Kiwi Curated
Blissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
by Eva ZhuWe’re dreaming of a beach getaway. The problem is we’re all dreaming of a beach getaway, which means it could get a bit crowded. To help circumvent the potential onslaught, we’ve rounded up our favorite beach hotels off the beaten path, those hidden gems where you can enjoy the powder sands and bluest waters with minimal disturbance.
Blissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
Framed by dense forest, the tiny town of Trancoso was until recently a secret paradise for hippies and a handful of celebrities. Today, its UNESCO-protected town square is still car-free but more tourists are starting to come, living in houses such as those at UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, where half the refurbished Wilber Das-designed casas date back 500 years to the village’s founding. Each casa has its own reserved sofa on the beach, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
Located between Nha Trang and Hoi An, Qui Nhơn is a relaxed coastal city that has mostly stayed off the international radar. On a secluded peninsula near here is the Zannier Hotels Bai Son Ho, surrounded by rice paddy fields, verdant hilltops and a long stretch of white powder beach. Architecture inspired by Vietnamese culture, villas opening to private pools and thatched huts on the beach serving the catch of the day are all part of a resort experience designed to embrace the beauty of simplicity.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
A small fishing town relatively untouched by tourism, Msambweni’s unspoiled beaches in Kenya’s southeastern coast are hidden gems. On its own stretch of sand is the Msambweni Beach House & Private Villas, where guests can choose to stay in the main house or one of three private villas, all facing the Indian Ocean. Days can be spent relaxing on the serene resort grounds or going on a Kenyan safari, while evenings offer poolside dining by candlelight under the starlit African sky.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
A port city on the Aegan Sea, Bodrum is Turkey’s premier resort destination, attracting both locals and international visitors alike. On a peninsula on the shores of Torba Bay, Susona Bodrum offers guests easy access to the glamour of broader Bodrum along with its own secluded, exclusive slice of the Turkish Riviera. An infinity pool, a beach club and private cabanas make relaxing at this seaside getaway easy, while those wishing to explore can tour the ancient city, nearby vineyards or drive farther to the traditional villages.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
There’s more to Florida than bustling Miami Beach; its endless coastline is dotted with calmer destinations such as Delray Beach, a small town with a big personality coined “Florida’s Village by the Sea.” This walkable, resort town is quaint yet brimming with art and culture, plus miles of award-winning beaches. Perfectly located between downtown and the sandy shore is The Seagate Hotel & Spa, a boutique hotel where leisure seekers can enjoy the best of both city life and beachfront relaxation.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
While the rest of the world flock to Boracay, there’s another island just as gloriously blue and tropical—the private Pamalican Island, accessible only by flight from Manila. In the Cuyo Archipelego in northern Palawan, this small island is encircled by white sand beaches, deserted coves and pristine reefs. It’s occupied solely by Amanpulo, an idyllic resort where guests have the choice between casitas built into the forest canopy or pool villas set on the beach—difficult choice, we know.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
Just a short drive from Charleston is Kiawah Island, a world of its own encompassing ten miles of immaculate beachfront, along with a river, lagoons, marshlands and forests, where wildlife such as dolphins, turtles and alligators can be sighted. There is only one resort here, with a main seaside mansion—The Sanctuary—designed to feel like it’s been here for centuries. Also on the island, five championship golf courses considered some of the best in the nation.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
Mozambique enjoys a marvelous stretch of coastline on the deep blue Indian Ocean. Barra Beach’s main economy is tourism yet walking along here, you’d think you had the place all to yourself. With only 12 villas spread across the sand, between the ocean and a tree-fringed lagoon, Sentidos Beach Retreat is ethereal in every sense. The recommended itinerary: diving, afternoon naps, coconut drinks and picnics under the trees, followed by a massage.
VIEW HOTELBlissful Beach Hotels Off The Beaten Path
A 60-minute drive from the nearest airport, Tamouda Bay on Morocco’s northern coast is sublimely remote. Here, between the rugged Rif Mountains and Mediterranean Sea, Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay emerges as a resort oasis, where every room is a villa, and every villa offers a private pool. Directly outside is a stretch of private beach. For a break from balmy days on the sand, day trips include Chefchaouen, the blue city, and Tetouan, whose medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
VIEW HOTELFramed by dense forest, the tiny town of Trancoso was until recently a secret paradise for hippies and a handful of celebrities. Today, its UNESCO-protected town square is still car-free but more tourists are starting to come, living in houses such as those at UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, where half the refurbished Wilber Das-designed casas date back 500 years to the village’s founding. Each casa has its own reserved sofa on the beach, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
VIEW HOTELLocated between Nha Trang and Hoi An, Qui Nhơn is a relaxed coastal city that has mostly stayed off the international radar. On a secluded peninsula near here is the Zannier Hotels Bai Son Ho, surrounded by rice paddy fields, verdant hilltops and a long stretch of white powder beach. Architecture inspired by Vietnamese culture, villas opening to private pools and thatched huts on the beach serving the catch of the day are all part of a resort experience designed to embrace the beauty of simplicity.
VIEW HOTELA small fishing town relatively untouched by tourism, Msambweni’s unspoiled beaches in Kenya’s southeastern coast are hidden gems. On its own stretch of sand is the Msambweni Beach House & Private Villas, where guests can choose to stay in the main house or one of three private villas, all facing the Indian Ocean. Days can be spent relaxing on the serene resort grounds or going on a Kenyan safari, while evenings offer poolside dining by candlelight under the starlit African sky.
VIEW HOTELA port city on the Aegan Sea, Bodrum is Turkey’s premier resort destination, attracting both locals and international visitors alike. On a peninsula on the shores of Torba Bay, Susona Bodrum offers guests easy access to the glamour of broader Bodrum along with its own secluded, exclusive slice of the Turkish Riviera. An infinity pool, a beach club and private cabanas make relaxing at this seaside getaway easy, while those wishing to explore can tour the ancient city, nearby vineyards or drive farther to the traditional villages.
VIEW HOTELThere’s more to Florida than bustling Miami Beach; its endless coastline is dotted with calmer destinations such as Delray Beach, a small town with a big personality coined “Florida’s Village by the Sea.” This walkable, resort town is quaint yet brimming with art and culture, plus miles of award-winning beaches. Perfectly located between downtown and the sandy shore is The Seagate Hotel & Spa, a boutique hotel where leisure seekers can enjoy the best of both city life and beachfront relaxation.
VIEW HOTELWhile the rest of the world flock to Boracay, there’s another island just as gloriously blue and tropical—the private Pamalican Island, accessible only by flight from Manila. In the Cuyo Archipelego in northern Palawan, this small island is encircled by white sand beaches, deserted coves and pristine reefs. It’s occupied solely by Amanpulo, an idyllic resort where guests have the choice between casitas built into the forest canopy or pool villas set on the beach—difficult choice, we know.
VIEW HOTELJust a short drive from Charleston is Kiawah Island, a world of its own encompassing ten miles of immaculate beachfront, along with a river, lagoons, marshlands and forests, where wildlife such as dolphins, turtles and alligators can be sighted. There is only one resort here, with a main seaside mansion—The Sanctuary—designed to feel like it’s been here for centuries. Also on the island, five championship golf courses considered some of the best in the nation.
VIEW HOTELMozambique enjoys a marvelous stretch of coastline on the deep blue Indian Ocean. Barra Beach’s main economy is tourism yet walking along here, you’d think you had the place all to yourself. With only 12 villas spread across the sand, between the ocean and a tree-fringed lagoon, Sentidos Beach Retreat is ethereal in every sense. The recommended itinerary: diving, afternoon naps, coconut drinks and picnics under the trees, followed by a massage.
VIEW HOTELA 60-minute drive from the nearest airport, Tamouda Bay on Morocco’s northern coast is sublimely remote. Here, between the rugged Rif Mountains and Mediterranean Sea, Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay emerges as a resort oasis, where every room is a villa, and every villa offers a private pool. Directly outside is a stretch of private beach. For a break from balmy days on the sand, day trips include Chefchaouen, the blue city, and Tetouan, whose medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
VIEW HOTEL