As a nomad, traveling alone is a given. While there are definitely people I consider excellent companions on trips, they’re not always available. Plus, some time alone in a new country is always a transformative experience.
Of course, traveling alone comes with its pitfalls. One of the most common issues faced by solo travelers is not knowing how to actually enjoy the beach! The reality is that we carry a lot of expensive items with us these days. Even if you leave your smartphone at your place of lodging, you may have keys to your room or rental car, and your wallet. You don’t want your clothes to go missing, either!
You should already have coverage for all of your possessions as part of your travelers renters insurance. But no one wants to have to deal with theft or loss while traveling, even if you get to claim from insurance and buy replacements.
Fortunately, there are ways to enjoy the beach without the constant fear that your possessions are being stolen.
Look for beaches with lockers
The ideal scenario for solo travelers at the beach – and even for people traveling with companions – is a beach with lockers. These lockers can be rented out and require you to enter a simple code. No lockers are unbreachable, but trying to break into someone’s locker in public is something few thieves are brave enough to do.
Look up the various beaches in the area online to see if they list lockers as a feature.
Get a waterproof pouch
But not all beaches have lockers. Your instinct might be to leave all of your valuables behind, but sometimes you need your phone to get you to your destination. Alternatively, you need it to be able to contact people or pay for things.
A waterproof phone pouch can solve your smartphone problems. Instead of leaving your phone with your towel and clothes and hoping that strangers keep an eye on it, you can take it into the sea with you.
Any destination with a beach will have vendors selling waterproof pouches, but this is a case where splashing out for extra quality is worth it. You want a guarantee that your phone will stay dry. Also, there are some pouches that even make it possible for you to use your phone while it is zipped up, with a see-through window that facilitates touch.
Speak to other beachgoers
If you’ve taken your phone into the water with you or have a locker that contains your valuables, do you really need anything more? Actually, you might benefit from speaking to your fellow beachgoers, especially those near your spot. You don’t want to ask a stranger to look after your things, but by getting to know them, they will notice if someone tries to appropriate them.
And while you may not think you’ve left anything valuable on the beach, your clothes may be worth more to someone else than they are to you. This is especially true if you have worn expensive sneakers to the beach, but in some places, poverty causes people to make desperate decisions and take advantage of what they can.
Getting out of the water and finding your shoes and shirt gone is hugely frustrating, and can be a little embarrassing as well. Making small talk with other beachgoers does not guarantee this won’t happen, but it does make it less likely.
Leave your stuff at the bar
Some beaches have bars where you can chat with a friendly local and get a drink to take back to your towel. They may be happy to let you leave your stuff behind the bar while you go into the water. The truth is that the more chummy you become with them, the more likely you are to spend money on drinks, so they probably won’t have any objections.
Traveling solo makes swimming in the sea a little more difficult. However, if you’re prepared, there’s no reason you should leave the beach without your possessions.
