10 TEFL destinations with beaches to enjoy
From palm-fringed tropical paradises to rugged coves around the Med, this list of 10 TEFL destinations with beaches to enjoy is sure to have something to sate your linguistic-seaside leanings…
Thailand…obviously
Perhaps the most obvious place to combine a stint on the sand with a TEFL job is Thailand. Packed with opportunities for the budding English teacher, the Land of Smiles also boasts the shimmering coastlines of islands like Koh Samui in the east and Koh Phi Phi in the west. We’ve even got on-site internships based in the salt-washed, palm-fringed region of Hua Hin, which offers the chance to get qualified, land a job, and splash around the beautiful Thai Gulf. What more could you want?
Spain
Spain is one of the top summertime choices for TEFL teachers. Not only does it come packed with culturally rich cityscapes like Barcelona and Madrid, but also boasts beaches on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. That means surfers can make for the crashing rollers of San Sebastian in the north, while sun seekers and partiers can nestle in the pueblo blancos of Andalusia and the Costa del Sol in the south.
Colombia
Colombia isn’t only about rambunctious cities and mist-topped Andean mountains. It’s also about hitting the beach, because there are stretches of coastline here along the Caribbean and the Pacific. It’s the former that’s the most visited, with towns like Barranquilla and Cartagena coming up trumps on the teaching front. We’ve even got placement opportunities in the land of coffee and cumbia, some of which pay as much as 1,500,000 pesos per month!
Vietnam
Another uber-popular pick among these TEFL destinations with beaches, Vietnam runs the whole length of the Indochina Peninsula, giving it thousands of miles of coastline between the rugged peaks of Ha Long Bay and the breadbasket waters of the Mekong Delta. You’re likely to be based in a throbbing city like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh when working here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t escape to the paradisiacal sands of Phu Quoc or Nha Trang on the weekend!
Philippines
It’s should hardly come as a surprise that there are oodles of beaches in the Philippines. From the shimmering patchwork of cotton-white sands and lapping turquoise seas in Boracay to the glowing fluorescent-blue lagoons of Palawan, this is a veritable mecca for snorkelers and sea kayakers. You can also expect salaries of up to $600 USD here, not to mention an enthralling fusion of Spanish and Asian cultures.
UAE
The sun-scorched beaches of the Persian Gulf fringe the whole northern tip of the UAE, running past the uber-luxurious hotels and cocktail bars of Dubai and Abu Dhabi as they go. And then there are the quieter resorts on the Indian Ocean beneath the Al Hajar Mountains in the east. All of those come with some truly lucrative TEFL positions, where the pay can go up to a mega $3,900 USD a month! Nice.
Japan
While Japan might be more associated with blooming cherry forests and seething modern cityscapes, the curious island nation in the Pacific is worth a mention on this list of TEFL destinations with beaches, too. For the best spots to hit the sand and dip in the East China Sea, you’ll have to head to the southern isles of Okinawa and Jima, which have Hawaii-esque volcanos and sobering WWII history to boot.
Turkey
There’s no question that Turkey fits the bill for TEFL destinations with beaches! As you drive southwards out of Istanbul, the rugged cliffs soon give way to the famous Turquoise Coast. This stretches for hundreds of miles along the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, offering up pebbly coves, boat-bobbing harbors, and long runs of golden sand backed by eucalyptus trees as it goes.
Italy
Ah, Italy: A country packed with the undulating hills of Tuscany, the snow-mantled Dolomites, the cascading wine terraces of Piedmont, and – of course – beaches aplenty! Look for a teaching position somewhere in the south, around the Apulian town of Lecce, close to pizza-scented Naples and the Amalfi Coast, or even on rugged Sicily, for access to some of the most beautiful coastal spots in all of Europe.
Cambodia
The tree-shrouded temples and mysterious Khmer shrines of Siem Reap only tell a little part of Cambodia‘s story. This beautiful tropical corner of Southeast Asia also spills down into the Thai Gulf, where islands like Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem boast secluded beaches where bars party with buckets till dawn. Sand stretches also beckon along the coast of Sihanoukville, which is just a short bus ride from the capital in Phnom Penh.
There are loads more awesome TEFL destinations with beaches that could be put on this list. If you’d like to add one, please do in the comments below! Or, if you think it’s time you got TEFL qualified to explore these beaches yourself, check out all our myTEFL courses.