Sun, sea and sand surrounding you, the wind blowing in your hair as you sail the ocean blue. If this describes the setting for your perfect getaway then sand and sea adventures are just what the doctor ordered. There are a variety of activities that all involve sparkling cool water and warm sandy beaches.

Beach Combing

Bask in some of the world’s prettiest beaches when you travel to places like Egypt or Greece. Swim and snorkel through the coral reefs and soak up the sun on pristine beaches across the Mediterranean or Caribbean. Hawaii and Florida also offer great places for families to hunt for seashells, build sand castles or play with the dolphins.

Diving and Snorkeling

Divers will want to check out the Dive Festival in Bonaire. This yearly festival in the southern Caribbean is appealing for all levels of divers. Take classes, watch diving demonstrations and spend plenty of time diving.

Tropical adventure dives can be found in exotic and far flung places such as the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Bali, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. Companies like Live Aboard Dive Adventures even offer divers the chance to dive from a vessel out in the middle of the ocean.

Mexico’s coastline is perfect for snorkeling adventure. Cancun is a particular favorite for snorkeling. Other great reef destinations to put on your snorkeling to-do list include Hanauma Bay and the Mediterranean coast. Egypt features some of the most beautiful coral reefs rare marine life in the world..

Sailing and Boating

The Carriacou Regatta and Festival of the Wind is the perfect adventure vacation for those who love to sail. The West Indies seems an odd setting for this Irish boat building celebration, but provides lots of other boating and sailing opportunities. Windjammers Barefoot Cruises has sailing, boating and barefoot fun each week.

Fishing

Fishing is another sport that can be turned into an adventure travel. The Caribbean is a great place to treat yourself to deep sea, salt water fishing expeditions. You can find tours that go to every water port there is to fish. Ireland also offers wonderful sport fishing. Various locations in the United States lay claim to excellent fishing.