There are beautiful beaches all over the world… I have yet to see Tahiti, the Maldives, and Seychelles but plan on it! Beaches are one of those places that I find overwhelming. The first time I saw Orient Beach in St. Maarten, I almost started crying I thought it was so beautiful. I couldn’t believe where I was, I had never seen water that turquoise and sand that white and perfect. I grew up going to North Carolina and South Caroline where the beaches are nice, but the sand isn’t white and the water isn’t blue. It is dark, murky…and full of jellyfish. I never went in the water, it didn’t look inviting. So going to the Caribbean was like venturing to another world entirely…. you mean the ocean can be crystal clear, like a swimming pool? And the water is warm and you can see all the way to the bottom? The Caribbean is my place. It is where I fell in love with the ocean. It’s hard not planning a trip there this year…with the testing requirements, the risk of getting stuck there is a risk we can’t take. So, I wait patiently for travel to change and flying in and out of the Caribbean is risk free like Hawaii. It’ll happen…and when it does, I’m thinking a trip to the Cayman’s and a trip to St. Maarten should be the goal. I would love Nate to see these places….

If you are like me and plan trips around beautiful beaches, then let this list be a tentative guide to help you with your travel plans!! If I had to pick any type of place in the world to vacation, it would be the beach over mountains, desert retreats, forests, and snowy resorts. I’m an Aquarius inside and out. The ocean is the place I want to be near.

My Top 5 Beaches

#5 – Pololu Valley Black Sand Beach

When on the big island of Hawaii, adventure to Pololu Valley. It is that quintessential image we have in our minds when we think of the Hawaiian islands… all you see are green, lush mountains and deep valleys. This valley was the result of a landslide where the parts of the oldest volcano, Kohala, fell into the ocean. This landslide created the cliffs surrounding the valley and overlook the black sand beach at the bottom. From the top of Pololu Valley trail head, you’ll hike your way down 490 ft. to find a beautiful clearing with tall trees and a black sand beach. It is not recommended that you swim in the ocean here as it is known for aggressive and violent currents and rip tides. But, the beach is amazing. This was my first black sand beach experience… and I loved it.

It is so scenic, you sit there on the beach surrounded by walls of stone, lava and green. It is something to experience and feel. Nate and I sat there for awhile, just taking it in. If we had brought a couple of beach towels, it would have been a perfect place for a mid-afternoon beach nap. Enjoy the hike down, the hike up is rough! But worth it…

I took this video from the look out…it’s about half way down the cliff, still a ways to go to get to the bottom…

#4 – Playa Palancar Beach, Cozumel

A perfect shade of turquoise…

What else can I say about this beach (and really the entire side of Cozumel that we were on…) other than it was perfect. It was the kind of water that I envision when you think about a true beach getaway. We walked out of the resort onto this beach every single morning after breakfast…and stayed there. This ocean was great for swimming and snorkeling. There was always a breeze, and no one was at the resort because it was still early 2021 and people were hesitant to travel (which we took full advantage).

This was a blissful 5 days at my #4 beach, this trip was a memorable one for so many reasons. The biggest one, though? I experienced a 2nd life-changing miracle on this beach.

I accepted a job offer right after we landed in Cozumel. It happened very fast, a real miracle at the time.

I was one of those people that the pandemic left stranded without a job suddenly on a Thursday. That was April of 2020. Maybe the scariest day of my life (so far). I just remember being stunned, not really being able to talk as it was happening (virtually, of course) and crying. I also remember my husband (amazing boyfriend at the time), suddenly appearing at the kitchen table with me, holding my hand, and whispering that everything was going to be ok. (It was???)… I believed him, though… and I got thru one of my worst days, the kind where you feel lost completely. Later that day I started sending my resume out, I had an interview the next day, I had two more interviews with this same company, and then the offer came in. I pulled off my own crazy-fast miracle, the kind that gives you courage to get up and keep going. 8 months later, we had this trip scheduled for Cozumel and even though the world was still uncertain, I insisted to Nate we still go. 8 months in and my new job wasn’t great…it wasn’t a good fit…and I knew that changes were coming if I didn’t take the bull by the horns and do something about it. I had interviewed just the day before we left for Mexico… a whirlwind virtual interview with three people on the call, which, if anyone has done this yet, it is intense. I told myself, just get thru this…do your best and then you are on a plane to Mexico first thing in the morning. We had just landed when the email came across my phone… Job Offer. We were at the resort and the first thing I did was electronically sign all the paperwork…and then we met up with my sister and her husband and told them the news. The next morning, I woke up feeling hopeful again that my life had finally reset properly since being laid off. We went to the beach, this beautiful beach above, and I stood there in the water, staring at the crystal clear water and white sand, and felt grateful. It was a moment. A beautiful one, and the fact that I had it on this beach is something I’ll never forget. I had not one, but two miracles in the span of a few months. And I FELT it on this beach.

A beach has this magical quality…maybe it’s the sound the ocean makes, or maybe it’s the feel of the breeze and water….it cleanses everything and calms the soul. For months, the anxiety that my job infused into my life was slowly killing me. And my poor, concerned family was feeling it, too. I felt it every second of every day. I swam in that ocean and let all of that go.

Why go to a beautiful beach? I go because there is no feeling greater or more wonderful, and I come out of that turquoise water a better version of myself. I’m at peace. And man, that feels good.

#3 – Hapuna Beach, Hawaii

I think Hapuna is the best beach on the big island of Hawaii…. but, I admit, I haven’t seen them all.

We had breakfast at the fabulous Mauna Lani Resort one morning. We decided to also pack our beach bag and see what beautiful stretch of beach we could find! We found Hapuna Beach. Unlike most of the beaches in Hawaii, this was a white sand beach with very little lava to have to work around. It was a great morning laying out in the sun. This beach should absolutely be on your list if visiting the big island… there are apparently strong currents here so you have to be careful. I opted not to go in the water but rather took a blissful nap and we took a walk together on the beach. Perfect. Side note: it has really nice picnic areas, so pack a lunch and some drinks! The area is well kept and very VERY clean. Lots of parking, too. You do have to pay to park, learn more about how to visit Hapuna here. Go get some delicious poke, ice cold beverages, and enjoy this place!

#2 – Eagle Beach, Aruba

A gorgeous and serene stretch of water and white sand…

This beach is BEAUTIFUL. I’ve seen Eagle Beach in Aruba on a few different ‘best beaches’ lists…being there, I could see why. It is the widest beach in Aruba and is miles of brilliant white sand and turquoise water…my favorite. It also has many Fofoti, or Divi Divi, Trees, which is a well-known visual icon for Aruba. This beach is on the resort side of the island so you’ll find many resorts along the coast line. This beach is perfect for a morning or afternoon… I can’t wait to go back.

#1 – Orient Beach, St. Maarten

And here is my most favorite beach…so far…

This was an experience. I had never seen a beach like this… it was my first Caribbean beach experience and it overwhelmed me. Orient Beach was the perfect combination of shallow water, clear blue color, white sand, and no crazy waves or currents. There was also a sailboat regatta going on…AMAZING. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie. This beach was worth spending the entire day at. St. Maarten (or St. Martin) is a quaint island, not too big, not too small. There is the French side and the Dutch side. I was told you could go around the entire island in 2 hours. This beach was on the list for must-see and experience. It has been compared to beaches in France, I had to go. It is a clothing optional beach, the southern end is mostly nude. There are food and drink huts along the beach where you can eat and lounge and take in this amazing view. This beach has my heart ❤️

The Pursuit for Amazing Beaches continues…

Maybe it’s because the water is so calming, maybe it’s because I’m an Aquarius and the stars say I’m a water lover…. or maybe it’s because I’m just human and beautiful beaches have a way of taking over your soul, allowing your mind to quiet and relax. They are my favorite vacation and place to get away to. Lucky for me, Nate is on board! He and I have quite the list of places to pursue once global travel normalizes. Seychelles and the Maldives are our dream vacations… I can’t wait for us to get there. In the short term, Croatia, Belize, and Turks and Caicos are on my list! They will keep us occupied until longer 2-week vacations are possible. We are always planning our next adventure, exploring new places ALMOST on a monthly basis… which I love. The mountains are nice, the desert is stunning, but being by the water is where I want to be the most. Here’s to exploring more beaches in 2023 🌊

#GoAdventure, life is waiting…

Heather & Nate