From Health magazine
Whether you have a week or a weekend to get away this summer, we know your vacation time is precious. You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise, and eat well. And you want to do it all without breaking the bank. That’s why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation’s most popular beach and lake towns.
They evaluated air and water quality, the abundance of parks, the cost of a hotel room, and more to zero in on the top-10-healthiest getaways, where rejuvenation and fun are practically guaranteed. When you’re ready for that much-deserved vacay, you won’t go wrong with one of these 10 shore bets.
1. Tybee Island, Georgia
A barrier island about 18 miles east of Savannah, low-key Tybee boasts a 3-mile stretch of beach that our judges labeled “magnificent,” complete with gorgeous water. “The beaches here rarely have water-quality problems,” says panelist and water-quality expert Nancy Stoner, who is very picky about where she dips a toe in.
Exercise is a way of life on Tybee. There are sunrise yoga classes on North Beach, and biking is the preferred mode of transportation. “You can leave your car parked and bike just about anywhere on the tiny island,” says judge Elizabeth Joy, MD, a family-and-sports-medicine physician. And if you forget your gear, just rent a ride from one of the bike shops—trailer bikes for the kiddies and roller skates are available, too.
The island also has the least expensive lodgings, on average, of all the towns on our list. And its eateries serve up an abundance of good-for-you fare like fish tacos, salads, and veggie-filled sandwiches. “The restaurants serve simple, heart-healthy dishes,” says judge Ruth Frechman, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Tybee offers something for everyone—and that’s why it tops our list of healthy summer escapes.
Stay here: Rooms at the 17th Street Inn (starting at $125 per night) have full kitchens, so you can make your own healthy meals. Want to be near the beach? You can’t get closer than the Desoto Beach Hotel (starting at $180 per night).
Next page: Coronado
Comments (23)
I am a Realtor on Tybee Island (with Keller Williams…www.ladydisells.com)) who has lived here for almost 40 years. (We used to ride our horses everywhere…to the Post Office, laundromat, etc.) It is ONE of the greatest places to live in the USA…and I have lived in many many places! You can still get a great home, cottage, or Condo here for some of the best prices on the entire East Coast!!!! (Even the Today Show voted Tybee as one of the best Home Buying deals for ocean property anywhere on the Eastern Coast!)
Clean water & beaches, good home prices, and only 15 minutes from beautiful Savannah!!! Can’t beat it!
If you try the island out, DO have dinner at The Hunter House Restaurant & Inn….fabulous food and intimate atmosphere with a Veranda to have drinks on and ocean view. It’s a wonderfully charming 1910 restored House, now a restaurant & Inn. It’s been a favorite for 18 years.
Tybee Island, the number one pick of this article, is truly an interesting nomination.
The only known missing US Military Hydrogen Bomb was dumped from a Boeing B-47 bomber jet that had mechanical problems. The bomb fell unexploded into the bay right off of Tybee Island, presumed to be less than a mile off the shore.
With a degrading Hydrogen bomb, which remains unfound, allow Health Magazine to highly recommend Tybee Island?
Does Health Magazine check the journalism and recommendations it makes to it’s customers prior to publishing?
Tybee Island, an unexploded Hydrogen bomb degrading in salt water, and the American vacation…what more needs to be said except a thorough explanation by Health magazine?
I posted a comment here earlier today about having Tybee celebrated for water cleanliness in this article – despite the island’s north beach lying at the mouth of the Savannah River, one of the nation’s most polluted rivers – but apparently, it was deleted. I think that’s in poor taste Health Magazine web staff. Very poor taste indeed. Sorry you’ve been called out for not doing your homework, at least own up to it.
While I happen to agree that Tybee Island’s nomination as the healthiest beach town in the nation seems a little odd (that mostly has to do with the fried shrimp and margarita’s which are island favorites) these comments about the beach are really not stating the facts. Yes there is a missing bomb but the US Air Force conducted a study in 2001 and it is safely encased in mud below the ocean floor. There is no nuclear capsule so the threat of it exploding is not an issue. As for beach closures Tybee’s beaches have great water quality and are very regularly tested.
I’m surprised to see so many comments take aim at Tybee Island. I’ve vacationed there numerous times with my family, and because of exactly what this article states, I often return. Katrina (above poster) is correct that a lot of locals pride their restaurants on their fried shrimp, but it’s because shrimping is a big industry in the South. She is also correct with the hydrogen bomb information. Michael Bernard seems to think everyone living on Tybee, as well as all of the southeast (it is an H-bomb, you know), seems to be unaware of this. If that bomb ever posed a threat, the island would be deserted. Michael should head to “Sting Rays” and calm down.
I have lived at Tybee for only the past 7 years and find Tybee an interesting choice as the “healthiest” beach in America by Health Magazine. I’m sure they looked at many factors for all nominees and Tybee (and her residents) should be thrilled at this honor. We can certainly use some good news for our little island and her businesses that keep us alive!
An amazingly astute choice by Health.com. Just one example — Tybee’s hard and accessible beaches are great for a healthy run or long walk. Forget the nonsense about “THE bomb.”
I just listned to 3 “officials” with the city of Tybee talk about how often the beaches are closed each year because of outdated sewer systems dumping into the water! Give’me a break! That’s why no one should put much stock in, “The top rated….” anything — it’s the concensus of a VERY TINY group of people.
I recently traveled to the beach at Tybee Island. After spending a 1/2 hour trying to find enough quarters buried throughout my car to park we made our way to the beach. (yes, the Tybee Gov’t loves to give tickets and make money off of you so make sure to take several dollars in quarters before you go.) We took a stroll down the beach which was severely overcrowded with a wide array of characters. We found much garbage and trash as we walked on water’s edge (cheetos bag, doritos, plastic containers, diaper). The straw that broke the camel’s back though was the human poop that we almost stepped on. Actually, the girl that i am dating from out of town who i am trying to impress nearly stepped on it. And this beach is supposed to be healthy!!! What a joke! Oh, and good luck with finding a hotel at this island. If you want to know why they have some of the most inexpensive hotels, look no further than the Ocean Plaza Hotel. If you like the hotel off of the movie “The Shining”, you will love this hotel! Simply put, I wouldn’t waste my time or money on this place.
While I have only visited Tybee a couple of times in my life, I think that AT Duncan has a lot of nerve painting this tiny, southern island in such a bad light. I’m sorry your girlfriend was not impressed, but I doubt that had much to do with Tybee as it did with the company she was with. This island is in one of the best locations in the souteast and offers an array of affordable, casual dinning. I recommend trying Walt’s Pub which is an island favorite that doesn’t disappoint. I think its great for Tybee to good publicity. By the way, the 4th of the July is a great time to visit.
Bonita Springs, Florida truly deserves the recognition. I had vacationed on the Bonita beaches for 10 years and now live here for 7 years. All through these years I can count on one hand the times I saw a piece of trash. The area is comfortable and laid back yet with all the amenities and necessities in place.
Bonita Beach Resort Motel has to be one of the best vacation deals anywhere. We’ve been going for 20+ years with the kids and it’s a clean,friendly atomoshpere. With boating and fishing(right off the dock), and the beautiful gulf beach just across the street, it is the perfect getaway. Don’t let the “low” price scare you, this place is amazing!!
as a resident of osage beach of, i dont know, almost 17 years, i would suggest coming during the OFF SEASON. with tourists right now, the population of this town almost TRIPLES, making getting ANYWHERE in osage beach a hell of a trip with only one major drag through out the whole town.
its 45 through town with road work everywhere, making the speed limit even lower(and osage beach’s finest patrols these spots like they are their babies. you get pulled over in a workzone, it is an unreal ticket of about 700$). Plus, even though we actually HAVE turn lanes, NOBODY uses them.
the mall is still open in the off season, and much easier to get around in, and probably with better deals than during these summer months. you will actually be able to park somewhere in the mall and not walk from one of the hotel parking lots next door.
come the first week school starts. the water is still warm and everybody’s prices go down…and traffic is so much better.
Kelleys Island (OH) made #9! My father lives there year round for the past 15+ years and we go for a week each year, including next month. It’s so friendly and special. The article is right in saying that for the size of the island, the food is great. You have to try the Village Pump for its perch dinner and frozen brandy alexander drinks – yum!
Western and Northwest Michigan beaches are dynamite and clean!
Michigan has some of the prettiest 600 foot sand dunes and beautiful wide sand beaches on Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior about ten thousand inland lakes several of which are huge & glacially made. Michigan waterways and beaches and charming towns are a hidden secret!
I grew up in Savannah, so Tybee Island was of course,my beach. Now I live on what is arguably the most famous beach in the world,Waikiki. I consider myself blessed to have both locations in my “Life Resume”. There are not many perfect places left on our planet,so please people,appreciate the places you’ve been for what they do offer and lets focus not on what is bad about each one,but work instead to green what we have left. Every beach(or other places as well)means something to someone. Let’s fix them all.
I have lived in Osage Beach, Missouri for almost 30 years, and can not believe it is on this list. Twenty years ago, yes it was a great place but in the past few years it has become so over populated. I don’t even let my children play in the water. There are places like “party cove”, where in the summer the water smells like urine. The beaches were just reopened last week, they had been closed due to high levels of e.coli in the water. This is not what I would call a healthy place to visit.
I saw your report on the Today show and thought that you should be made aware of some important information. Osage Beach is a very popular destination because it has great restaurants and a wonderful outlet shopping mall. But swimming and fishing should be out of the question. It has been determined that the Lake of the Ozarks contains unsafe levels of e-coli and raw sewage. There are old, poorly functioning septic systems and over population. This has been reported on numerous times but the Missouri officials withheld the information for fear it would have a negative effect on tourism. (Are they kidding?).
Please let people know the dangers of playing in this lake.
Thank you.
Want to talk health / try mental ..Huc-a-poos bites & booze “where the mind & spirits meet” A vortex of good will and commonality was spawn from the energy this island provides…A life changing orpunity 10 years ago,when my good friend & I took a chance the dream of a small pizza pub & the beach life style that goes along with it was captured with just that health of thought that tybee(salt)provides..through fire & much political dissanance we as one survived…Here…Here…to tybee and it un dying health…………………………………………Just another way to look at it haters…John shepherd dunn jr…huc-a-poos bites & booze… Tybee Island Ga.
I moved to Savannah not really knowing about the Tybee Island Beach Community. I have to say that I have been SOOOO pleasantly suprised to find that Tybee is somewhat of an unknown GEM of the south! I love being suprised when I find cool places I didn’t expect to find. It is as authentic as a beach community gets which many be why I love it so much. I am used to vacationing on the Gulf of Mexico, but many of the places have lost ALL sembalance of locality. They are nothing but tourist traps! I love Tybee Island. Go to North Beach and swim in front of the light house, and eat at AJ’s. They have the BEST seafood.
I can not believe that there was not one beach listed on Lake Michigan, one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in the world. this tells me that the panel putting this list together really do not know what they are talking about.
While I agree that Wailea Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches ( I live in Wailea) I have to comment on the photo provided: For some reason the photo shows lots of “greenery” in where there supposed to be Wailea Marriott and Wailea Beach Villas. Maybe it was photoshopped? Second, I would not call Grand Wailea Resort & Spa’s “water park” it really is not a theme park, but a very elegant activity pool with water slides and Tarzan rope for kids, and Hibiscus Pool for adults.
Michigan beaches including Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and I believe Lake Huron are some of the cleanest and prettiest sand beaches in the country and world! The study that discusses the clean beaches was not based on the cleanest beaches but rather took popular, known beaches and found the cleaner ones of these. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior beaches were probably not even reviewed as Michigan’s beaches are a hidden secret. The sunsets are gorgeous as well! Michigan is also inexpensive with impressive hotels and resorts on the beaches. The lakefront towns are charming!
Check it out! You will be pleased! I will gladly guide you to top spots if you tell me your interests.