Wow Factor: Nudism is ubiquitous, particularly with the middle-aged liberal intelligentsia.

Best Bed: Kampen is the most attractive tourist village, with easy access to beach and golf from the Rungholt Hotel (49-4651-4480; hotel-rungholt.de; doubles, $318–$380).

Fair Warning: The North Sea is predictably chilly at 54 degrees latitude, but the trade-off is long hours of summer sunshine.

GREECE
Porto Katsiki, Lefkas
Safe swimming, No crowds, Hotel, Natural shade

Little known even to Greeks, this ranks as one of the most perfect beaches in Europe—island or continent.

Wow Factor: Contained between two huge precipices of white, gold, and red limestone, the beach is a feast of contrasting textures. The central section is of the finest white pebbles, perfect for sunbathing, while huge rounded boulders provide shade. The sea here is a color found nowhere else—a solid turquoise that might have been poured directly from a can of paint.

Best Bed: No standouts. Stay in the nearby fishing village of Vassiliki or in Nidri, on the other side of the island.

Fair Warning: Not easy to get to. Come by boat from Vassiliki or by rental car, driving through a forest of pine trees (lefkada.gr).

INDONESIA
Nusa Dua, Bali
Safe swimming, Often crowded, Hotel, Cafés/bars, Natural shade

When the Indonesians were looking for an ideal stretch of sand on which to build an enclave of upscale beach hotels, they chose Nusa Dua, in the southern part of the island, not far from the airport.

Wow Factor: The sand is white, the water is blue, and the hawkers remain notably absent.

Best Bed: Plenty. An exception to the massive scale of most of the hotels is the 35-suite Amanusa, sitting tranquilly on a hillside above the beach (65-6887-3337; amanresorts.com; doubles, $700–$1,500).

ITALY
Lido, Venice
Safe swimming, Often crowded, Hotel, Cafés/bars

The ultimate in seaside swank. The Lido was made forever famous by Thomas Mann's novella Death in Venice and Visconti's lush movie of the story. There are two enormous public beaches at each end of the island.

Wow Factor: In September, it hosts the prestigious Venice Film Festival, first held in 1932, where film stars arrive elegantly by boat or private plane.

Best Bed: Two pricey, grande dame hotels—the Westin Excelsior (39-041-526-0201; starwoodhotels.com; doubles, $1,130–$1,290) and the Hotel des Bains (39-041-526-5921; starwoodhotels.com; doubles, $940–$1,180)—boast what is probably the world's most expensive beach huts, which Venetians lease by the season for $10,000 (weekly and daily rates are also available).