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40 BRILLIANT BEACHES<br />
Opposite page:<br />
Sunset in Negril<br />
This page, clockwise<br />
from top left: Tejakula;<br />
Mawgan Porth; Tulum<br />
and its Mayan ruins;<br />
windswept Beirigh<br />
It’s a two-hour drive from Ubud<br />
through the mist-licked Abasan<br />
mountains to reach tranquil Tejakula<br />
and you’ll want to pack beach shoes<br />
for the pebbly beach. But you’ll be<br />
doubly glad you bothered come<br />
sunset, when the swimmable, dolphindotted<br />
Bali Sea turns to molten gold.<br />
Tai Long Wan, Hong Kong<br />
Treks and the city<br />
Best because: You get a triple-whammy<br />
of peroxide-blonde sands splashed<br />
by luminous blue seas. Yet only a<br />
handful of Hongkongers ever make<br />
it to Tai Long Wan. The reason? It<br />
can only be reached by hiking 10km<br />
along the magnificent Maclehose<br />
Trail, swooshing through mountain<br />
peaks, forested valleys, curvy coastline<br />
and abandoned villages. Or take the<br />
speedboat from the seaside town of<br />
Sai Kung. We’d recommend doing<br />
both: hike in the cooler morning (with<br />
supplies), then cruiseback on the final<br />
5pm boat for sunset.<br />
Tulum, Mexico<br />
Swim while you’re sightseeing<br />
Best because: There can’t be many<br />
gorgeous beaches that come with<br />
their own slice of Mayan history.<br />
Bring your costume to Tulum’s <strong>World</strong><br />
Heritage Site, so you can follow the<br />
stairs down the cliff, wade out over<br />
fine, pale sand to float on gentle<br />
Listerine waves, and gaze back up at<br />
the impressive 13th-century clifftop El<br />
Castillo. Coach parties from Cancún<br />
fill the site by mid-morning, but stay<br />
down the road in modern Tulum and<br />
you can be at the gates at 8am for<br />
your own solitary dip.<br />
Praia de Tavira, Algarve, Portugal<br />
Natural beauty laid bare<br />
Best because: It’s a natural winner on<br />
the otherwise manicured Algarve.<br />
Twice-hourly 20-minute ferries from<br />
the ancient Moorish town of Tavira take<br />
you to this, the first of three beaches<br />
along the 11km Ilha de Tavira sandbar.<br />
Alight through pines to sand studded<br />
with sunloungers and small cafés. Miss<br />
the 5pm ferry back, and you can grab a<br />
water taxi.<br />
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall<br />
Surfy, sandy walking paradise<br />
Best because: In summer months, this<br />
big Cornish beach, framed by cliffs,<br />
is a bucket-and-spade dream of soft<br />
sand, rock pools, caves and surf-perfect<br />
waves. It's also busy, which is why it's<br />
often best during the quieter, cooler<br />
months. That’s when its adjoining<br />
walking paths, snaking up and down<br />
the grassy coast, turn blustery and<br />
atmospheric. Hike north up the cliff from<br />
the sands, and you’ll be rewarded with<br />
Cornwall’s finest, fluffiest homemade<br />
scones in the cosy Carnewas Tea Room<br />
at Bedruthan Steps hotel.<br />
South Beach, Miami, USA<br />
Glam urban resort<br />
Best because: Pastel-hued Art Deco<br />
hotels, palm trees and a boardwalk<br />
line the 4km stretch of South Beach<br />
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