A water sports and recreation gateway surrounded by palm-lined beaches and rocky bays, Playas del Coco is under an hour from Liberia, Costa Rica’s Daniel Oduber Quiros International Aiport (LIR). Relax on white sand beaches or stroll the black sand beach beneath the cliffs at Playa Ocotal. Dive, snorkel, swim, surf, fish, bird-watch, kayak, sail, jet ski, hike, bike, golf, and horseback ride.

An increasingly upscale village, Playa Hermosa overlooks the Gulf of Papagayo and enjoys a pleasant, tropical climate and family-friendly beaches. Abundant water activities include sport fishing, sailing, scuba diving or snorkelling and leisurely sunset catamaran tours. You and your family will also want to visit the area’s national parks. Try a combination of popular local tours – a full day of horseback riding, swimming and lunch at the Volcan Miravalles National Park or an adventurous Canopy Tour to experience Costa Rica’s ecosystems. Just 10 minutes from Playa Hermosa, the lively village of Coco offers a delightful mix of entertainment and shopping. Bars and discos surround Coco’s central plaza. You might even visit a casino to try your hand at Blackjack or roulette. In Playa Hermosa, stop in for lunch at Laberinto on the beach, and you’ll enjoy an unusual meal at Ginger, an open-air tapas bar on stilts. The wild ginger grows beneath the bar, and the chefs create some very tasty and exotic meals. Try the Upper Deck Sports Bar and Restaurant for a colorful combination of televised sports, cold beer, good food and a pet orphan monkey!

This beautiful fishing village is a Nicaraguan gem, a magnet for surfers and sunbathers. At night, the beach still pulses with activity, thanks to a few popular beachfront bars and nightclubs. Surf clubs abound—catch a wave with an expert instructor if you’re a hang-ten rookie, trying to hang with the surfer big boys.

Surf’s always up in the Costa Rican beach town of Santa Teresa. Bright sun and gleaming sands make the perfect backdrop to hang ten in the crystal-clear waters, and fishing, snorkeling and kite-surfing are popular among holiday-makers. Yoga and spa services are a must for the ultimate relaxation, and, at night, catch a glorious sunset on the same beach where earlier you caught a wave.

Sitting at a strategic position along the Thames River, water has played a significant part in the growth of Groton, Connecticut. Visit Fort Griswold, a Revolutionary War era base built to defend the port of New London, most infamously known as the site of the betrayal of American forces by Benedict Arnold. Groton is also the "Submarine Capital of the World," home to the US Navy's main submarine base, as well as the Submarine Force Museum, where visitors can board the first nuclear submarine.

Sitting on the south shore of Rhode Island, the town of Westerly is a quiet residential community in the winter, swelling in the summer to accommodate tourists eager to explore the local beaches, Narragansett Bay and the Rhode Island Sound. Just over the border from Connecticut, Westerly is conveniently located to the Aquarium at Mystic, as well as the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos. Nearby, the picturesque village of Watch Hill features ocean views, ice cream shops, and craft boutiques.

The largest island along Brazil's coast and, literally, a “beautiful island,” Ilhabela offers visitors almost 40 kilometres of pristine beaches and a tropical island's worth of hiking trails, waterfalls and even a nascent party scene. At 207 kilometres from the city of São Paulo, Ilhabela can get crowded, so try to get your beach time in during the work week.