As someone who views languid beach vacations as only slightly less painful than sunburn, I nevertheless understand that others love flopping around on the sand for days on end. Luckily, if you're in a relationship with someone of the opposite vacation persuasion, there's a full gallery/huge beach umbrella of combo options.

While 2015's twin European capitals of culture – Mons in Belgium and Plzen in the Czech Republic – are not exactly on the beach, the continent has a chin-stroking, tan-topping smorgasbord of choices, especially if you head south.

Barcelona fuses cobbled plazas and grand gothic piles with Speedo-studded hangouts like Barceloneta Beach – head further along the Catalan coastline for less-crowded options. Here in July? Add the city's artsy Grec Festival to your plans.

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Alternatively, nip across to southern Portugal's sun-kissed Algarve. Appealing old towns, such as Faro and Silves – plus picturesque stone castles and walled ports – define this region. But it's also sprinkled with azure-lapped beaches, including Praia do Ancao and Praia de Odeceixe.

Keep in mind that Europe's resorts – and its top museums – can be oppressively crowded in July and August; so visiting in June or September is recommended. Considering Italy? Swap the jam-packed Amalfi Coast for an off-peak tour of the gorgeous coves and ancient ruins of Sicily or Sardinia.

Craving less-crowded spots? Often-overlooked, the Mediterranean's Malta mingles handsome historic temples and picturesque ancient sites with rustic white-sand beaches – see maltaculture.com for artsy happenings during your stay.

Or try – perhaps surprisingly – Britain. Cornwall's palm-studded, beach-ribboned coastline includes the delightful town of St. Ives, complete with dozens of artist studios and a waterfront satellite of London's Tate Gallery. Need more sand? The shimmering Isles of Scilly, a boat or plane hop away, echo the beaches of southern Europe.

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There's a similar surfeit of sand and artist studios closer to home on British Columbia's bucolic Saltspring Island. On the opposite coast, New Brunswick also offers picturesque shorelines and a culturally fascinating Acadian Coastal Drive, but heading farther south is recommended.

Slap on the factor 45 at San Diego's Coronado Beach, then cool off in the city's gigantic Balboa Park, home to several excellent museums and galleries – see celebratebalboapark.org/celebrate for this year's exhibitions.

California's Central Coast also tempts with artsy waterfront towns, such as Carmel-by-the-Sea and cultural attractions, including Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Need more? Extend your road trip to museum-packed San Francisco or add the beachy temptations of Santa Monica or Santa Barbara.

You're also spoiled for choice in that other hemisphere, of course.

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Australia's cultural capital, Melbourne combines excellent museums – National Gallery of Victoria is recommended – with the popular hangout St. Kilda Beach a short tram hop away. Drive the region's scenically hypnotic Great Ocean Road for additional shoreline gems. Sydney, of course, is also a hot spot, offering national museums and fab beaches from Bondi to Coogee, New South Wales.

Alternatively, try Australia's island state, Tasmania. Its celebrated Museum of Old and New Art lures culture buffs while tranquil beaches appeal in Wineglass Bay and beyond. It's a similar story over in New Zealand: Base yourself in Auckland for the cultural scene, then hit the sand in nearby Karekare and Piha.

And while South Africa's Cape Town area is also worthwhile – think penguin-spotting on Boulders Beach plus a visit to Robben Island museum – Asia has some tempting options, too.

Marking the 50th anniversary of its independence in 2015, Singapore is one of the region's most museum-heavy nations but its Sentosa Island also hooks beach and theme-park fans. Over the border in Malaysia, consider Penang: historic Georgetown offers museums and colonial architecture while the wider island is striped with balmy oceanfront resorts.

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Finally, don't forget Latin America's charming old town districts. Cuba's Havana, Brazil's Salvador and Colombia's Cartagena each combine World Heritage-recognized architecture with local beaches so alluring you might jettison your chin-stroking bias for a few more hours of sun-soaking torpidity.

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