World’s 10 most secluded sands

By Pascale Le Draoulec

updated 10:50 a.m. ET Dec. 18, 2008

Pauline Frommer, 42, remembers first visiting Cancun as a seventh-grader when her father, Arthur, author of the famous Frommer Travel Guides — reported on the coastal city's very first hotel.

"It was completely deserted back then," says Frommer, also a travel writer.

Unfortunately, such secluded beaches rarely stay that way for long. Cancun has morphed into a sun worshiper's Mecca as famous for its high-rise hotels and nightclubs as for its beaches.

Some of the islands off of Cancun, like Isla Mujeres, have absorbed the overflow, attracting travelers who just want to get away from it all. While some enjoy the apres-beach activities of Cancun, many others are simply seeking that idyllic patch of white-sugar sand where they can stretch out a towel, unplug and tune out. Especially these days, when any news on your BlackBerry is bound to be grim.

Of course, if you're willing to spend the money — and lots of it — you can find your private patch of paradise at five-star beach resorts. Make that semi-private. The extremely high end of luxury travel, says Martha Gaughen, a vice president with Sterling Brownell Travel in Atlanta, seems to be recession proof, for now. So, if you were thinking you'd have the beach to yourself in St. Barths this year, think again.

"People who were holding off making their travel plans are booking them now" at the higher-end Caribbean resorts, says Gaughen.

With effort comes privacy
So where can you go if you really want to get away from it all? Just like her experience in Cancun 30 years ago, Frommer says there are still plenty of stunning, secluded beaches around the globe.

"They are just a little harder to get to," she says, "and if what you're looking for is total seclusion, you're probably going to have to give up some amenities to enjoy it." And the best part is, fewer amenities often means a lower price tag.

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You'll find total seclusion on the island of Holbox, near Cancun, Frommer says. The northernmost island in the state of Quintana Roo is completely undeveloped and it boasts some of the most scenic — and isolated — beaches in the Yucatan peninsula.

"The streets are sand-packed and the beach is lined with palm-thatched huts," says Frommer. "There are no ATMs and there is absolutely no cell service. You can spend days without seeing a car."

While a room in Cancun can set you back $1,000 a night at a place like the Mandarin Oriental, the most you'll pay per night on Holbox is $300. You can even rent a two-bedroom bungalow for $1,000 a week.

People usually visit the island on day trips from other neighboring islands to explore the (friendly) whale shark caves, but if you can put up with less-than-super-posh accommodations, "it's quite a beautiful place to relax."

The Caribbean and beyond
We asked Gaughen, Frommer and other travel experts to share some of their favorite beach sanctuaries around the world. Our only requirement was that the beaches be public, not limited to guests of any particular resort.

Predictably, several are in the Caribbean. Others, like the beaches of Ecola State Park, are as close as the Oregon Coast.

De Agostini/getty Images / Getty Images/DeAgostini Antigua may tout its beaches, but Caribbean travel expert Ryan Ver Berkmoes says it's her sister island Barbuda that's really got something to crow about: Its unspoiled beaches are natural, sprinkled with pink sand and miles long.

"Though rocky, the beaches on Oregon's coast are gorgeous," says Frommer. "They can be quite secluded. They're perfect for long walks and the vistas are spectacular."

Frommer also appreciates the beaches' proximity to artistic communities where you're more likely to find an inspiring art gallery than a tacky bar serving umbrella drinks.

She's also partial to the milky white beaches of Molokai often referred to as the old island, or the most Hawaiian island. "To me, Molokai is what I imagine Hawaii must have looked like when Capt. Cook first set eyes on the islands," she says. "Literally all of the tiny coves and beaches on this island are so private that you are often the only person there."

The island is only slightly more expensive to get to from Honolulu ($135 one way), but a beach-front room at the authentic Hotel Molokai with your own private lanai is only $220 a night.

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