Urban Draws and Sandy Feet: 5 Cities With Great Beaches

While secluded, remote coastal destinations have enduring appeal, a great beach city provides travelers with top-notch hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions, as well as the requisite sandy feet, endless waves and ocean sunsets of a great beach vacation.

We’ve gone farther afield from the Miamis and Honolulus of the world to offer these five beach-city suggestions. As always, research site-specific travel tips and observe local customs on appropriate beachwear and seaside behavior.

Turkey

Istanbul

Istanbul has enough sights, sounds and history to fill multiple itineraries — ancient palaces and modern art, no-frills yet delicious street food and high-end restaurants, a raucous nightlife and the ubiquitous calls to prayer ringing from the city’s mosques. But it also has the Princes’ Islands, roughly an hour boat ride away (via public ferries, water buses or private boats). The cluster of nine islands, four of which are inhabited, have hiking trails, car-free streets and, of course, beaches, with sandy coves spilling out into the warm waters of the Sea of Marmara. Public beaches and beach clubs can be found on the three largest islands, Heybeliada, Büyükada and Burgazada. Aim to visit on a weekday to avoid crowds.

Upon your return, stroll along the banks of the Bosporus or dive into the bustle of the Beyoğlu district. You can find a glass of Turkish wine at Solera winery, or head to Çukur Meyhane, a low-key tavern beloved by locals and visitors alike, for a pour or three of anise-flavored raki.