There are beach vacations, and then there are beach vacations where nobody goes to bed at 10 p.m.

If your ideal trip involves waking up somewhere beautiful, spending the afternoon half-naked on a beach, drinking something cold, meeting attractive people, and then somehow ending up dancing at 2 a.m., you have a very specific travel requirement.

You don’t just want a beach. You want a beach with a nightlife problem.

Fortunately, there are plenty of places around the world that have figured out this particular combination. The trick is choosing the right one, because Ibiza, Miami and Cancun may all qualify as “beach and party destinations,” but they are very different vacations.

Here are the places we’d look at when the itinerary is basically SUN → DRINK → BEACH → SHOWER → PARTY → REGRET NOTHING.

Ibiza: The Obvious Answer Is Sometimes the Right One

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way.

Ibiza is still Ibiza.

The island has spent decades building its reputation around electronic music, beach clubs, DJs, ridiculous parties and people who apparently consider sleeping an optional activity. The official tourism site still describes Ibiza in terms of hedonism, electronic music and escaping into the sun, while its beaches range from lively party beaches to much quieter coves.

The advantage of Ibiza is that you can build the exact level of insanity you want.

Stay around Playa d’en Bossa if you want easy access to major clubs and beach action. Look toward San Antonio for a more casual party atmosphere and famous sunsets. Or stay somewhere quieter and drive into the chaos when you feel like becoming somebody else’s problem.

Best for: Serious clubbing, beach clubs, DJs, groups of friends and people who don’t consider a €20 cocktail a personal insult.

The catch: Ibiza can get expensive very quickly. Hotel, club, drinks, taxis, tables—it all adds up.

But if partying is the actual purpose of the trip, this is one of the few places where the premium makes sense.

Mykonos: Beach Party, But Make It Expensive

Mykonos is what happens when somebody takes a Greek island, adds beautiful beaches, luxury hotels, yachts, beach clubs and an international crowd, and then gives everybody an excuse to wear white linen.

The Greek tourism board describes Mykonos as a destination combining beaches, beach bars, nightlife and luxury, and that’s pretty much the pitch.

The island has more than two dozen beaches, with places like Psarou, Paradise, Super Paradise, Paraga and Ornos offering very different versions of the Mykonos experience.

And this is important: the beach is part of the party.

You can start drinking during the afternoon, eat something expensive beside the water, watch the crowd become progressively less interested in going home, and eventually migrate toward the nightlife in Mykonos Town.

It’s basically a very attractive conveyor belt from lunch to sunrise.

Best for: Couples, groups, luxury travelers, beach clubs, yachts and people who enjoy spending money in aesthetically pleasing environments.

The catch: Mykonos isn’t pretending to be cheap.

Miami: The Easiest Beach-and-Party Combination in America

Miami is probably the easiest answer if you want beach + nightlife without flying across the Atlantic.

The beauty of Miami is that you don’t have to choose between vacation activities.

You can spend the afternoon at South Beach, go back to the hotel, shower, put on something that probably shouldn’t cost as much as it did, and be downtown or in Brickell later that night.

And unlike some resort destinations, Miami gives you an enormous amount of choice outside the beach and clubs: restaurants, rooftop bars, sports, shopping, boat trips and neighborhoods that each have their own personality.

The downside is obvious.

Miami is not cheap.

But it does give you something Ibiza doesn’t always provide: the ability to have a full vacation even if you suddenly decide you are too old for a nightclub at 1:17 a.m.

That’s an important feature as you get older.

Best for: Americans, Canadians, groups, couples, nightlife, restaurants, beach days and people who want options.

The catch: You can spend an alarming amount of money here without actually doing anything.

Cancun: When You Want the Vacation to Basically Organize Itself

Cancun is the practical party vacation.

The beaches are beautiful, the hotel inventory is enormous and the nightlife is concentrated enough that you don’t need to spend your vacation conducting a doctoral thesis on Mexican geography.

You can stay in the Hotel Zone, spend your days at the beach or pool, eat at the resort, go out at night and repeat until somebody’s flight home forces them to behave responsibly.

For groups, bachelor and bachelorette trips, birthdays and people who want all-inclusive convenience, Cancun is hard to beat.

There is also a huge range of nightlife styles. Recent travel coverage continues to distinguish Cancun’s mega-club scene from destinations such as Playa del Carmen, where the experience is more about walking between bars and clubs.

That’s the important distinction.

Cancun is easy.

And sometimes easy is exactly what you want.

Best for: Groups, all-inclusive resorts, first-time Mexico trips, big nightlife and people who don’t want to rent a car.

The catch: The Hotel Zone can feel very resort-oriented. If you’re looking for some obscure little beach town where nobody has heard of your country, this isn’t it.

Tulum: Beach Clubs, Beautiful People and a Slightly Different Kind of Party

Tulum used to be the place people went when they wanted to tell everyone they weren’t going to Cancun.

Then everyone went to Tulum.

The destination has evolved dramatically, but the basic attraction remains: beach clubs, jungle hotels, restaurants, wellness, nightlife and an international crowd.

The party here is less “massive nightclub vacation” and more “beautiful people drinking mezcal while a DJ plays something you pretend to understand.”

It works.

Tulum is particularly good if you want your trip to contain more than drinking. You can mix beach clubs with cenotes, ruins, restaurants, wellness and day trips.

Best for: Couples, stylish groups, beach clubs, food, wellness and people who want nightlife without spending every night inside a nightclub.

The catch: Tulum’s popularity has brought higher prices and a lot more development.

Still, if your idea of partying includes a very good dinner first, Tulum deserves a look.

BONUS – Punta Cana: The Resort Party Option

Punta Cana takes the all-inclusive formula and puts it on a giant Caribbean beach.

It’s particularly attractive if your definition of vacation is:

“I would like a beautiful beach, a pool, unlimited drinks and absolutely no interest in figuring out where I’m eating dinner tonight.”

Punta Cana’s nightlife is more resort-driven than Ibiza or Miami. Recent comparisons of Punta Cana and Cancun note that much of Punta Cana’s nightlife happens around resorts, beach clubs and a smaller number of major nightlife venues.

That isn’t necessarily a weakness.

Sometimes you don’t want to Uber around a strange city at midnight.

Sometimes you want to walk downstairs from your room, find music, find a drink and continue making questionable decisions.

Best for: All-inclusive travelers, couples, groups and Caribbean beach vacations.

The catch: If you want a huge urban nightlife scene, Miami wins.

So Which One Should You Actually Book?

If you want the best pure party, go Ibiza.

If you want luxury beach clubs and glamour, go Mykonos.

If you want beach + nightlife + restaurants + everything else, go Miami.

If you want easy all-inclusive party vacation, go Cancun.

If you want beach clubs, food, wellness and a more fashionable crowd, go Tulum.

If you want Caribbean beaches and an easy resort vacation, go Punta Cana.

The real question isn’t which destination has the best beach.

It’s what kind of trouble are you looking for after sunset?

Because if the answer is “the fun kind,” you’ve got options.

And honestly, that’s a pretty good problem to have.

EGOTASTIC QUICK TAKE

Best overall: Miami

Best serious party: Ibiza

Best luxury: Mykonos

Best all-inclusive: Cancun

Best beach-club vibe: Tulum

Best Caribbean resort party: Punta Cana

Best for: People who think a vacation should involve both sunscreen and bad decisions.

Worth it? Absolutely. Just remember to book the hotel before you start booking the tequila.

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