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20 tropical destinations to fantasize about in the summer
Sergi Reboredo/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

20 tropical destinations to fantasize about in the summer

The itch to travel is strong, especially for those of us who miss the thrill of travel. Even if you can't afford to go to the places you want to go, nothing can stop you from fantasizing about tropical destinations. With that in mind, here are 20 particularly beautiful tropical vacation spots that you vicariously enjoy.

 
1 of 20

Antigua

Antigua
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The Caribbean Sea is the gift that keeps on giving, with islands galore that each offers a tropical refuge. Antigua is Antigua and Barbuda's southernmost island. "Antigua’s coastline is intricate, with bays and headlands fringed with reefs and shoals; several inlets, including Parham and English Harbour, afford anchorage for shipping, and St. John’s has a deepwater harbor," writes Britannica

 
2 of 20

Bahamas

Bahamas
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The Bahamas has plenty of physical beauty to offer, but there is one unique selling point worth highlighting: Pig Beach! Where else can you swim peacefully with cute little piggies? Nowhere, apparently. This experience is located on Big Major Cay, an otherwise uninhabited island in Bahamas' Exuma. 

 
3 of 20

Bali

Bali
Igor Tichonow/Shutterstock

Bali is a magical Indonesian island—its own little world away from the mainland with gorgeous rice terrains, monkey forests, and beaches for days. Pictured here is a neighboring island called Nusa Penida with an unrivaled landscape and view absolutely worth the bumpy boat ride.

 
4 of 20

Barbados

Barbados
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First and foremost: we are all indebted to Barbados for Rihanna. The Caribbean island's capital and largest city is Bridgetown (no relation to Netflix's Bridgerton), but there are several other breathtaking beaches worth your time. 

 
5 of 20

Bora Bora

Bora Bora
EQRoy/Shutterstock

Bora Bora sits in the South Pacific Ocean and to the northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia. Pictured here is Mount Otemanu—"made of the jagged remnants of an extinct volcano" and "the island’s crowning landform," per Expedia.com

 
6 of 20

Australia

Australia
Tanya Puntti/Shutterstock

Australia is abundant in landmarks. You've got the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, and Bondi Beach, also in Sydney. You've got Brisbane. You've got the outrageous and unrivaled wildlife. Pictured here is the Heart Reef within the Whitsundays' Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system.

 
7 of 20

Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands
Matt Murph/Shutterstock

Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman make up the Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory situated in the Caribbean Sea between Central America and Cuba. There are at least 15 beaches worth visiting and even more culturally to immerse yourself in. Pictured here is one of the most popular: Stingray City.

 
8 of 20

Cook Islands

Cook Islands
Svetype26/Shutterstock

The Cook Islands, loosely associated with New Zealand but self-governed, occupy the South Pacific. Rarotonga, pictured here, is the largest of the 15 islands and considered to be the hub. Other highlighted islands are Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, and Mitiaro.

 
9 of 20

Dalmatian Islands

Dalmatian Islands
Andrew Lloyd/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Dalmatian Islands, cleverly named as a nod to the dog breed because of the way the 79 islands dot the coast of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea. Vis, pictured here, is one of the predominant Dalmatian islands.

 
10 of 20

Dominica

Dominica
Darryl Brooks/Shutterstock

Dominica is just one island away—Martinique—from St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea. The gorgeous beaches are a given, but the nation's lone UNESCO World Heritage site is Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a tropical forest with volcanic elements. Dominica also sports several natural geysers and hot springs for your visiting pleasure.

 
11 of 20

Fiji

Fiji
Don Mammoser/Shutterstock

Fiji is located in the South Pacific—relatively not too far from the Cook Islands—and consists of 300 islands, though only 100 are inhabited. Pictured here is Wainibau Waterfall on Fiji's Taveuni island. Click here for a thorough list of picturesque beaches, too.

 
12 of 20

Hawaii

Hawaii
SergiyN/Shutterstock

Yes, we know Hawaii consists of seven inhabited individual islands. Yes, any and all of them fulfill the requirements of this list. So, generalized Hawaii it is. Pictured here is the Na Pali Coast on Kauai.

 
13 of 20

Italy's Amalfi Coast

Italy's Amalfi Coast
Steffen Trumpf/picture alliance via Getty Images

There could be a list (and probably already are plenty of lists) just about all of the different ways Italy satisfies any traveler's itch. From Rome to Venice to Lake Como, the possibilities are endless. For our purposes, though, we'll focus on the Amalfi Coast. Pictured here is Positano, a renowned cliffside village overlooking the Amalfi Coast.

 
14 of 20

Maldives

Maldives
Lifestyle Travel Photo/Shutterstock

You've surely seen Instagram photos of pristine bungalows bobbing atop absurdly blue waters, and chances are, you were looking at the Maldives. The island is located off the coast of South Asia, specifically India and Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean.

 
15 of 20

Palawan, Philippines

Palawan, Philippines
Xinhua/ROUELLE UMALI via Getty Images

Palawan, a Philippine archipelagic province between the Philippines and Indonesia. National Geographic puts it best: "Named after the largest of its 1,780 islands, biodiversity hotspot Palawan is the 'last ecological frontier' of the Philippines. The emerald archipelago is strung across turquoise waters, making island-hopping the best way to experience signature Palawan experiences like floating through an underground river, swimming in hidden lagoons, and diving among World War II shipwrecks."

 
16 of 20

St. Barts

St. Barts
Studio Borlenghi/ALeA/Getty Images

Saint Barthélemy, most commonly known simply as St. Barts, is a predominantly French-speaking island further boosting the Caribbean's status as vacation royalty. The good news is that, per Travel and Leisure, St. Barts's peak season is December, and maybe—just maybe—traveling will be allowed by then. Maybe?

 
17 of 20

St. Lucia

St. Lucia
James R Schultz/Shutterstock

Count St. Lucia is yet another breathtaking Caribbean island. St. Lucia is between Martinique and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Pictured here is the view from the majestic Jade Mountain Resort, with the Pitons (a UNESCO World Heritage site) in the distance. Your unique opportunity to explore this volcanic island is waiting for you here.

 
18 of 20

Thailand

Thailand
MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images

Thailand offers equal parts stunning beaches and bustling city life in capital Bangkok. Away from mainland Thailand are the coveted Phi Phi Islands. Pictured here is the Pileh Lagoon.


 
19 of 20

Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands
jpbarcelos/Shutterstock

Turks and Caicos Islands, often referred to as Turks & Caicos, is a British overseas territory located to the southeast of the Bahamas and to the north of the Dominican Republic. Pictured here is Sapodilla Bay. To learn more about the various cays (keys) and islands, visit here.

 
20 of 20

Tulum, Mexico

Tulum, Mexico
DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

Tulum has a beautiful vantage point of the Caribbean Sea, but what truly sets this destination apart are the Mayan ruins sprinkled around the Mexican city. While in Tulum, you could venture about two hours south to the Bacalar Lagoon near the Mexico-Belize border. Even nearer, Riviera Maya lays about 45 minutes north up the coastline.

Megan Armstrong

Megan Armstrong (@megankarmstrong) is a writer whose work has appeared in places such as Billboard, GQ, Esquire, Bleacher Report, Uproxx, and others. Megan has also produced various podcasts and hosted a daily radio show at Mizzou. She grew up obsessed with sports — impressing adults by memorizing NFL statistics as a kindergartner — and grew into an obsession with music

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TODAY'S BEST

Aries Daily Horoscope  │August 4, 2025
Lifestyle

Aries Daily Horoscope │August 4, 2025

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Surprising Marlins earn MLB first in sweep of Yankees
MLB

Surprising Marlins earn MLB first in sweep of Yankees

The Miami Marlins achieved a franchise first on Sunday. In doing so, they carved out an interesting place in MLB history. With a 7-3 victory over the Yankees, the Marlins swept New York for the first time in a series of three or more games. In doing so, the Marlins became the only team to have a winning record, including the postseason, against the Yankees. The Yankees now have a 22-21 record against the Marlins in the regular season. However, the Marlins won the 2003 World Series against the Yankees in six games, giving the Fish a 25-24 record all-time. The Marlins' victory on Sunday meant more than a unique place in baseball history. That victory evened the Marlins' record at 55-55, the first time they have been at .500 or better since April 15 (8-8). The Marlins are 30-14 in their last 44 games, tying the 2003 championship team for the best stretch (last done from June 18-Aug. 9) in franchise history. The Marlins defied expectations at the trade deadline, holding on to pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. Their only trade involved sending outfielder Jesus Sanchez to Houston, acquiring pitcher Ryan Gusto and a pair of prospects. Expectations were that the Marlins were simply waiting for the offseason to trade those pitchers, as there may be a larger market. Instead, the generally inexperienced Marlins roster is growing and improving by the day. They have clawed back from a 24-40 start to the season to pull themselves into the NL wild-card conversation. Although a lot would need to go right for the Marlins to reach the playoffs this season, they could be a dangerous team over the rest of the season and beyond. The Yankees found that out the hard way.

Brock Lesnar makes shocking return at WWE SummerSlam
Wrestling

Brock Lesnar makes shocking return at WWE SummerSlam

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Tiger Woods Sends Strong Message to Retiring CBS Broadcaster on Sunday
Golf

Tiger Woods Sends Strong Message to Retiring CBS Broadcaster on Sunday

At Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, Sunday’s final round of the 2025 Wyndham Championship closed out the PGA Tour’s regular season. It also marked the end of an era for one of golf’s most revered broadcasters. For the last time, Ian Baker-Finch manned the hole-announcing microphone for CBS Sports, capping 30 years in the booth following a playing career that peaked with his victory at the 1991 Open Championship. Before the day was over, Tiger Woods took to X to salute "Finchy." "Congrats Finchy for 30 incredible years behind the microphone. You brought insight into things that the viewing audience could understand and relate to. From all of us—thanks for the memories." The message joined tributes from Jack Nicklaus, Jason Day, Adam Scott and others, underscoring Baker-Finch’s standing among champions past and present. Ian Baker-Finch: From Major Champion to Broadcast Mainstay Baker-Finch turned pro in 1979, winning 17 professional tournaments worldwide. His lone major title came at Royal Birkdale in 1991, where he secured the Open Championship by five strokes. After retiring in the mid-1990s, Baker-Finch transitioned smoothly into broadcasting. He cut his teeth as an analyst on Australian television before joining ESPN and ABC in 1998. In 2007, he became CBS Sports’ dedicated hole announcer, a role he held through 2025, calling golf’s defining moments with a blend of technical acumen and warm delivery. Over 19 seasons with CBS, he covered five Masters and contributed to countless PGA Tour telecasts. Throughout Woods’ five green-jacket haul (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019), Baker-Finch was a trusted on-course voice that helped demystify championship golf for television audiences. As a player, Baker-Finch remains one of only seven Australian men to win a major championship and is one of a select few to dominate links golf on British soil. As a broadcaster, Baker-Finch’s voice guided generations of fans through golf’s signature moments, shaping how millions understand the game’s subtleties. When the G.O.A.T. of professional golf uses his platform to honor your contribution to the sport, it signals a broadcast career worth remembering.