Top 6… beaches

This month, we’re looking forward to lazing on a beach and enjoying the simpler pleasures of life. Here’s our guide to the best seaside getaways

Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand

Sunrise Beach is notorious for its no-holds-barred full moon parties, but whatever day of the month, this paradise-like beach has enough going for it to draw travellers from around the world.

Whitehaven Beach, Australia

With its startling white sand, Whitsunday Island’s Whitehaven Beach is simply breathtaking. With a campsite at the southern end of the beach, it’s easy to linger awhile and let the world pass you by.

Hemmick Beach, Cornwall

Closer to home, Hemmick Beach lies west of Dodman Point, off the southern tip of Cornwall’s headland. It’s a ten-minute walk by foot from the car park, and there are no facilities, but if remote is your idea of coastal heaven, this is for you.

Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia

Despite its economic woes, there is something magical about the Greek islands, and with turquoise blue water and white pebbles, Myrtos Beach offers an idyll to bathe and relax.

Ipanema Beach, Rio De Janeiro

Frank Sinatra crooned about the girl from Ipanema, and even today the beach is renowned as the destination of the beautiful people of Rio. With a rich array of bars and restaurants nearby, day merges effortlessly into a thriving nightscene.

Boulders Beach, Cape Town

A beach with a difference, Boulders is home to a growing colony of endangered African penguins. Get close to nature and share the waves and the sand with these black and white flappers.