Lonely Planet's top 10 beaches for cruisers
From the archive. Published July 2, 2019. Details may have changed since.
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01 Courtesy of Paul Gauguin Cruises Can you say wanderlust? Great sightseeing abounds for Paul Gauguin guests visiting Bora Bora. © Courtesy of Paul Gauguin Cruises -
02 Houses and hotels line the shoreline on Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos. © Creative Commons BY-SA -
03 Beach volleyball on Palm Beach on Aruba. © Courtesy of Aruba Tourism -
04 Windsurfing time on Aruba. © Courtesy of Aruba Tourism -
05 Horseback riding on a beach in the Riviera Maya of Mexico. © Courtesy of Cozumel & Riviera Maya Tourism Board -
06 The beach at Hotel Catalonia on the Riviera Maya, Mexico. © Courtesy of Mexico Tourism Board -
07 Heraklion beach on the island of Crete, Greece. © Creative Commons BY -
08 Ipanema Beach, with Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. -
09 Visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife on your Regent Seven Seas cruise. © Courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises -
10 Head to Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife, or Santa Cruz, the capital of Spain's Canary Islands, for a serene getaway on its long, beautiful beaches. © Courtesy of Tourist Office of Spain -
11 Crystal Esprit, shown here in the Seychelles, is repositioning to the Caribbean for winter 2017 and all of 2018. © Courtesy of Crystal Cruises -
12 A beach scene at Mystery Island, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. © Courtesy of Princess Cruises -
13 A beach in Benoa on the island of Bali, Indonesia. © Creative Commons BY
Thinking about a cruise to an off-the-beaten-track island destination? Lonely Planet has published a new edition of "The Cruise Handbook" with recommendations of top beach cruise destinations.
Topping the list are the pristine Society Islands, part of French Polynesia in the South Pacific. The standout port of Bora Bora and its shimmering blue waters can be seen on a Paul Gauguin cruise.
Coming in at No. 3 is Aruba, with tropical beaches so telegenic "you might think you're dreaming." Arashi Beach is a good bet for snorkeling, and Eagle Island is a good choice for its "pristine white sands." At No. 4, the Riviera Maya boasts Caribbean beaches coupled with Mayan temples and amazing food.
Lonely Planet's Top 10 list:
- Society Islands (including Tahiti and Bora Bora), French Polynesia
- Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
- Aruba
- Riviera Maya, Mexico
- Greek isles
- Brazil
- Canary Islands
- Seychelles
- Vanuatu
- Indonesia
You can get to all of these beach getaways on a cruise. Check out our Visual List above.
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