Spend a weekend by the sea

A weekend by the sea means two nights in a town on the coast: a Friday arrival, a long Saturday walking the shore, a slow Sunday breakfast looking at the water. You don't need a flight or a famous beach. The nearest coast you've never stayed on will do.

Where to do it

Seaside towns within a few hours of a big city exist on almost every coast. A few classics show the range:

Brighton, United Kingdom

An hour or so by train from London: a pier, a pebble beach, the narrow Lanes and a long seafront for walking. It's the classic weekend escape in the United Kingdom, so book early for summer.

San Sebastián, Spain

The curve of La Concha beach, and an old town of pintxos bars where dinner is a crawl from counter to counter. It's a short hop from Bilbao and a favorite weekend in northern Spain.

Essaouira, Morocco

An Atlantic port with sea walls, blue fishing boats and a World Heritage medina. The wind makes it cooler than inland and popular with kitesurfers. Many come from Marrakech for a break in Morocco.

Hua Hin, Thailand

A royal seaside town south of Bangkok, with a long beach, a night market and seafood on the pier. It's the weekend coast for many families in Thailand's capital.

Busan, South Korea

Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches, fish markets and hillside villages, reached from Seoul by high-speed train. In summer the beaches fill up; autumn is calmer in South Korea's port city.

Byron Bay, Australia

The Cape Byron lighthouse stands on the most easterly point of mainland Australia, and the walking track around it looks down on surf beaches. Brisbane and the Gold Coast are within driving range.

Cape Cod, United States

Dunes, lighthouses and clam shacks along the arm of Massachusetts, with the Cape Cod National Seashore on the ocean side. Boston is the usual starting point in this corner of the United States; summer weekend traffic is heavy.

Punta del Este, Uruguay

A beach resort on a peninsula, famous for the giant hand sculpture rising from the sand. It's packed in January and quiet the rest of the year, when weekends from Montevideo in Uruguay are easy.

When to go

Summer weekends are the liveliest and the most expensive. Late spring and early autumn often bring warm water and lower prices. Winter has its own pleasures: storm-watching, empty beaches, a fire in the evening.

How to make it happen

• Book Friday and Saturday nights early in summer; some places ask for a minimum stay on peak weekends.
• Stay within walking distance of the water, so mornings and evenings are by the sea.
• Take the train if you can; seaside parking on a sunny weekend is hard.
• Swim at lifeguarded beaches and between the flags. A red flag means no swimming. Flag colors can differ by country, so read the local sign.
• If a rip current pulls you out, don't fight it: swim parallel to the shore until you're free, then swim back at an angle. If you can't, float and wave for help.
• Use broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or more, and reapply about every two hours and after swimming.
• Check tide times before walking under cliffs or out to islands.
• Take a few photos each day, with location on, so the weekend shows up as two nights by the sea, not a day trip.

Watch a sunset from the water on the Saturday, or make the drive there part of a road trip. More ideas are in the Close to home chapter.