Please help me me pick a babymoon beach vacay!

[MissusTexas]

Those of you who are familiar with my blog know that we get 4 trips per year to travel anywhere in the world until the end of 2014. Each trip has to be attached to a sporting event per the prize rules.

This year we were planning on Amsterdam (we just got back), London for the Olympics in early August, then Thailand and Mauritius in November.

I am now 8 weeks pregnant and due December 20th, so we're rethinking the November trip in favor of a low-key beach vacation in August or September and mayyyybe early October. We can combine trips, so for example Yahoo will pay for 4 nights somewhere instead of just the 2 we get per trip.

I have found some destination possibilities that have beaches and the required sporting event to get us there.

Tahiti for a surfing championship August 16-27th
Pros: It's Tahiti! It's earlier rather than later in the pregnancy.
Cons: We went to Tahiti for our honeymoon, and we'd prefer to use these trips to go somewhere we haven't been.

Peniche, Portugal for a surfing event October 20-21
Pros: Somewhere we've never been
Cons: Later in the pregnancy

Canary Islands for a surfing event September 18-23
Pros: Nice beaches
Cons: Can't think of any... just a long flight

Barcelona, Spain for a race August 26th
Pros: Major city with conveniences
Cons: Beaches look crowded

I am still in the early planning stages, so I'll take any suggestions/comments, especially if you can find any sporting events elsewhere. A lot of events just aren't planned that far in advance, so it's difficult to plan our trips around them.

[writingwithheld]

Well, my automatic response is Barcelona, but only because it is my dream destination.

However, I would probably go with the Canary Islands in your situation. It is still relatively early compared to the other options and as you said there are no real cons. Portugal and Spain would have similar flight times.

[mdgirl]

I'd vote for the Canary Islands, just because (for me) it's one of those places that sounds interesting but probably wouldn't come up as a serious option when planning a trip, so this would be a good way to see it.

[emilyinchile]

I'd do Canary Islands or Barcelona and let the date decide. I can imagine you being more comfortable in late August than almost a month later, but it sounds like if that's not a concern, you prefer the Canary Islands. I also imagine that Barcelona is somewhere you'd get to in the future if you don't go now, whereas you might not ever make it to CI otherwise.