2019-09-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

PHOTOGRAPHS:

MRAK.HV/SHUTTERSTOCK;

YULIA

TIMOFEEVA/500PX,

MICHAEL

URMAN/

SHUTTERSTOCK. WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BEN HANDICOTT AND KAYLA RYAN

THE URBAN EDIT

VENICE BEACH,

LOS ANGELES

If skateboardersand

bodybuildersspringto

mind,that’sjustwhat

yougetonVenice

Beach(picturedleft).

It’squintessentially

urban,withbasketball

courts,streetvendors

andperformers,and

MuscleBeachVenice,

whereironis verymuch

pumped.Thisis the

ultimatebeachforthose

whocan’tswitchoff;

theendlessactivities

andpeople-watching

meanboredomis

impossible.Oh,and

thebeachis greatfor

swimming and surfing.

BAČVICE BEACH,

SPLIT

Stunningbeachesrun

thelengthof Croatia’s

DalmatianCoast,and

Bacˇvice(picturedright)

is oneyoucansimply

rollontofromyourcity

pad.Enjoycool,clear

Adriaticwaters,and

watchoutforboutsof

picigin,a sportnative

to Splitthat’sa bitlike

volleyball.Thereare

barsandcafésin the

beachpavilion.

COPACABANA,

RIO DE JANEIRO

Ifthisisn’ttheworld’s

mostbeautifulbeach,

it is certainlyoneof the

mostfamous.Witha

cityof millionsa whisker

away,thetwoand

a halfmilestretchof

action-packedstrand

is partycentralin Rio,

withinformalzones:

westof Copacabana

Palaceis theLGBTQbit

(lookfortherainbow

flag);footballersplay

nearRuaSantaClara;

fishermenbringin

theircatchnextto

Forte de Copacabana.

TALLOW BEACH,

BYRON BAY

Amid22,000miles

of Australiancoastline,

ByronBayin New

SouthWalesstands

out.It hasbeautiful

beaches,a waaay

laidbackvibe,and

plentyof goodfood

anddrink.Andhow

manytownbeaches

giveyouwhale

watching,as wellas

surfing and swimming?

BIARRITZBEACH,

BIARRITZ

TheverynameBiarritz

suggestsbejewelled

nobilitytakingthe

waterswitha backdrop

of ArtNouveau

palaces.Theresortis

nowknownforits

excellentwaves,rather

thanroyalty.Youcan

expectto rubsandy

shoulderswithallsorts

of folk,fromwell-to-do

casino-goersto locals,

andaninternational

cast of surfers.

THEULTIMATE

Urban beaches

Funand

sunshine

world-famouson

Copacabana

Beach