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25 Bioluminescent Beaches (And Budget Hotels Nearby!)

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Experiences are food for your soul – see these beaches glowing with magical bioluminescence!

Deciding where to spend our hard-earned money can be a challenge. As time goes by, more and more people realize that experiences are worth so much more than possessions. However, even choosing a holiday destination is sometimes hard. For people like me, who try to travel as much as we can with a full-time job, the days in the year that can be spent travelling are pretty limited. I admit it, I usually envy people with even 5 extra days of yearly holiday! So, yes, I am always looking for something unique to see and experience. And I don’t think bioluminescent beaches can just be “seen”. No, seeing these and swimming in these waters is a true experience!

How do bioluminescent beaches “work”? Well, it’s usually bioluminescent phytoplankton that does the job, but sometimes it can be bioluminescent shrimp or even firefly squid! The trick here is that the water needs to move in order to show its glow. This means that when you swim, the water ALL AROUND YOU glows. Yes, it’s truly magical!

Let’s dive in and see some of the best bioluminescent beaches in the world (and where to stay nearby!)

1. Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMF7V2eFZPy/

Closest budget hotel: Esperanza Inn

Prices per night start at: 90$

Booking.com review score: 8.8

2. Sam Mun Tsai Beach, Hong Kong

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Sam Mun Tsai Beach Hong Kong

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Closest budget hotel: YHA Bradbury Jockey Club Youth Hostel

Prices per night start at: 60$

Booking.com review score: 7.7

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3. Manasquan, New Jersey, United States

 

Closest budget hotel: Atlantic Motel

Prices per night start at: 170$

Booking.com review score: 8.4

4. Bunny Island, Tasmania, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: The Tree House

Prices per night start at: 177$

Booking.com review score: 9.2

5. Carlsbad State Beach, California, United States

 

Closest budget hotel: Days Inn by Wyndham Carlsbad

Prices per night start at: 177$

Booking.com review score: 8.0

6.  Cape Raoul, Tasmania, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: Port Arthur Motor Inn

Prices per night start at: 83$

Booking.com review score: 8.3

7.  Tathra, New South Wales, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: Tathra Beach House Holiday Apartments

Prices per night start at: 122$

Booking.com review score: 9.2

8. Jervis Bay, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: The Huskisson

Prices per night start at: 93$

Booking.com review score: 8.0

9. Avila Beach, California, United States

 

Closest budget hotel: Avila Village Inn

Prices per night start at: 268$

Booking.com review score: 9.2

10. Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay

 

Closest budget hotel: Hotel Atlantico by Tay Hotels

Prices per night start at: 63$

Booking.com review score: 8.8

11. Basin View, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: Jopen Complex

Prices per night start at: 62$

Booking.com review score: 8.2

12. Lorne, Victoria, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: Lorne Hotel

Prices per night start at: 162$

Booking.com review score: 8.0

13. Ralph’s Bay, Tasmania, Australia

 

Closest budget hotel: Beach buoy

Prices per night start at: 189$

Booking.com review score: N/A (new holiday home)

14. Larak, Iran

 

15. Pacific City, Oregon, United States

 

Closest budget hotel: Surf & Sand Inn

Prices per night start at: 158$

Booking.com review score: 9.1

16. Bahía de Los Angeles, Mexico

 

Closest budget hotel: The Halfway Inn

Prices per night start at: 31$

Booking.com review score: 8.2

17.  Big Sur, California

 

Closest budget hotel: Carmel Garden Inn

Prices per night start at: 267$

Booking.com review score: 9.0

18. Penmon Lighthouse (Trwyn Du Lighthouse), United Kingdom

It is rare, but if you’re very lucky, you can catch both the bioluminescent phytoplankton AND the aurora, very close by at the shores of Snowdonia National Park.

 

Closest budget hotel: Gwyndaf Bed And Breakfast

Prices per night start at: 123$

Booking.com review score: 9.9

19. Pistol River Beach, Oregon, United States

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Let me tell you about this “Cool story, bro” moment from Monday night. Left town after work, headed to the coast to shoot some MW with @cthirteenphotography, @stevenjmagner, @rsphotolog, and @kentcthis. Obviously, running late… That’s how I roll. Bandon was the intended local, but was socked in, so the guys called an audible and headed south, looking for clear skies. I caught up with them between Cape Sebastian and the mouth of Pistol River. After introductions, I walked out on the sandy bluff overlooking a sea stack with the MW, where everyone was set up. I hear the shutter from Kent’s D850 and, I think it’s bioluminescence… I look closer to his lcd, and sure enough I could see the blue highlights… but was it that or just moon backlighting? 🧐 Steve and I decided to head down to the beach to get a different comp. of the stack… As we get into the wet sand, Steve tells me, check out your feet. 🤯 It was most definitely bioluminescence and it lit up blue with every step. #milkyway #NRPADiscoveryChallenge #oregon #way2ill #westbysouthwest

A post shared by Josh Latham (@oregonsandrat) on

Closest budget hotel: Pacific Reef Hotel

Prices per night start at: 108$

Booking.com review score: 8.6

20. Roskilde Fjord, Denmark

 

Closest budget hotel: Strandsegård Ferielejlighed

Prices per night start at: 122$

Booking.com review score: 9.0

21. Walker Bay, Grootbos, South Africa

 

Closest budget hotel: Benguela

Prices per night start at: 71$

Booking.com review score: 9.6

22. Puntarenas, Costa Rica

 

Closest budget hotel: Ruiselares

Prices per night start at: 25$

Booking.com review score: 8.9

23. Vaadhoo, Maldives

 

Closest budget hotel:  Ayada Maldives

Prices per night start at: 584$ (it is an island resort, but you can also look for a day trip for visiting)

Booking.com review score: 9.1

24. Toyama Bay, Japan

 

Closest budget hotel: Uozu Manten Hotel Ekimae

Prices per night start at: 92$

Booking.com review score: 8.6

25. Bangsaen, Chonburi, Thailand

Bioluminescence Where To Stay
Photo: Shutterstock

Closest budget hotel: SP Home BangSaen

Prices per night start at: 35$

Booking.com review score: 8.8

 

Which one is your favorite? Have you seen other beaches with bioluminescence?

*Disclaimer: some of the links in this article are affiliate links. Booking through them won’t cost you extra, but it will help support this site.
*Please note: some of the links on this page might be affiliate links. It won't cost you any extra to book through them, but it will help me support this blog.

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About Author

Rosie Dimitrova

Explore breathtaking new destinations and immerse into different cultures through my lens <3 Travel guides, travel tips and lots of things to do in each destination!

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2 Comments

  1. Carrie @ Two Small Potatoes
    March 20, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    These are awesome! I can’t believe we lived in Oregon for 7 years, just an hour from the coast in Florence, and we never knew about the bioluminescence there. We’ve even been there at night and never seen it. I’ve only seen it in Alaska a long time ago and it was totally unreal. Great post!

    Reply
    • Rosie Kerrigan
      April 13, 2019 at 8:17 pm

      Hehe! Thank you! I guess it does need certain conditions in order to “catch” it 🙂 One of them is definitely waves – if the water is too still, you wouldn’t be able to see it 🙂 Where did you see it in Alaska?? Was there a lot of bioluminescence over there??

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