If quaint and charming checks your list then Santa Cruz’s small neighboring beach town Capitola might just be perfect for your next vacation. Capitola is what California beach cities used to be and provides its residents and visitors with a quiet laid-back lifestyle that is hard to find on the California Coast these days. It is slightly quirky with its colorful Venetian-style beachfront condos and tends to conjure up a warm welcoming feel as you meander through its car-less back streets.
Papaya Beach is situated on the stunning tropical island of Palawan, Philippines and is one of many amazing beaches in the El Nido area. The beach boasts near-perfect powdery white sand, excellent snorkleing and an incredible backdrop of sheer limestone cliffs. It also features epic swings that hang from coconut trees small nipa hut store that sells drinks and snacks.
Situated in a remote area on the island of Palawan, Philippines lies the gorgeous little waterfall known as Bigaho Falls. The falls can be easily accessed by taking one of the local boat tours from either San Vicente or Port Barton. Your tour will typically land on the stunning Mahilamonen Beach where you will find the Caparii Beach Resort, which is an excellent vacation getaway boasting total seclusion and privacy. There is also plenty of other budget-friendly and luxury accommodations near the falls.
Located on the gorgeous tropical island of Mindoro, Philippines, and situated on the brilliant white shores of Aninuan Beach sits the Tamaraw Beach Resort. This resort features an idyllic beachfront location that is quiet and secluded and away from the hustle of nearby Puerto Galera. With that being said the resort is only a short walk to Puerto Galera and the popular White Beach where most of the action takes place. Tamaraw Falls is another interesting attraction that is close to the resort and well worth a visit.
Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park is a 4-hectare piece of land that is open for public use. It is perfectly situated on the shores of beautiful Okanagan Lake in the city of West Kelowna. The park is currently an active farm that grows a variety of nuts including hazelnuts, buartnuts, walnuts, and chestnuts. The park is family-friendly and features a playground, washrooms, access to walking trails, a small beach, and old cabins from the Gellatly family. Visitors to the park are able to wander through the nut orchards as they please.
Santa Cruz is a small coastal city of around 55,000 people that is located in Central California. The city is perhaps best known for its laid-back bohemian atmosphere and like many cities along California’s coast, Santa Cruz has deep roots in the surf culture. Not only is the city known for its cool surf vibes, but also for the incredible beaches, splendid weather, and breathtaking scenery that surrounds it. The abundance of beauty and ideal temperatures in Santa Cruz draws in a ton of tourists, especially in the summer months when the weather is near-perfect.
San Clemente is a small city of around 65,000 people that has been aptly dubbed the "little Spanish village by the sea". The moniker can be attributed to its heavy Spanish influence and the Meditteranean-style architecture that you see around the city. This laid-back beach town lies along California’s Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and is just one of many picture-perfect communities situated along the country’s most scenic drive. But what sets San Clemente apart is the overall lack of hustle and bustle, making for a much slower-paced lifestyle than many other towns along the coast.
Malibu is a small picturesque city that lies on the coast of California, USA, and due to its extremely high real estate prices, the town is home to a small population of only 13,000 mostly wealthy residents. Malibu is of course well-known for its incredibly scenic coastal bluffs that provide jaw-dropping views around every corner.
Carmel-by-the-Sea is a picturesque town on the central coast of California and is well known for its fairytale-like architecture that would make the perfect backdrop for a Hansel and Gretel movie. The town is also known for its incredible beauty that is abundant in scenic ocean bluffs and gorgeous white sand beaches. Aside from its whimsical storybook flavor, and endless beauty, this quaint village of only 4,000 people is packed full of art galleries, boutiques, hotels, shops, and restaurants.
The Nautical Beachfront Resort is located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and has been providing excellent lakeside accommodations to visitors of the area since the 1960s. Guests from all over the globe come to soak up the endless sunshine and experience the incredible lake and desert views, superior service, and delicious award-winning cuisine.
Naramata is a small lakeside village that is nestled in the heart of the gorgeous Okanagan Valley. The townsite of Naramata sits on the shores of popular Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town has a rich history and made its way as an excellent fruit-producing region, owing to its sunny location and the Okanagan’s mostly mild year-round temperatures. Nowadays Naramata is more well-known for its abundance of vineyards and wineries which are quite the attraction in the summertime.
Port de Pollença, also known as Puerto Pollensa, is a lovely Spanish town that is perfectly situated on the northern side of the island of Mallorca, Spain. It features a family-friendly atmosphere with plenty of worthy attractions and activities like swimming, boating, paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, and hiking. The geology of the port lends to the protection of the bay from prevailing winds, crashing waves and the water tends to be very calm and placid.
Belize Ecoultion Adventures is located on the edge of the dense Belizean jungle in the village of Bermudian Landing. The park lies along the edge of the Bermuda River, which is an important part of the jungle ecosystem and provides sustenance for the wildlife that live in the area. The tour takes you through the thick rain forest on well-established paths where the guide will try to locate the local families of howler monkeys in hopes to feed them some delicious bananas, which the monkeys enjoy a lot, but they are not a native fruit of Belize.
Snake Island is one of many incredible attractions that are available while you visit El Nido. Palawan in the Philippines. The island consists of a sandbar which is made up of incredible white sand and surrounded by some of the most beautiful blue water you will ever lay your eyes on and if your thirsty there is a palapa bar where you can buy cocktails and beers. Snake Island so scenic that it is often compared to the likes of the Maldives or the Seychelles, which is definitely good company to be in.
The Kalamalka Lakeview Drive Lookout is located along a 2.5 km section of the old highway 97 that was replaced by the newer highway. It sits high above what is Vernon, BC’s pride and joy, Kalamalka Lake. It provides sensational views of the well-known turquoise waters of Kalamalka Lake, along with the Okanagan Valley and its surrounding mountains. From here you will get a perfect view of Coldstream, as well as an extinct volcano known as Camels Hump. Even further in the distance on a clear day, you can even spot the snowcapped Monashee Mountain range. This small park includes convenient washrooms, picnic tables and is an excellent place to sit and enjoy the “Lake of Many Colours”.
San Pedro Town is the largest city on the gorgeous Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye. The island belongs to the small Central American country known as Belize and lies 35 km from the coastline. it is roughly 40 km long from north to south and around 1.6 km wide. As with most keys in the Caribbean, Ambergris Caye has nothing in terms of mountains or even hills and is essentially completely flat. That being said this spectacular island has so much to offer, such as; pearly white-sand beaches with turquoise blue waters, super-friendly locals with a uniquely blended culture, delicious food with a Mexican-Caribbean twist, and interesting wildlife like large iguanas and crocodiles.
Caye Caulker is a gorgeous tropical island getaway that is located in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the small and humble Central American country of Belize. The island has a small population of only 2000 inhabitants but does swell with tourists in the high season which is between October and April. It is not a large island and occupies an area of only 5 miles (8.0 km) long by less than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. The island maintains an ultra-relaxed atmosphere and lives by the motto “go slow”, which is displayed all over the island and is comically enforced by the local rastas if you happen to ride your bicycle a little too fast down the main street. This relaxed way of life is even more apparent by the fact that only bicycles and golf carts are allowed on the island.
Lions Gardens is Located in the village of Okanagan Falls, British Columbia on the south end of beautiful Skaha Lake. The park is a gorgeous 3-acre piece of paradise in the Okanagan Valley and provides visitors with the ideal spot to relax and enjoy the wonderfully landscaped gardens and the large pond that is situated in the center of the park. The pond is a great place to watch wildlife and an important habitat for local ducks, turtles, fish, and even a beaver. There are also many benches and picnic tables are throughout the park making it the perfect place for a family picnic, as well as a great location for wedding photography.
The Pioneer Walkway is perfectly situated on the strip of land that separates the north and south ends of Osoyoos Lake, British Columbia. It is located in the exquisite Okanagan Valley which is a scenic winemaking region in Canada with some of the county’s best weather along with a Mediterranean look and feel. Osoyoos is in the South Okanagan on the border of Washington State and has by far the best weather.
Anarchist Mountain Lookout is an incredibly scenic viewpoint located just outside of the town of Osoyoos in the spectacular Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. It is situated along the Crowsnest Highway and takes visitors from 910 feet to 4045 feet for a stunning panoramic view of Osoyoos Lake and the Okanagan Valley, as well as Oroville which is located just across the border in Washington state, U.S.A. The lookout is no more than a small pullout along the highway that only allows for a few cars at a time. There are no amenities, hiking trails, or anything really, other than a tremendous view of Canada’s only desert region. That being said, for only being a short drive up the hill, visiting the viewpoint is well worth it.
