Have a look at "itsas",they were featured on Dragons Den,they have a pocket to store valuables.I realise they will not be "safe" but better than left in view.

We just take the bare minimum with us , buy water and perhaps a baguette to take with us , enough money for the loungers , and thats about it , camera , we leave 1 at hotel and take 1 with us to beach and leave in beach bag , not on show . be sensible and you should be ok .

We just hardly take anything of value with us most times. Often we go AI and that way if its an AI with its own section of beach, there is sometimes a beach bar to obtain bottles of water and light lunch at then you really don't need any money at all. On the odd occassion when we make a day of farther afield, if we have IPods, PSP's etc with us my DH doesn't always go in the sea so he just stays with them, while the kids and I go in the water for a swim or snorkel.

I do remember one year in Minorca we made friends with a family similar to us and the son had his ManU towel (wasn't even a genuine one) stolen from his sunbed one morning. Which just goes to show that even if you go down with just a towel, you still aren't safe from thieves. He was young so he was really upset. Wasn't a rough place either, just some 3 key apartments in a quite resort called S'Algar.

Years ago when I started travelling solo I was nervous about going in for a swim and leaving my possessions on the beach and I found a product called a splashbox made by a company called design-go.
It's a small plastic box on a cord, it measures about about 4" x 3" and it's big enough to hold some cash, keys and other small items that you wouldn't want to leave on the beach. Like most other posters I leave anything of value securely locked up at the hotel but as I need a small amount of cash and room key card when I'm on the beach I found this item very useful. I can't say I found it extremely comfortable hanging round my neck but tucked into my swimsuit or bikini top it served it's purpose. Check out http://www.design-go.com/en/detail_38896.html

I am often on my own at the beach but have found Turkey to be very good on the feeling safe score. I only take a small amount of money with me so there is nothing of huge value worth stealing if anyone was going to.

We dont ever take anything of value to the beach either. We do take a small amount of money but nothing that we would miss desperately if it went. On the odd occasion that we have taken the camera, one of us will stay with the belongings but we would rather not bother as we all enjoy the going into the sea together and if someone is sad enough to nick my towel, then they are welcome to it .

We have one of the splash boxes that Judith refers to and we use it when we go somewhere like a water park. Its not huge but big enough for some money, keys etc. I think we only paid about €3 for it whilst we were in Majorca a couple of years ago. They do need replacing quite often because the seal doesnt last long but for a few euros, its not a bad investment.

Sarah

i haev been on holiday numerous amounts of times now and ahev alwasy just used common sense- your items should be safe on the bach with refernce to a towell being taken - well to be fair did they leave the towell on the chairs and go off for hours on end because if they did ..................well

anyway i think as long as use common sense you should have a safe experience on the beach, i personally owuld not spend my time on the beach guarding a beach towell and a few bits and bobs - i want to play and have fun with hubby and kids

Another thing I have done is make sure I pass the time of day with my 'neighbours' - then you can always ask them to keep an eye on your stuff or like me, take it as a given (as I would do with my 'neighbours').

we also just take as little as poss to the beach, we sometimes buy a waterproof disposable camera we can take to the beach and in the sea, we put the bag under the sunbed outta the way we not normally gone for that long anyway, this year were going with family so will be more people to stay and watch the things if need be, but if i was worried id just not take the camera or any valubles.

thanks for all the helpful advice. I have ordered one of those waterproof box things, they look really good for a few little bits. Obviously we were not planning to take tons of cash etc to beach but for just a few bits and bobs that box looks really handy