Secret Beaches Local’s Recommend

Darley riding in Donana National Park in Spain
Darley riding in Donana National Park in Spain

Ready to hit the beach without the crowds? We’ve searched the globe to find some of the best off the beaten path, secret beaches. Here are three of the best that local’s have recommended to us. Check out the video and luxuriate on these diverse beaches.

Donana, Spain
Located at the tail end of Europe along Southern Spain’s coast, Doñana National Park lays claim to one of Europe’s best-known conservation areas and exquisite virgin beaches. The beaches in this area are quiet, pristine, and wide. Besides a local fisherman on our visit, we were the only ones there.

Stay in nearby funky El Rocío, whose unpaved roads are more heavily trafficked by horses than cars.

Darley riding in Donana National Park in Spain
Darley riding in Donana National Park in Spain

Waipi’o Valley, Hawaii
Sheer cliffs over 2000 feet high and a steep road that requires 4 WD make getting down to Waipio Valley, the Valley of the Kings, an adventure in itself. While you could just admire these Big Island beaches from the lookout point, I recommend making the trek down. Once in the valley, you can experience this tropical location’s lush vegetation, waterfalls, colorful flowers, wild horses and the not to miss black sand beaches. Photo worthy, for sure.

Riding horses in Waipi'o Valley on Hawaii's Big Island
Riding horses in Waipi’o Valley on Hawaii’s Big Island

Cumberland Island, Georgia
Roughly the size of Manhattan, Cumberland Island is Georgia’s southernmost barrier island and a place where you can truly get away from the modern world. With no bridge to Cumberland Island, travelers hop a ferry or private boat to get to this wild oasis, which is managed by the National Park Service.

If you’ve ever imagined what it would be like to be by yourself on a deserted island, you may be able to picture Cumberland Island’s over seventeen miles of wide, golden beaches and for those who don’t mind roughing it a bit, there’s a campsite a short walk from the beach.