Where's this Mystery Beach?
Are all beaches created equal? I don't think so. The beach I photographed in the picture below certainly looked stunning. (You'll find it on Punta Cana, by the way, in the Dominican Republic.) The seawater here felt slightly cool in October, although keep in mind that "cool" is a relative term, and as a Florida native, my tolerance for even a slight chill is...pathetic. Regardless, the ocean felt wonderful and Zickie and I happily floated on our backs and let the sun tint our skin a pinker shade. Punta Cana definitely deserves its high reputation.
(A pier in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic. Photo by Laura Albritton)
Every beach has its own personality or identity, some with course beige sand, fine white powder, or even in the case of volanic regions, exotic black sand. One reason I dream of visiting a certain small isle in the Bahamas? Pink sand. I can only picture how that looks at sunset.
(Soft pink sand in Harbour Island, the Bahamas. Photo by Mike's Birds, Flickr)
What's the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean? Or Florida? Or the world? I'm extremely glad that the Island Runaways aren't tasked with answering that question. I have to admit I'm always interested when Dr. Beach (a.k.a. Dr. Stephen Leatherman) makes his yearly pronouncements about beautiful beaches. People give top 10 lists and ratings a lot of credence, it turns out. After Dr. Beach rated Siesta Beach on Siesta Key America's most beautiful beach, this stretch of delicately fine sand has grown more and more popular ever before.
Yet should we enter beaches in a beauty contest?
(Would Le Diamant beach in Martinique win a beauty contest?)
I suppose there's no harm in rating, ranking, and assessing. We human beings do seem to love our lists. But I have to admit one thing. My favorite beach? That's usually the one I'm walking on at the moment.
Do you have a beach you'd recommend to our readers? Or maybe a beach you prefer to keep to yourself? We're always looking for island tips on our Guest Island Experts page. Have a great weekend, fellow Island Runaways.