sand - Search Results

Think of Florida, and what comes to mind? Is it the major tourist attractions such as Disneyland and Seaworld? Do your thoughts turn to white sandy beaches of Miami? These are of course major attractions for first time visitors to the Sunshine State but there are also some off the beaten track gems that aren’t so touristy. Here’s a quick guide to Florida’s best attractions.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia What's Cool: Browsing hand-made crafts on Vendors' Row ----------------------------------------- Named for a hulking, wrecked vessel that once sat on the sand, Wreck Beach is the shore of choice for Vancouver students. Just several hundred steps below the University of British Columbia, the three-mile-long beach is a wildlife and nesting area for both bald eagles and bald bodies. Other sections of the beach assume a more carnival-like atmosphere. One stretch on the beach known as Vendors' Row is a one-stop shop for souvenirs, refreshments and...

Relaxed and lively is the only way to describe Samurai Beach, which backs up onto Bardot's Clothing Optional Resort in Port Stephens. On this half-mile stretch of white sand, nudists let it all hang out while taking part in volleyball, tug-of-war and Frisbee. As one of the sportiest nude beaches worldwide, it is only appropriate that Samurai Beach hosts the annual Nude Olympics every November. Events include the Nude Torch Relay, Nude Surfing and the Nude Beach Girl and Guy Competition. What a sight this must be!

Location: Negril, Jamaica What's Cool: Anything-goes toga party on Thursday nights ----------------------------------------- Unlike most other nude beaches, Hedonism II promotes a freewheeling and indulgent naturist experience for playful singles and couples. Located in Negril, Jamaica's famous seven-mile white sand beach, the all-inclusive resort is divided into "nude" and "prude" sections, with separate facilities for swimming, sunbathing, volleyball and more. Clothing is optional, however, throughout the entire complex. Visitors can expect to find vast spreads of food and drink,...

With its cobalt blue waters, sun-bleached cottages, ancient ruins and red sandstone cliffs, Crete's Red Beach is picturesque to say the least. Made famous in 1968 when hippies from across Europe flocked to its shores, the resort at Red Beach has remained a naturist favorite for its rustic charm and its tolerance (nudity is allowed everywhere except the dining room). Visitors to Red Beach will find the area's ancient caves interesting, as well as sunken bits of history that wash ashore from time to time. What's Cool: Hiking the beach's rocky outcrops

Nude Beach. The very mention of these two words often arouses feelings of titillation, embarrassment, outrage or even a combination of the three. For the thousands of people involved in the naturist movement worldwide, however, the idea of a nude beach seems, well, natural. After all, we all come into this world wearing only our birthday suits. Nude and topless beaches first became popular along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of France in the 1950s. Since then, several beaches from Crete to the Caribbean have become "clothing optional." Below is a list of some of the best stretches...

The sound of an Irish fiddle in a cozy village pub warmed by a turf fire and lively conversation. Scenes straight out of the movies. Literary, poetic, gifted in the art of conversation, the Irish extend their love of language even to the names of counties and towns, which roll off the tongue like music: Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Kilkenny. For a taste of Irish culture, from the Abbey Theatre to traditional music, proceed directly to Dublin, where Joyce, Shaw, and Yeats all worked – and U2 still does. Shoppers may want to stroll Grafton Street for traditional tweeds and newfangled knits,...

Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest and greenest province. Cradled on the waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Island is known for the vivid colours of its gently rolling landscape. Prince Edward Island is surrounded by miles of sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs and is sized just right for touring. Visitors to the Island return home not only relaxed and refreshed - they often claim to have been transformed, which leads us to wonder "What if the World Had Been to Prince Edward Island?"

Ten thousand years ago, glaciers pushed their way down the East Coast and left behind the rocks and soil that was to form this little paradise that we call home. The result was a cozy community (only around 800 folks in the winter), a land of stunning vistas and a very fragile ecosystem that we have had the good fortune to preserve for all to share. Because of the particular forces of nature that went to work on Block Island, no other place on earth shares its geography, nor its balance of species. A rarity, indeed. Block Island is a rarity in another sense; it's a place that moves at...

Sunday is the perfect day to go to the beach in Tonga – if you're a visitor; an islander found swimming on the Sabbath is subject to a fine. Yes, they do take their religion seriously in the "Friendly Isles." Tonga, like its neighbor to the west, Fiji, is not just one island, but an entire archipelago of far-flung isles. In Tonga's case, the islands number about 170 (only about 45 are inhabited), geographically divided into four distinct groups. Tongatapu, with the capital of Nuku'alofa, is the hub of this island chain in western Polynesia. Two of every three Tongans live here...