This Summer's Celebrity Hotspots

August 2, 2008 — -- Kelly Ripa, Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld may still have homes in the Hamptons, but many celebrities have abandoned their old summer haunts for sunny destinations farther from home.

The A-listers have been bumping into each other more frequently at these five top locations:

Hawaii

The island state attracts celebrities who pine for the big waves. "What Women Want" star Helen Hunt surfed off the coastline of Maui this summer with movie director Matthew Carnahan. The couple played golf, went horseback riding and took in sunsets together.

Julia Roberts vacationed in Maui in May with her husband, Danny Moder, and their children, Phinnaeus and Hazel. Roberts, visibly pregnant, strolled hand-in-hand with Moder along the island streets while looking for a spot to eat.

Actors Pierce Brosnan and Kelsey Grammar, owners of Hawaii houses, are both frequenters of the American surf state. They were both seen at their houses this summer: Brosnan in Kauai and Grammar in Maui, taking time for themselves with their families and friends.

"Hawaii is the old standard for celebrities," US Weekly's entertainment director, Dina Sansing, told ABCNews.com. "It is close to Los Angeles but far enough that you feel like you are getting away."

High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale celebrated her 23rd birthday in Maui in July with her dancer boyfriend, Jared Murillo. Joined by Tisdale's parents, the couple was seen walking along the breezy beach, holding hands and splashing each other at the shoreline. The promise ring from Murrillo glinted in the sunlight on Tisdale's finger. The family and boyfriend rode on a catamaran on the choppy waters during one afternoon.

Fiji

Fiji is great for the beach and surfing. The Nixon Watches company leads a yearly trip to the islands and totes along a lucky slew of celebrities.

"Fiji is very rustic and there's not a lot of technology," Emil Wilbekin, the editor-in-chief of Giant Magazine, told ABCNews.com. "It is all about swimming, eating great food and hanging out. There are not a lot of other activities to do there so you are forced to relax."

After a long flight, these A-list stars can lounge within a remote ecosystem, frosted with delicate coconut flowers and ancient Cycad plants. Because of its secluded location, the press has a difficult time spotting celebrities as they hide away from them, so few famous people were spotted there this summer.

Fiji's Wakaya Club, advertised as a small, eco-friendly "World Apart," is a popular celebrity vacation spot for those who want to slip away from paparazzi while indulging in the green resort life. Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Demi Moore and Oprah are just some of the stars that have escaped to this island oasis, trying exotic fruits and sunbathing on hot white sand. Full spa service offers these stars a place to get pampered.

Sansing said that celebrities have probably been going there this summer and managed to avoid the paparazzi radar.

"Celebrities love places like Fiji's Wakaya Club because they can really hide and get in and out without anyone knowing they were there," Sansing said. "I think the more famous the celebrities, the more they are interested in finding someplace away from it all. But lower-level celebrities in Las Vegas, for example, are surrounded by people and love the attention. They are more likely to vacation in more common places."

Mexico

Celebrities seemed to gravitate towards Mexico this summer -- especially stars in a hurry.

"A lot of people have been going to Mexico," Wilbekin said. "When people want to rest, they want life to be easy. And they have everything in Mexican vacation spots: spas, great restaurants and no worries."

Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer, now a couple, spent time at Girls Gone Wild's boss Joe Francis' home in Punta Mita. They were seen relaxing in bathing suits with their friends on a balcony, partying and enjoying cocktails in the daytime.

Cabo San Lucas is located in an ideal place for short-but-needed vacations.

"Cabo is great for celebrities because it is a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Los Angeles," Sansing said. "So they can go for a long weekend. Celebrities often don't have a lot of time so they like places they can get to quickly."

Britney Spears spent some time in Cabo in July, where she lounged in a white bikini and oversized sunglasses. She and her friends swam in pools and listened to salsa music.

Jessica Simpson and quarterback Tony Romo made time for a romantic getaway in Cabo as well. They stayed at a hotel with Simpson's parents and Romo's Dallas Cowboys teammates. The group was photographed outside near the sunny poolside, where Simpson sat at a slight distance from the team players.

Europe

Celebrities never tire of Europe. With the weakening American dollar, traveling on the Euro is becoming less affordable for everyone but the stars.

"The changing economy doesn't seem to affect celebrities," Sansing continued. "They have the luxury of going to these places that the rest of us can't afford. And celebrities are creatures of habit. They love to go to places where they feel safe and can get away from the spotlight of Los Angeles and New York."

Italy

George Clooney, owner of the elaborate Villa Oleandra in Lake Como, zoomed around the exclusive Italian destination this summer on a motorcycle on the twisting roads and in his boat on the gleaming lake. A retreat for many celebrities, Lake Como maintains its elegant image from the James Bond movie, "Casino Royal."

Lake Como locals recognize Clooney as their most famous resident.

Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria and her husband Tony Parker celebrated their first wedding anniversary touring Italy in July, where they kissed for the cameras on monument roofs. They were spotted eating thin-crust pizza and clinking glasses of red wine for lunch at an outdoor café.

Sylvester Stallone took his wife, Jennifer Flavin, and his daughters Sophia, Sistine and Rose to Rome in July, where they shopped and walked along cobblestone streets.

France

Reese Witherspoon and her boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, spent a romantic July vacation in Paris. The couple watched fireworks on Bastille Day and Gyllenhaal carried Witherspoon's daughter, Ava, on his shoulders to get a better view. While on the trip, Witherspoon took one day away from her two companions to pose for a photo shoot.

But most celebrities traveling to France, it seems, relax farther from the capital city.

"This summer, it's less about going to Paris and more about going to the south of France and the Riviera," Wilbekin continued. "I think the Riviera and the Mediterranean are huge vacation spots for celebrities. The French Riviera and Mediterranean are much more about being social and hanging out on yachts."

Catherine Zeta Jones and her husband Michael Douglas traveled to France in July, where they lounged on a boat in St. Tropez along the French Riviera.

Johnny Depp moved to St. Tropez with his family after summers spent in the romantic south of France.

Popular with lovers of film festivals, the city of Cannes in southeastern France attracts many celebrity directors and actors. The Cannes Film Festival in May brought Antonio Banderas, Matt Damon, and the Jolie-Pitt family to the art-lovers' city.