Beach Vacations Are Broken — Here’s Why Americans Are Booking ‘Readaway’ Trips Instead

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Something is shifting in how Americans want to travel this summer.

For years, the ideal beach vacation was packed: snorkeling excursions, waterpark afternoons, restaurant reservations every night, activities from sunrise to sunset. You came home exhausted from your vacation and somehow needed another vacation to recover.

This year, the opposite is trending. Social buzz for “beach readaways” — trips built primarily around reading, relaxing, and genuinely unplugging — is up 213% year-over-year. Mentions of reading-related terms in vacation rental guest reviews have surged 285%. And searches for quiet, book-friendly beach destinations are climbing fast.

The market is telling us something. We’re overscheduled. We’re overstimulated. And we finally want our vacation to actually feel like a vacation.

The Numbers Behind the Readaway Explosion

This isn’t just a vibe shift — there’s data behind it.

• Social buzz for “beach readaways” up 213% year-over-year according to Expedia’s Unpack ’26 travel trends report
• Reading-related mentions in Vrbo guest reviews up 285% year-over-year
• Searches for Florida and California beaches are up 50% overall this summer
• Searches for “quiet beach” and “uncrowded beach” are growing faster than searches for “beach activities”
• BookTok (TikTok’s book community) has driven massive crossover between reading culture and travel culture — vacation reading lists are now a genuine content genre

What a Readaway Actually Looks Like (vs. a Regular Beach Trip)

A readaway isn’t just a beach trip where you happen to bring a book. It’s a fundamentally different travel philosophy.

Readaway principles:

• Activities are optional, not scheduled — you wake up with nowhere to be
• The primary “plan” each day is: find a comfortable spot, read, swim when you feel like it, eat when you’re hungry
• Accommodation matters more — a rental with a good porch or balcony beats a hotel room with a better pool area
• Crowds are the enemy — the best readaway destinations have manageable beach populations
• Phone usage is actively minimized — not performatively, but genuinely
• The trip has a natural, unforced rhythm rather than an optimized itinerary

The Best U.S. Beach Destinations for a Readaway

Not all beach towns are readaway-compatible. The best ones have manageable crowds, genuinely comfortable beach conditions, and a relaxed pace.

• Chincoteague Island, Virginia

  — Wild ponies, wide uncrowded beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore, and a tiny town with zero pretension. One of the most peaceful beach destinations on the East Coast.

• 30A, Florida (Rosemary Beach or Seaside)

  — The planned beach communities along Scenic 30A have a different character than Destin or Panama City — quieter, more residential, beautiful white sand. Rosemary Beach is especially ideal for a slow week.

• Cannon Beach, Oregon

  — Pacific Coast beach with dramatic sea stacks, temps in the 60s–70s°F (perfect reading weather), and an excellent independent bookstore downtown.

• Block Island, Rhode Island

  — No cars (or very few), beautiful bluffs, pristine beaches, and a genuinely slow pace that New England does better than almost anyone.

• Tybee Island, Georgia

  — Affordable, laid-back, charming, and close enough to Savannah for a day trip when you want one. Far less crowded than Florida alternatives.

The Best International Readaway Destinations

For travelers with a passport and flexibility, some international destinations are almost perfectly designed for a readaway.

• The Algarve, Portugal (quieter towns like Sagres or Vila do Bispo)

  — Skip the crowded Albufeira strip and head west to the wilder coast. Dramatic cliffs, uncrowded beaches, incredible food, and affordable Airbnbs with ocean views.

• Comporta, Portugal

  — An hour south of Lisbon, this coastal village has been a well-kept secret (now less so, but still gorgeous). Rice paddies, flamingos, pine forests, and one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches.

• Essaouira, Morocco

  — Medina, ocean breeze, incredible seafood, and a pace of life that resets your nervous system within 48 hours.

• Bacalar, Mexico

  — The “Lake of Seven Colors” in southern Mexico. Quieter than Tulum, genuinely stunning turquoise water, and a growing scene of reading-and-relaxing focused lodges.

• Hvar Island, Croatia (outer villages)

  — Skip Hvar Town’s party scene and stay in Stari Grad or Jelsa. Medieval stone houses, quiet coves, and a pace that feels like the 1970s in the best way.

How to Pick the Right Book (Or Books) for Your Trip

The readaway experience is only as good as what you’re reading. A bad book choice can derail the whole vibe.

What works well:

• Long, immersive fiction — the kind that makes you resent having to put it down. Think Donna Tartt, Colson Whitehead, Hanya Yanagihara.
• Travel writing and memoirs — reading about travel while traveling creates a pleasurable double layer of experience
• Something you’ve been meaning to read for years — vacation gives you the sustained attention it deserves
• Bring 2–3 books minimum — nothing worse than finishing your last book on day 5 of a 7-day trip

What doesn’t work well:

• Work-adjacent reading — anything that activates your professional brain defeats the purpose
• Dense nonfiction that requires note-taking or active processing — save that for home
• E-readers vs. physical books: both work, but many readaway devotees swear physical books feel different at the beach

The Ultimate Readaway Packing List

Readaway packing is minimalist by design.

• 2–3 books (or loaded Kindle/Kobo)
• Wide-brim hat — essential for hours of outdoor reading without squinting
• Quality beach chair with back support — your local Target fold-up chair will betray you by hour 3
• Beach umbrella or UPF 50+ sun shade
• Good sunscreen (SPF 50+) and lip balm with SPF
• Dry bag or waterproof tote for books and phone
• Lightweight linen clothing — nothing synthetic in beach heat
• Good sandals and one pair of walking shoes
• A small cooler or insulated bag — staying hydrated without walking back to the rental every hour

How to Actually Unplug (And Why Most People Fail)

The biggest threat to a readaway isn’t the destination. It’s the phone.

Most people who plan to “really unplug this trip” check Instagram within 20 minutes of hitting the beach. The intention is real; the follow-through usually isn’t.

Strategies that actually work:

• Leave the phone in the rental when you go to the beach — not in your bag. At the rental.
• Set a vacation autoresponder that buys you psychological permission to not check email
• Designate one 20-minute phone window per day — morning or evening, never at the beach
• If you can’t leave the phone behind, use Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing to block social apps during beach hours
• Tell your travel companion(s) the plan — social accountability works

The whole point of a readaway is what you come home with: a recharged brain, a finished book, a deep breath you haven’t taken in months. The phone will wait. The ocean won’t.