Okay, I've been doing some beach research. I still need to do some more research (thanks for the links!), but it seems like there are a lot of options in terms of hotels, ambiance, etc.

Are any of you familiar with the Northeast US? (That's the easiest frame of reference for me.) We are looking for a place that is more like Fire Island and less like the Hamptons, if that makes sense. Or more like Wellfleet and less like Provincetown, in case you're more familiar with Cape Cod analogies. We are not opposed to cities per se -- Old Goa sounds wonderful, and sounds relaxing like Cochin (which we loved) and like Kerala. However, we are not interested in a touristy beach town that is overrun with cookie cutter hotels and swarms of tourists.

Thoughts?