One of the cutest and most common shorebirds found on Florida’s beaches is the Sanderling [Calidris alba].
It is also one of the whitest. Visible fieldmarks aside, you could identify this bird by its behavior alone. It is a very small bird (8 inches) with short black legs and runs rapidly up and down the beach, [...]

March often brings strandings of Man-of-War jellyfish on Florida’s Atlantic coast beaches. Visitor Ann McConnell sent in these photos from Miami Beach, taken on March 8, 2010.
She noted that she saw about 30 of these creatures on the beach.  In late February several people sent photos of Purple Sea Snails on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The [...]

A rosey swath on Barbuda

As a beach lover, I’ve had the pleasure  of  enjoying  many beautiful shorelines, in many countries. I love pristine white sand beaches and I adore exotic black sand beaches but hands down, the most drop-dead gorgeous beaches I have ever gazed upon were on the tiny island of Barbuda.  An unspoiled, sparsely inhabited sister island to Antigua, Barbuda offers the most beautiful and serene beaches in North America.

Stretching for 11 miles nonstop, with hardly a beach towel or chair to mar its rosy glory, Barbuda’s beaches recall  true paradise.  There are lots of beaches on the island and some reveal pearly white sands but more with names like centerpiece and pink sand, present mounds of deeply hued blush-colored sand. I’m not talking slightly pink or almost pink ,like you find on Bermuda or Harbour Island. I mean true,cotton candy pink.  The color comes from crushed coral and tiny pink shells.  I keep bowls and bottles of it around my house to remind me of Barbuda’s pink sand loveliness. You can’t buy land in Barbuda, it’s all owned in common by Barbudians so the closest you can get to permanently capturing the idyllic beaches is by scooping up some of the pink sand and taking it with you.

Photo by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

My wife Suzy (BeachHunter’s assistant) took a yoga class on St. Pete Beach this morning and took a walk afterwards on Pass-A-Grille Beach. She encountered this Florida Fighting conch and snapped a few photos. While many gastropods will withdraw into their shell when handled, the Fighting conch is fearless and will not retreat. They come [...]

At the bottom of the long fishhook shaped bay that makes up Puerto Viejo Bay in Mazatlan, Mexico lies a different kind of beach. This is not a beach for swimming. Nor is it for sunbathing. In fact, with its hard cobbled sand, grey water, and algae covered rocks, Fisherman’s Beach is not even a particularly pretty beach. Yet is is a beach that’s worth a visit when in Mazatlan, for it is here that fishermen gather before dawn each morning and drag their their brightly painted traditional wooden boats across the sand and into the bay.

Relaxing after a hard day at sea on Pescadero Beach

By noon the fishermen have returned but their work is far from done. Once the boats have been hauled out of the water, nets must be mended, fishing lines untangled, and gear cleaned. This is a self-sufficient, industrious community; it is not uncommon to see fishermen tearing apart huge outboard engines or painting boat bottoms right on the beach. Some take on the duties of fishmonger, cleaning and gutting the day’s catch and laying it out on rough wooden benches for sale to the public. Even the pelicans are eager. They’ve learned the returning fleet means fish guts and other treats, and they boldly congregate around the fishermen, jockeying aggressively for their share of the booty.

Choose what you like from the day's catch

Unlike the rest of Mazatlan’s beaches, Fisherman’s does not have beautiful white sand and clear turquoise water, but it has one distinct advantage over those other picture-book perfect beaches: it offers up the freshest fish in town for astonishingly low prices, and the cultural experience is thrown in for free.

Photo credit: Barbara Weibel

Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

I’ve been helping my dad out with a book about our family history, so I do some research on the internet now and then. Recently I came across a journal written by some of my distant relatives of their journey by wagon from Alabama to Florida. It is so interesting I thought I’d share a [...]

Baby bird volunteers are needed immediately at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida. Volunteers will receive training and information at the Baby Bird Training Workshop on Saturday, April 3, 2010; 10:00 a.m. at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary.  Volunteers will work in  aviaries and in the avian hospital feeding and caring for the babies. No experience is [...]

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day which happened to coincide with the first day of Spring. Suzy really wanted to drag me away from the computer into the sunshine, so we headed over to Sawgrass Lake Park to go for a walk.  I thought perhaps I’d see a few interesting birds. The most beautiful thing [...]

If you travel to the New Smyrna Beach are a to catch some waves, or if you just like to keep up with surfing conditions, check out the NSBStreets Youtube Channel.
Video clips are posted daily showing the surf conditions at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Spanish speakers call it Isla de la Piedra but in English it’s Stone Island. There are no Holiday Inns or Hiltons here, no franchise restaurants. For that matter, it’s not even an island. Isla de la Piedra is located on a peninsula of land across the harbor inlet from the main part of Mazatlan, Mexico. It is accessible by road, if you can call the rutted, washboard track that leads to it a road. Most people eschew the road and instead catch a small wooden for $20 pesos round trip (less than $2 U.S.), which is likely why it came to be called an island.

Beach at Stone Island begins at the base of the hill, wraps around the bay, and stretches for 25 miles

Once across the inlet, a short walk brings visitors to the Pacific side of the narrow isthmus. To the right, about 15 beach palapa restaurants offer delicious local food, priced more affordably than anywhere in Mazatlan proper. This 2 kilometer strip of “development” also includes one three story apartment building that rents rooms for $25 per night and a hand-built hostel that rents hammocks for $5 per night. To the left is nothing but a wide expanse of beach and swaying palms – more than 25 miles of pristine sand with shallow water perfect for wading.

Stone Island or Isla de la Piedra – take your choice – is not likely to be developed any time soon, if ever, since the lands are owned collectively by a handful of residents who jointly control all decisions regarding development. However, as more and more tourists discover this gem, pressure will mount. Residents have already relented and leased land to foreigners who have erected modest homes and in return have been awarded long term leases.

Rent a hammock at the hostel or just visit for a day

To reach Stone Island, head toward the Mazatlan lighthouse, which sits atop a conical hill at the end of the harbor inlet. On the quay leading to the lighthouse, one launch operator provides rides for $25 pesos  trip. A bit further south, just past the Baja Ferries terminal, a dirt road leads to a second launch operator who charges $20 pesos. Boats leave every 15 minutes or so, and the last boat departs at 4 p.m.

Photo Credits: Alaska Dude

Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

Barbuda's pink Palm Beach

Since I specialize in Caribbean and Latin American travel, I consider myself somewhat an expert on pretty beaches.  Just because a destination is an island or on a coast, does not guarantee awesome beaches.  My criteria for beauty doesn’t just involve physical attractiveness.  I also consider the clarity of the water, color and texture of sand and if there are distinguishing cultural indicators like food, music or dress.  Based on those requirements here are my top five prettiest beaches :

1. St. Lucia

They don’t call it Helen of the West Indies for nothing.  St. Lucia is gorgeous, period  and that goes for the beaches as well.  With warm, crystalline water, and powdery stretches of beaches with the Pitons as a dramatic backdrop,  St. Lucia comes as close to Eden as I’ve ever seen.

2.Barbuda

You haven’t experienced paradise until you’ve laid out on a pink sand beach.  Tiny Barbuda boasts a striking combination of turquoise water and rosy, pink sands.  Composed of tiny, crushed pink shells, the sand is so magical that I keep bottles of it around my house.

3.  Bahia

Rio may reap all of the fame but the beaches in the Brazilian state of Bahia, south of Salvador, are known to be the best in Brazil.  My fave is Boipeba, where you can down fresh coconut water and watch capoeiristas practicing acrobatic moves.

4. Jamaica

Jamaica is covered with lovely beaches but to enjoy them in peace and escape the crowds, the South coast and Treasure Beach supplies the best beach experience.  This quaint fishing village is famous for its black sands and fresh seafood grilled right on the beach.

5. St. John USVI

Noted for its natural riches,  St. John encompasses several beautiful beaches but Honeymoon Beach consistently tops  the lists for world’s most beautiful beaches.  Small and not accessible by car, unfolds with pearly white sand shaded by lush sea grape trees.

Photo by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

I’ve been cooped up in the house all week so I just had to take advantage of the clear weather this afternoon and take a walk on the beach. I’ll shut up and let the pictures do the talking.

BIRTHRIGHT from Sean Mullens on Vimeo.
Is there something you are struggling with? Some obstacle you need to overcome?
You will find a way.
Finding your own way is the essense of being human.

With its 2.5 miles of shimmering golden sands and gently lapping turquoise waters, Puerto Viejo Bay is perhaps the best choice for a day at the beach in Mazatlan, Mexico. The beach is within walking distance of the center of  town and convenient to many of the smaller upscale hotels located in this area. It is also quite near Mazatlan’saquarium, which is worth a visit.

Puerto Viejo Bay Beach

Shaped like a fishhook lying on its side, this endless ribbon is dotted with thatch-roofed beach palapas that serve up mounds of fresh ceviche or fresh grilled fish, washed down with the local cerveza or a lucious fruit smoothie whipped up from fresh-picked fruit. Vendors roam Puerto Viejo Beach, seeking customers for their handicrafts, but graciously disappear at a shake of the head. There is simply no pressure here.

Beach palapa at Puerto Viejo Bay

Most times of the year this beach is virtually deserted. However during carnival, Semana Santa (Holy Week at Easter), and on other holidays, locals from all over the country flock to this beach. Many are poor peasants from the interior who arrive with only the clothes on their back and huge bags of food; they sleep on the beach, swim in their clothes, and grill food over open fires. During these times, barely an inch of sand remains and strolling down Mazatlan’s Puerto Viejo Bay Beach is a feast for the senses.

Photo Credit: Barbara Weibel

Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

Florida Tourism “Eli’s BBQ” from AboutFace Media on Vimeo.
Not long ago my wife and I took a bike ride from Honeymoon Island along the Pinellas Trail to Dunedin. Along the way we passed by a little BBQ stand that looked and smelled really good. Unfortunately we had already eaten lunch downtown, but we made a [...]

The prettiest beaches in Mazatlan, Mexico, the ones with broad bands of silken white sand, are located in the northern part of the city, in La Zona Dorada – the Golden Zone, and even further north in the new hotel zone. Although attractive, these northern beaches lack character because of their location: step off the beach and into the tourist area and you could be on any beach in any part of the world. High rise condos stand side-to-side with franchise hotels, storefronts are filled with cheap trinkets and T-shirts, and the restaurants are ubiquitous franchises that cater to American palettes.

Olas Altas, a pretty little crescent beach in Old Town, Mazatlan

On the other side of town, across the broad boulevard from Mazatlan’s charming Old Town, lies a smaller crescent of beach known as Olas Altas. At the south end of the half-moon bay, waves roll in on the  point and set up nice waves for surfers and body boarders. The rest of the beach is sheltered and enjoys calm water that is perfect for families. The sand here is soft and glows pink in the sunrise and sunset, perfectly framing the sunset over the bay. Best of all, this beach’s proximity to Mazatlan’s city center makes it a perfect choice for a visit that combines sunbathing with dozens of other activities, from investigating hundreds of historic buildings painted in riotous colors to browsing through the Art Museum or Archeological Museum.

Walking the Malecon along Olas Altas Beach

And not to worry about the quality or price of the food. Restaurants such as La Cueva de Leon, directly across the street from Olas Altas Beach, feature authentic, delicious Mexican food for incredibly low prices (in the case of La Cueva, nothing is priced higher than $50 pesos, which is slightly less than $4 U.S.).

Photo Credit: Barbara Weibel

Article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels

Shortly after 8 a.m. this morning I found myself standing out on the rather chilly mud flats at Fort Desoto County Park with members of the St. Petersburg Audubon Society, hoping to learn about shorebirds. For a novice, shorebirds are incredibly challenging to identify. But with the assistance of experienced birders I found myself quickly [...]

I use beach web cams a lot. During the summer I check the web cams to see if it’s raining at the beach. I also use them to see if the surf is up when a hurricane or tropical storm is in the Gulf or Atlantic.
During the spring months, on days that seem like perfect [...]

During a recent conversation, my friend (who wears black exclusively) expressed that it is surprisingly difficult to find a black bikini. Most are embellished with metal, plastic, stone, beading, or jewel accents to add oomph to the simplicity of the design and color. Always up for a challenge, I set out to find black bikinis that rely on fabric and construction to make their designs unique and interesting.

All the two-pieces below are shown in, or available in, black fabric.

Retro Black

The cut, draping, and fabric appliques up the ante on the little black bikini.

Retro-chic Black. Images courtesy of Eres, Seafolly, and Betsey Johnson

Left: Belem-Santiago by Eres (available in black on black)
Center: Goddess by Seafolly
Right: Ladies & Gentlemen by Betsey Johnson

Affordable and Chic
Victoria’s Secret offers chic selection for under $40. Look for details such as stitching and side ties to make your black bikini more interesting.

Affordable and Chic. Images courtesy of Victoria's Secret.

Left: Adjustable triangle top with Brazilian bottom

Right: Triangle top with double-string bottom

Look to the bottom for details

Two-piece suits tend to emphasize the top but these suits add interesting details to the bikini bottom, such as delicate tassles and sassy ruching.

Look to the bottom for details. Images courtesy of Eres and Vix

Left: Severa-Fado by Eres (available in black)
Right: Ripple Rio by Vix

Construction

The construction of the top makes this my favorite by far.

Construction details are subtle and super chic. Image courtesy of Eres

Wanda-Mescalito by Eres (available in black)

Just for Fun

The design is too clean and the fabric too luxurious to let a teeny, tiny metallic detail (that can easily be taken off with a stitch remover) get in the way of Ondademar’s hot black two-piece.

Beach Solids by Ondademar. Image courtesy of Ondademar

The tie knot and the draping detail on the bottoms make Jubilation by L*Space all-around adorable.

Jubilation by L*Space. Image courtesy of L*Space

Fringe Benefits Dolly Bandeau by L*Space is au courant and balanced with a simple design on the bottom.

Fringe Benefits by L*Space. Image courtesy of L*Space