Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • Travel Guides
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2021. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Deals
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Festivals and Events
    • Bus and Trains
    • Flight Deals
    • Budget Travel
    • Hotels and Resorts
    • Disney Vacations
    • Airlines and Airports
    • Ground Transportation
  • Travel Guides
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Travel Photography
  3. Beaches: Reader Photos

Beaches: Reader Photos

By Joshua Pramis
August 25, 2011
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Check out these travel-inspiring photos that capture beaches at their most beautiful.
Start Slideshow

1 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

It doesn’t matter if you live right down the boardwalk or miles inland. We all dream about that next trip to the beach. And why not? Imagine the sand under your feet, the crash of the waves, the warmth of the sun, an icy drink in hand…it all adds up to the perfect place to relax.

So when we asked you to submit your best beach photos to T+L for our photo contest earlier this year, we weren’t surprised by the huge response. But it was still a challenge to narrow down hundreds of beach photos to these very best—the kind of vivid, in-the-moment photos that just make you want to drop everything and head to the shore.

One such photo captures a big wave splashing up high as it hits the shore in San José del Cabo, with water the most stunning shade of turquoise we’ve ever seen. Just looking at the picture, you can almost hear the sound of waves rolling in. And we can’t help the urge to sip cocktails out of a coconut when we look at the shot of a thatched-roof cabana on Egypt’s Paradise Island. (Seriously, take a look and don’t tell us you don’t immediately feel the same.)

Timing, of course, is everything, and one particularly captivating shot was taken at the famous Santa Monica Pier—as the sun dipped below the horizon for the night. There’s a rich red in the sky that brings to mind the warm glow of a fireplace and blends into a deep blue tone, all above an absolutely still ocean. It’s dreamy and inviting and makes you pause.

The beautiful photo even makes you forget about the chaos and crowds synonymous with Santa Monica Pier. Like the other photos that made the cut, it showcases Santa Monica as you’d like it to be: your own private, pristine beach.

So take a break to enjoy these dreamy beach photos—and be sure to let us know which ones are your favorites.

Think you can do better? Upload your great travel photos to our T+L community. You never know: Yours might end up in our next slideshow.

1 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fakarava Island, French Polynesia

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

2 of 21

3 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Honolulu, HI

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

3 of 21

Advertisement

4 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Tel Aviv, Israel

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

4 of 21

5 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Santa Monica, CA

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

5 of 21

6 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

6 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Cannon Beach, OR

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

7 of 21

8 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Kauai, HI

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

8 of 21

9 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Burnham-on-sea, Somerset, United Kingdom

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

9 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Makena, HI

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

10 of 21

11 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Barnegat Light, NJ

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

11 of 21

12 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Carmel, CA

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

12 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Broome, Australia

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

13 of 21

14 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Hale'iwa, HI

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

14 of 21

15 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Plum Island, MA

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

15 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Cape Town, South Africa

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

16 of 21

17 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Hurghada, Egypt

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

17 of 21

18 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Aruba

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

18 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Lee, Krabi, Thailand

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

19 of 21

20 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, WA

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

20 of 21

21 of 21

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

San Clemente, CA

Enter this month’s photo contest for a chance to win prizes and be published in T+L!

21 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Joshua Pramis

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 21
2 of 21 Fakarava Island, French Polynesia
3 of 21 Honolulu, HI
4 of 21 Tel Aviv, Israel
5 of 21 Santa Monica, CA
6 of 21 San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
7 of 21 Cannon Beach, OR
8 of 21 Kauai, HI
9 of 21 Burnham-on-sea, Somerset, United Kingdom
10 of 21 Makena, HI
11 of 21 Barnegat Light, NJ
12 of 21 Carmel, CA
13 of 21 Broome, Australia
14 of 21 Hale'iwa, HI
15 of 21 Plum Island, MA
16 of 21 Cape Town, South Africa
17 of 21 Hurghada, Egypt
18 of 21 Aruba
19 of 21 Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Lee, Krabi, Thailand
20 of 21 Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, WA
21 of 21 San Clemente, CA

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Travel + Leisure Sites
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

Beaches: Reader Photos
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.