10 of the best beach breaks with culture

It's sometimes hard to please everyone when choosing your next holiday. Some want to lounge around in the sun all day while others want to get out and explore the local culture. Some want to do both. So if you're finding it hard to pick the perfect destination, here are ten of the best trips that combine both. 

1. Oman outings

Here’s a chance to introduce the children to a country which meshes traditional culture with state-of-the-art modernity. It has a sandy coastline where some excellent resorts cater well for families. From the capital Muscat, excursions take in the vast dunes of Wahiba Sands and the oasis town of Nizwa with its goat market and 17th-century fort.  Watersports, dolphin-watching and city walking tours are also on offer. 

Family Holiday to Oman cost from £2,770pp for eight nights, B&B, including transfers and sightseeing with a private guide. Excludes flights. Steppes Travel (steppestravel.com).

2. Cuban culture

Cuba’s Spanish, African and communist heritage makes Havana one of the most fascinating capital cities in the Caribbean. In 2019 it celebrates the 500th anniversary of its founding with a year-round programme of events and concerts. The island also offers one of the best climates and some of most beautiful beaches in the region. Booking a stay in the city and a tour of the country’s highlights before tagging on a few days’ relaxation at a beach hotel is an ideal way to make the most of a winter sun holiday.

Highlights of Cuba costs from £2,699pp for eight nights, B&B, including some meals, flights and transfers. A three-night Varadero extension costs from £330. Kuoni (kuoni.co.uk; tour ref CP047).  

3. Cairo and the coast

The Pyramids of Giza and the world-class Egyptian Museum are top picks for culture loving travellers to Egypt, but there are plenty of other sights in addition to the mosques, palaces and souks. Combine a city break with a stay in El Quseir, a resort to the south of Hurghada on the Red Sea for snorkelling, diving and sandy beaches.

Cairo and Beach costs from £1,995pp for 10 nights, B&B, including flights and transfers. Audley Travel (audleytravel.com). 

4. Vietnamese villages 

The beaches of Hoi An are well positioned for a halfway break on a cultural tour along the coast of Vietnam. From the vibrant city of Hanoi, in the north of the country, to Ho Chi Minh City in the far south with its street food scene and nearby war tunnels of Cu Chi, there is a wealth of cultural atrractions to soak up. Most tours also take in the floating villages of Halong Bay and the hill tribes of Mai Chau with a chance to visit traditional homes for an insight into local life. 

Culture and Coast from £1,995pp for 13 nights, B&B, including some meals and transfers but not flights. Fleewinter (fleewinter.com).

5. Thai temples

Spending a few days relaxing on a beach is the best way to combat cultural overload in Thailand. Combine a tour of Bangkok’s markets, sights, city streets and nightlife with a look around sleepier but atmospheric Chiang Rai, which offers plenty to see, from Buddhist temples to parks and museums. Then head to a beach resort for some R&R, whether in Hua Hin or Pattaya, or the islands of Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lan or Koh Samui. 

Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Thai Beach costs from £1,239pp for 13 nights, including breakfast, flights and transfers. Escape Worldwide (escapeworldwide.co.uk). 

6. Brazilian blocos

For the ultimate in cultural partying combined with full-on beach life, take a trip to Rio de Janeiro in March, when the city explodes into carnival season – a festival of colour and music. Street parties (blocos) create an electric atmosphere with round-the-clock dancing, singing and parading. Other attractions include the Corcovado statue of Christ and the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian. And what about the beach? There’s always Copacabana, of course. 

A Rio Carnival Beach Experience costs from £1,059pp, departing March 1 for five nights, B&B, including one dinner, a city tour and Sambadrome ticket. Excludes flights and transfers. Tucan Travel (tucantravel.com)

7. Mayan Mexico 

Lapped by the calm, clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the white-sand beaches in the Mexican state of Yucatán are arguably among the best in the world. However, you will find that the nearby Mayan ruins – which date from around AD600 – are spectacular enough to coax you off the sun lounger. The top sight is world-famous Chichén Itzá which includes a stepped pyramid, a Great Ball Court and a stone temple complex. Also worth visiting are Uxmal with its richly carved facades and Ek Balam for its sculpted figures. 

A Yucatan Discovery Tour with beach extension costs from £1,990pp for nine nights all-inclusive, including flights and transfers. Best at Travel (bestattravel.co.uk).

8. Antiguan heritage

From a former British dockyard, once commanded by a youthful Horatio Nelson in the 1780s, to the famous Sunday-night reggae parties overlooking the harbour, Antigua is rich in cultural experiences. The capital St Johns is worth a look too – its museum proudly exhibits a cricket bat which once belonged to local hero Viv Richards. But it is the white sands, warm turquoise seas and string of upmarket resorts that will draw most tourists here this winter.

A garden suite room at five-star Carlisle Bay costs from £3,519pp for seven nights, including breakfast, flights, transfers and excursion to Shirley Heights. Caribtours (caribtours.co.uk).

9. Sri Lankan sights 

The cricket is over, but there are plenty more reasons to visit this tropical island. Its best beaches are mainly on the south and west coasts but there’s also an interesting and diverse selection of sights to explore inland. Itineraries usually include the Dambulla Rock Temple, the fifth-century fortress at Sigiriya, and Kandy, a Unesco heritage site with its Temple of the Tooth Buddhist shrine. Schedule in a few days in a seaside town after your tour for some downtime on the beach.

A Sri Lanka Tour and Beach stay costs from £1,689pp for 12 nights, B&B, including some meals, flights and transfers. Tropical Sky (tropicalsky.co.uk).

10. Beachside Bali

For a taste of the exotic alongside idyllic tropical beaches, fascinating cultural sights and buzzing markets selling traditional crafts, the Indonesian island of Bali ticks all the boxes. Highlights include the elaborate Hindu temples around Lovina in the north of the island and the town of Ubud with its Royal Palace, galleries and art market. The sandy stretch at Seminyak is known for its glorious sunsets. 

A tailor-made culture and beach tour costs from £1,529pp for seven nights, combining a three-night Images of Bali itinerary with B&B at five-star Royal Beach Seminyak, including some meals, flights and transfers. Hayes & Jarvis (hayesandjarvis.co.uk).