Our Top Ten Favorite Beaches of Latin America

The vacation season is round the corner.  If you like beaches as much as we do here at Nearshore Americas – then it’s time to start doing some serious planning.

To get you off on the right foot, we have hand-selected our ten favorite beaches, fully knowing that there are some very deserving destinations (in Colombia and Costa Rica especially) that didn’t make the cut.

We wanted to shine a light on some lesser known spots, namely in Nicaragua and Chile, that are not talked about enough. With those qualifiers, we now share our official Top Ten:

Anakena Beach – Chile: Adorned with white coral sand, the Anakena Beach in the Rapa Nui National Park in Chile is a popular tourist destination. The beach became ever more popular after a Hollywood film, Rapa Nui, was shot on this beach in the 90s. Nestled among the rocky coastlines, Anakena beach is armed with car parking facilities and a palm grove, and it offers beautiful views of the white sand and the ocean.

Mar Del Plata Beach – Argentina: Apart from its fabulous beach, the city of Mar Del Plata has many more things to entertain you. This includes an impressive array of hotels, casinos, theatres and many other tourist attractions. This beach sports the largest seaside beach resort in Argentina and is also a major fishing port. The city of Mar Del Plata has lots of beaches on its coastal line. Thanks to these wonderful beaches, tourism has grown by leaps and bounds in this city.

Punta del Este – Uruguay: This beautiful island consists of many beaches that attract tourists from all over the world. The island is also a home to a lighthouse, which is 45 metres tall. There are beautiful beaches like Garden Port and Honda Beach on Goritti Island. Visitors to these beaches will also get to see a natural port in a close distance.

Punta del Diablo – Uruguay: Be sure to visit this tiny island between December and February, because most of the hotels and homes that are given on rent to tourists are open only in this season. Home to about 400 people, Punta del is well known for its picturesque beaches.  During the travelling season, about 25,000 visitors flock to this place. Everything from small homes to hotels is rented out to tourists during this season.

Florianopolis Beaches – Brazil: Beaches in Brazil stretch hundreds of miles and are beautiful to look at. The Florianopolis Beach will excite even the Brazilians with its breathtaking views and pristine sands. While the west side of the island provides calm, serene water for families to enjoy a pleasant day, the wild waves on the east side beckon the surfing adventurers. On a whole, lots of fun for everyone involved.

Rio de Janeiro – Brazil: Beaches in Rio de Janeiro offer warm weather and lots of bikini-clad women to befriend. So you can say these beaches are ‘hot’ in every sense. Here you will see a wide range of leisure activities, and in the nearby makeshift market you can buy just about anything you ask for. But before you test the waters for swimming, be sure that you don’t leave behind any valuables on shoreline.

Fortaleza – Brazil: Dotted with an abundant supply of dunes and coconut trees, the beaches on Fortaleza offer perfect getaway places for those who love beaches. The warm weather and the scenic beauty of these beaches encourage visitors to indulge in activities like scuba diving and surfing. If you don’t like any of these, you can just lie on the sand and relax. Many of these beaches are considered urban beaches as they have various hotels and other commercial establishments on them.

Bocas del Toro – Panama: Bocas del Toro is among those few lucky beaches that have rainforests nearby. Beaches here instill a laidback attitude in every visitor. And if you extend your stay by a few more days or even a month, it would not look like unusual phenomenon. Although stunningly charming, these beaches are crammed with hotels and other buildings. So you may have to trek a little bit more to find that seclusion and peace of mind. Who wouldn’t want to walk through a rainforest to reach a beach?

Little Corn Island – Nicaragua: This little known sibling of the Big Corn Island is clean and vibrant. Moreover, it is not crowded and there is nothing that can pollute its beauty. The water and the sand still look clear, the scenes are beautiful and relaxation and peace of mind are guaranteed. As it is a secluded place, there is hardly any transport service to take you there.

Placencia – Belize: Located in central Belize, this stretch of coastline is bereft of most of the activities that are available on most of the other popular beaches. Yet, this beach is equally popular with tourists because they can come here simply to relax. But if you are still looking for action, you can check out the second largest barrier reef off the coast of Placencia and try your hand at diving. You can even explore the whole town on foot as it is relatively small in size.