Casa Sandra

10 Places Where You Can Sleep on a Beach

By Carrie Havranek

If beachfront hotels aren't close enough to the water's edge for you, you'll want to check out these hotels, casitas, villas, bungalows, eco lodges, and cottages that are on the beach. From Mexico to Australia's Whitsunday Islands, don't miss these 10 places around the world where you can sleep on the beach.

Hayman Villas

Hayman Villas

Where: Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Details: You'll find the One&Only villas on the northernmost Whitsunday Islands. Each villa comes with a king-size bed, a private pool with a daybed, an outdoor shower, and direct access to Hayman Beach and the Coral Sea. Should you want to plug in, Wi-Fi is available in the room. The villas are part of a resort with a white-sand beach, tropical gardens, a lily lagoon, and a pool.
More Info: 612/9308-0500, or 866/552-0001 for callers in the United States

Casa Sandra

Casa Sandra

Where: Isla Holbox, Mexico
The Details: Picture 19 suites fronting the ocean at this boutique hotel owned by Sandra Perez, a painter, poet, and Latin Grammy Award winner who dreamed up the property as an artists' retreat. It's just two hours north of Cancún on the island of Holbox, where the streets are made of sand. Two thatched daybeds are available for daytime napping (or nighttime sleeping) on a first-come, first-served basis at no extra charge. If you change your mind, your room is just paces away, and there's a hammock on your room's balcony. Massages are available onsite, too.
More Info: 984/875-2431

Ocean Vagabond Dakhla

Dakhla Surf Hotels

Where: Dakhla, Morocco
The Details: Stay at this wind- and kitesurfing destination, where the desert meets the Atlantic some 800 miles south of Marrakech. Hang out on the lagoon beach, which for wind- and kitesurfers means no waves, no current, no rocks — just good wind. (Swimming is ideal from November to January.) The 30 Ocean Vagabond bungalows are set among the dunes and include accommodations for up to three people, three buffet-style meals, and a private terrace; the hotel itself has a restaurant, a bar, and a surf shop.
Prices: A Young Blood bungalow starts at €86 for one person, while a Pacha Lodge bungalow starts at €144.
More Info: 212/613-037861

The beach at Amanwana luxury resort on Moyo Island, Indonesia.

Amanresorts

Amanwana Resort

Where: Moyo Island, Indonesia
The Details: When you reserve one of the 20 luxury tents at this resort, be sure to ask for one of the 11 that's on the beach. You'll be tucked away in a cove on Moyo Island, a protected nature preserve just east of Bali with teak, tamarind, and Banyan trees. These are no ordinary tents; rather, they're air-conditioned with bathrooms, king-size beds, and large picture windows that look out on the Flores Sea. Staying here is truly an indulgent experience, with meals, beverages, laundry, daytime and nighttime snorkeling, a hike to a waterfall, airport transfers, and more all included in the price.
More info: 62/371-22233

27 wooden suites on a verdant hillside are facing a white-sand beach and turquoise water.

Upsilon Andromedae/Flickr

Hermitage Bay

Where: Hermitage Bay, Antigua

The Details: Nestled in a lush hillside, these 27 luxury suites all face a secluded white-sand beach and offer spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. But only the 10 beachfront suites stand at the edge of the fine sand, just steps away from the clear water. The beachfront suites come with an iPod docking station, a flat-screen TV, air-conditioning, and a covered sun-deck, where you can lie in a daybed and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean. If you’d rather get into the water, the resort provides free snorkeling gear, and windsurfing, kayaking, and paddle boards are also available. Three meals are included in the daily rate, and a free cooking lesson is given once a week by the main pool.

Courtesy Viceroy Hotel Group

Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort

Where: Sugar Beach, St. Lucia
The Details: Enjoy beachfront luxury at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort. Built on a former sugar plantation in a rain forest, these eight bungalows are positioned anywhere from 20 to 100 feet from the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Each bungalow is decked out with high-beamed ceilings, a four-poster bed, and a Jacuzzi in a private courtyard. A personal butler is on hand to draw a bath for you, iron your clothes, or reserve a table at a great restaurant anywhere on the island.
Prices: Bungalows start at $1,525 per night for two people.
More Info: 758/456-8000

Randolph Langenbach

Playa Viva

Where: Zihuatanejo, Mexico
The Details: Let the ocean waves lull you to sleep in one of 11 open-air casitas right on the beach, about 100 feet from the water. Constructed from locally sourced woods, bamboo, and palapa, all the rooms in this solar-powered resort have private bathrooms; rates include meals, snacks, hotel-airport transportation, and yoga classes. The resort also has an onsite turtle sanctuary, where you can even help release newly hatched turtles back into the ocean.
Prices: Studio casitas start at $265 per night for two people.
More Info: 800/397-6093

Couple enjoying the Plunge Pool at Medjumbe Resort, located on a private island off the coast of Mozambique.

Rani Resorts

Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort

Where: Medjumbe, off the northern coast of Mozambique
The Details: During high tide, this private island is a half-mile long and 1,050 feet wide. Twelve palm-thatched beach villas are lofted. Each has a private deck that overlooks the Indian Ocean. All villas have air-conditioning and a private plunge pool. All meals are included, along with alcoholic beverages, access to a mini-bar, non-motorized sports, and more.
Prices: Rooms start at $1,017 per night for two people.
More Info: 258/866-101477

Unique Home Stays

The Beach Hut

Where: North Cornwall, UK
The Details: Built in the 1920s, The Beach Hut offers a charming seaside getaway in Cornwall. The cottage is essentially one large room that can sleep up to two guests. If you feel like cooking, there's an oven, a sink, and a microwave to help you prepare simple meals. The pebbly beach is backed by cliffs and is reputedly one of the best-kept secrets for surfing in England — provided you're wearing a wetsuit.
Prices: A three-night minimum stay for two is £1,350 (about $1,690) in the low season, and £1,950 (about $2440) in the high season.
More Info: 01637/881-183

Lower Big Bar Camp, located in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon below Whitmore Wash, looking upstream toward Indian Canyon.

Tom Gotchy

OARS Rafting Trips

Where: The Grand Canyon
The Details: Did you know there are beaches in the Grand Canyon? And that you can pitch a tent and sleep there during a rafting trip down the Colorado River? Fall asleep under the stars, thousands of feet below the canyon rim. These trips include all gear, a guide, meals, accommodations, and transportation to and from the river.
Prices: Trips range from 5-18 days (from $2,407-$5,313 per person).
More Info: 800/346-6277

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