IT MAY ONLY be January, but plenty of us are dreaming of being on a beach somewhere. But which one?
Luckily, National Geographic has named their top beaches for 2017.
They include beaches for snorkeling, exploring and just lying on.
Here are some of the highlights according to the magazine:
On sunny days on Iceland’s south coast, Reynisfjara Beach’s ink black sand and basalt sea stacks are absolutely stunning.
Past the tulip fields in south Holland, between Amsterdam and The Hague, the seaside town of Noordwijk has a separate dog beach for wild gambols by the North Sea. There are walking routes for human-canine bonding, and pooch-friendly restaurants and lodgings, including Take2 Beach & Bungalows, near the entrance to the dog beach.
A swim through an opening nearly invisible from the sea reveals what locals call the “hidden beach,” encircled by an impressive rock ring forming a natural oculus for the sun and sky.
On the edge of the continent, and part of the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage site, countless white cockleshells, up to 30 feet deep in some parts, spread for miles. Take nothing but pictures. Stop at Old Pearler Restaurant, built entirely of shells from this beach.
Ringed by reefs, Curaçao hides a Caribbean underwater wonderland, and this beach is one of the few sandy ones on the arid island, with a bar and a shop to rent snorkel gear. Slip straight into the shallow crystalline bay alive with sea fans and coral, tropical fish, sponges, sea turtles, and more.
Sculpted by the mistral wind and embellished with juniper bushes and olive trees, the Piscinas Dunes paint a mercurial backdrop on Sardinia’s southwestern Costa Verde (Green Coast). A former mining warehouse, Hotel Le Dune Piscinas sits at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea,with ample windows and lounge spots for admiring the ever changing canvas of sky, sand, and waves.
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