Best beach clubs
Nikki beach, Miami
1. While Nikki Beach didn't invent ritualistic champagne spraying, the clientele - either incredibly rich (the men) or breathtakingly gorgeous (the women) - have certainly taken to it with enthusiasm. With 10 clubs across the globe from Miami to St Tropez, Nikki Beach is where guests sip Cristal from the comfort of a dazzling white daybed, while DJs spin tunes by J-Lo and P-Diddy - who have been known to drop by.
The drink: champagne
The look: glitzy and tight - very Paris Hilton
The vibe: sun-drenched pool party
When to go: Open all year, the Sunday daytime parties are infamous
1 Ocean Drive, Miami; 00 1 305 538 1111; www.nikkibeach.com
Republiek, Bloemendaal, Holland
2. Only 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam, Bloemendaal is Holland's hippest beach resort. An escape for stressed-out city dwellers, Bloemendaal has a vibrant clubbing scene for Amsterdam's beautiful people.
The drink: caipirinha
The look: designer jeans with sandals and shades
The vibe: media/fashion types
When to go: April-October
Zeeweg 1, Bloemendaal; 00 31 2357 3073 www.republiek.tv
Club 55, St Tropez
3. The most sophisticated beach club in St Tropez (not hard when compared to La Voile Rouge, for instance) discovered by Brigitte Bardot in the Fifties. A summertime home from home for some of the world's most famous people from Bono to Bill Clinton.
The drink: vintage rosé
The look: big hat, big shades, kaftan
The vibe: sophisticated lunch party with the most glamorous guests
When to go: May-September
Plage de Pampelonne, Ramatuelle; 00 33 4 9455 5555
Puro beach, Palma, Mallorca
4. Slick and sexy club that chills out during the day (yoga before breakfast) and is upbeat in the evening. DJs spin tunes from early afternoon until sunset when the beats get quicker and smoothies get swapped for cocktails.
The drink: cosmopolitan
The look: the Wallpaper* Euro crowd
The vibe: slick Euro chic
When to go: Open all year but best in summer. Free for hotel guests. Non-residents have to pay €8 for a sunbed.
Pagell, 1 Cala Estancia, Palma de Mallorca; 00 34 971 744744; www.purobeach.com
Best best bars
Sunshine's, Nevis, West Indies
5. Beyoncé, Michael Douglas and Britney Spears have all hung out at Sunshine's, a thatched beach bar on Pinney's beach with a laid-back, reggae-infused experience.
The drink: the Killer Bee rum punch
The look: barefoot chic
The vibe: chilled out reggae
When to go: open all year, but busiest over Christmas
Pinney's Beach, Nevis; 00 1 869 469 5817; www.sunshinenevis.com
Iceberg's, Bondi beach, Syndey
6. Any Aussie A-Lister will have stepped foot in Icebergs. Situated on a cliff overlooking the beach, Bondi's most famous bar/restaurant attracts the likes of Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Kylie when they're in town.
The drink: Icebergs Sunset cocktail
The look: low-key glamour
The vibe: laid-back but cool
When to go: the New Year's Day party is legendary.
1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach, Sydney 00 612 9365 9000; www.idrb.com
Palapa bar at Na Balam, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
7. A very chilled-out beach bar on one of Mexico's most beautiful beaches. Part of the lovely Na Balam hotel, the Palapa bar is the perfect place to sip margaritas and watch the sunset. Cuban and Mexican musicians often play.
The drink: margarita
The look: flip-flops and sundresses
The vibe: totally relaxed
When to go: December-February
Calle Zazil-Ha No 118, Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres; 00 52 998 877 0279 www. nabalam.com
Blue marlin, Cala Jondal, Ibiza
8. It's hard to move for chic beach bars in Ibiza, but Blue Marlin on Cala Jondal is one of the best. A popular mooring spot for yachts, the beach is glam central and Blue Marlin is at the hub, with big beds and hammocks strung around the bar and DJs spinning sunbathing tracks and pre-club tunes.
The drink: mojito
The look: fabulously boho
The vibe: Ibiza chic
When to go: May-September
www.bluemarlinibiza.com 00 34 971 410117
Best urban beach parties
Oststrand, Berlin
9. Oststrand (east beach) is probably the hippest of all Berlin's man-made beaches. Situated behind the famous East Side Gallery (a painted part of the former Berlin wall), sand from the Baltic Sea has been shipped in, as have deckchairs, DJs and digital artists.
The drink: Berliner Pilsner
The look: quirky
The vibe: relaxed and friendly
When to go: Open 13 May until mid-September
Gipsstrasse 11, 10119 Berlin (behind the East Side Gallery); 00 39 30 28 385588 www.oststrand.de
PS1, New York
10. PS1 (an affiliate of MoMA) has long been New York's coolest gallery, attracting a hip crowd whose numbers swell for the summer's weekly Warm Up dance parties. Part of the annual urban beach installation project, Warm Up has attracted acts such as Fischerspooner and Scissor Sisters.
The drink: Blue Point beer
The look: hipster cool
The vibe: ultra-trendy, arty vibe
When to go: Every Saturday from July until 2 September. Entrance $8
22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City; 00 1 718 784 2084; www.ps1.org
Copencabana, Copenhagen, Denmark
11. It may not be the 'hottest spot north of Havana', but it's the Danish alternative if you can't make it to Rio. The sandy, palm-fringed beach is perfect for a spot of sunbathing and Sunday afternoon chilling. A Moroccan vibe (complete with North African food and floor cushions), deckchairs and a DJ who spins everything from jazz to dub attract the city's coolest crowd.
The drink: a bottle of Tuborg
The look: fashionista
The vibe: urban cool
When to go: July - August give the best chance of sun
Copencabana Havnebadet, (Near Fisketorvet shopping centre), Havneholmen, Copenhagen
Paris Plage
12. On the banks of the Seine, Paris Plage is in its fourth year. Around two miles long and using 3,000 tons of sand, it attracts around 4 million visitors in the summer. Distractions include dance lessons, a playground, music performances and film screenings.
The drink: café au lait
The look: Parisian chic, no knotted handkerchiefs here
The vibe: low-key and sophisticated
When to go: August when tout les Parisiens are in St Tropez
Best party beaches
Haad Rin beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand
13. Full-moon parties on Koh Phangan are either your idea of hell or hedonistic heaven. Huge sound systems run the length of the beach to create one of the world's biggest beach parties. Around 15,000-20,000 partygoers turn up in high season while there can be up to 30,000 revellers at new year.
The drink: regulars tend to favour something a little less legal, law-abiding partygoers stick to Singha beer
The look: backpacker/hippie
The vibe: mid-90s rave
When to go: the next parties take place on 14 February, 14 March, and 13 April
La barra, Punta Del Este, Uruguay
14. Rupert Everett, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and supermodel Natalia Vodianova are just some of the gorgeous people who descend on Punta del Este during winter. It's full of wealthy Argentinians and Brazilians who look like Gisele and is home to party beaches including Montoya and Bikini .
The drink: maté (tea from coca leaves) by day, caipirinhas by night
The look: just stepped off the catwalk
The vibe: beach babe bbq
When to go: December-February
Super Paradise, Mykonos
15. For Grecian glamour, head to Super Paradise, Mykonos's most fabulous beach. With a reputation as the best party beach in the Cyclades, you can dance until dawn. In the past a mainly gay beach, it now attracts a fashionistas and stylish sun worshippers.
The drink: mojitos
The look: buff
The vibe: boys, boys, boys
When to go: June-September
Las Salinas, Ibiza
16. Probably the most fashionable beach on Ibiza, Playa de las Salinas is a beautiful stretch of sand in the south of the island that, come summer, is full of beautiful model types.
The drink: sparkling water
The look: model fabulous, boho-cool
The vibe: Jade Jagger goes for a sundowner
When to go: June-September
Best music events
Unleashed festival, Watergate Bay, Cornwall
17. Run in conjunction with the Rip Curl Boardmasters surfing championships, Unleashed is Cornwall's biggest music festival. On a cliff overlooking the bay, the views are spectacular and the beach close by. Last year Razorlight headlined the two-day party.
The drink: Cornish cider
The look: surf dudes
The vibe: Red Hot Chili Peppers go wild!
When to go: 4-5 August
www.ripcurlboardmasters.com/unleashed
Moonsplash at Dune Preserve, Anguilla
18. Run by legendary reggae artist Banxie Banx, beach bar Dune Preserve hosts the annual Moonsplash festival. A celebration of Caribbean music held in Rendezvous Bay and coinciding with the March full moon, Moonsplash has been going for 15 years, attracting reggae artists and Kevin Bacon's band, the Bacon Brothers.
The drink: Dune Shine, also known as the Enlightening Aphrodisiac
The look: shoeless and shirtless - a lot of dreads
The vibe: Bob Marley forever
When to go: 16-19 March
Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla; www.dunepreserve.com
Rabac dance festival, Rabac, Croatia
19. An established Croatian resort that is home to an annual dance festival. Taking place over two days in August, five dance floors are set up on and near Girandella beach, where the dancing goes on day and night.
The drink: Karlovacko beer
The look: tight, skimpy and Euro
The vibe: glam and up for it
When to go: This year's dates to be confirmed - but usually in August
Benicassim, Spain
20. Benicàssim's stunning beach location between Valencia and Barcelona makes it one of Europe's best festivals. Oasis headlined last year and Franz Ferdinand, Echo and the Bunnymen and Depeche Mode are to play this summer. The last night always sees an incredible beach party. Four-day pass €152 (£104).
The drink: San Miguel
The look: suntanned, young and hip
The vibe: Glastonbury-by-the-sea
When to go: 20-23 July
