|
The
Best Beaches in the Caribbean
Good
beaches with soul-warming sun, crystal-clear
waters, and fragrant sea air can be found
on virtually every island of the Caribbean,
with the possible exceptions of Saba (which
has rocky shores) and Dominica (where
the few beaches have dramatically black
sands that absorb the hot sun).
Lonely
Planet Caribbean Islands (Lonely
Planet Travel Guides) (Paperback)
-
Buy Online at Amazon >>
Shoal
Bay (Anguilla):
This luscious stretch of silvery
sand helped put Anguilla
on the world-tourism map. Snorkelers are
drawn to the schools of iridescent fish
that dart among the coral gardens offshore.
You can take the trail walk from Old Ta
to little-known Katouche Beach, which
offers perfect snorkeling and is also
a prime site for a beach picnic under
shade trees.
-
Book
your hotel in Anguilla at Hotels.com
 >>
The
Beaches of Antigua:
Legend has it that there is a beach here
for every day of the year, though we haven't
bothered to confirm that by counting.
Antiguans claim, with justifiable pride,
that their two best beaches are Dickenson
Bay, in the northwest corner of the island,
and Half Moon Bay, which stretches for
a white-sandy mile along the eastern coast.
Most major hotels open directly onto a
good beach, so chances are good yours
will be built on or near a strip of white
sand.
-
Book
your hotel in Antigua at Hotels.com
>>
Palm
Beach (Aruba):
This superb white-sand beach put Aruba
on the tourist map. Several publications,
including Condé Nast Traveler,
have hailed it as 1 of the 12 best beaches
in the world. It's likely to be crowded
in winter, but for swimming, sailing,
or fishing, it's idyllic.
-
Book
your hotel in Aruba at Hotels.com
>>
The
Gold Coast (Barbados):
Some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean
lie along the so-called Gold Coast of
Barbados, site of some of the swankiest
deluxe hotels in the Northern Hemisphere.
Our favorites include Paynes Bay, Brandon's
Beach, Paradise Beach, and Brighton Beach,
all open to the public.
-
Book
your hotel in Barbados at Hotels.com
>>
Cane
Garden Bay (Tortola, British
Virgin Islands):
One of the Caribbean's most
spectacular stretches, Cane Garden Bay
has 2km (1 1/4 miles) of white sand and
is a jogger's favorite. It's a much better
choice than more obvious (and more crowded)
Magens Bay beach on neighboring St. Thomas.
-
Book
your hotel in the Virgin Islands at Hotels.com
>>
Seven
Mile Beach (Grand Cayman, Cayman
Islands): It's really about
9km (5 1/2 miles) long, but who's counting?
Lined with condos and plush resorts, this
beach is known for its array of watersports
and its translucent aquamarine waters.
Australian pines dot the background, and
the average winter temperature of the
water is a perfect 80°F (27°C).
-
Book
your hotel in the Cayman Islands at Hotels.com
>>
The
Beaches of the Dominican
Republic: There are two great
options here: the beaches of resort-riddled
Punta Cana at the easternmost tip of the
island, or those at Playa Dorada along
the northern coast, which fronts the Atlantic.
Punta Cana is a 32km (20-mile) strip of
oyster-white sands set against a backdrop
of palm trees, and Playa Dorada is filled
with beaches of white or beige sands.
-
Book
your hotel in the Dominican Republic at
Hotels.com >>
Grand
Anse Beach (Grenada):
This 3km (2-mile) beach is reason
enough to go to Grenada.
Although the island has some 45 beaches,
most with white sand, this is the fabled
one, and rightly so. There's enough space
and so few visitors that you'll probably
find a spot just for yourself. The sugary
sands of Grand Anse extend into deep waters
far offshore. Most of the island's best
hotels are within walking distance of
this beach strip.
-
Book
your hotel in Grenada at Hotels.com
>>
Seven
Mile Beach (Negril, Jamaica):
In the northwestern section of the island,
this beach stretches for 11km (6 3/4 miles)
along the sea, and is backed by some of
the most hedonistic resorts in the Caribbean.
Not for the conservative, the beach also
contains some nudist sections along with
bare-all Booby Cay offshore.
-
Book
your hotel in Jamaica at Hotels.com
>>
Diamond
Beach (Martinique):
This bright, white-sandy beach stretches
for about 10km (6 1/4 miles), much of
it developed. It faces a rocky offshore
island, Diamond Rock, which has uninhabited
shores.
-
Book
your hotel in Martinique at Hotels.com
>>
Luquillo
Beach (Puerto
Rico): This crescent-shaped
public beach, 30 miles east of San Juan,
is the local favorite. Much photographed
because of its white sands and coconut
palms, it also has tent sites and picnic
facilities. The often-fierce waters of
the Atlantic are subdued by the coral
reefs protecting the crystal-clear lagoon.
-
Book
your hotel in Puerto Rico at Hotels.com
>>
St-Jean
Beach (St.
Barthélemy): A somewhat
narrow, golden sandy beach, St-Jean is
the gem of the island, reminiscent of
the French Riviera (though you're supposed
to keep your top on). Reefs protect the
beach, making it ideal for swimming.
-
Book
your hotel in Saint Barthelemy at Hotels.com
>>
The
Beaches of St.
Maarten/St. Martin: Take
your pick. This island, divided about
equally between France and the Netherlands,
has 39 white-sandy beaches. Our favorites
include Dawn Beach, Mullet Bay Beach,
Maho Bay Beach, and Great Bay Beach on
the Dutch side. Orient Beach is another
standout -- not because of its sands but
because of the nudists.
-
Book
your hotel in Saint Martin at Hotels.com
>>
Canouan
(The Grenadines):
Most of the other beaches recommended
in this section have been discovered and
may be crowded in winter. But if you're
looking for an idyllic, secluded stretch
of perfect white sand, head for the remote
and tiny island of Canouan, one of the
pearls of The Grenadines, a string of
islands lying south of its parent, St.
Vincent. You'll have the beaches and the
crystal-clear waters to yourself, even
in winter.
-
Book
your hotel in the Saint Vincent and Grenadines
at Hotels.com >>
The
Beaches of Tobago:
For your Robinson Crusoe holiday in the
southern Caribbean, head to the little
island of Tobago. Even Trinidadians fly
over here on weekends to enjoy the beach
life. It doesn't get any better than a
long coral beach called Pigeon Point on
the northwestern coast. Other good beaches
on Tobago include Back Bay (site of an
old coconut plantation) and Man-O-War
Bay, known for its beautiful natural harbor
and long stretch of sand.
-
Book
your hotel in Trinidad and Tobago at Hotels.com
>>
Grace
Bay Beach (Providenciales, Turks
and Caicos Islands): These
19km (12 miles) of pale sands are the
pride of Provo; Condé Nast Traveler
has called this one of the world's best
beaches. It's such a spectacular setting
that increasing numbers of resorts, including
Club Med, have sprung up along the shore.
A couple of miles out from the northern
shore, the beach is fringed by a reef
with fabulous snorkeling. Back on land,
there are plenty of places where you can
rent watersports equipment.
-
Book
your hotel in Turks and Caicos at Hotels.com
>>
Trunk
Bay (St. John): Protected by
the U.S. National Park Service, this beach
is one of the Caribbean's most popular.
A favorite with cruise-ship passengers,
it's known for its underwater snorkeling
trail, where markers guide you along the
reef just off the white sands; you're
sure to see a gorgeous rainbow of tropical
fish.
Links
& Sources:
|
