For me, it’s probably Pipa in northeastern Brazil. Other beaches in the area are cool but Pipa is special. Rio de Janeiro also gets an honorable mention as a unique urban beach experience.

Puerto Vallarta in Mexico is a really cool city and a fun and scenic place to visit, although the beaches themselves are a little rocky and less comfortable. Tijuana’s beaches aren’t especially great. I’ve been to a resort in Panama near Panama City, which was neat but nothing really stood out about it. Northern Chile and Peru aren’t really beach destinations and the desert is austere, but the ceviche makes up for it. Nazaré in Portugal is a cool juxtaposition of a traditional old European town and a nice beach.