"They're Alive!"

Beaches are 'organic' in that they are forever changing. If you go to a beach one year, then come back the next, it's never quite the same. Come during the stormy season and you may even see it disappear before your eyes, only to re-appear again next dry season.

Beaches are continually reformed and reshaped because that's the way they're made. Ocean currents and incoming waves take small bits of coral or rock fragment and wash them ashore. There they accumulate and grind against each other, becoming smoother and more plentiful until there are enough of them to form a beach.

The fact that beaches come in so many shapes, sizes and materials is a function of where they are formed, the Earth's geological structure, and the weather in the area. Most, though not all, tropical beaches are formed primarily from bits of coral that have broken off a reef and washed ashore. That's why they are usually whiter than nothern or southern hemisphere beaches, which are comprised mainly of sedimentary rock. Then there are those tropical 'black beaches' formed out of lava fragments. And some beaches, like many in Italy and Greece, are made entirely out of rounded pebbles. Perhaps the rock they're made from is so hard that it simply refuses to fragment further, or they are still young. Bear in mind that this process of beach formation takes a few million years or so to occur, a mere smidgen of time on a universal scale.

By just looking at a beach you can tell some things about it. For instance, if the beach has a steep slope, then it's likely the ocean bottom drops quickly away to considerable depth not far beyond the shore, and the waves here may be larger than average at some time during the year. That's likely, but not guaranteed. Every beach has a unique geography of its own, particular to its location. There's only one sure way to find out about a beach's unique characteristics. Ask someone who has lived at or near the beach for a long time and knows all its idiosycracies. That's why we caution everyone to check with locals before entering the water at any beach, no matter how calm and inviting it looks. For more safety tips go to Beach Safety.

Beaches Are Meant To Be Fun

If beaches hadn't existed someone would probably have invented them. Let's face it, there is no other natural attraction on Earth that draws people to it in such numbers. How often do you see crowds at the top of Mt. Everest? Or at the headwaters of the Amazon? But go to any popular beach in season and it's guaranteed you won't be lonely.

So, unless you've found a pristine strand on which no human has ever set foot, it's likely you're going to have company at the beach. And because it's a gathering place there are questions of social etiquette that need to be addressed. Like how small can that bikini get, or do you have to wear one at all?

These are questions for which there are no perfect answers. We only report the consensus of what is viewed as 'acceptable practice' in the locations we cover. And as good reporters, we make no value judgements as to what is, or should be, acceptable. But we also refuse to bury our heads in the sand (pardon the pun) and pretend that these issues don't exist or that current social values remain static. Like beaches, social values ebb and flow with the times. Our only interest in the foibles of human nature, on both sides of the 'bathing suit' issue, relates to the endless possibilities it provides for some fun. So get upset about how things are changing too fast, or not fast enough, if you must...however, we can't help but see a bit of humor in it.

Nothing Is Carved in Stone

Like any beach this site is a work in progress. You can email us if changes need to be made in the information content of the site or give your own slant on things.

We take all suggestions seriously. If you feel that a beach is rated a bit high or low, let us know. If your case seems reasonable we’ll change the rating. If you feel you can improve on a beach description, feel free to provide a new one. If we like it we’ll replace the current one with yours.

The same goes for the area descriptions. Feel free to provide a new one or edit the current one. If we think the change has merit we’ll be happy to substitute yours for ours and give you a byline for having written or edited it.

If your favorite beach isn't listed on this site, or you think one of the currently listed beaches deserves better coverage, just email us a short description of the beach (around 500 words) and attach a few photos (one to three) and we'll create your own beach webpage, indicating that you are its author.