Quiz: Find Your Perfect Beach Vacation in the U.S. and Canada

Finding your perfect beach is not always as easy as it sounds. Do you want nonstop action or maximum relaxation? Are you looking to party with friends or get as far away from fellow humans as possible? Luckily, the U.S. and Canada’s beach experiences are as varied as the possible answers to these questions.

So take our ultimate beach quiz and discover your newest beach paradise.

Quiz: Where’s Your Ultimate Beach Vacation?

Ventura/Santa Barbara, California

Traveling California’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway isn’t just one of the world’s greatest road trips. It’s also a great way to familiarize yourself with some of California’s best beaches. San Buenaventura State Beach is Ventura’s most popular, located just a five-minute walk from downtown and featuring the longest pier in California, in addition to a playground, boardwalk and festive vibe with views overlooking the awe-inspiring Channel Islands in the distance.

In Santa Barbara, the most popular beaches are located closest to downtown, with East, West and Ledbetter beaches all offering water sports and action for those who want to see and be seen amid gorgeous beachfront resorts connected by the popular Cabrillo Bike Path. Butterfly Beach in ritzy Montecito is a prime spot for celebrity-spotting and strutting your stuff among the bronzed bikini set while taking in one of the most romantic sunsets in the area.

Start planning your trip by booking your perfect hotel today.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago‘s beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan may only be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but locals make the most of the short season. This Midwestern metropolis comes alive in the summer, when downtown beaches jutting against the skyscrapers offer an urban vantage point from which to soak in a unique beach experience. The most popular is North Avenue Beach, featuring a raucous party scene, serious beach volleyball competitions and a massive boat-shaped bar called Castaways.

One of the lesser-known, but by far best, of Chicago’s downtown beaches is the smaller Ohio Street Beach, located just off of busy Lake Shore Drive and adjacent to the tree-lined Milton Lee Olive Park, where you’ll find some of the most Instagram-worthy views of the city skyline towering over Lake Michigan.

Further north, Montrose Beach is Chicago’s largest beach, with offerings that include a relaxing nature walk through calm sand dunes and quiet birding trails.

Plan your trip with our Chicago Travel Guide, and find your perfect Chicago hotel today.

Tampa Bay, Florida

Beach-going is a way of life in Tampa, with about a dozen magnificent options within a short drive of the city. The most famous (and most popular) is bustling Clearwater Beach, adored for its gorgeous white sand, endless options for water sports and action-packed nightlife.

Another popular option is St. Pete Beach, which is lined with boutique hotels and offers a lively vibe, as well as Sarasota, where you’ll find glorious stretches of sand, like Siesta Beach.

For a more “wild” experience, head to the beaches of the eye-popping Caladesi Island State Park. The island is only accessible by boat, but the effort is worth the reward in the form of secluded, pristine coastal wilderness perfect for shelling and beach strolling.

No trip to Tampa is complete without a visit to Fort De Soto Park, where a vast landscape of more than 1,000 acres of preserved land includes two fishing piers, an 1898 Spanish-American War fort, a seven-mile walking/biking trail and an invitation to camp right on the beach.

Plan your trip with our Tampa Travel Guide and book your perfect Tampa Bay hotel today.

Vancouver, British Columbia

While Vancouver‘s beach season only runs from May to September, the views last a lifetime. Few cities in the world offer vistas as spectacular as those that can be enjoyed from Vancouver’s wealth of urban beaches, where its stretches of sand are backed up by the city skyline topped with towering mountains in the background.

English Bay Beach (aka First Beach) is the most famous and most centrally located; you’ll find relaxed sunbathers on one side and a bustling urban scene of restaurants and shops on the other.

The other most well trafficked beach in Vancouver is Kitsilano Beach (known by pretty much everyone as Kits Beach), which offers a more social, youth-focused and artsy aura, on par with a miniaturized version of LA’s Venice Beach.

In addition to crowds of beautiful people and strange sights like outdoor yoga in the summer, you’ll also encounter the show-stopping Kits Pool, offering 360-degree views in a pool that is almost three times as large as an Olympic-size pool.

Wreck Beach is one of the world’s most iconic nude beaches, packing in a strong hippie feel along with glorious sunsets near the University of British Columbia campus. Also, don’t overlook Jericho Beach, which offers primo mountain views and a happening beachside patio in addition to prime real estate for sailboats and windsurfers.

Plan your trip with our Vancouver Travel Guide, and book your perfect Vancouver hotel today.

Houston

Houston may surprise you as a beach destination, but opportunities abound within a short drive of the city (area beaches are best visited from around March to November). The closest beach to downtown is Sylvan Beach in suburban La Porte, where you’ll find soft sand and gentle waves, as well as Texas’ longest pier and a playground.

East Beach is the largest beach on nearby Galveston Island, and often has a party atmosphere, especially during the summer, when live bands rock the entertainment stages and festivals are held, including an annual sandcastle competition. Also on Galveston Island is the family-friendly Stewart Beach, offering clean, combed sand and ample space to spread out, even during crowded summer weekends.

For a quiet escape, nature seekers can head to Galveston Island State Park for some of the finest bird-watching in the Lone Star State paired with myriad opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing and camping.

Plan your trip with our Houston Travel Guide and find your perfect Houston hotel today.

Hawaii

It’s no exaggeration to say there is literally a beach for everyone in Hawaii — including an unforgettable array of secret beaches.

Looking for bustling tourist centers lined with luxury resorts? Head to the world-famous Waikiki Beach on Oahu, where you’ll find ukulele players and out-of-towners clad in Hawaiian shirts trafficking its golden sands, or the nearly as famous Lanikai Beach on the other side of the island — where crowds congregate around turquoise waters and lush tropical greenery.

On Maui, glitzy Kaanapali Beach, with its high-end resorts and prime people-watching, was a former hangout for Maui royalty — so you know it’s good.

If you want green sand (yes, green sand), head to Papakolea Beach on the Big Island. Red sand? Point your GPS toward Kaihalulu Beach on Maui. A clothing-optional black sand beach? That would be Kehena Beach on the Big Island near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Plan your trip with our Hawaii Travel Guide, and book your perfect Hawaii hotel today.

Los Angeles/Santa Monica, California

Beaches in Los Angeles manage to remain as beautiful as many of the people who frequent them. Venice Beach is perhaps the most legendary, noted for its undeniably quirky Venice Boardwalk and one-of-a-kind attractions like Muscle Beach.

Equally, if not more, famous than Venice is the iconic Santa Monica Beach, famed for its Pacific Park amusement park and a carnival-style atmosphere. The pier here marks the starting point of America’s fabled Route 66 cross-country thoroughfare.

Don’t miss Malibu’s astounding Point Dume State Beach, where you can scale a large rock outcropping nestled on the beach to enjoy panoramas of the area and watch playful seals and migrating whales off the coast. For sunset, head to El Matador State Beach to wander around the breathtaking assemblage of sea caves.

Plan your trip with our Los Angeles and Santa Monica travel guides, and book your perfect Los Angeles hotel today.

San Diego

Home to some of the most spectacular views in the country, San Diego is a beach-lover’s dream. The two most popular beaches include Mission Beach — with a busy boardwalk plus the on-site amusement park known as Belmont Park — and the lively Pacific Beach, famous for its 20-something bar scene and 3.5-mile-long boardwalk.

For a more laid-back slice of life, head to the hippie haven of Ocean Beach to see surfers walking barefoot down streets lined with VW buses, guitarists strumming on the beach, and vintage ’70s-styled architecture. No visit to San Diego is complete without spending time beached on the stunning sparkly white sand beaches of the luxurious Coronado Beach.

Plan your trip with our San Diego Travel Guide, and book your perfect San Diego hotel today.

South Florida (Miami + Fort Lauderdale)

While everyone knows Miami‘s world-famous South Beach, this iconic stretch of sand is far from the only game in town in the beach wonderland that is Florida’s largest city. Crandon Park is a more family-friendly hideaway boasting spectacular turquoise waters along with paddleboard/kayak rentals, while Bill Baggs State Park offers more of a wilderness feel alongside one of the oldest lighthouses in Florida.

Over in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Beach is the definition of postcard-perfect, with breezy palm trees and a long, meandering promenade perfect for people-watching. You can also cruise the street and peep the ocean from the comfort of your convertible as you survey the town.

Plan your trip to South Florida with our travel guides to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and book your perfect South Florida hotel today.