The beach is the perfect spot for a sexy encounter, but it can be difficult to pull off. With some planning and a few tricks, your beach sex adventure can be just as hot as you imagine.

Always remember to urinate after beach sex and to keep your movements as subtle as possible if someone walks by. If that happens, remain calm and casually cover up with your towel.

1. Know the Rules

A sexy day on the beach is the stuff of dreams, but sex in public can turn into a nightmare in practice. You don’t want to be swarmed by pesky seagulls or interrupted by roving cops, so it’s important to know the rules of beach sex.

A good rule of thumb is to cover yourself, especially your crotch area. Sand + genitals is an itchy and unpleasant experience for everyone involved. Consider bringing a towel that you can use to shield yourself from prying eyes and the sand-carrying winds.

Also, make sure you’re both wearing a bathing suit so that you can easily run into the water to wash away any remaining sand or salt from your bodies afterward. This way, you can be as clean as possible for your post-coital snuggles and that one-of-a-kind beach sunset.

2. Know Your Partner

A beach can be a very intimate place, but you must know your partner well before you try to get naughty on the sand. Have conversations about important aspects of your partner’s life, such as their family and their past. Ask them about their fears and the things that make them happy. This vulnerability can bring you closer to your partner, so don’t skip these questions.

Another consideration is that beaches are public spaces, and sex on the sand can be embarrassing for passersby. Make sure to find a secluded spot where you can have the privacy you need and that no one will be bothering you.

Oral sex and hand jobs can be fun and easy to do on the beach, and they are a lot less risky than intercourse. And they can be just as satisfying! Just remember that sand in the vagina can cause problems, like splinters and bacteria.

3. Know the Location

It’s one of those things you might not think about until you find yourself in the middle of a beach sex fantasy, but the location is important. You can’t just plop down and start having sex in front of onlookers or the swooping seagulls (which will probably also happen, regardless).

It helps to do a little recon before you get there by walking around during the day and looking for spots that might offer some natural cover. Look for rocks, sand dunes, or even just beach shacks to keep you hidden from prying eyes. You can also try to have your sex at night time when it’s less likely you’ll be discovered.

If you can’t do nighttime, just try to hide as much as possible with blankets or a towel and be sure you know when high and low tides are for the beach you’re at. Nobody wants a surprise wave of salt water in their crotch mid-sex!

4. Bring the Towels

While it’s tempting to let spontaneity guide you on your sexy beach adventure, this is definitely a situation where preparation pays off. A large blanket laid as flat as possible will help prevent sand from sneaking up into your intimate areas (it is, after all, quite itchy). And a few extra towels are good for covering yourselves during the sexy times — unless you’re doing some cowgirl or riding-on-top action where a little privacy is essential.

And a few wet wipes are always a good idea to clean up any messes, as well as for removing the salt water after your rinse (it tends to sting, but the cold sea air will make it feel more refreshing than it actually is). If possible, try to do this in the night-time; a lot of people walk dogs at night on beaches, so you won’t have anyone around to interrupt or get caught.

5. Bring the Toys

The beach is the perfect place for sex. In your fantasies, you make love to the sound of waves lapping on the sand while the sun goes down and bathes your arse in a flattering orange glow. In reality, however, you’re dodging roving flashlight beams and picking up irritating clumps of sand in places that were probably never intended to be.

To avoid this, bring a blanket to lie on and a pair of scissors or gardening shears to cut up a sheet you can use as a tarp. You should also scout out your spot ahead of time, looking for areas that provide natural cover from prying eyes (or at least a bit more privacy than the center of the beach) and that are out of reach of those sand-carrying gusts of wind. It might also be a good idea to know the high and low tide times for the beach you’re going to, just in case.

6. Be Prepared

Beach sex is the ultimate fantasy, but it’s not always easy to pull off in practice. You’ll need to do a little recon work beforehand: scope out private little nooks, look for rocks that can act as shields or even just find a spot where nobody else will be able to see what you’re up to.

Then there are the bugs and other potential predators to think about — who will either be super pissed off that you’re baring so much skin or totally pumped on the fact that they’ve got a free meal right in front of them. You’ll also need wet wipes to keep sand and other stuff from making its way up your vagina or butt.

Finally, it’s probably best to go at nighttime if you can. The moonlight is super romantic, and it’s harder for passersby to catch sight of you than during the daytime.