{"id":3525,"date":"2017-07-19T15:55:54","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T15:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=3525"},"modified":"2017-07-19T16:02:31","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T16:02:31","slug":"where-to-find-a-stretch-of-golden-sand-close-to-major-airports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/where-to-find-a-stretch-of-golden-sand-close-to-major-airports\/","title":{"rendered":"From runway to beach day: Where to find a stretch of golden sand close to major airports"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Waiting around in airports is never fun, but during summer the feeling of being cooped up on a beautiful day can be pure torture. But there&#8217;s no reason to spend the whole day on travel. Many airports are within striking distance of an ocean (or lake), and prime beaches can be just a short ride away.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/airport.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3526\" src=\"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/airport.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"622\" height=\"432\" srcset=\"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/airport.jpg 622w, http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/airport-300x208.jpg 300w, http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/airport-50x35.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To help you make a break for the sun,\u00a0<a class=\"linkOnClick\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cheapflights.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-include=\"300476919\">Cheapflights.com<\/a>\u00a0scouted out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cheapflights.com\/news\/beaches-near-airports\">some airports with the nearby beach escape<\/a>,\u00a0whisking you away to a lovely expanse of sand, leaving thoughts of cramped seats and airport security lines far behind.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few of the airports where an easy added beach escape awaits travelers before, after or even in between flights:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><b><i><span class=\"xn-location\">San Diego<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,<\/i><\/b><b>\u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Mission Beach<\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/b>There is plenty to keep you busy on a visit to\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">San Diego&#8217;s<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Mission Beach<\/span>, whether you&#8217;re traveling alone, with kids or as a couple. The beach itself offers the chance to swim, play a game of volleyball on the sand or walk along the adjacent boardwalk. Belmont Park amusement park is nearby if you feel like riding a roller coaster, and\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Mission Beach<\/span>\u00a0is also home to many bars, restaurants and cafes, as well as showers in case you need to rinse off before heading to the airport.<br \/>\n<b>Getting there<\/b>: The trip from the\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">San Diego<\/span>\u00a0airport to\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Mission Beach<\/span>\u00a0takes under 20 minutes, and a taxi is your most convenient option.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><b><i>Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Florida<\/span><\/i><\/b><b>: Fort Lauderdale Beach Park &#8211;\u00a0<\/b>You don&#8217;t need to go too far after getting off a plane in\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Fort Lauderdale<\/span>\u00a0to hit the beach. One of your best options is to make your way to Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, which has plenty to keep beach-goers of all ages happy. Here you&#8217;ll find a long stretch of soft sand, volleyball courts, outdoor grills, picnic tables, outdoor showers and a playground for kids. You&#8217;ll also find plenty of cafes and restaurants right across from the beach.<br \/>\n<b>Getting there<\/b>: Fort Lauderdale Beach Park is only about 15 minutes from the airport. The quickest option is to take a taxi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><b><i><span class=\"xn-location\">Cancun<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico<\/span><\/i><\/b><b>: Playa Tortugas &#8211;\u00a0<\/b>Although this beach can get crowded on weekends, the turquoise water and white sand\u00a0of\u00a0Cancun\u00a0make it worth finding your own spot among the throngs of beachgoers. There are lounge chairs here to rent, and the water is clean and shallow making it good for swimming. You can also rent snorkel equipment if you want to check out what&#8217;s going on beneath the waves. If you&#8217;re feeling really adventurous, brave the on-site bungee tower where jumpers leap into the water below. Restaurants and food vendors abound so there&#8217;s plenty to eat and drink, and there are public\u00a0restrooms\u00a0nearby. Playa\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Tortugas<\/span>\u00a0is also an access point for the ferry to\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Isla Mujeres<\/span>, so you can add in a visit to that charming island,\u00a0if you have enough time.<br \/>\n<b>Getting there<\/b>: Playa Tortugas is less than 30 minutes by car from the airport, so we&#8217;d recommend taking a taxi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><b><i><span class=\"xn-location\">Tampa<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Florida<\/span><\/i><\/b><b>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Clearwater Beach<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;<\/b>\u00a0The closest beach to Tampa International for your sunbathing pleasure is\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Clearwater Beach<\/span>, one of the prettiest stretches of sand in\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Florida<\/span>. Cabanas, chairs and sun umbrellas are available for rent, volleyball nets are set up on the sand, restrooms and showers are located on-site and a plethora of restaurants and bars are close by. If you happen to be at the beach close to sunset, head to Pier 60 for the daily festival Sunsets at Pier 60, celebrating the famous sunsets over\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Clearwater Beach<\/span>. There are buskers, live entertainment, craft vendors and live music. The fun takes place from two hours before to two hours after sunset.<br \/>\n<b>Getting there<\/b>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Clearwater Beach<\/span>\u00a0is roughly a 35-minute taxi ride from Tampa International.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><b><i>Luis Mu\u00f1oz Mar\u00edn International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">San Juan, Puerto Rico<\/span><\/i><\/b><b>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-person\">Isla Verde Beach<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"xn-person\">Isla Verde Beach<\/span>\u00a0is the longest and widest one in\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">San Juan<\/span>\u00a0and it&#8217;s conveniently close to the airport. The calm and clear water makes this a good snorkeling spot, with equipment for rent at several kiosks on the beach. Being a popular resort area, you also won&#8217;t have to search long for a place to eat or grab a drink by the water.<br \/>\n<b>Getting there<\/b>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-person\">Isla Verde Beach<\/span>\u00a0is only about a 10-minute taxi ride from San Juan Luis Mu\u00f1oz Mar\u00edn Airport.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Others include: <i>Chicago O&#8217;Hare International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Illinois<\/span><\/i>: Ohio Street Beach;\u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">Miami<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Florida<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">South Beach<\/span>;\u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">Los Angeles<\/span>\u00a0International Airport<\/i>,\u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Marina Del Rey<\/span>;\u00a0<i>Sangster International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Montego Bay, Jamaica<\/span><\/i>: Doctor&#8217;s Cave Beach;\u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">Honolulu<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Hawaii<\/span><\/i>: Ala Moana Beach Park;\u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">Punta Cana<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Dominican Republic<\/span><\/i>: Playa Bavaro;\u00a0<i>Barcelona\u2013El Prat Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Spain<\/span><\/i>: Barceloneta Beach; \u00a0<i><span class=\"xn-location\">Athens<\/span>\u00a0International Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Greece<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-person\">Edem Beach<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<i>Toronto Pearson Airport,\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Ontario, Canada<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Sunnyside Beach<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Next time you find yourself in an airport wishing you could be anywhere other than the terminal you are pacing, fear not.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Waiting around in airports is never fun, but during summer the feeling of being cooped up on a beautiful day can be pure torture. But there&#8217;s no reason to spend the whole day on travel. Many airports are within striking distance of an ocean (or lake), and prime beaches can be just a short ride away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1227,1808,110],"class_list":["post-3525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-adventure-travel","tag-beach-bum","tag-travel-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3525"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3527,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3525\/revisions\/3527"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}