5 Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve on the Beach

New Year’s Eve is a time for parties and celebrations of every kind. Make the coming year even more special by celebrating it at the beach. Here are 5 of the best ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve by the beach!

1. Island-Hop and Watch Fire Dancers in Boracay

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Aside from its picturesque white sand beaches, Boracay in the Philippines is a popular place for partying on New Year’s Eve!

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In the afternoon, you can go on an island-hopping cruise and by dinnertime, you’ll be dropped off at one of the island’s restaurants that offer Moroccan, Mexican, Italian, or local cuisine. You can then spend the whole night drinking cocktails and watching fire dancers with the grandest fireworks displays as backdrop, to usher in the New Year!

2. Spend a Festive Evening in Copacabana

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is home to the famous Copacabana Beach. During New Year’s Eve, Mardi Gras presentations happen, cocktails are served, and a fantastic fireworks display can be seen—making the place all the more alive and colorful!

There are also loads of beach hotels in the area that can help you enjoy the displays without having to go out, if that’s your thing.

3. Experience a Different Kind of Masquerade in the Bahamas

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New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Bahamas start on December 26 and end at 2AM on January one—so you can expect that there really is a lot to see and experience!

The Junkanoo Parades at the beach, especially in Nassau, is one of the most glorious things you’ll ever see in your life. The participants wear colorful masks and play drums and cowbells made of goat skin. This tradition has been followed for centuries now. You not only get to celebrate the New Year, you get to learn and experience the history of the Bahamas, too!

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One of the most beautiful beach provinces in the world, Cape Town, South Africa is home to the Cape Ministrel Carnival, also known as Kaapse Klopse. The festival is held not only on New Year’s Eve, but during the entire months of January and February.

On New Year’s Eve, people in colorful costumes participate in various singing and dancing competitions. There are lots of parades and fireworks displays to see, and you can frolic in the beach while the festivities are unfolding.

5. Watch the Miami Ball Drop in Biscayne Bay

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You think the historic ball drop only happens in Times Square? Well, Miami has its own version of it—and it happens in Biscayne Bay!

Because the city is known for its colorful and festive nightlife, you can expect that New Year’s Eve in Miami is anything but boring. Choose from any of the clubs or exclusive venues by the bay and get to see some of the world’s best artists perform (past events were graced by Fall Out Boy, Enrique Iglesias, and Pitbull, among others)—and join the countdown for the New Year with their very own ball drop!

Go check out these places, and usher in the New Year in style – by the beach!

10 of the Most Adrenaline-Pumping Beach Holiday Activities

If you’re an adventure-seeker, and you want to spend the holiday season alone or with your loved ones on the beach, there are many adrenaline-pumping activities you can do. Here are some suggestions:

1. Cliff diving

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If jumping off of a cliff into crystal blue waters doesn’t give you the adrenaline rush you’ve been looking for, nothing will. Not all beaches have rocky cliffs you can jump off from, but those that do offer a variety of heights from as low as 3 meters to as high as 26 meters. The best thing about this activity is that you don’t need any special clothing or equipment to enjoy it. All you really need are nerves of steel in order to make that first jump.

2. Parasailing

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This may seem like a calm activity, especially to adrenaline junkies who are addicted to extreme sports, but being harnessed to a parachute-like canopy while being towed by a speed boat isn’t for the faint of heart. Imagine flying a kite high up in the air. Now, imagine that you are the kite. Doesn’t that sound thrilling to you?

3. Wakeboarding

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If you think that your run at the wake park was fun, why not try taking your wakeboarding skills to the beach? The added difficulty of riding a wakeboard through waves and being pulled in different directions by a speed boat will surely get your heart rate up.

4. Surfing

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This sport has been around for ages, but it never gets old. Each year, many people take up surfing and get addicted to the feeling they get when they ride the waves. The constant rush of adrenaline that courses through your body when you master a wave – or when you wipe out – will surely keep you coming back for more.

5. Kiteboarding/Kitesurfing

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If parasailing and wakeboarding seem a little bit too tame for you, you can always mix them together and go kiteboarding instead. The name this adventure sport is called is self-explanatory. You hop on a board that is attached to a kite-like canopy, and you try to steer trough the waters while keeping yourself from wiping out. This extreme water sport incorporates elements of wakeboarding, parasailing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and other thrilling activities into one exciting and technically difficult activity.

6. Windsurfing

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The combination of sailing and surfing will surely get your blood pumping once you master the wind and waves. Of course, it takes time to get the hang of navigating through the waters, but luckily for beginners, places that rent out boards for this sport also offer lessons.

7. Jet Skiing

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Imagine the wind in your hair as you cruise around on a motorcycle meant for the water. Unlike biking on land, however, riding a jet ski is a little bit more challenging as waves can make the ride even more thrilling than you might expect.

8. Water Rides

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Many of the more touristy beaches offer water rides such as banana boat and fly fish boat rides. These rides may seem like child’s play to most, but hanging on as waves propel your inflatable boats up in the air is no easy feat, especially when the boat pulling you around is at full speed.

9. Shark Dives

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Scuba diving can be quite relaxing, but when you consciously dive in an area where sharks converge, your heart is guaranteed to pump harder than it ever did. But there’s no need to panic. As long as you follow your guide’s instructions, you’ll be fine.

10. Learn Poi Dancing

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The dance that originated from the Maori people of New Zealand has become an attraction in beaches all over the world as dancers twirl around with blazing balls attached to chains. Watching them perform is already thrilling in itself, but learning how to do it can be a lot more fun.