From Brazil to Polynesia, check out some delightfully unorthodox spots to enjoy surf ’n turkey.
Besides all the parades, football, food, and general fun, Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to kick back and think about all the good things in life. Too bad that for most people, all that contemplating usually takes place inside, away from whatever weather November cares to dispense. But turkey and stuffing can be made anywhere, so we ask, why waste cooking it somewhere cold and dreary? Why not enjoy Thanksgiving somewhere pleasant, and add nice weather to the list of things worth being thankful for? Here are our top five favorite Thanksgiving getaway spots.
Playa del Beso, Los Ayala, Mexico
Those frisky-feeling Aztecs were the first to make the link between chocolate and sex. Scientifically-speaking, chocolate’s aphrodisiacal properties have something to do with the mood-lifting chemicals serotonin and phenylethylamine, responsible for increasing our energy and excitement levels. Which is pretty much white noise to us when we're gorging—seductively, obviously—on a pile of it. Our beach of choice for cocoa consumption is the appropriately named Playa Del Beso, or Beach of Kisses, in Los Ayala, Mexico. Reached via a short trek through the Mexican jungle, Playa del Beso appears as a small stretch of sandy heaven—golden grains and deep blue sea, just the place for a bit of beach romance.
Mo'orea, French Polynesia
The French influence firmly lives on in this South Pacific island, and we can't help indulging our European roots on the lagoon-lapped beaches of Tahiti's neighbor Mo'orea. With a freshly baked baguette tucked under your arm and a basket of brie and paté, all is OK with the world.
Praia Lopes Mendes, Abraão to Praia Lopes Mendes, Ilha Grande, Brazil
If you fancy pressing the pause button on buzzing Rio, escape to Ilha Grande and the tranquil route from Abraão to Lopes Mendes. Follow the yellow sand road as you beach hop along a trail that reaches its climax in the shadows of mountains and lush rainforests, with a beach of starry-white sand, and crescent moon curves. Lopes Mendes is a model beach which struts its stuff ever so subtly, while allowing you to surf the fiery currents or bronze in the baking Brazilian sun before reluctantly wading through the glassy turquoise water to board a boat back to Abraão.
Patara Beach, near Kas, Turkey
The longest beach in the whole of the Mediterranean (a grand total of nine miles, if you're a fact fan)–Patara, south of Fethiye, is backed by ancient ruins and undulating dunes, oh, and a cute café at one end. Without a jet-ski in sight, park yourself on a lounger and admire the wide open view of the tranquil Turquoise Coast.
Magazine Beach, Grenada
If, like us, you find underwater exploration as breathtaking as beautiful landscapes, Magazine Beach is the place to go. With an expansive coral reef guarding the beach, here lies some of the best snorkeling on the island. The Aquarium, one of Grenada's best restaurants, is beachside and their Sunday BBQs are not to be missed. So, if you fancy getting immersed in all things beachy, this is the one to visit.
Now, let's pack our suitcases!
Happy Thanksgiving from all the Little Miss Meteo family!
Images: Beach Tomato & Daily Beast