Top 10 beach destinations

Every summer, thousands of us will head to the beach.  Whether it's Spain, Portugal, Greece or the Caribbean - there is nothing better than a nice relaxing day sunbathing, swimming in the ocean and playing beach games. The sun seems to make everyone happy… right?  Each year, as the weather starts to warm up we are blasted with advice from magazines, newspapers and even weather forecasters to remember to wear sunscreen.  Although we know we should, and although we know the dangers of forgetting to apply it, many of us still ignore the advice in favor of the sun kissed tan that we plan on getting.  Unless you really want to have the fetching sun kissed lobster look here are a few tips to help you keep cool yet still have fun on the beach.

Sarongs and Sun Hats

The sun’s rays can be pretty dangerous, especially if you sit in it for a long period of time.  For this reason it is always a good idea to cover up.  We know you don’t want to wear anything heavy, which is why a scarf or a sarong is ideal.  Even if you are sitting in the shade for most of the day, there will be times when you move around – don’t think the sun won’t hurt you during these moving periods as it can.

Sun hats are important as they help to keep the sun off our faces and they keep our head cool.  I would recommend anyone who is spending a day on the beach with children to always keep them covered up and this includes making sure they wear a sun hat.  A child’s temperature can change very rapidly without us even noticing and in some cases can be fatal.  You can never be too careful where children are concerned and prevention is always easier than the cure.

Beach Umbrellas

When you head to the beach for the day, it is not always possible to find a spot that is covered by the shade.  Even if you do manage to find a shaded spot, there is no guarantee that it will remain that way for the rest of the day.  This is where a beach umbrella can come in useful.  Beach umbrellas come in a number of different sizes and are relatively inexpensive.  An umbrella can help to keep you cool no matter where you are on the beach and they can protect you from the sun’s rays – a wise investment if you ask us!

Timing

If you don’t have a beach umbrella, bear in mind that it is between the times of 10am and 2pm when the sun is at its hottest.  If you do plan to go to the beach during these times without an umbrella, we highly recommend that you stay in the shade.  If you are only planning on visiting the beach for a few hours, visiting after 4pm is recommended – especially if you have young children with you.

The Ocean and Water Fights

We know this is blatantly obvious but water fights and swimming in the ocean are fantastic ways to keep cool.  Make sure though that you are wearing waterproof sun screen before you head into the water and make sure to reapply it after you get back onto dry land as water is no match for the sun’s rays. 

If you are having a day on the beach with children, you can be sure that they will love to have a water fight.  This is a great idea when you start to feel hot and it can instantly cool everyone down whilst you have fun.  However I do advise that you watch your children if they are using the sea to refill their water guns, you might want to help them to do this instead of letting them do it themselves depending on the age of your child.

Stay Hydrated

Again this is vitally important for children, but it is also important for adults too!  It has been proven that the sun can make a person feel thirsty within 10 minutes so one thing we should definitely not forget about is keeping ourselves hydrated.  It is a good idea to invest in a water cooler before you spend your day on the beach.  Before you leave home, fill the cooler with ice and enough drinks to hydrate your family for the day (unless you want to waste half the day walking to and from the shops).  The ice will keep the drinks cool and the drinks will keep you feeling refreshed.

It is not recommended to take alcoholic drinks with you to the beach – these can have the opposite effect and end up making you very dehydrated.  It is also illegal to drink alcohol on a number of beaches (especially in the United States) so not only could you be doing yourself more harm than good, you may also be breaking the law.

Refreshing Snacks

As well as drinking lots of water to remain hydrated, you might also want to look into packing some refreshing snacks to take with you on your day at the beach.  Foods that contain large amounts of water like watermelons are especially good as are any frozen fruits (if you can manage to keep them frozen until you are ready to eat them).  If there are any restaurants close to the beach you are visiting, it might be good to know that spicy food also helps to keep your temperature down – it encourages your body to sweat and thus enables your body to go into AC mode, sounds good, no?

Sunscreen

We know we have already mentioned sunscreen before but unless you want to look like a wrinkled, old prune or a tomato with legs, remember to apply it before you even leave home.  You should reapply it after every swim you take and always make sure the back of your neck is covered.   Make sure to purchase a sunscreen with an appropriate SPF depending on what type of skin you have.

Children should also be covered in sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50.  It doesn’t matter if the sunscreen sticks to the sand and makes your child look like a sand monster, you need to ensure their safety from the sun.

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