Outside Online
advertisement
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Gear
  • Bodywork
  • Culture
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Photos
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
Subscribe to Outside Magazine


You Are Here:   Home  >>   Top Ten Budget Beach Vacations

Outside Blog
  • Field Tested: Tech4o TraiLeader 1 Watch
  • The New Green Energy: $#!* Power
  • The Wonk: New Kicks on the Block
  • Tour Tech
  • The Gear Junkie Scoop: Therm-a-Rest ...
Podcasts
  • Q&A: Climbing El Capitan with Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov listen
  • Q&A: Maggie Anthony On Son Eric Volz listen
  • Q&A: Photographer Danny Clinch listen
  • Q&A: "Coca Is It!" Author Joshua Hammer listen
  • Q&A: "Strange Bird" Author Carl Hoffman listen
  • Out of Bounds: That '70s Guy listen
Videos
  • Jack Johnson Cover Shoot
  • Grand Canyon: 3D IMAX
  • Climbing El Capitan
  • Castaway:
  • Episode 1: The Arrival
  • Episode 2: The Quest for Fire
  • Episode 3: Mmm...Slime Nuggets
  • Episode 4: "Last Night, a Crab Tried to Eat Me."
Ask Dave
  • What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer
  • Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer
  • How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer
The Wild File
  • Why do mosquito bites itch? answer
  • Are elite athletes just lucky genetic mutants? answer
  • Can women really tolerate cold water better than men? answer

Online Favorites

  • "Into Thin Air"
  • Best Adventure Books
  • The O Files: Unsolved Mysteries
  • Dream Towns
  • Dream Jobs

Special Issues

  • Family Road Trips
  • Interactive Colorado
  • Literary All-Stars
  • Adventure Lodges
  • Oceanic Endeavors
  • Adventure Goddesses

Photo Galleries

  • Mark Jenkins in Tibet
  • Syria
  • Bhutan
  • Women Who Rock
  • Kelly Slater
  • Olympic Cities
  • Exposure: Sara Carlson
  • See All Galleries
share this article del.icio.us DIGG Facebook StumbleUpon

From Away.com
Page:
1 2 

Beach Travel on the Cheap
Top Ten Budget Beach Vacations
The best beach vacation destinations that won't stretch your wallet.

By Stephen Jermanok

Ocracoke Beach
BARGAIN BEACHES: The Outer Banks has options that will make your next beach vacation more affordable (Bill Russ/courtesy, North Carolina Tourism)

Experienced world travelers will no doubt point out that I didn't pick the cheapest of the cheap beach locales for this compilation of top budget beach vacations. After all, why not include Goa, India; Mombasa, Kenya; Lombok, Indonesia; Koh Phi Phi, Thailand; or Nha Trang, Vietnam? I agree, you can usually find a hut on the beach at those destinations for less than ten bucks a day; however, take into account the cost of a long flight and the luxury of time that most travelers don't have and it turns into a much pricier endeavor. So, for practical purposes, I've limited my choices to the best budget beach vacations in North and Central America, with a special shout out to Brazil. Now you have no excuse not to lather on the lotion and throw down your beach towel.

10. Destin, Florida
The Florida Panhandle is a coveted place that Southerners would prefer to keep to themselves. With a 100-mile stretch of sugary sand that fronts the Gulf of Mexico, and a fair share of golf and tennis, who can blame them? In Destin, the heart of the Panhandle, wake up early in the morning and take a stroll with the pelicans and sandpipers on the beach just as the fishing boats head out to sea. Feel free to join them and drop your own line to catch snapper and grouper. Later, discuss your day's adventure at one of Destin's dockside cafés. The blues and country music is always live and the fish and oysters always fresh. Stay at the relatively new Wingate where room prices, with continental breakfast, are in the double digits.
Destin Vacation Guide

9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
Lining the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks consists of barriers of sand 150 miles long and never more than a few miles wide. These islands serve as welcome mats to the Atlantic and all her treasures. Forage the sea for a bounty of bluefish, flounder, and drum, or walk the wild dunes, a naturalist's playground. Close to 400 species of birds, from native Carolina wrens to wintering bald eagles, can be found here, along with otters and sea turtle colonies. Add four lighthouses and you have yourself a seaworthy destination that even a pirate like Blackbeard (a former resident) could call home. Landlubbers will want to visit Kitty Hawk, the site where Orville and Wilbur Wright learned how to fly, and the newly renovated North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. For clean, affordable lodging close to the beach, you can do no better than the Driftwood Motel on Cedar Island, where rooms start at $65 a night.
Outer Banks Family Vacation Guide

8. Huntington Beach, California
Most folks equate Orange County, California, with chi-chi Laguna Beach and all the celebs and young retirees who reside here. Yet, just a wee bit north of Laguna is the far more affordable Huntington Beach, popular with the surfer crowd. Make the International Surfing Museum your first stop and then see if any hot doggers are doing their stuff over by the pier. It won't be hard to find your own slice of paradise since Huntington Beach boasts eight miles of uninterrupted waterfront. Stay across from the beach, on the Pacific Coast Highway, at the Sun n' Sands Motel where rooms start at $129 a night in summer and the restaurants in town are just a short walk away.
Huntington Beach Vacation Guide

7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Wise-faced fishermen sew their nets in the early hours of the morning on the docks of America's oldest fishing port, Gloucester. In nearby Manchester-by-the-Sea, couples and families stake their claim to exquisite Singing Beach, tucked away in a cove and backed by cliffs and precariously perched mansions. Welcome to Massachusetts' lesser known cape, the one locals don't want you to know about, Cape Ann. Forty miles north of Boston (reachable by commuter rail), Cape Ann beckons sun worshippers to its long stretches of sand. When you tire of the sun, head to the village of Rockport, known for its shops, galleries, and restaurants. Or try a famous lobster-in-the-rough joint, Woodman's in Essex, the seafood shack that created the fried clam on July 3, 1916. Stay at the Wingaersheek Motel, which has discount beach passes to nearby Wingaersheek Beach, a family favorite. Rooms start at $100 a night in summer.
Massachusetts Beach Vacation Guide

6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Let the affluent spend gobs of money on the Pacific coast at familiar resorts like the Marriott and Four Seasons, while travelers in the know follow the surfers to the Caribbean coast of this Central American country. At Puerto Viejo, you can walk on deserted beaches all the way south to Panama. The town has a laid-back, international appeal, with top-notch South American, Costa Rican, and Italian food. South of town, there are a number of bungalow-laden lodgings within easy walking distance to the beach, where rooms rarely exceed $75 a night. Check out La Costa de Papito or Playa Chiquita Lodge.
Puerto Viejo Vacation Guide




Next Page
Page:
1 2 



Boston-based writer Stephen Jermanok has authored or contributed to 11 books on the outdoors, including Outside Magazine's Adventure Guide to New England, Discovery Channel's Backcountry Treks, Discovery Channel's Paddlesports, Outside Magazine's Guide to Family Vacations and Men's Journal's The Great Life. His latest book is New England Seacoast Adventures. His many adventures appear in National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Men's Journal, Forbes FYI, Travel + Leisure, Hooked on the Outdoors, and Backpacker. He can be reached at farandaway@comcast.net.

BlogVideosPodcastsPhotos
TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE!
Field Tested: Tech4o TraiLeader 1 Watch
Tech4o TraiLeader 1 watch Tester: Justin Nyberg Verdict: Mixed No, the TraiLeader watch from ...

The New Green Energy: $#!* Power
The days of us thoughtlessly stepping over animal waste, holding our noses like effete little snobs ...

More Blogs:
  • The Wonk: New Kicks on the Block
  • Tour Tech
  • The Gear Junkie Scoop: Therm-a-Rest ...
  • Featured Blog: Green Issues
  • Blog Home
Malia Jones
A behind-the-scenes look at Jeff Lipsky's cover shoot with the surf goddess.
Malia Jones video Watch

Kelly Slater video
Kelly Slater
rack video
Rack
Andy Roddick video
Roddick

More Videos:
  • Deadliest Catch: Behind the Scenes
  • Stretch Right
  • Adventure Filmmaking School
  • The Ultimate Grill
  • See all Videos
Mike Rowe Speaks
Mike Rowe talks about his long strange trip to TV's dirtiest dream job.
Mike Rowe podcast Listen

Q&A: Climbing El Capitan with Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov
Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov on guiding Dave Hahn.
El Capitan podcast Listen

More Podcasts:
  • Q&A: Maggie Anthony On Son Eric Volz
  • Q&A: Photographer Danny Clinch
  • Q&A: "Coca Is It!" Author Joshua Hammer
  • Q&A: "Strange Bird" Author Carl Hoffman
  • See all Podcasts
Malia Jones photo gallery
Malia Jones
Grand Canyon photo gallery
Grand Canyon
Bolivia photo gallery
Bolivia

Burma photo gallery
Burma
Julia Mancuso photo gallery
Julia Mancuso
Amanda Beard photo gallery
A. Beard

More Photos:
  • Cousteaus
  • Cuba
  • Ski Iran
  • Submit Your Own Photo
  • See all Photos

advertisement




Subscribe to Outside Magazine!

Crocs Inspiring Soles

special featrues

Gear Spotlight: Adventure Electronics
Our esteemed Gear Guy hones in the FAQs of the digital world in this exclusive archive.
The Green Issue
Earth Day may fall in April, but global awareness should be a 365-day concern. Let us help you stay focused.




Vacation Packages

More Travel Deals
  • All-inclusive Jamaica trips from $527
  • New York City: Flight + 2 nights from $354
  • Flights to Asia from $773
  • Hawaii Vacation Packages from $807
Sign up for our Travel Deals Newsletter


More From Outside Online

Outside November 2006

  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • 2007 Ski and Snowboard Hotlist
  • Surf Alaska
  • Ghost Hunting

Special Issues

  • 2006 Buyer's Guide
  • Outside Traveler Summer '06
  • Outside Traveler Winter '06
  • Unsolved Mysteries

Outside October 2006

  • The Buddy System
  • Mexico's Yucatan
  • Mark Jenkins's Final Hard Way Column
  • Hybrid SUV's Road Tested

Online Exclusives

  • Spooky Spots and Terrible Tales
  • Literary All-Stars
  • Oceanic Endeavors
  • Adventure Goddesses

Outside September 2006

  • The Everest Disaster
  • Build Bombproof Knees
  • Adventures in Japan
  • Extreme Drinking

Online Favorites

  • Outside Gear Blog
  • Gear Guy
  • Fitness Q&A
  • Adventure Adviser

Outside August 2006

  • 20 Dream Towns
  • Travel Fitness Guide
  • Summer Gear
  • Babylon by Bus

Outside Classics

  • Into Thin Air
  • The Whale Hunters
  • Raising the Dead
  • The Long Way Home


Vacation Ideas from The Away Network

Top Active & Adventure Cities

  • Jackson, WY
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Moab, UT
  • Oahu, HI
  • All Active & Adventure Cities

Best Beach Islands

  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Hilton Head Island, SC
  • Sea Island, GA
  • All Beach Vacations

Family Travel Ideas

  • Budget Vacations for Families
  • Family River Adventures
  • Family Vacations for Wildlife
  • Family-Friendly Hotel Chains
  • Tropical Vacations with Kids

GORP's Summer Outdoor Guide

  • Where to Camp
  • Where to Fish
  • Where to Hike
  • Where to Raft
  • All Summer Guides

Top Ten Beach Lists

  • Top Beach Sports
  • Top American Beaches
  • Top Budget Beach Vacations
  • Top Places to Dive
  • Top Shark-Spotting

Outdoor Vacation Guides

  • Biking Guide
  • Hiking & Backpacking Guide
  • Sailing Guide
  • Skiing Guide
  • Surfing Guide

Best Family Vacations

  • Avignon, France
  • Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
  • Lake Tahoe, NV
  • Mazatlan, Mexico
  • Zakopane, Poland

Summer Travel Guides

  • Active Travel
  • Cultural Travel
  • Outdoor Travel
  • Romantic Travel
  • All Monthly Travel Guides



  • Home |
  • Travel |
  • Gear |
  • Bodywork |
  • Culture |
  • Videos |
  • Podcasts |
  • Photos |
  • Archives |
  • Feedback |
  • RSS Feeds |
  • Subscribe to Outside Magazine |
  • Join/Login




  • About Outside |
  • Advertise |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Subscription Services |
  • Sponsorship Policy |
  • Outside Info |
  • Site Map |
  • Press Room

  • Outside Magazine Media Kit |
  • Photo Department |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Contact Us |
  • Contributor's Guidelines

Partner Sites:
  • Away.com |
  • GORP.com |
  • Orbitz |
  • Cheaptickets |
  • ebookers |
  • HotelClub.com |
  • RatesToGo.com |
  • asia-hotels.com |
  • Outside's Go


©1994-2008 Mariah Media Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of material from any pages without written permission is strictly prohibited.