beaches

Anse du Gouverneur
St. Barts, French West Indies

Clifton Beach
Cape Town, South Africa

Clifton Beach, Camps Bay and Llandudno Beach are among the most popular in Cape Town, but if you're planning on going topless, we recommend Clifton. That's because the beach consists of four sheltered coves, which protect sunbathers from chilly summer winds. The fourth cove is the busiest, especially during their summer months (December and January) because of its excellent public changing and bathroom facilities. The Bay Hotel, located right on Camps Bay, is a few minute's walk from Clifton Beach. Room rates start at $200 per person per night from October through April.

Copacabana Beach
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Copacabana Beach is a three-mile-long stretch of sand, framed by Sugarloaf Mountain on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer monument surveys the scene from on high, and what a scene it is. Frantic games of soccer and beach volleyball (played on full-size courts carved in the sand) compete for space with determined sunbathers wearing as little as possible. The place to stay is the beachfront Copacabana Palace Hotel, which opened in 1923 as the first luxury hotel in South America. Room rates start at $320 per night.

Illetes
Formentera, Spain

Formentera, a tiny Balearic island just below Ibiza, shares the temperate climate and sensuous beaches of its neighbors Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca. But it's smaller and best navigated by bicycle, which works to deter hordes of summertime party-goers and render the beaches safe for families and intimate groups of friends. That's not to say that they are staid, however: Illetes, a stretch of white sand and green water, is home to water sports like sailing and rafting and provides more than enough inspiration for even the most intrepid topless tanner. Formentera is accessible by boat, and we recommend a day trip from Ibiza, where there are more and better places to stay. Pikes Hotel is an island mainstay and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this July. Room rates start at $244 per night.

La Voile Rouge
St. Tropez, France

Technically speaking, St. Tropez is a little port town on the French Riviera. But it rose to international prominence in the 1950s with the arrival of artists and writers, including Pablo Picasso and Jacques Prevért, who were drawn to the laid-back charm and seductive weather of St. Tropez in the summer. When Brigitte Bardot arrived in the '60s, St. Tropez's reputation was secured as the place to sunbathe, swim, mingle and while away the summer. La Voile Rouge is one of St. Tropez's hottest spots during the summer season. Located eight or ten minutes away by bicycle is Villa Marie, with acres of private grounds and a pool. The hotel opens for the season on April 20, and room rates start at $495 per night during high season.

Las Salinas
Ibiza, Spain

Las Salinas in Ibiza is framed with pine trees and located at Ibiza's southern-most point. The beach is the center of the action for the party-seeking crowd that takes over the island every summer, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Exclusive beach bars will deliver drinks right to your towel or lounge chair, but they aren't cheap--you'd do well to remember your wallet even if you leave your bathing suit behind. For a break from the beach, the wildlife conservation area surrounding the beach is perfect. At night, the Cas Gasi, a cozy inn, is located nearby. But like everything else in Ibiza during the summer, it's expensive. Room rates start at $335 per night.

Nikki Beach
St. Tropez, France

Along with La Voile Rouge, Nikki Beach is one of St. Tropez's most stylish and outrageous beaches. The sand is as packed with body guards as it is with tan bodies, and music blasts from nearby cafés, where prices are geared toward the rich, the famous and their hangers-on. Hotel Les Palmiers is a relatively cheap option for accommodation. Located in Place des Lices and hidden in a grove of orange trees and palms, the hotel is open year-round. Room rates start at $125 per night.

Paradise Beach
Mykonos, Greece

Paradise Beach in Mykonos is the place to be at the height of the summer in Greece, but don't bother if all-night beach parties aren't your thing. The beach's many bars and tavernas keep everyone occupied by night, when dance parties take over the beach, and sunrise just means it's time to pick a spot for your towel for the next day. By day, water sports and sun tanning are activities of choice. The Hotel Belvedere, built in the style of a Cycladic village, is our recommendation for accommodation on the island. Room rates start at $137 per night.

Plage de Pampelonne
St. Tropez, France

Plage de Pampelonne, with its clear water and uninhibited bathers, is the center of the St. Tropez beach scene, and Hotel Byblos is the place to stay while there. Built in the style of a Mediterranean mansion, the hotel opens on April 12 this year. Nightly room rates during high season (July and August) are $630 per night.

Santa Maria
Forte Dei Marmi, Italy

Forty miles outside of Florence, Forte dei Marmi is a prime resort on the Italian Riviera. A favorite among the wealthy Tuscans who own pine-screened villas here, as well as of visiting Europeans and Americans, Forte dei Marmi is famous for its weekly market, where shoppers can score fabulously discounted designer shoes, beachwear, crockery and almost anything else you can think of. For the most part, the sandy beaches are meticulously combed and clean, and it's not unusual for one family to reserve a block of tents and beach chairs for the entire summer. Santa Maria beach has some of the best people-watching, and we recommend the California Park Hotel, just two minutes away. Room rates start at $280 per night during August.

South Beach
Miami, Florida

If you hate tan lines but love the U.S., you're probably heading for South Beach, Miami on your next beach holiday. The young, tan crowd is as good-looking as the beach, and trendy hotels are as easy to find as 80-degree temperatures. One of the newest, The Setai on Collins Avenue, opened in 2005 and immediately rendered everything else passé. Room rates start at $900 per night.