7 of the best New Year's Eve beach parties around the world

It’s been a hard year; you deserve to have your most incredible New Year’s Eve yet. If sand between your toes and a drink in your hands factors heavily into your party plans, consider channeling your inner beach bum and ring in 2020 at one of these world-wide parties.

Miami

Every year, the city of Miami holds its annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display in South Beach. Carve out a spot in the area along 9th Street and Ocean Drive, and bring a hearty picnic while you wait. Grab your last supper supplies at the Coconut Grove Saturday Organic Farmers Market, a fresh-food source that features both raw and vegan options. Beat the rideshare fees home with a snooze in one of the pristine all-white decorated rooms at Delano South Beach.

Turks & Caicos

Looking for a lower key beach option? Head to Turks & Caicos, where Ricky’s on the Beach (aka Flamingo Café), located on Grace Bay Beach, offers a sweet alternative to nearby resort bashes. The local favorite turns into a stroke-of-midnight hotspot, featuring a bonfire and prime fireworks viewing. Rewrite your list of resolutions from the balcony of your room at the four-star Bianca Sands on Grace Bay.

Sydney

Given that Australia is one of the first places to welcome in the New Year, the country takes its celebration duties very seriously. Sure, you could watch the fireworks in Sydney Harbor (and honestly—who could blame you?), but why not make like the locals do and throw your own party for one at popular surf spot Bondi Beach by being the first one in the water after midnight? (While skinny dipping isn’t officially sanctioned, no one is going to blame you if ring in the new year by flashing a bit of flesh.) Book a room at the oh-so-funky QT Bondi, and you’ll be five minutes away from your first hot shower of 2020.

Phuket

Music fans in search of a maximalist celebration should head to Thailand where the area around Patong Beach is transformed into a massive festival, complete with oversized sound systems and floating stages. If your synapses aren’t turned up to 11, try transferring the party over to Paradise Beach, where yet another phalanx of dancing friends awaits. Be sure to get your pregame in at The Bloc Hotel, a deluxe resort located inches from the beach. (Yes that distance is a hyperbole—but not by much.)

Rio de Janeiro

After Carnival, New Year’s Eve is the biggest night of the year in Brazil. The bacchanal action centers around Copacabana Beach, where nearly 3 million visitors dance, drink and restaurant hop until the witching hour—and then continue celebrating well into the morning. Dress in white for good luck, ride the Ferris wheel (set up every year for the occasion) for an extra dose of fun, and don’t forget your bottle of Champagne—the drink de rigueur. For the ultimate luxury, sleep off the wild evening at the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, a luxury hotel brand known—like Brazil—for effortlessly combining the old with the new.

Goa, India

This coastal Indian party town is known for waterside bars, beaches dotted with trance DJs, and miles and miles of fairy lights. If you enjoy the wild side, head to the dance parties surrounding Anjuna. Otherwise your best bet is Palolem, where smaller crowds and intimate settings will actually allow you to grab the occasional moment alone. With a generally favorable exchange rate, splashing out at Marriot is always a good idea.

Boracay, Philippines

Live the lux life at the Discovery Shores Boracay, a resort known for throwing lavish beach-side New Year’s Eve parties. Not only can you and up to three friends sleep in their premiere suite for under $100 each per night, you can start off 2020 with a food coma brought to you by their high-end buffet. DJs? Dancing? Booze? Yup, all present in large quantities.