Last summer, you might have ambitiously planned a family beach vacation in the Bahamas or two weeks of basking in the sun on the Amalfi Coast. But with those routes thwarted, it’s now time to look to other, less crowded places for a summer family vacation.
The best family beach vacations don’t have to require a lot of work – it’s basically about finding the right place, so you can relax away from Zoom meetings and e-learning, and instead spend your days swimming, looking for seashells, relaxing in a hammock, and staying up late. Late with the stars.
As for where to find it all, we as Vazoria have a few ideas. We’ve rounded up the best family beach vacations for you, all centered around fabulous hotels and resorts packed with amenities, so all you have to do is choose where to go. From the perfect New England seaside getaway to lakeside country campgrounds, to luxury estates running through the French Riviera, below you’ll find the perfect summer family beach vacation.
Sonoma Coast, California
In the 1960s, photographer Ansel Adams captured the rugged beauty of Timber Cove on the Sonoma Coast, about 15 miles north of Jenner. Nowadays, take in the gorgeous scenery of the secluded Timber Cove Resort, a 25-acre bohemian modernist set perched on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Its range of rooms includes double bunk beds and spacious suites with bathtubs and Smeg refrigerators. Access the beach from the property, or choose one of the many on-site activities that showcase the stretch of California’s coastline – hiking trails, tasting refreshing drinks, a fire pit with a front-row seat to watch the gorgeous sunset, for example, on clear nights, order Borrow the binoculars at the reception to see some world-class stars.
Gulf State Park, Alabama
A stay at the Lodge at Gulf State Park—a partnership between Hilton and Alabama’s Gulf State Park—puts you beachfront within a 6,200-acre ecological preserve on the Gulf of Mexico.
Learn about each of the park’s nine ecosystems through interactive exhibits at the on-site Interpretive Center – Alabama’s most environmentally friendly building. Borrow a bike to ride some of the 28 miles of trails, go for a guided nature walk, visit the butterfly garden, rent a kayak, or swim and hunt for shells along the property’s two miles of white sandy beaches.
Cape May, New Jersey
On the tip of Cape May, New Jersey, Congress Hall is America’s oldest seaside resort, welcoming guests for more than 200 years. Modern amenities include plush rooms and a saltwater pool, while rustic beach cottage vibes take care of striped beach tents (available for rent). Just steps away from the resort’s garden, find the beach with everything you need for the day – towels, umbrellas, deck chairs, and even lunch service. Guests can borrow bikes and pedals to the Beach Plum Farm property to tour the 62-acre grounds, feed the chickens, and pick pans for a picnic lunch.
