The Best Beaches in the Caribbean

Resort beaches

Many of the Caribbean beaches are long public strips of sand with hotels behind them. Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales and Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman have public access points with parking, and Seven Mile Beach in Negril is free to walk onto. Chairs and umbrellas are rented by the day; at Shoal Bay East in Anguilla some bars lend chairs to guests who order food. Eagle Beach in Aruba has free palapas, which are taken by about 8 am.

Cruise ship days

Grand Anse Beach in Grenada and Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman are crowded when cruise ships are in port, and most visitors to Magens Bay on St. Thomas also come from the cruise port by taxi or open-air shuttle. The quieter sand is away from the access points and bars, which at Magens Bay means further west.

Ferries

Some beaches are on islands that need a ferry first. Flamenco Beach is on Culebra, reached by a ferry from Ceiba that should be booked ahead. Trunk Bay on St. John is a ferry ride from St. Thomas and then a taxi, and it has an underwater snorkel trail around a small cay. Princess Diana Beach on Barbuda is a short distance from the dock of the ferry from Antigua.

Rough roads

The less developed beaches are at the end of bad roads. Bahía de las Águilas in the Dominican Republic is reached by boat from Cabo Rojo or by 4x4 over a steep unpaved track. Lighthouse Beach on Eleuthera needs a high-clearance 4x4 and then a walk of about 2 miles along the shore. Shade is scarce at both, and water has to be brought along.