The idea of going surfing or for a dip in the ocean before work is a dream for many people, but for others it’s part of daily life in a beach city.

1. Miami, USA

Miami is where the world’s jet-set come to top up their tans and dance until the early hours. Aside from being a tourism hub for its beaches, Miami is one of the country’s busiest ports.

Best beach: Just 90 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Cuba, South Beach is Miami’s most iconic stretch of sand, and is bordered by Ocean Drive’s restaurants, bars and hotels.

2. Dubai, UAE

Built from the ground up in the desert to be one of the world’s busiest beachside cities, Dubai is known for its daring architecture, gaudy style and sweltering heat.

Best beach: Dubai relies heavily on its beautiful beaches, such as Jumeirah Beach, for tourism.

3. Barcelona, Spain

A heady mix of architecture, shopping and nightlife, Barcelona sits on the edge of the Mediterranean and boasts over 2.5 miles of stunning white-sand beaches.

Best beach: The city’s signature strip of sand has to be Barceloneta Beach that attracts up to 7 million people a year.

4. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cities don’t come more beach-orientated than Rio de Janeiro. Home of the world-famous Carnival, the laid-back citizens of Rio love nothing more than donning their flip-flops for the beach.

Best beach: Stretching 2.5 miles from Princesa Isabel Avenue to Posto Seis, the iconic Copacabana Beach oozes an atmosphere of casual-beach chic.

5. Cape Town, South Africa

A city where sickening wealth rubs its Prada-clad shoulders with heartbreaking poverty, Cape Town has risen up the tourism ranks in the past decade to become a go-to place for expatriate residents looking for a better life in the sun.

Best beach: Clifton Beach is one of Cape Town’s most glamorous waterfronts while Big Bay and Little Bay are best for water sports such as windsurfing.

6. Los Angeles, USA

The world’s capital for popular culture and entertainment, L.A. is also recognized for its stunning array of beaches, thanks in large part to their many appearances on TV and in movies. Best beach: Though technically part of Los Angeles county, Santa Monica is by far the most renowned beach in the L.A. area, with TV show Baywatch filmed here during its run.

7. Brighton, UK

In the south of England, Brighton is steeped in history and was where the mods and rockers of the 1960s used to come. Unfortunately, the pier burned down years ago but a new one was built, complete with fairground rides, stalls and arcades.

Best beach: Aside from the hundreds of pubs and clubs, the beach is Brighton’s biggest draw, with red-and-white striped deck chairs dotting its stony shorefront.

8. Sydney, Australia

With show-stopping architecture, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, a vibrant nightlife scene, and an abundance of natural beauty, there’s a lot to do in Sydney but one of the biggest draws is undoubtedly the beaches.

Best beach: Bondi Beach is the most photographed stretch of sand in Australia and is famed for its excellent surfing.

9. Mumbai, India

Mumbai is the financial, commercial, industrial, and celluloid capital of India, but another one of Mumbai’s points of interest is, of course, the beach. Juhu Beach, which sits just outside the city center, is lined with Mumbai’s best hotels.

Best beach: Fringed by Marina Drive on the western side of the city, Chowpatty Beach is Mumbai’s most charismatic.

10. Venice, Italy

Venice’s beaches are often overlooked given its meandering canals, gondola rides and stunning architecture. But the romantic Italian city is actually home to some of the most hush-hush beaches in Europe, where nature and history collide.

Best beach: Venice Lido is only 10 minutes away from the throngs of tourists that congregate around St. Mark’s Square, an 11-mile island that stretches between the open sea and a lagoon.

Olympus FE-310

$140

The Olympus FE-310 is a great no-frills camera, perfect for travelers who want something small and unobtrusive. The 5x optical zoom lens is impressive for a camera of this size. Combined with the eight-megapixel sensor, this camera can produce some impressive results. The FE-310 also features face detection autofocus and auto-exposure, which help bring out the most important parts of your photos. The FE-310 uses a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, however, so don’t forget to pack your charger or buy a spare.

Canon PowerShot A470

$120

The Canon PowerShot A470 is remarkably affordable yet still powerful enough to be an excellent travel companion. In addition to its small, portable profile, it uses easily replaceable AA batteries, which means you’ll never have to worry about how you’re going to replenish your power supply. The A470 is easy to operate and a great choice for budget-minded consumers.

 

Olympus 1030SW

$375

This camera can take a beating. Perfect for the adventurous types who scale mountains and dive into the ocean, the Olympus 1030SW is freeze-proof and crushproof. It can withstand a plunge of 33 feet into water and a fall from a height of 6 feet without significant damage. You pay a premium for such durability, but you also get an extraordinarily compact camera with a 10-megapixel sensor capable of capturing whatever dangerous activity you’re doing in intimate detail.

Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

$220

Canon has now jumped into the compact extended-zoom market as well, and the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS definitely is a worthy competitor to Panasonic’s TZ5. Roughly similar in specifications (10x optical zoom, eight-megapixel sensor), the SX100 IS manages to cost about $100 less, meaning you get a great camera and still have a little extra play money on your trip.

 

Panasonic Lumix TZ5

$300

Panasonic has led the pack when it comes to combining compact size with extra-large features. The Panasonic Lumix TZ5 is its latest ultracompact extended-zoom model, which packs a huge 10x optical zoom lens into a stylish and easily portable body. The TZ5 is perfect for photographers who want the ease of a casual camera but the ability to take more impressive, more elaborate photos.

Fuji FinePix S8100fd

$365

For travelers who crave extra power but really don’t want to lug around a digital single-lens reflex (SLR) and a bunch of lenses as they jet around the world, the Fuji FinePix S8100fd occupies a happy middle ground. It’s got high-quality, advanced features and a huge 18x optical zoom, allowing for extraordinary detail and composition. It’s relatively large (4.3 inches wide by 3.1 inches high by 3.1 inches deep) and heavy (14.3 ounces), but if you’re more concerned about taking excellent pictures than having an ultracompact camera, the S8100fd is a good option.

 

 

Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

$220

Canon has now jumped into the compact extended-zoom market as well, and the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS definitely is a worthy competitor to Panasonic’s TZ5. Roughly similar in specifications (10x optical zoom, eight-megapixel sensor), the SX100 IS manages to cost about $100 less, meaning you get a great camera and still have a little extra play money on your trip

Canon S5 IS

$300

Another large (4.6 inches wide by 3.1 inches high by 3.1 inches deep; 15.9 ounces) advanced camera, the Canon S5 IS has a 12x optical zoom similar to the one on the smaller Panasonic TZ5. What sets this model apart is its versatility and the range of manual controls that allow a seasoned photographer to really take charge of the picture and a novice photographer to slowly learn the ropes. The zoom may not be as large as its competitors in this class, but it’s still a strong camera that would serve any world traveler quite well.

Sony Cybershot H7

$300

The Sony Cybershot H7 is a significant rival to the Canon S5 IS and Fuji S8100fd. It’s also relatively large (4.3 inches wide by 3.3 inches high by 3.4 inches deep; 13.2 ounces) and offers an intermediate-length optical zoom of 15x. But here’s where the H7 stands out: It has a high-definition-TV output. You can connect your camera directly to an HDTV and view a slide show of your trip on the big screen. (Go ahead and add a musical track, too, to accompany those vivid images!) This feature requires the Sony VMC-MHC1 HD component cable, which is sold separately

Nikon D60

$630, body only

For the past few years, Nikon’s mission seems to have been to make professional-level digital photography more accessible to the masses. The Nikon D60 is another step in that direction, a top-notch digital SLR that is not only easy to use for novice photographers but relatively affordable as well. A camera of this magnitude is still a major commitment, however, and you’ll have to do some research on the right lenses for the kind of shooting you want to do.

Canon Digital Rebel XSi

$800, body only

The Digital Rebel series has long been a way for advancing photographers to jump into the often confusing world of digital SLRs. It repackages the professional features of cameras like the Canon 40D in a simpler, easier-to-approach camera, introducing consumers to the power of SLR photography without overwhelming them. The XSi has made the Digital Rebel series even more approachable with the introduction of a "Live View" LCD, allowing you to preview photos on the display before you take them.