Top 10 USA Family Beach

1. Coast Guard Beach - Eastham, Massachusetts

Coast Guard Beach

 For the classic Cape Cod vacation, head to Coast Guard Beach, boundless miles of sand and surf on the Cape Cod National Seashore. Stop at the Salt Pond Visitor Center to learn about free programs, such as family campfire nights, ranger-guided nature walks, beach yoga, and surf casting lessons. Rent kayaks, surfboards, and bikes from Castaways Marine. Take a ride along the 24-mile (39-kilometer) bike path or paddle through unspoiled marsh. The beach itself, reached by a quick shuttle ride from a main lot, has lifeguards, showers, and changing rooms. In town, Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar serves kids’ meals on Frisbees and has an 18-hole miniature golf course.

2. Coopers Beach - Southampton, New York
Rub elbows with the rich and famous along this wide, white-sand beach, a true Hamptons treasure. A stroll along Coopers Beach offers the unique view of a seemingly endless Atlantic on one side and historic mansions on the other. Ideal for families, the gently sloping beach has lifeguards, a snack bar, chair and umbrella rentals, and a summer concert series. Allow time for shopping in town on quaint, tree-lined streets like Jobs Lane. Parking is pricey and can be tight, so arrive early.
  
3. Hanalei Bay Beach - Kauai, Hawaii
The slow pace of Hanalei Bay on Kauai’s north shore makes this two-mile (three-kilometer) long, half-moon beach at the foot of emerald mountains and glittering waterfalls the perfect place to stop and soak up the sun. Beachgoers can swim, bodyboard, and learn to surf in summer’s calmer waters. In the town of Hanalei, a five-minute walk from the beach and a throwback to old Hawaii, you’ll find surf stores, gift shops, casual eateries, and kids selling fresh leis on the street corner.
 
4. Kiawah Beachwalker Park - Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Nature lovers will appreciate the pristine condition of this barrier island, just 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Charleston. Beachwalker Park is the only public beach on Kiawah Island; the rest is a golf resort. The gentle surf, wildlife sightings, and amenities, including a snack bar and umbrella and chair rentals, draw day-trippers and resort guests alike. Visit the Heron Park Nature Center to learn how to explore the surrounding flora and fauna. Kayak through preserved mangrove forests and lagoons. Don’t miss the weekly oyster roast and BBQ on Mingo Point, where you can savor the sunset and listen to music.

5. Santa Cruz Beach - Santa Cruz, California
Home to the last of the great seaside amusement parks on the West Coast, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is family-friendly and features rides for kids of all ages and live music events during the summer. Cowell’s Beach, just north of the main beach, provides some of the best conditions for learning to surf on the West Coast. For a day away from sun and sand, climb aboard a Roaring Camp Railroads train, which picks up passengers on the boardwalk and takes them into the majestic forest of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

6. Siesta Beach - Siesta Key, Florida

Siesta Beach

Known for sand that looks and feels like powdered sugar—scientifically confirmed to be 99 percent quartz—Siesta Beach claims to have the “whitest and finest sand in the world.” Kid-friendly amenities include a snack bar, tennis courts, shaded picnic area, and playground. On-the-beach entertainment ranges from kite flying to beach volleyball. Wildlife sightings—dolphins, manatees, egrets, and pelicans—are common. Siesta Key Village is brimming with family-friendly restaurants, including the Broken Egg for breakfast, the Old Salty Dog for crispy fish and chips, and ice cream and floats at Big Olaf’s Creamery.

7. Coronado Central Beach - Coronado, California
The historic Hotel Del Coronado provides a striking backdrop to experience this perfect beach for families. The gentle slope and warm surf make activities like Boogie boarding, surfing, and swimming easy. Younger kids will enjoy sandcastle building and kite flying, while tweens can sample beach volleyball, biking, and rollerblading along 15 miles (24 kilometers) of designated pathways. Amenities include restrooms, free parking, showers, and year-round lifeguards. Keep an eye out for the most famous locals, the Navy SEALS, who often train on the beach.

8. Crane Beach - Ipswich, Massachusetts
Soft sand and gorgeous ocean views lay just north of Boston, on Massachusetts’ “other cape.” Calm waters, warm tidal pools, and on-site amenities such as a snack bar featuring homemade sandwiches and fresh salads make this an ideal destination for families. Enjoy hiking trails through sand dunes and salt marsh, bird watching, and shell collecting. Off-beach attractions include the Castle Hill mansion for a tour of the gardens; Russell Orchards for locally grown produce and famous cider donuts; and the Clam Box, serving delectable fried clams for sixty years and counting.

9. Stinson Beach - Stinson Beach, California
A winding drive along Highway One north of San Francisco descends into paradise— three and a half miles (5.6 kilometers) of stunning California coastline. Try kayaking, surfing, hang gliding, or plain old swimming. Amenities include a 51-acre (21-hectare) grassy park with picnic tables and grills, an on-the-beach snack bar, restrooms, and lifeguards. Nearby Muir Woods offers trails through a redwood forest with trees up to 700 years old. Back at Stinson, don’t miss inventive ice cream flavors at the Flying Pig Ranch.

10. Lifeguard Beach - Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Take the ferry from Hatteras Island to idyllic Ocracoke Island and let time stop. Clear, calm waters along 16 miles (26 kilometers) of unspoiled beaches are perfect for kayaking, kiteboarding, parasailing, and windsurfing. Rent a bike and explore charming Ocracoke Village, set around the crescent-shaped Silver Lake Harbor. History buffs will enjoy the 1823 lighthouse, and pirate enthusiasts shouldn’t miss Teach’s Hole for an exhibit about Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, who hid out on the island before being killed by British troops.

Top 10 beaches in France

Porto-Pollo, Corsica, France

From Brittany to Corsica, France has a fantastic array of beaches for naturists, families, divers and campers. Here 10 connaisseurs des plages select their favourites

Best in Corsica: Porto-Pollo
by Jacqueline Mirtelli, France Tourism Development Agency
As a native of the French Riviera, I am very keen on the sea. For me, Corsica is a true paradise for beaches and it's only a two-hour flight from London or Manchester. Between Propriano and Bonifacio in sunny southern Corsica is Porto-Pollo beach, a long white arch of sand in a bay sheltered by green hills. I have been lucky to go to the Seychelles and Mauritius and it's like that – OK, a little bit less wild! Snorkelling is a must as the water is crystal clear and filled with fish.

Best Breton beach: Baie d'Audierne, Brittany
by Wendy Mewes, author of Footprint Brittany
With 2,000km of coastline you'll have more trouble avoiding Brittany's beaches than finding one. For sand less travelled, head to the Baie d'Audierne on the west coast of Finistère. This really feels like the edge of Europe; 30km in length, it offers calm relaxation on family-friendly beaches such as Pors Carn. But if you're after dramatic activity, check out the wild Atlantic breakers drawing surfers from afar to the Pointe de la Torche, where a second world war German bunker huddles beside a Neolithic grave.

Best for diving: L'Ile de Riou, Marseille
by Frederic Di Meglio, secretary general of the Fédération Française d'Etude et de Sport Sous-Marin
Wild, uninhabited and carefully preserved, L'Ile de Riou is accessible only by boat. Its small beach was in use 2,500 years ago by founders of Phocea, the town that evolved into present-day Marseille. Now the beach is the starting point for scuba expeditions around the archipelago, but in 2012 it will form the heart of the Parc National des Calanques, an undersea forest ideal for swimmers, snorkellers and scuba divers.

Best naturist: Euronat, Côte d'Argent, Aquitaine
by Nick Mayhew-Smith, author of The World's Best Nude Beaches
Backed by pine woods and untouched by mass tourism, the endless golden sands of the Côte d'Argent are a haven for back-to-nature beach lovers. Unsurprisingly, the coast is also home to some of Europe's best naturist resorts; a collection of laid-back villages where European families unwind – and go home with the perfect suntan. My pick is the stretch of beach at Euronat, with supervised swimming, beach cafes and uncrowded sands to explore on either side. Further south are Montalivet CHM, La Jenny and Arnaoutchot. Birthday suits are de rigueur on the wilder stretches of shore. Just take an extra bottle of sunscreen.

Best for watersports: Plage de l'Almanarre, Hyères, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
by Pascal Boulanger, world champion funboarder
The best beach for wind fanatics is a sandy spit that runs 4km from Hyères out to the pretty town of Giens. There is a superb consistent wind on one side, while the other is sheltered by the Porquerolles and Port-Cros islands. One area is reserved for windsurfers, kitesurfers and funboarders – the winds can be wild in winter. Calmer areas are perfect for paddleboards and kayaks. Behind the beach is a salt marsh where pink flamingos nest.

Best for motor homes and campervans: Plage de Ménéham, Brittany
by Meli George, editor of All the Aires France
Discover some of France's finest white sand beaches by taking the single-track coast road north of Kerlouan between the hamlets of Ménéham and Neis Vran. Every turn offers a vista of another stunning cove with rocky outcrops and deserted sandy shores. Motor homes and campervans are welcome to park overnight for free all year round. At Ménéham, a restored fisherman's cottage is a spectacular starting point for a coastal walk along the dunes with the beaches – including some naturist ones – stretching out on one side.

Best for celeb-spotting: Paloma Plage, French Riviera
by Gerard Spatafora, Clé d'Or and Concierge at the Fairmont Hotel Monte Carlo since 1980
La Paloma is calm, chic and sheltered. It's a favourite of the jet set and celebrities who arrive on superyachts in the bay. You could perhaps see Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on a summer's day. France is democratic however, and half of the beach is public – reserved for non-millionaires. A lovely coastal path runs from Beaulieu-sur-Mer, past the former house of David Niven, all the way to Paloma Plage.

Best wild beach: Côte Sauvage, Poitou-Charentes
by Dominic Earle, editor of France: Time Out's Perfect Places
Due south of the Ile d'Oleron, the gloriously unspoilt Côte Sauvage is hemmed in by the towering pines of the Forêt de la Coubre. It's only accessible by a good 10-minute hike (or bike ride – two wheels are the ideal way to get around) from the D25 between Ronce-les-Bains and La Palmyre. After a slog up the dunes and through the coarse beach grass, the reward is 30km of unadulterated white sand and Atlantic rollers. There's not a beach umbrella or souvenir shop in sight.

Best for families: Argelès Plage, Languedoc-Roussillon
by Mirella Salomone, co-founder of findmybeach.com
Tucked up against the Pyrenees, the Languedoc's Mediterranean beaches are magnificent. Pick of the bunch is Argelès Plage, a 8km stretch of golden sand and clear blue waters that rarely gets crowded. French families have flocked here for years, and for good reason. It's beautifully maintained and has great on-site facilities such as a marina and a beach club for kids. A two-mile tree-lined promenade flanks the northern end of the beach and offers great shade from the soaring summer temperatures.

Best for children: Beaulieu-sur-Mer, French Riviera
by Samuel Landry (aged 8)
My favourite beach is the one in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The best thing about it is that it's easy to swim out to a floating trampoline – you can bounce around on it, then jump off and into the water! I also like this beach because it's sandy and shallow. The sea here feels warmer than the water at other beaches. Nice is nearby but the water there is deep, and sometimes it's freezing.