Byron Bay makes sexy beach list
Amazingly, only one Australian beach has made it on to a top US travel website’s list of the world’s 25 sexiest beaches, with Byron Bay being the sole Aussie entry in the Forbes Traveller list which is based on research by their own journalists, and other industry experts including tour planners, meteorologists, hotel owners and marine biologists.
Byron beach was lauded for its “chalky-white sands, deliciously temperate weather and occasional visits from dolphins and migrating whales”, along with Byron Bay’s cosmopolitan population, local festivals and nudist beach.
Forbes Traveller journalist Bruce Kluger said it was difficult to narrow the field to just 25, and that the criteria for the sexiest beaches was a special combination of “sensuality, sassiness and scenic beauty, both geographic and human”, a description that would fit many of Australia’s beaches, but none made the exclusive list.
Surfers Paradise Management CEO Lilliana Montague today defended the Gold Coast’s 42 beaches in an article in the local newspaper, saying that sexiness was a state of mind, saying “You can feel sexy without having to be told you’re sexy”.
Tourism Australia Chairman Tim Fischer said he believed Byron Bay may have pipped the Gold Coast because it better balanced development with natural beauty, adding, “Full marks to Byron Bay on what I call the Bold Coast… which stands for Balance Over Licentious Development”. “I congratulate them on their win and say to all the other beaches, don’t give up… you have plenty to offer, right around Australia.”
Byron Bay ranked alongside other stunning beaches inclduing Eleuthera in The Bahamas, Lover’s Beach on the Baja Peninsula, and Fiji’s Natadola Beach.
Rio took two of the top 25 places, with Ipanema Beach and Copacabana recognised for their hedonistic atmosphere and plethora of bronzed bodies, and two of Hawaii’s iconic beaches, Ka’anapali and Kauapea, also getting in.
Europe also featured highly, with the Greek Islands, France, Spain, Cyprus and Italy rating a mention.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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