Superyachts, body jewelry, jeroboams of rosé: It’s easy to feel out of place amongst the barely-dressed babes and neck-tattooed D.J.s who frequent summertime haunts like Scorpios in Mykonos, Ushuaïa in Ibiza Beach Hotel or, frankly, many of the world’s most-packed beach clubs. And even if you’re game to blow $30 on a watermelon and feta salad garnished with a wilted sprig of mint, roasting under the sun on a lounge chair as outdoor subwoofers blast oontz-oontz beats can all too easily cause a how-did-I-end-up-here existential crisis.
Thankfully, a new generation of clubs, from St. Tropez to Stockholm, are remixing the surf-and-sand scene by adding cultural and culinary enticements — farm-to-table nibbles, vinyl-record listening rooms, beachfront campgrounds for glamping — suitable for visitors of all tastes and ages. Gold-hardware bikini not required.
Nonna Bazaar
Nonna Bazaar had made a name for itself by being the Menorcan antidote to the traditional trappings of beach-clubbing culture. Housed in a century-old finca surrounded by landscaped gardens, the club trades the sandy shoreline for a breezy pastoral slow life suited for the whole family. For adults, there are pétanque courts, a craft pottery boutique and farmer's stands selling local wines and olive oils; kids will be entertained by outdoor playgrounds, pony rides and a petting zoo on the on-site farm. And visitors of all ages will enjoy the truffle-artichoke pizzas served fresh from the outdoor wooden ovens.
Reîa
Sacha Gielbaum, a co-founder of the hospitality firm Yamba, and Emil Etefkov, a partner in the New York restaurant collective The Group, have brought a dash of urban worldliness to the beach with Reîa, a new club located just outside Lisbon on Portugal’s Caparica coast. One weekend there might be an intimacy-building workshop hosted by Oyasin, an organization that helps corporate executives and tech entrepreneurs “re-harmonize with nature”; the next, a poetry session led by a self-proclaimed “psychedelic wellness advocate.” And should you really want to free your mind, swing by any of the outdoor drum circles or transcendental raves hosted on the property.
Coco Beach Club
Stockholm’s very first beach club, Coco Beach Club, might be located on Lidingö, a suburban island east of Stockholm in Sweden, but the swanky venue hopes its seaside infinity pool heated to steamy 91 degrees year round (guests can sit in chairs partially submerged in water to play a leisurely game of floating backgammon), art-deco paddle courts and saunas with views of the Baltic Sea “will make you wonder if you’re in Palm Springs.” Everything about the Swedish beach club pays some sort of homage to the West Coast, whether it’s the Cali-cuisine bites at the bar (salmon sashimi topped with avocado and sweet potato fries, anyone?) or the vintage photos of Hollywood stars hanging on the lobby’s walls.
La Dogana Beach Club
Attention parent travelers: More and more, clubs are extending their hospitality to kids. Take La Dogana Beach Club in south Tuscany, which borders the Lago di Burano Nature Reserve and offers family-friendly stretches of isolated beach with shallow waters safe for young swimmers and space reserved for glamping at the nearby Terre di Sacra campgrounds. Whether you have little ones with you or not, grab a reservation at La Dogana di Capalbio, a breezy open-air restaurant that is all billowing curtains and rustic coziness. Your order: risotto al limone washed down with a glass of Franciacorta from Contadi Castaldi.
Casa Jondal
Booming house music and boozy tourists are endemic to Ibiza, but peace and quiet can be found at Jondal, a popular chiringuito helmed by Spanish chef Rafael Zafra, formerly of El Bulli. A newer member to the Ibizan beach-club club, Jondal is popular for its simple and delicious dishes with a sense of place, such as deep-fried scorpion fish with tangy bilbaína sauce or razor clams sauteed in sherry and garlic. In the Balearics, few things are as sacred as sobremesa, the Spanish custom of loitering at the table and chatting after you've finished eating. Spoil yourself and have your post-meal tête-à-tête on the string of sun loungers on the beach, lemon-and-basil sorbet in hand.
Gigi Ramatuelle
Some contemporary beach clubs don’t actually require you to step foot on sand. Gigi Ramatuelle, a club house located in the hills of Ramatuelle in St. Tropez, offers woodsy serenity — think lazy hammock naps under towering pine trees — with a nod toward active-lifestyle fun like table tennis or Mölkky, a Finnish outdoor throwing game similar to bowling. And while many booze-soaked beach clubs feel like a circus, Gigi Ramatuelle actually throws them, for kids that is. Gigi Circus, a sprawling outdoor area with inflatable domes, trampolines, foosball tables, and ice-cream kiosks, is supervised by activity leaders throughout the day, which means parents can enjoy the private poolside cabanas (which come with their own table service courtesy from the nearby Bellini bar) in much-needed peace.
