THE FACTS ABOUT SOUTHAMPTON BEACH

USA

East of Shinnecock Bay on Long Island's Atlantic seaboard, this seven-mile stretch of sand is backed by rolling, windswept dunes and sage-green grass with nesting shorebirds. It feels easygoing but is deeply fashionable, attracting money, artists (Pollock, de Kooning, and Lichenstein all had studios here) and New York hotshots, including writer Tom Wolfe. The sands are heavenly: tan-coloured, pristine, and good for families. THE MONTH TO GO July, when the fashionable crowd make the Hamptons come alive.