Top 10 Cheap Beach Vacations

These beach hot spots may not be statistically the cheapest of the cheap around the world, but factoring in the cost of travel and time, here are our ten best budget beach vacations in North and Central America, with one special shout out to Brazil (which currently offers great value for North American travelers):

10. Destin, Florida
9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
8. Huntington Beach, California
7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
5. Negril, Jamaica
4. Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Placencia, Belize
2. Tulum, Mexico
1. Cannon Beach, Oregon

Don't agree with our picks? Tell us in the comments section!

Photo credit: Cannon Beach, Oregon (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Getty)

Portland, Oregon: Trip Highlights

An urban planner's dream, Portland, Oregon, features a surrounding landscape of vineyards, forests, hiking trails, and raucous waterscapes perfect for windsurfing or kiteboarding. Relax in Zen-filled Japanese, Chinese, and rhododendron gardens or at one of two arboretums. Ride historic streetcars on a 4.8-mile downtown loop, or tour the U.S.S. Blueback, the last diesel-powered submarine commissioned by the U.S. Navy at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Photo credit: Portland, Oregon (John A. Rizzo)

San Francisco Weekender: Experience Northern California's Towering Redwoods

Northern California and Oregon are the only areas in the world where redwood forests continue to survive. The enormous trees grow up to 350 feet, taking about 400 years to fully mature. Some of the oldest are more than 2,000 years old. Redwood National Park was initially created to protect the evergreen trees, and was added to the World Heritage List in 1980.

Photo credit: Redwood National Park, California (Photodisc/Getty)