Best Beach Bars in the World

We know this list won't hit all the great beach bars around the world, so let us know -- which beach bars did we miss? Leave a comment.

10. Doyles on the Beach, Watsons Bay, Australia

doyles beach barWorld's oldest beach bar? Leave it to the Aussies.
Reportedly the world's oldest beach bar, this family-owned operation first opened in 1885. A boat brings visitors to a strip of sandy foreshore where they can crack a frostie and grab fish and chips while enjoying the fabulous panorama of Sydney Harbour.

Not a late place, it's much more about wine, beer, seafood and sandy vibes than cool sounds or cocktails.

11 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay, NSW, 2030, Australia; www.doyles.com.au

 

9. The Fish and Rhum Shack, Mauritius

Fish and Rhum ShackFish and Rhum Shack: If it were any more local it'd be allowed to vote.
This is a satisfyingly rustic hangout illuminated by lanterns, despite its home on a posh resort. The sound of waves breaking on the coral reef competes only with the pulsing beats of Mauritian Sega dancers who arrive by night.

The rum is locally distilled, the beer hails from the village brewery and the menu for the daily barbecue depends on the previous night's catch and morning market. This is as authentically Mauritian as it gets.

Shanti Maurice, Mauritiusshantimaurice.com

Also on CNNGo: 10 trips to soothe your soul

 

8. Beach Tree Bar, Four Seasons Resort, Hawaii, United States 

Beach Tree Bar Four seasons A bar that actually lives up to its name.
Forget what you know about Four Season resort bars. This relaxed alfresco grill sits on the sand just meters from the ocean.

Besides the stunning sunset view and five-meter vaulted ceilings, Beach Tree Bar comes with a host of little after-thoughts. A spotlight from the building shines on the waves so you can see and hear the waves crashing as you enjoy your meal.

The wine list offers wines that all come either by the glass or the bottle for easier selection.

And while the prices are what you’d expect from the Four Seasons brand, the icy margaritas are massive, so a couple of those and you won’t worry about a thing.

Four Seasons Resort Hawaii, 72-100 Ka'upulehu Drive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii; +1 808 325 8000;www.fourseasons.com/hualalai

 

7. Uxua Praia, Bahia, Brazil

Uxua Praia-boat barYou haven't had a proper caipirinha till you've had one out of a reclaimed fishing boat.
Set on Bahia's Barra do Rio Trancoso, Uxua Praia attracts a laid back, music-loving, athletic crowd keen to sample one of the world's most beautiful beaches.

Featuring vast, cushioned sofas and flat-roofed pergolas, this resort bar was built with reclaimed fishing boats that for years had languished on the site unused.

As well as partaking in the fresh seafood and caipirinha, you can try your hand at beach volleyball and sea kayaking, as well as capoeira.

Uxua Casa Hotel, Quadrado, Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil; www.uxua.com

6. The Rock Bar, Ayana Resort, Bali, Indonesia

Rock Bar baliBest sunset views in Bali, even with your back to the ocean.
Named world's best hotel bar by CNNGo last year, the Rock lures visitors who defected to Seminyak a decade ago back to Jimbaran Bay.

Fisherman's shacks make this southern cove a popular alfresco dining scene, with seafood lovers able to get their fixes while gazing at the ocean from 15 meters above the rocks.

Martinis, tapas and live music Thursday through Sunday –- at The Rock Bar there’s no such thing as just popping in for one.

Ayana Resort, Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia;www.ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali

 

5. Babis Bar, Kalymnos, Greece

Babis-Bar GreeceOuzo shots every time someone says, “Mamma Mia!
Babis' lively local hive of activity is a well-kept secret on the unsung Greek island of Kalymnos. This rocky outcropping, which tragically lost many of its menfolk to daredevil sponge diving, is perched between the Turkish coast and the crowded party island of Kos.

Babis and his family field everything a beachcomber could want.

Once you’re done indulging in a hearty Greek breakfast, logging on to the free Internet, trying out all the various beers and wines and sleeping it all off by the free swimming pool or sun-loungers, you can hop on a boat and take a ride over to its own sub-island of Telendos for one of the most spectacular sunsets in the Med.

Myrties Square, Myrties, Kalymnos, Greece; www.kalymnos.gr/ads/ventures/babisbar

 

4. Ponta dos Ganchos, Brazil

Ponta dos Ganchos Beyoncé not included. Usually.
Brazil's most exclusive resort, Ponta dos Ganchos, features a gorgeous beach bar with great views, daybeds to lounge on and signature cocktails like The Hook -- cachaca blended with physalis fruit and sugar.
Located on a private peninsula on Brazil's Emerald coast, this is where the local elite -- and foreign guests like Beyoncé -- come to get away from it all.

Rua Eupídio Alves do Nascimento, 104, Governador Celso Ramos SC, Brazil; www.pontadosganchos.com

 

3. Shipwreck Hut, Cook Islands

Shipwreck Hut Getting ready for church never felt so good.
Hammocks, sunsets, barbecues, tropical fruit breakfasts, gospel sing-a-longs and a special “magic” cocktail that’s served in a recycled jam jar –- Shipwreck Hut is the bar you dream of owning when you retire.

Situated on Arorangi beach on the west coast of Rarotonga, the barbecues are a favorite with travelers, not least because of the corny jokes and barely believable tales of affable owner Jim.

On Sundays after an omelet breakfast customers can join a trip to the local church to listen to the locals singing gospel in traditional colorful muumuus and woven hats. Or you can stay at the bar, swing in the hammocks and keep an eye out for whales (depending on the season).

Aroa Beachside Inn, Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands; www.aroabeach.com

2. Baba Nest, Phuket, Thailand

Baba Nest Not couples only. But it helps.
This stylish new rooftop venue on the highest pinnacle of the southeastern peninsula enjoys 360-degree views across Phuket, the surrounding islands and the Andaman sea.

A deck scattered with beanbags and low tables is surrounded by an infinity pool that gives bathers the illusion of being afloat between sea and sky. Tranquil tracks and light Japanese bites punctuate the action, and signature cocktails include a lemongrass and vodka sri-jito and a lychee martini as well as sake-based concoctions.

Below deck, ocean-front restrooms open to the elements are bound to become a talking point.

88 Moo 8 Sakdidej Road, Tambon Vichit, Amphur Muang, Phuket, Thailand; www.sripanwa.com

 

1. Dune Preserve Beach Bar, Anguilla, B.W.I.

Dune Preserve Beach Bar, AnguillaGood beach bars make you think of retiring. Great ones make you actually retire. Tell Demaria and Sohal we're not coming back.
Pieced together from driftwood, wrecked racing boats and seashells and owned by a gray-bearded, grizzly reggae singer, the Dune Preserve Beach Bar is the kind of place you dream of discovering on your first trip to the Caribbean.

And once you have, you dream of staying there forever, to revel in your addiction to jumpin’ reggae tracks and dripping ribs, and to argue politics, philosophy and the ingredients for the perfect rum punch with Bankie, the owner, who can be found at the bar often.

It counts ex-presidents, former pirates and Wall Street bigwigs among its fans, but don’t let them distract you from the real reason this place is the best beach bar in the world –- the amazingly affable Bankie Banx and his cohort, who seem to talk in musical lyrics and will teach you not just how to build a boat, but how to build a lifestyle few would turn down.

It’s a daytime place open 11 a.m. till sunset.

The Dune Preserve, The Valley, Anguilla, BWI, Anguilla B.W.I; www.bankiebanks.net

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