10 beautiful beaches to avoid like the plague

Published on September 29, 2017, 4:02 pm

Written by Straker Julia in Articles

The world is full of heavenly beaches but be careful, appearances can sometimes be deceiving. Before you rush into the water, find out about the potential presence of sharks, jellyfish, deadly currents, pollution, and pickpockets. To help you make a choice, we have come up with a list of 10 world sites that are just as dangerous as they are beautiful.

Illustration : "10 beautiful beaches to avoid like the plague" — Photo d'illustration

1. Playa Zipolite, Mexico

It is a very beautiful place, but don’t go for a swim. There were many drownings there before a professional rescue team started patrolling there, and since then, rescues are still numerous. The currents are treacherous (ones that can pull you away from the shore) and very powerful. In the afternoon, the waves are too strong to swim. It’s also said that “Zipolite” means "beach of the dead" in the local dialect. In addition, the beach is immaculate, there’s a hippie/backpacker atmosphere there, and it is one of the few nude beaches in Mexico.

2. Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia

Contrary to what the photo might suggest, this beach isn’t really heavenly: if you happen to relax knowing that it is inhabited by cassowaries, poisonous snakes, crocodiles, spiders, and that the water is full of jellyfish from October to June, very well then. Avoid sleeping on the beach besides, because you might have a nasty surprise with all those dangerous animals ...

3. Shenzhen, China

The city has 150 miles of coastline with several beaches, but if you want a quiet day on the beach, pick another place! The beaches of Shenzhen, especially the ones that are free of charge, are invaded by vacationers when it's hot: 40,000 visitors a day in normal times, and up to 100,000 on holidays, for a single beach! Imagine the noise, the hustle and bustle, the risks for little children, and especially the water quality with these crowds. Beaches that cost are a little nicer, but there is no point in hoping for a secluded spot.

4. New Smyrna Beach, Florida

This is one of Florida's most beautiful beaches, excellent for surfing, and yet you might regret going in the water there! In fact, New Smyrna Beach has another name: "the shark attack capital of the world" (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). In 2007, there were 112 shark attacks on humans worldwide, and 17 of them occurred on this beach, where it’s common to have several attacks per day. Not to mention that you need to worry about another kind of sharks there: pickpockets!

5. Maho Beach, St. Martin

The sand is fine and the water is turquoise blue, but nobody faces the paradise landscape: beginning at noon, all eyes turn to the airport located just a few meters away, to feel the effect of huge planes taking off and landing, just barely shaving the shore. So, if you are a fane of planes or you want a thrill, get a ticket to Maho Beach, and hang on the fence like everyone else, so you’re not thrown to the ground by the aerodynamic force of these machines. But if you're looking for a quiet, secluded place that doesn’t smell like fuel, then be on your way.

6. Heard Island in the Indian Ocean

Don’t be fooled by the fact that this island is in Australia, because it’s in the South Indian Ocean, where the average temperature is 36 degrees F, and the winds are violent. If you’re an Eskimo, you may be able to enjoy this beach, but apart from surfers who like extreme conditions, you won’t come across many people here.

7. Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii

This beach on the island of Kauai is the perfect place to take a stroll, but don’t put your feet in the water, because the currents are extremely dangerous and often take swimmers out to sea. In addition, there is no lifeguard station or lifeguard service, so if anything happens to you, you’ll have to rely on your luck and hope that one of the tourist helicopters in the area notices you and calls for help.

8. Gansbaai Beach, South Africa

Gansbaai Beach is a beautiful place, lined with rocks, and still very pristine, but that's probably why great white sharks love it! So beware, if you want to observe this animal, there’s no better place on earth (and there are tourist companies that can take you to see them safely), but if you want to swim, go with the hotel pool ...

9. Staithes, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

This beautiful bay looks perfect in pictures, but don’t dare to set foot there. Surfers themselves have named it the worst beach in Europe for water quality, and they’ve published a list of health problems that could result from swimming here. Pollution largely comes from the neighboring farms, and by 2016 the beach had been removed from the list of beaches where swimming is permitted.

10. Praia de Boa Viagem, Recife, Brazil

It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, with a coastline as far as the eye can see and the city a few meters away. Unfortunately, since 1992, unrestricted fishing has cleared the waters of any food for sharks, who now attack the swimmers.

Photo credits: Brandon Tabiolo
Source: The Richest

By Straker Julia
Writer

Passionate about writing, I write articles on the subjects that I love. Creativity and Animals themes are my favorites!