Whether you’re going to the beach because it’s summer, or you’re planning a beach vacation somewhere warm during the winter, beaches provide many wonderful opportunities for fun recreational activities. The ones profiled here are sure to keep you occupied, and they’re also great ways to exercise while having fun.  

 

If you have a specific beach in mind, do a search for something like things to do in Cape May, NJ. If you’re still in the planning stage of your vacation venture, you may need to wait until you’ve locked down a location to figure out what activities are available.

 

In the meantime, check out some of these popular things to do at the beach.

 

Best Things To Do At The Beach

 

Stand Up Paddle Boarding

 

If you like water sports that combine fitness and fun, stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is for you. The exercise involved in standing on the board and paddling is considerable, meaning you can burn calories and promote strength in your arms and your core at the same time.  

 

Compared with surfing, stand up paddleboarding is relatively beginner-friendly, since it’s designed for waters that are relatively calmer than those surfers use. With stand up paddle boarding, you aren’t catching waves: the exercise and the fun come from paddling while out on the water, giving you an excellent opportunity to connect with the beauty of the ocean waters around you. 

 

You’ll need a stand-up paddleboard to do this sport properly, so be sure to check out stand up paddleboards for sale

 

tourist destinations in California, santa cruz, things to do at the beach

 

Surfing  

 

A sport so iconic it has its own subculture, surfing revolves around the challenging but thrilling pursuit of waves. This is an excellent activity to do while you’re traveling, and you could even plan a travel vacation around it. 

 

Surfing is less beginner-friendly than stand up paddle boarding, but if you stick with it you can know the thrill of catching that next wave. It’s also an incredible way to get a good workout: swimming out from the beach with a  board in tow is excellent exercise, as is balancing on the board. 

 

Windsurfing 

 

Combining sailing and surfing, windsurfing is performed on a board with a mast and sail. It’s a fun variant of surfing, and the experience is a bit different since the emphasis is on catching the wind rather than the waves. 

 

Windsurfing is not only a source of great thrills but also a good way to build fitness while enjoying a recreational activity. As with the other board-based activities we’ve discussed, it presents the challenge of staying on the board, as well as the challenge of directing the sail. 

 

Beach Volleyball

 

Let’s face it, if you’re traveling to any of the wonderful beach destinations we’ve profiled before, you’re going to want to play some beach volleyball. You’ll need a volleyball and a net, as well as a team, but many beaches are likely to have beach volleyball courts, and so long as you have a ball it’s often pretty easy to recruit a team from local beachgoers.  

 

Beach volleyball is not only a great deal of fun, but it’s also very social and fitness-promoting. If you’re traveling with a group, it can be a great bonding exercise. If you recruit other beachgoers to play, it can be a great way to make friends. 

 

Beach Football

 

As the name suggests, beach football is simply the beach version of American football. There is a key advantage to playing this sport on the sand: it’s physically far less punishing to be tackled – and there’s also beach flag football if you don’t want to get tackled. 

 

If you don’t mind a little rough and tumble play, beach football can be a great way to have fun and enjoy the sun and the sand. Besides, you’re right next to the water if you’re hot and sweaty after. 

 

What refers to table games, it is a pleasure to play ping pong at the beach as there are many advantages that we can consider. First of all, you enjoy your time by playing and making friends with other beachgoers. Besides, playing ping pong is an amazing way of burning calories, improving hand eye coordination and of course reflexes. So, uniting all the previously mentioned features is a great opportunity that we can come along at the beach.

things to do at the beach

 

Sand Soccer 

 

This one’s probably called “sand soccer” rather than “beach soccer” because the ball has to go across the sand, and that leads to significant differences in gameplay versus the regular, non-beach version. 

 

Sand soccer is both more difficult than the regular version, and arguably a great deal more fun. Because the ball has to cross sand, it will tend to fly in different directions, even into the water. It may also get stuck in a dune. 

 

Sand soccer is a great deal of fun if played well, but one word of caution: all that running and kicking also makes it easier to twist your ankle than is the case with regular soccer, so be cautious and play with care. 

 

Kadima (Paddle Ball)

 

Kadima, or paddle ball, is played by two people who hit a ball between them using paddles – in essence, a beach version of ping-pong or even tennis. Kadima can be challenging unless you’re proficient in tennis or ping-pong, but if you are able to pull it off it can be good two-person fun.

 

Conclusion

 

If you’re in the mood for travel, beaches are some of the best vacation travel destinations out there, and there are wonderful beaches to explore in many different parts of the world. Between the sand, the surf, and the various activities profiled here, there are plenty of things to do at the beach to ensure you’ll to have a great deal of fun.  

Author

Nia is an Associate Editor at The Fairytale Traveler and self diagnosed travel junkie. Having traveled to 5 of the 7 continents, her love of good food and culture is a force to be reckoned with. When she isn't off adventuring with her husband, which she writes about on her blog CircaWanderlust, she can be found with a good cup of tea cuddling her pups and taking pictures of her food. She loves black and white movies and could listen to Elvis on repeat.

Write A Comment