Not all beaches are alike. While Barcelona in Spain boasts of topless beaches, Cape Town has cold waters, Thailand has a serene one, while Berlin has a small one and Galle in Sri Lanka is at land’s end.  

Marbella Beach, Barcelona, Spain  

The W Barcelona hotel is located right on Barcelona’s Marabella Beach, overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. While the hotel itself is an attraction, the Marabella beach is more famous for its topless crowd. Great during summer for sunbathers and surfers, towards late morning, it is a sight to behold! You can walk around casually and not stare, as they are casual about being topless. There are men, women from all age groups, some with rippling muscles, while others have sagging bodies, but the ease with which they soak in the sun, is really cool. Handsome Spaniards in their bare basics, and hot Spanish women without even the basics. Some are happy to play with the waves or laze around while their bodies tanned, while others were making the most of the outdoors, sweating over a game of beach volleyball or running along the beach.  

Berlin beach, Germany While Berlin boasts of history that the world reads about, the beach which is very close to the Berlin Wall (now brightly painted) likes the Strandbad Grunau a lake beach tucked away in deepest east Berlin. The water here is deep enough for proper swimming and there are beach baskets to hire as an alternative to a boring old deckchair and a decent cafe too. There are a number of bars along the Spree. Bite into a pizza at the Strandbar Mitte bar is one of the oldest, with deckchairs and palm trees. Join a dance class in the evening followed by DJs. If you are with family, chill at the family-friendly African-Caribbean music venue, YAAM. During summers, you can cool off at Badeschiff, a stylish floating bathhouse and beach area or rent a raft from Floss und Los and make a own floating barbecue party.  

Cape town, South Africa

The Cape Peninsula has an amazing coastline with a beach to suit every mood and moment. Closest to the city centre is the Clifton Beach which has four beaches, great for surfing and soft white sand. One of them is Llandudno, a surfer’s paradise, while Sandy Bay is very popular for nudes, The Atlantic Ocean here is usually quite cold, so more than swimming its best to walk, for people watching, to play beach bats or volleyball.

If it gets too windy, get into the posh restaurants, cafes or fashionable bars. For warmer water, the Indian Ocean of False Bay is great for swimming and a great place to hang out is Simon’s Town. A little ahead, a must visit is the Boulder’s Beach. White sands, boulders in various sizes, blue waters it has an exclusive colony! The Boulder’s beach is restricted exclusively for penguins!  

Galle, Sri Lanka

While Sri Lanka is surrounded by the sea on all sides, the most exotic beach is in the seaside town of Galle is 116 Km away from Colombo by road or rail. Galle is a walled city, from the 16th century and has seen the Colonial rule of the Portuguese, Dutch and British and now is an Archaeological Reserve and has been identified as a living World Heritage Site. You can walk to the beach, and the ocean which surrounds all three sides of the land from the Galle fort and soak in the entire panoramic expanse of the deep blue ocean – a magnificent view of the Indian Ocean on all sides. An old Dutch fort now houses a township, quaint with some best places to stay. One can spend hours at the beach, visit the fresh fish market or watch the Indian Ocean, explore the fort and town for a unique experience.  

Hua Hin, Thailand  

Hua Hin is a quaint place situated about 180 km from Bangkok and takes just a couple of hours to reach, thanks to the super expressways in Thailand. The Hua Hin beach was discovered and frequented in the early 1920s by Thailand’s King Rama VII as a getaway from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. King Rama VII built his Klai Kangwon (Far From Worries) Palace which remains until this day as an official royal residence, though not accessible to the public. 

Hua Hin became the weekend getaway of Thailand’s rich and famous. And when the well-heeled Thais were not frolicking on the beautiful beach, they would head for a round of golf – with the city having as many as eight golf courses to its credit. The Royal State Railway Golf Course, the first and some say the most beautiful in Thailand, was built on a wooded hill estate across the track from Hua Hin Station. Hua Hin is foodie paradise. If it’s on your mind, it’s on your platter. From the all-American chains like KFCs and Pizza Huts, to the local chains of Japanese sushi and spicy Thai food, right down to the authentic street food and not to be missed is the Great American Rib in the market area for the most authentic steaks (T-Bone Steak is a must-have)!  

Berlin beach, Germany

While Berlin boasts of history that the world reads about, the beach which is  very close to the Berlin Wall (now brightly painted) likes the Strandbad Grunau  a lake beach tucked away in deepest east Berlin. The water here is deep enough  for proper swimming and there are beach baskets to hire as an alternative to a  boring old deckchair and a decent cafe too.  There are a number of bars along the Spree. Bite into a pizza at the Strandbar  Mitte bar is one of the oldest, with deckchairs and palm trees.  Join a dance class in the evening followed by DJs. If you are with family,  chill at the family-friendly African-Caribbean music venue, YAAM. During  summers, you can cool off at Badeschiff, a stylish floating bathhouse and beach  area or rent a raft from Floss und Los and make a own floating barbecue party. 

Planet Goa Team

For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.