle

Swim With the Whale Sharks

Pamper Yourself With a Beachside Massage

Build a Sandcastle

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