A quick game of word association.
Beach.
What location first comes to mind?
Perhaps Australia or the South Pacific. Maybe the Caribbean or Thailand. All natural responses, to be sure. The vast majority of vacations that involve sand and surf take place in famous beach locations that like these, offer a touch of the exotic and what most conisder to be idyllic conditions.
But this is not about the most popular beach locations around the globe. Instead, we shine the spotlight on places that though by no means live in the shadows of world tourism, may not be as famous as the previous destinations for excellent beachfront property.
“The Birthplace of the Confederation” in Canada, Prince Edward Island is as close to a beach resort island as the nation will ever have. The tiny province, both in terms of population and land mass, swells with for the most part, natives of the Great White North in the hot and humid summer months. Tourism on the small island of just under 140,000 inhabitants is a vital engine of the economy, along with fishery and agriculture. The proverbial home of “Anne of Green Gables”, the famous Lucy Maud Montgomery literature heroine, a fair number of international visitors in search of a quiet escape seek out the serenity of Prince Edward Island as well.
The island is a wonderful illustration of the vast diversity of Canada. The immense nation after all, is large enough to support the Rocky Mountains and Pacific shore to the west, while to the east, a geography entirely divergent rests along the Atlantic. Green hills and pastures, farms and small towns characterize Prince Edward Island. With two urban areas that barely qualify as such, Summerside and the beautiful capital city of Charlottetown, the island is replete with rural community charm, even at peak tourist time.
Myriad beachfront property of course, offers what no other province in Canada can. Miles of fine sand and spectacular vistas of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, just a short swim from the Atlantic Ocean. The down home charisma of the Maritimes is on full display here. Highways are in fact, one lane country roads in both directions. By automobile, one can traverse the entire province in under four hours, which makes the island ideal for cyclists as well. Suffice to say, the summer months offer countless options for recreation. The provincial sandy shores however, are the hot spot. If you love the beach, a trip over the 12.9 km-long Confederation Bridge, from the New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island side, is in order.
Three tips: skip the touristy region of Cavendish in favor of a quiet cottage in Kensington, devour copious amounts of oysters and lobster in season and for the love of dairy, sample the unreal local brand of ice cream, Cows.
The name alone provides the obvious association we make with the country. Ice. Land. Not Beachland. But as it turns out, the small Nordic nation of just over 300,000 people has a fair share of beach to brag about. Many of them in fact, remain quite close to the wonderful capital city of Reykjavik.
To avid geography enthusiasts, the fact that Iceland is so rife with beachfront property is no big surprise. Perhaps a lesson on the country is in order, to illuminate the fact that you can bring your sunscreen and Speedo here. The island for one, is a volcanic and geological mass of great multiplicity. The interior of Iceland is a giant plateau, with mountains, glaciers and sand fields. Cool glacial water runs toward the sea and the North Atlantic shores, with the warm Gulf Stream at full tilt. The result is a temperate climate, not at all what a neophyte visitor to Iceland would expect. Of course winters are harsh. But this is all about the beach.
Iceland has several wonderful options in store. Nautholsvik in the Reykjavik area is a popular thermal beach with two freshwater pools. Within close proximity is ?lftanes Beach, a white sand beach outside the city in a beautiful peninsula. Kirkjubol Beach, in the Strandir county of West Iceland, is a long drive from Reykjavik but well worth the trip for the sheer seclusion and jet black sand. All in all, the egalitarian spirit, hearty folk and proud cultural heritage of Iceland contribute to make it one of the most unusual beach locations around the world.
If you want to visit beautiful Iceland, check out some terrific hotel deals first.
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