Oludeniz Beach, Turkey

Ölüdeniz (literally Dead Sea, due to its calm waters even during storms; official translation name Blue Lagoon) is a small village and beach resort in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey, at the conjunction point of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. It is located 14 km (9 mi) to the south of Fethiye, near Mount Babadağ.

Ölüdeniz remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. It has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Ölüdeniz, on a blue lagoon. The beach itself is a pebble beach. The lagoon is a national nature reserve and construction is strictly prohibited.^[2] The seawater of Ölüdeniz is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, while its beach is an official Blue Flag beach, frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals alike

Paragliding

Ölüdeniz is also famous for its paragliding opportunities. It is regarded as one of the best places in the world to paraglide due to its unique panoramic views, and Mount Babadağ's exceptional height.

Ultramarathon

Since 2010, an international multiday trail running ultramarathon, called Lycian Way Ultramarathon, is held on the historical Lycian Way. The event runs eastward on a route of around 220–240 km (140–150 mi) from Ölüdeniz to Antalya in six days

Scuba diving

Ölüdeniz offer a variety of diving opportunities with regard to its crystal clear waters and rich underwater caves and fauna. Scuba diving is the most popular underwater activity. Local diving agencies provide courses and required scuba diving licenses. Snorkeling is another diving activity and many sites are very suitable for snorkeling.

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Puka Beach, Boracay, Philippines

Boracay is a small island in the Philippines located approximately 315 km (196 mi) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip ofPanay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay Island and its beaches have received awards from numerous travel publications and agencies. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak in themunicipality of Malay, in Aklan Province. The island is administered by the Philippine Tourism Authority and the provincial government of Aklan. Apart from its white sand beaches, Boracay is also famous for being one of the world's top destinations for relaxation. It is also emerging among the top destinations for tranquility and nightlife.

Partly because of its wind and weather patterns, tourism in Boracay is at its peak during the Amihanseason. During Amihan, the prevailing wind blows from the east. Boracay's main tourism area, White Beach, is on the western side of the island and is sheltered from the wind. During the Amihan season, the water off White Beach is often glassy-smooth. On the eastern side of the island, hills on the northern and southern ends of the island channel the Amihan season wind from the east onshore, onto Bulabog Beach in the central part of the island's eastern side. This makes the reef-protected waters off that beach ideal for windsurfingand kiteboarding / kitesurfing.

In June 2011, it was reported that a real estate development group led by Andrew Tan had earmarked P20 billion to develop tourism estates "featuring an integrated, master-planned layout and world-class resort offerings and amenities" in Boracay and Cavite. The planned Boracay project, Boracay Newcoast, involves four hotels with 1,500 rooms, a plaza and entertainment center.

 

Leisure activities

Leisure activities available on or near Boracay include scuba diving, diving helmet, snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, cliff diving, parasailing and beach relaxation.

Boracay is the site of an 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh. In addition, as of 2010, Boracay has in excess of 350 beach resorts offering more than 2,000 rooms ranging in quality from five-star to budget accommodation. In addition, Boracay offers a wide range of restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs.

 

Events

Boracay is one competitive venue for the Asian Windsurfing Tour, with the week-long Boracay International Funboard Cupcompetition usually held in January on Bulabog Beach. In 2010, the event dates are January 25 – 31. CNNGo, a division ofCNN focused on travel/lifestyle/entertainment, selected the Boracay International Funboard Competition on the weekend of January 22–24 as one of its 52 weekend recommendations for 2010.

The well-known Ati-Atihan Festival takes place each January in Kalibo on nearby Panay island. A much smaller Ati-Atihan festival is celebrated on Boracay, usually in the second or third week of January.

Dragon boat races are held annually on Boracay under the auspices of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, with teams coming from around the Philippines and from other Asian nations to compete. The races usually take place sometime in April or May. The 2012 Boracay Edition of the PDBF International Club Crew Challenge to is scheduled for April 26–28, 2012.

The Boracay Open Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament, an ultimate frisbee event, has been held annually since 2003, usually in March or April.

 

Asian Games Centennial Festival

Boracay will host a special multi-sport event called the Asian Games Centennial Festival. On its 31st General Assembly in Macau, theOlympic Council of Asia (OCA) has decided to create the Asian Games Centennial Festival in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Oriental Games (later became Far Eastern Championship Games).^[48] OCA has awarded the Philippines the hosting rights as it was the same host 100 years ago in the first Far Eastern Championship Games held in Manila. The Asian Games Centennial Festival will be held in Boracay on November 2013. The 32nd OCA General Assembly will be held in conjunction of the games.

 

Philippine Swimming League

On April 27, 2014, the Philippine Swimming League was held at Boracay Island for their open water swim after the competition in Aklan Sports Complex in Makato, Aklan. Many swimming teams joined the competition including Aklan Swimming Club based in Kalibo, Aklan and John B. Lacson Swimming Team which it is based in Iloilo City.

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Jeffreys Bay, South Africa

Jeffreys Bay (Afrikaans: Jeffreysbaai, also known as J-bay) is a town located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town is situated just off the N2 Highway, about an hour's drive southwest of Port Elizabeth.

History

Jeffreys Bay is named after the senior partner of the firm Jeffrey & Glendinnings that opened a store in 1849 on the location where the town is today. Jeffrey is believed to be the first person to have settled there.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jeffreys Bay was known as a hippie hangout, where the now-burgeoning surf community originated. Jeffreys Bay has grown from a sleepy little fishing town over the past few years and is one of the fastest expanding urban areas in the country.

Jeffreys Bay is a popular tourist destination because of its surfing opportunities and the Blue Flag beach.

Tourism

Jeffreys Bay is famous for abundant seashells, great seafood and calamari. The nearby Kabeljous, Seekoei and Krom River lagoons host numerous water birds, and are also ideal for watersports like canoeing, boardsailing, and fishing. Every year, migrating whales make their way to Hermanus and Witsand to give birth, and whales can be seen breaching almost every day during the season.

Just northeast of the town, on the Kabeljous River, lies the Kabeljous Nature Reserve. It is a walk-about reserve, well known to anglers for a diverse number of fish. The Kabeljous estuary is one of the best preserved estuaries in the Eastern Cape. The lagoon is home to waterfowl, herons, and a variety of waders. Nearby, the Seekoei River Nature Reserve lies between Aston Bay and Paradise Beach. The reserve lies on the estuary formed by the Seekoei and Swart rivers. The reserve is rich in birdlife with over 120 species of birds. The lagoon is also home to numerous red-knobbed coots and small antelope. Fishing from boats is prohibited here. There is also a circular hiking trail that takes about three hours to complete. The trail starts with a trip on a raft across the lagoon and runs through fynbos and subtropical vegetation.

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Las Salinas, Ibiza, Spain

Why go?

Named after the salt lakes in the south of Ibiza, this mile-long crescent of sand on the southernmost tip of the island is bordered by a small pine forest. With music blaring from the party bars, it’s here that you will find the most ostentatious clientele on the island.

Who goes?

Sometimes it can end up as a who’s who on the world party scene. Anything goes here but the more beautiful and glamorous set (Jade Jagger and Kate Moss) gather down at the Sa Trinxa Beach Bar (see below), where Jon Sa Trinxa, an island institution, plays his unique Balearic beats well into the night.

What is there to do?

Water sports are available, including catamarans. With big breakers here on windy days, you can sometimes enjoy a good body-surf. Hiking paths wind through the conservation area behind.

Bars and bites

The Jockey Club (971 395788). Farther down the beach from the Sa Trinxa Bar, this informal restaurant has a pleasant elevated view of the sea and an extensive menu. Something a little different for the bold is the ostrich fillet. The legendary Sa Trinxa Beach Bar (670 368019,www.satrinxa.com) is the place for a liquid lunch or supper. Despite its relaxed hippy feel, it always provides an electric warm-up for a night on the town.

Getting there

There are plenty of buses from Ibiza Town. In a car, follow signs to the airport and then, at the roundabout by the Hippodrome, take the second turning to Salinas and follow the signs.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/bestbeaches/7634242/Best-beaches-on-Ibiza-Spain-Las-Salinas-Playa-den-Bossa.html

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Bandon, Oregon, United States

Bandon /ˈbændən/ is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States, on the south side of the mouth of the Coquille River. It was named by George Bennet, an Irish peer, who settled nearby in 1873 and named the town after Bandon in Ireland, his hometown. The population was 3,066 at the 2010 census. In 2010, Bandon was named one of the "Coolest Small Towns in America" by BudgetTravel.

Before 1850, the Coquille Indians lived in the area. Then in 1851, gold was discovered at nearby Whiskey Run Beach byFrench Canadian trappers, though the gold rush did not have much of an impact on the area. In 1852, Henry Baldwin, fromCounty Cork, Ireland, was shipwrecked on the Coos Bay bar and walked into this area. The first permanent settlers came in 1853 and established the present town site. In 1856, the first conflicts with Indigenous Americans in the United States arose and those were sent to the Siletz Reservation. In 1859, the boat Twin Sisters sailed into the Coquille River and opened the outlet for all inland produce and resources.

 

Bandon was founded by the Irish peer George Bennett in 1873. George Bennett, his sons Joseph and George, and George Sealey came from Bandon, Ireland. The following year the town's previous name of Averille was changed to Bandon after the town of the same name in Ireland. The next year, Joseph Williams and his three sons arrived, also from Bandon, Ireland. In 1877, the post office was established. In 1880, cheese making began. That same year, Congress appropriated money to build the jetty. In 1883, the first sawmill, school house, and Catholic church were built. In 1884, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction on the jetty.

George Bennett also introduced gorse (Ulex europaeus) into the local area, which in the following decades went wild and became a nuisance in both the town and in the neighboring countryside. Gorse, a spiny plant, grows so thickly a person cannot walk through it. It is also a very oily plant, which easily catches fire.

Cranberries have been grown in Bandon since 1885, when Charles McFarlin planted vines he brought from Massachusetts. McFarlin had originally come to pan for gold in California. He did not make his fortune, or even a living, so he turned to what he knew best. He brought vines from Cape Cod and planted them in the state's first cranberry bog near Hauser. This bog produced cranberries for eight decades. His variety adapted to growing conditions on the west coast. The variety was named McFarlin in his honor and was the principal variety grown on the west coast until overtaken by the Stevens variety. Bandon is also the location of the first cranberry bogs to be wet harvested, which is done by building dikes around the bogs then flooding them.

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Lover Beach, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Lovers Beach or Playa del Amor is located on the Sea of Cortez side of Land's End at Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Baja Califorina Sur, Mexico.

Once known as Playa de Doña Chepa, Lovers Beach is another must, but to get to this hidden cove you'll need some kind of floating transportation. Easiest is to hire a water taxi at the marina. The captain will take you on an informative tour of the diving areas around the arch (El Arco), point out Lovers Beach, then go around the popular point for a wonderful view of the dramatic area where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. We suggest you pack a lunch of your choice, some water and plan on spending the better part of the day enjoying Lovers Beach and the striking wind and water shaped rock formations. Ask your skipper to come back for you at a pre-determined time...all for one price. Be most careful here, the powerful waves and currents of the Pacific make swimming quite dangerous. Swimming and snorkeling should only be attempted on the Sea of Cortez side of Lovers Beach.

Playa del Amor (Love Beach) or Playa del Amante (Lovers Beach) - also known as Playa Doña Chepa in earlier years.
Except from Los Cabos Magazine - Issue #6 - 1999

Playa del Amor is the photogenic marvel hidden behind Land's End and is seen in many of the travel ads for Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos. Ironically, it's delightfully small and difficult to get to on foot. Getting there is easy by water taxi; much harder (and not suggested) is to climb the rocks from Playa Solmar. Once on Love Beach, you are surrounded by smooth, towering rocks and water on two sides. In 1940, the population of Cabo San Lucas could practically be counted on both hands, yet John Steinbeck's description of what was then known as Playa Doña Chepa is still apt and thought provoking more than half a century later:

"The tip of the Cape at San Lucas, with the huge gray Friars standing up on the end, has behind the rocks a little beach which is a small boy's dream of pirates . . . and this little beach must so have appealed to earlier men, for the names of pirates are still in the rock, and the pirate ships did dart out of here and did come back." 
Like the pirates of long ago, you'll dart in and back by boat from the front of Plaza Las Glorias or El Medano beach across the bay. Kayaks and other watersports equipment are also available at El Medano. Make sure you make return arrangements, boats are scarce after four or five p.m. Love Beach (or Lovers Beach as it's also known) has no services and swimming near the arch or the Pacific side of the beach is very dangerous. Stick to the bay side where schools of multi-colored fish are plentiful and the water is calmer and clearer.

Source: http://www.loscabosguide.com/beaches/loversbeachcabo.htm

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An Bang Beach, Hoi An, Vietnam

An Bang Beach is the local, public beach of Hoi An. It nestles about 4 kilometers from the town center at the end of a country road that passes through verdant farmland.

If you want an alternative to the coconut palm fringed Cua Dai beach, An Bang is a nice alternative - although restaurateurs can be a bit pushy.

There are a number of laid back grass roof beach hut restaurants with the most glorious views over to Da Nang and Cham Island. The most famous being "Soul Kitchen" featured as a Lonely Planet Top Choice or the more bohemian Le Plage to the right with it's simple French/Viet menu and more relaxed vibe. 

However don't overlook local restaurants catering to Vietnamese customers, the best Vietnamese chef on An Bang Beach is probably Mrs. Gia, who serves grilled clams with lemongrass oil ($3.25) and whole grilled fish in banana leaf ($5.75) at "Nam Gia" restaurant, second food stall on the right. 

The cheapest and most trustworthy place to park your bike is with "Huggy" on the left side of the parking lot nearest the beach. Do be warned it is illegal to take your bike on to the beach and it is likely to be impounded by the police if you do. Parking at the entrance to the beach should cost no more than 10,000VND for the day and your bike will be safe. Also do be sensitive to local's property, there are public pathways to the beach along the road between Cua Dai and An Bang beach and these are sign posted - if there is not a sign, you are trespassing on their property - this is not OK.

It's a 20 minute bicycle ride from hoi An or 5 minutes by motorbike or green taxi (80,000vnd)

Tip: Go there after 4pm to see the breathtaking sunset, but do respect the fact that this is one of the last public beaches left in Hoi An. Respect the locals.

Source: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g298082-c195078/Hoi-An:Vietnam:An.Bang.Beach.html

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