1. Copacabana Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Copacabana
is a borough located in the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro,
famous for its 4 km beach. The district was originally called Sacopenapã
until the mid-18th century. It was renamed after the construction of a
chapel holding a replica of the Virgin of Copacabana, the patron saint
of Bolivia. It was incorporated into the city on July 6, 1892.
Copacabana begins at Princesa Isabel Avenue and ends at Posto Seis
(lifeguard watchtower Six) near the Forte de Copacabana (Fort
Copacabana). Beyond Copacabana, there is the small Arpoador beach,
followed by the famous borough of Ipanema. According to Riotur, the
Tourism Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro, there are 63 hotels and 10
hostels in Copacabana.
2. Waikiki, Hawaii
Waikiki
is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City & County of Honolulu, on
the south shore of the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the
shoreline fronting Waikiki and one of the best known beaches in the
world. The neighborhood extends from the Ala Wai Canal (a channel dug to
drain former wetlands) on the west and north, to Diamond Head on the
east. The name means spouting fresh water in Hawaiian for springs and
streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikiki from the interior.
Waikiki has long been a place of relaxation. In particular, the area
was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s. Today the neighborhood
and beach are considered the center of the tourist industry in Hawaii,
with an abundance of both high-rise resort hotels (including the Hilton
Hawaiian Village, the Halekulani hotel, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, and
the Sheraton Waikiki) and historic hotels dating back to the early 20th
century (such as the Moana Surfrider Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian
Hotel). As seen in the picture, Waikiki Beach is noted for its
magnificent view of Diamond Head. The frequently visited tourist beach,
easily accessible by an alley next to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, is
actually fairly short, with half of it marked off for surfers. For some
distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, although there are
numerous rocks on the bottom, so waders should watch where they put
their feet. As with most ocean beaches the waves can have some force,
particularly on windy days.
The beach has had its problems with erosion, leading to the construction
of groins and beach replenishment projects. For example, in the 1920s
and 1930s sand was obtained from Manhattan Beach, California, and
transported via ship and barges to Waikiki.
Since 2001, there have been free movies on the beach. Many tourists from
around the world can view a movie on an outdoor 30 foot screen. This
particular free movie event in Waikiki is called "Sunset on the Beach".
Sunset on the Beach typically shows movies of no higher than a PG
rating. Recently, they showed Enchanted.
3. Cancun, Mexico
Cancún
is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo, on the
Yucatán Peninsula best known as the Mexican Caribbean or at the northern
section of the Mayan Riviera; however Cancun does not share a similar
climate or topography to the Mediterranean.
It is the municipal seat of Benito Juárez municipality and a
world-renowned tourist resort. The city center is located on the
mainland which connects over the Nichupté and Bojórquez lagoons to a
narrow "7" shaped island where the modern beachfront hotels are located.
The island of Isla Mujeres is a nearby island located off the coast and
is accessible by boat from Puerto Juarez or Punta Sam.
The older section of the city, known as "El Centro" follows the original
master plan, consists of neighborhoods called "supermanzanas"
(superblocks) that are formed by the intersections of the boulevards and
traffic circles (roundabouts). This area is characterized by winding
streets with cul-de-sacs that tend to keep out the main flow of traffic,
including market places such Xel Ha. They usually have one or more
parks, green spaces, paseos (pedestrian walkways) and various national
historical monuments. Ave. Tulum is the main north-south artery
(connecting downtown to the airport some 30km to south). Tulum is
bisected by Ave. Coba (pronounced Koh bah). East of Ave. Tulum, Coba
becomes Ave. Kukulcan which serves as the primary road that runs through
the long "7" shaped hotel zone. Ave. Tulum is terminated on the north
side by Ave. Paseo José López Portillo which connects to the main
highway to Chichen Itza and Merida. Another major north-south road is
Ave. Bonampak which runs roughly parallel to Ave. Tulum. The main ferry
to Isla Mujeres is located off Bonampak.
The original master plan was repeatedly modified and, on the mainland,
often ignored. To save on the cost of installing sewage systems and
other public services, the design of much of the rest of the city
reverted to the grid plan after Hurricane Gilbert (1988). The newest
upper-middle-class residential areas reflect the original plan, but are
much less intimate. Less expensive developments are comprised almost
entirely of identical one- or two-story small row houses, sometimes
built around interior plazas. Almost all buildings on the mainland are
under four stories high.
4. Surfer's Paradise, Australia.
Surfers
Paradise is a suburb on Australia's Gold Coast in Queensland.
Colloquially known as 'Surfers', the suburb is famous for its many
high-rise apartment buildings and wide surf beach. The central feature
of the Surfers Paradise central business district is Cavill Mall, which
runs through the centre of the main shopping precinct. Cavill Avenue,
named after Jim Cavill, an early hotel owner, is one of the busiest
shopping strips in Queensland, and is the centre of activity for night
life and 'schoolies' trips.
5. Negril, Jamaica.
Negril
is a large beach resort located across parts of two Jamaican parishes,
Westmoreland and Hanover. Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in
Jamaica, located on the south side of the island. Downtown Negril, the
West End cliff resorts to the south of downtown, and the southern
portion of the seven mile beach are in Westmoreland. The northernmost
resorts on the beach are actually located in Hanover. Both parishes are
part of the county of Cornwall. The nearest large town and capital of
Westmoreland is Savanna-la-Mar.
6. South Beach, Florida
South
Beach is the section of Miami Beach, Florida that encompasses the
southernmost 23 blocks of an island separating the Atlantic Ocean and
Biscayne Bay. This area was the first section of Miami Beach to be
developed, starting in the 1910s, thanks to the development efforts of
Carl G. Fisher, the Lummus Brothers, John S. Collins, and others. The
area has gone through numerous man-made and natural changes over the
years, including a booming regional economy, increased tourism, and the
1926 hurricane that destroyed much of the area.
7. Phi Phi, Thailand.
The
Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of
Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don,
the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands, is located at [show
location on an interactive map] 7°44′00″N, 98°46′00″E. Both Phi Phi
Don, and Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, are administratively part of Krabi
province, most of which is on the mainland, and is located at 8°02′30″N,
98°48′39″E.
Ko Phi Phi Don (meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the largest
island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants,
although the beaches of the second largest island, Ko Phi Phi Lee (or
"Ko Phi Phi Leh"), are visited by many people as well. There are no
accommodation facilities on this island, but it is just a short boat
ride from Ko Phi Phi Don. The rest of the islands in the group,
including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than
large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.
Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late
1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi
Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.
Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi
Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's
nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach'
that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the
environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal.
Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased
dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings
were constructed without planning permission.
8. Boracay, Philippines
Boracay
is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of
Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the
Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country's
most popular tourist destinations. The island comprises the barangays of
Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up
the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of
the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial
Government of Aklan.
9. Tenerife, Canary Islands
The
Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago. The archipelago consists of
seven major islands, one minor island, and several small islets. They
are of volcanic origin and can be found in the North Atlantic Ocean.
These islands are located just off the coast of the north-western
portion of the African continent/mainland, nearest the political divide
of Morocco and Western Sahara. They form the autonomous community of the
Canary Islands. The Canary Islands were formed by the Canary hotspot.
The status of capital city is shared by the two cities of Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
10. Natadola Beach, Fiji
