5 Most Expensive Beaches in the World

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/5-most-expensive-beaches-in-the-world-a7189541.html

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Editor's pick: Originally published August 12.

What makes the most exclusive beaches in the world so out-of-reach for many travelers? Simple: Cost.

We're not talking about the price of access or the cost of getting to these locations, but the cost of the bare essentials themselves. Dutch travel site TravelBird notes that the beach on Astola Island in Pakistan's Balochistan province is only accessible by helicopter during monsoon season, which brings the average cost for accessing the beach (including mandatory permits) up to $480, though the price of sunscreen, water, beer, ice cream and lunch are only $27 combined.

Even at paid-access beaches in countries including China, France, Greece and the Philippines, $25 to $34 beach fees are only accompanied by $25 to $38 fees for incidentals. Granted, that's still a whole lot more costly than the $13 to $15 price of an entire beach day in Hoi An, Ho Coc, Phu Quoc or Nha Trang in Vietnam -- or a $16 to $17 beach day in the Indian cities of Kerala or Goa -- but it's incredibly inexpensive compared to the world's most pricey beach destinations.

Even without beach fees, the cost of hitting the coast at some of the most coveted beach destinations in the U.S. can be prohibitive. The Main Beach in East Hampton and West Palm Beach in Florida will run you $49 and $47 respectively, thanks largely to $28 lunches, but with no help from $2+ water and $3 ice cream. Even the cheapest U.S. beach on TravelBird's list -- Gulf Shores, Ala. -- costs $34.74 a day for provisions and ranks in the top half of the 250 beaches surveyed worldwide.

So where are the most expensive beaches? Similar to Astola Island, they're in places that are tough to reach. It isn't so much your airfare that makes them somewhat aspirational -- though that's part of it; it's the cost of getting simple things like sunscreen, beer, ice cream and lunches to these spots. With help from TravelBird, we found the five most expensive beaches on the globe. Our advice: Pack your own sunscreen.