It takes more than white sand, blue skies and warm temperatures to make a beach appealing to teenagers. Often times, they want amenities that favorite adult or family beaches do not provide. Teens tend to gravitate toward beaches with boardwalks, arcades, places to eat and nighttime hours and activities. They also enjoy beaches that have places to meet other teenagers and people-watch.
Santa Monica is a bustling seaside city in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The beach at Santa Monica is 3.5 miles long and offers activities such as biking, surfing and volleyball. This beach is home to the world-famous Santa Monica Pier that teens love. There, a Ferris wheel, roller-coaster, arcade, aquarium, food and beverage stands and a trapeze school are available. This beach is great for meeting other teens.
Bradenton Beach is a white-sand beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Local teens go to this beach to sunbathe, swim, have picnics with friends, ride bikes along the bike path and go snorkeling. Free parking is available for teens with cars, and a free shuttle bus for teens without a car or license. Ice cream shops and convenience stores are nearby, where you can grab a treat to cool off.
This beach in northern California is a favorite for teens because of the world-famous boardwalk. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is half a mile in length, and runs parallel to the main beach area. Admission is free unless you want to go on the amusement park rides which require ticket purchases. You can also play mini-golf, hit the arcade and chow down on ice cream. The best time to come here is from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is always buzzing with activity. Local teens love to hang out here while cruising up and down the main drag. There are also lots of teens from out-of-town who visit this beach because of the many high school competitions in the region. At the center of Myrtle Beach is the 1.2-mile-long Boardwalk, which has many places to eat and loiter while soaking up the sun and staring at the water.
Located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, South Beach is world-famous for having beautiful weather and beautiful people. There are areas where you can sunbathe, walk, bike or Rollerblade as you check out the beach babes. South Beach is within walking distance of all the shops and restaurants in downtown Miami. Best of all, the water is warm enough to swim almost year-round, so you can body surf to your heart's content.
