Expensive Beach Vacations That May Not Be Worth The Risk

Location: Philipsburg, Saint Martin
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Airport nearby
Est. Cost of Visit: $112/day*

Playa de Maho is famous for its proximity to the Princess Juliana International Airport, located on the Dutch side of the island. This airport has the third most number of annual passengers in the whole Caribbean, which translates to a high level of air traffic. Attached to the beach, the airplanes fly over the area a little more than 25 meters above Maho, attracting interested tourists who can see the 747s up close. The flow of tourists who are attracted by this dangerous activity is so high that local beach bars even post flight times. 

Playa de Maho @nanmcclure / Pinterest.com

Experts consider it their day’s activity to get behind the planes at takeoff and try to withstand the intense high winds coming out of the planes’ turbines, however, this risky activity can (and has) resulted in tourist deaths in the past.

Location: Volusia County, Florida, USA
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Sharks
Est. Cost of Visit: $170/day*

New Smyrna Beach has another unofficial name that will make your hair stand on end. They call it “the capital of sharks” and it is no wonder as to why. It is the place in the world where the most shark attacks occur, and the statistics say that even if you have swam in its waters and have left without being attacked, it is more likely than not that you have been within three meters of one.

New Smyrna Beach @usatoday / Pinterest.com

An hour from Orlando and located in Volusia County, more than 40 species of sharks can be found in its waters, including grey sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads and bull sharks, among others. Despite the clear danger of traveling to this beach, 10 million tourists do it every year; we let each one draw their own conclusions.

Location: Gansbaai, South Africa
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Sharks
Est. Cost of Visit: $91/day*

South Africa has it all; colorful water contrasting with dramatic rocky outcrops, areas full of lush vegetation, and even some beaches featuring soft white sand. Nevertheless, Gansbaai beach in particular is far from the peace shown by the photos we can find on the internet.

Gansbaai - 'Capital del tiburón blanco' ©Michael D Edwards / Shutterstock.com

Frequently traveled by divers thanks to its various underwater activities, and by tourists who love whale watching, it is known as “The capital of the great white shark” and this fishing village is bordered by a dense population of the undersea beasts. This fact has even made the area a tourist attraction for many daredevils who opt to dive into the water in cages. Our suggestion? Do not put your feet in the water and enjoy other attractions in the area.

Location: Carboneras, Spain
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Strong currents and swells
Est. Cost of Visit: $94/day*

This beach’s grim name comes from the frequency with which the waves historically brought corpses to its shores. Sailors who became shipwrecked were swept away by the ocean currents and finally gave the name to this beach with deceptively crystal clear waters. 

Playa de los Muertos ©Megapixeles.es / Shutterstock.com

Playa de los Muertos is over a kilometer long and completely straight. Its danger lies in several characteristics that together make it not recommended for your beach vacation. The shore is quite uneven, so you would be suddenly submerged in the water upon getting in. Once inside the sea, the bottom is very sandy and combined with the currents and strong waves, a return to the shore becomes very difficult.

Location: Lofoten Islands, Norway
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Low water temperatures
Est. Cost of Visit: $117/day*

The Lofoten Islands in Norway are one of the favorite destinations of adventure lovers from all over the world. The region is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, and thanks to its low temperatures and the duration of light at certain times of the year, the colors and tones that are visible make these beaches some of the most picturesque in the world.

Utakleiv Beach ©Marcel/stock.adobe.com

As idyllic as it sounds, the important thing is to stay out of the water, and perhaps consider going to other beaches and avoiding Uttakleiv entirely, as the islands are north of the Arctic Circle, which translates to the water being seven degrees Celsius for most of the year. 

Location: Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Strong winds, thick fog, Benguela current
Est. Cost of Visit: $79/day*

The images of Skeleton Coast look like post-apocalyptic scenarios: ships and bones that stick out of a harsh desert setting, a thick fog made by the cold Benguela current, and kilometers and kilometers of silence without a trace of civilization.

Costa de los Esqueletos @bingteam / Pinterest.com

Famous for its shipwrecks, it’s the coast where the oldest desert in the world dies in the Atlantic Ocean. The area exudes a sense of danger, and it’s no wonder, its waters are home to 11 species of shark, and on its shores there are predators such as lions and hyenas that you can find patrolling the sand.

Location: Northern Territory, Australia
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Box jellyfish
Est. Cost of Visit: $113/day*

If we search the internet for images of beaches of the Northern Territory in Australia, the results are breathtaking. Turquoise water that accompanies white sand, which is densely decorated with bright green vegetation. A paradise that would be worth going to, whatever the cost, if it weren’t for the fact that one of the most lethal creatures on the planet is found in its waters; the sea wasp or box jellyfish.

Northern Territory @thelandownunder / Pinterest.com

It lives mainly in Australian waters, specifically in those of the Northern Territory. The box jelly is translucent, and it glows in the dark, bearing 70 tentacles that can be up to 80 centimeters long, and whose sting are often lethal. With a sting that produces intense pain like that of being burnt with an iron, the venom enters the bloodstream directly, causing the body to go into shock and then cardiac arrest.

Location: Schitovaya Bukhta, Rusia
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Radioactivity and military base nearby
Est. Cost of Visit: $66/day*

Another favorite beach of adventure-seekers everywhere is full of dangers, hidden and not-so-hidden. First, there’s special permissions that must be requested to swim, dive or carry out any activity in its waters due to the nearby Russian military base that regulates this area and is continuing to carry out submarine activity. 

Playa Schitovaya Bukhta ©Mr.Piya Meena / Shutterstock.com

Need more reasons to avoid this spot? There’s radioactivity with lethal toxicity levels for many of the animals that live in these waters. No matter how much adrenaline you pursue, this scenario will not be ideal for chasing waves.

Location: Zipolite, Mexico
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Strong ocean currents
Est. Cost of Visit: $83/day*

The title jewel of Oaxaca is in San Pedro Pochutla, and is one of the 570 municipalities in the region. Over the years the beach has been gaining popularity for its nudist area, with 1.75 km of extension, and natural beauty. The area has a variety of hotels, bars and restaurants ready to satisfy all the needs of tourists. The area also maintains a temperature of 75 to 95 degrees all year round, which makes it travelable for all twelve months, but all that glitters is not gold.

Playa Zipolite - 'Playa de la muerte'@maddyboesche / Pinterest.com

Nicknamed the “Beach of the dead” in Zapotec, it is said that it was the place where the town’s inhabitants buried their deceased. Nowadays, however, its greatest danger is the underground sea currents that have become lethal on many occasions for its visitors. In addition, it is within the hurricane risk zones. Perhaps it’s cursed from its years of serving as a burial ground.

Location: Cádiz, Spain
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Rip current
Est. Cost of Visit: $145/day*

The lighthouse that gives this beach its name was built in 1860. It is 34 meters high and climbing to the top inside of it to see the view is one of the favorite activities of tourists when they come to the area to visit.

Playa del Faro de Trafalgar @Goto Cadiz / Youtube.com

An apparently quiet beach in a part of the country with a very hot climate, it is roughly one mile long and 50 meters wide, and varies between days with calm water and days with choppy seas. It is in those moments that its rip current becomes a real danger for bathers, making it one of the most dangerous beaches in Spain.

Location: Isabela, Puerto Rico
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Strong currents
Est. Cost of Visit: $174/day*

It is considered one of the best beaches for surfers, and Jobos Beach is one of the most traveled places in the northeast of Puerto Rico. Isabela’s summer resort, however, is a beach with danger in its waters. Despite its popularity, it is not considered a spa as its currents create a kind of eddies that drive swimmers away from the shores.

Playa de Jobos ©primerahora.com

Paramedics recommend to swim with the current instead of against it, and to trust that this will help you get out of the whirlpool, but nothing is for sure in these waters and surely the wisest decision would be not to expose ourselves to this danger in the first place.

Location: Broome, Australia
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Saltwater crocodiles
Est. Cost of Visit: $106/day*

Four miles from the city of Broome, in Western Australia, you’ll find Cable Beach, a 22 kilometer stretch of white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water, famous for its sunsets, which you can watch while riding a camel along the coast.

Cable Beach @rusteia / Pinterest.com

Also a nudist beach, this little Australian corner has all the ingredients to be an impressive oasis, yet it is completely closed to travelers for most of the year due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles. Even in the few months that it is open, the authorities recommend avoiding this beach as a bathing destination. Australians don’t take things lightly with their recommendations when it comes to their dangerous fauna, so we would take this advice at face value.

Location: Reunión, Mascarene Islands (French)
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: Shark colony
Est. Cost of Visit: $80/day*

The French island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Madagascar, is the favorite destination of many surfers, who despite the increase in shark attacks since 2011, still travel to its shores to practice their favorite sport. This island is relatively young since it is only 3 million years old (which is nothing in geology), but still it has the highest number of deaths from attacks by Sardinian and tiger sharks. 

Isla de Reunión @Pixabay / Pinterest.com

Out of every two encounters, only half of all victims will survive, and these dire figures are due to the asymmetric bite of these species of sharks. Although the local government has created the “Shark Safety Center” to alleviate this crisis, the figures are still worrying and the recommendations for bathing in the water; quite restrictive.

Location: Surat, India
Why You Shouldn’t Travel: King cobras
Est. Cost of Visit: $22/day*

With a distinctive picturesque touch thanks to its dark colored sand, Dumas Beach is located along the Arabian Sea in the state of Gujarat in India. 21 kilometers from the city of Surat, it is one of the most popular destinations in the south of the region since the beach has the Dariya Ganesh temple, a very important site for Hindus and of great architectural and cultural impact for tourists.

Playa Dumas @koneskasvetlana / Pinterest.com

Despite all these unique draws, it has an unattractive side. Home to deadly king cobras, it is also a place that many travelers consider to be haunted, since until the middle of the 20th century it was an area used as a human cremation center.