Top 10 Celebrity Beaches, Winter ‘06

Sun, Sea ‘n’ Stars: 10 Top Beaches

Where are the A-list planning to hit the sands this winter? Ian McCurrach tells you where to lay your towel for a bit of celeb-spotting in the sunshine, from the Caribbean to Australia’s Gold Coast
1. South Beach, Miami

Not since the days of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack have celebrities flocked to Miami in such droves. Cruise down Collins Avenue and keep your eyes peeled for the likes of Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker who recently both crashed at the swanky Ritz-Carlton, where tanning butlers can be relied on to apply sunscreen in those hard-to-reach places.

Lounge in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes spent a couple of romantic nights. Hotel bar hopping usually guarantees celebrity sightings. Down a mojito at The Delano, a favourite hangout of Jamie Foxx, then shimmy along to The Setai where Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton regularly hold court.

Spot the celebs: Gwen Stefani, Kevin Spacey, Robert De Niro, Paris Hilton and Jay-Z.

Getting there: The Catalina Hotel and Beach Club (catalinahotel.com) offers a seven-night “Come and stay and play in South Beach” package from £290 per person, based on two sharing, including champagne on arrival, poolside manicure and pedicure, daily complimentary cocktails and VIP nightclub passes. Expedia (expedia.co.uk) is offering return flights from Heathrow to Miami with American Airlines from £287 in November and December.

2. Camps Bay, South Africa

The exclusive beach suburb of Camps Bay in Cape Town attracts the jet set during the winter months when it acts as a backdrop for movies and commercials. The stars hang out at the upscale Bay Hotel, but with peak-season rates astronomical a fashionable alternative is to rent a villa or apartment nearby.

After a day sunbathing on the crescent-shaped beach, the likes of Colin Farrell neck cocktails at hip bars such as Caprice and Baraza that stack up along Victoria Road. Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy are regulars here, as are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Blues Restaurant and the Codfather are the chic eateries of choice -booked up weeks in advance in peak season.

Spot the celebs: Elton John, David Furnish, Vinnie Jones, Calum Best.

Getting there: Fleewinter (020-7112 0019; fleewinter .com) offers a five-night break in a one-bedroom Casa Apartment in Camps Bay from £770 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights from Heathrow to Cape Town with South African Airways.

3. Shoal Bay, Barbados

You couldn’t move for A-listers throwing down their designer towels on the beaches of Barbados last winter. The swish Sandy Lane Hotel saw Jemima Khan whizzing around the bay on her mono-ski, while Gary Lineker monopolised the speedboat at Cobblers Cove, a genteel country house on the sea. Martine McCutcheon took an entourage made up of family and friends to the Almond Resort. Joss Stone and Lemar were recently seen there, as was Rachel Hunter, who was spotted doing press-ups on the beach next to US ice-hockey star Jarret Stoll. Hip places to hang include Oistins fish market, the Waterfront Café in Bridgetown and Pisces restaurant in St Lawrence Bay.

Spot the celebs: Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Hugh Grant, Nicole Appleton and Liam Gallagher.

Getting there: Jetlife (0870-787 7877; jetlife.co.uk) offers a seven-night all-inclusive break at the four-star Almond Morgan Beach Village from £935 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick to Barbados and transfers.

4. Buzios, Brazil

Style-savvy Cariocas and Brazilian soap stars drive two hours north of Rio to the fishing village of Buzios. Brigitte Bardot was the first star to put this place on the fashionable map when she hid herself away here in 1964 with her Brazilian boyfriend. (A bronze statue of the screen goddess stands on the waterfront.) Buzios has remained popular ever since, yet it has managed to escape overdevelopment and is made up of charming low-rise pousadas, designer stores, restaurants and bars. Pousada Casas Brancas has an al fresco restaurant, pool and 32 boutique-style rooms overlooking the bay.

Spot the celebs: Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Ronaldo, Philippe Starck, Christina Aguilera and Gloria Estefan.

Getting there: Bales Worldwide (0845-057 1819; balesworldwide.co .uk) offers a seven-night b&b break at Pousada Casas Brancas in Buzios from £1,395 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights from Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro and transfers.

5. Main Beach, Australia

Main Beach, one of the Gold Coast’s top beaches, got its unassuming name for being the prime surf beach for the town of Southport. Yet this is one of the Gold Coast’s most popular districts and the destination of choice for celebrities and fashionistas, with its café-lined boulevards and boutique shopping fit for an heiress.

To the north of Main Beach lies the Spit, which features a 500-metre jetty that is home to the glitzy Palazzo Versace Hotel and Marina Mirage, an upscale complex crammed with designer boutiques, restaurants and galleries. All the I’m a Celebrity… contestants take refuge at the Palazzo Versace after being evicted from the jungle. Mere mortals frequent the more affordable Breakfree Maldives Resort, nearby.

Spot the celebs: Donatella Versace, Naomi Campbell, Jon Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster.

Getting there: Travelbag (0870-814 6545; travelbag .co.uk) offers a seven-night room-only break in a one-bedroom apartment at the four-star Breakfree Maldives Resort on Main Beach from £889 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights with Japan Airlines from Heathrow to Brisbane.