Travel Guide

Spain's wildlife coast is eight sites: Doñana, the Ebro Delta, Cabo de Gata, the Strait of Gibraltar, Tenerife–La Gomera, the Cíes, Ibiza's seagrass and the new turtle beaches.

Spain's surf is northern and autumn-to-spring: Mundaka, Rodiles, Pantín, Somo, Zarautz. The kiting is Tarifa, near year-round. Only Famara and El Médano give you both at once.

Spain's historic beach towns worth the trip: Cádiz, Tarragona, Tossa de Mar, Peñíscola, Ibiza Town, Baiona and Hondarribia — each with real walls and a walkable beach.

Packing for Spain: water shoes for pebble and dark-sand costas, SPF50 for UV 8-10 summers, a cover-up to avoid 120-300 euro swimwear fines, and layers for the Atlantic north.

Spain’s best water sports beaches: Tarifa for kitesurfing, Sotavento and Pozo Izquierdo for windsurfing, Mundaka and Somo for surf, Illes Medes and Cabo de Palos for diving.

Spain’s liveliest beach bars are Cafe Mambo and Cafe del Mar in Ibiza, Tumbao and Tangana in Tarifa, and Ocean Club in Marbella. Barcelona’s are cheapest but close earliest.

Spain's cheapest beach coasts are the Costa Calida and Costa de Almeria. Travel in May, June or September, eat the menu del dia at about 14 euros, and skip 10-euro sunbeds on free public sand.

Spain's beachside cuisine is regional: espeto de sardinas in Malaga, pescaito frito in Cadiz, paella at lunch in Valencia, pulpo and percebes in Galicia, caldereta de langosta in Fornells.

Spain's hidden beaches: Gulpiyuri, Playa del Silencio, Praia das Catedrais, the Cies Islands, Cala Macarelleta, Los Muertos, Castell and Coll Baix. Three need permits or a shuttle.

The best luxury beach resorts in Spain: Marbella Club, Hotel Arts Barcelona, Bahia del Duque, Six Senses Ibiza, La Gavina and Ikos Andalusia. No Spanish hotel owns its beach.

The best family-friendly beaches in Spain: Playa de Muro, Salou, Benidorm's Levante, La Malvarrosa, the Mar Menor at Los Alcazares and La Concha. Five shelve gently; only La Concha has a real tide.

Beach hopping in Spain works car-free on two coasts: the Cercanias C-1 runs Malaga to Fuengirola in 46 minutes, and the Alicante tram reaches Denia. The Costa Brava still needs a car.

From Costa Brava to Costa del Sol, Spain's six Mediterranean costas are not interchangeable: Costa Brava has the coves and warmest August water, Cabo de Gata the wildest sand, Malaga the flights.

Mexico low season runs May to mid-December. The Pacific — Puerto Escondido, Huatulco — is the real bargain; Caribbean beaches get sargassum. September is cheapest and riskiest.

Mercado 23, Benito Juarez, Pino Suarez and Lucas de Galvez run daily; Olas Altas, Sayulita and San Jose del Cabo are seasonal. Skip Cancun's Mercado 28.

Whale sharks off Isla Mujeres run mid-June to mid-September, La Ventana kitesurfing November-March, Zicatela surf April-September, and Cozumel drift diving year-round.

Mexico's most Instagrammable beaches: the Marietas Hidden Beach, Balandra, Bacalar's seven-color lagoon, Holbox glow, Tulum ruins, and Las Coloradas pink lakes.

Rip currents, not crime, are the main hazard on Mexico's beaches. Red means the water is closed, Cancun lifeguards work 9am-5pm, and Zicatela and Zipolite are not swimming beaches.