5 Beaches to Dream About

Although much of the country is either covered in snow or too cold for basking on a beach, we can still dream about those golden sands and blue seas. This is a good time to plan for our families’ summer travels. Consider these five dream-worthy beaches:

Costa Verde, Sardinia
Even in the height of summer, you’ll find plenty of space on these idyllic white sands, backed by some of the world’s tallest dunes. On the island’s western coast, these long beaches are close to a series of smaller cove beaches enclosed by rocky headlands, where you’ll find more tourist amenities, but less solitude.

Puglia and Torre Guaceto, Italy

On the “heel” of Italy’s boot shape, Puglia is a peninsula of white-sand beaches separated by rocky headlands. The nature reserve of Torre Guaceto offers even more seclusion, its miles of beaches backed by dunes and groves of olive trees. These are popular for snorkeling and kite-surfing, and you can rent equipment there, too.

Ile de Ré, Brittany, France
Off one of Europe’s most beautiful coasts, with its wave-beaten cliffs and charming villages, is the low, flat Ile de Ré, ringed in white beaches and harbors bobbing with small fishing boats. The light is prized by artists and photographers, and the island’s seafood is the stuff of dreams. Rent bikes and find your perfect beach.

Cocoa Beach, Florida

For more family activities and no passports required, the beaches along Florida’s Atlantic coast are hard to beat. Between swimming, building sand castles, surfing and boogie-boarding, kids may want to spot manatees and dolphins while exploring Cocoa Beach’s Thousand Islands on a kayak tour.

Pink Sands Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas
Nearly 3 miles long and in places as wide as the length of a football field, this Bahamas beach really is pink, its sand composed of minute bits of sea life from under the coral reefs. Luxuriate in its soft sands in the daytime, swim in the placid waters and stay to see the beach at its most colorful at sunset.