THEY’RE JUST SAND AND WATER. But they make the Caribbean go.
The Caribbean has, in our humble opinion, the best beaches in the world, and choosing just 10 is, well, [insert grain of sand joke here]. This year’s inaugural Beach List is the product of our travels across the region, having combed beaches, snorkeled reefs and waded in waves across the Caribbean Sea. Now, Caribbean Journal offers our picks for the best beaches to visit for 2013, in no particular order. See you in the sand! (See here for the most up-to-date ranking of the Best Caribbean Beaches).
Maundays Bay, Anguilla
Maundays Bay is one of the jewels of tiny Anguilla (and sits in front of the Cap Juluca resort). 
Lighthouse Bay, Barbuda
Lighthouse Bay is an paradisiacal sliver on quiet Barbuda, an island home to less than 2,000 people.
Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
With what might have the Caribbean’s warmest waters, Seven Mile Beach is a haven for diving, snorkeling, and well, doing nothing at all.
Cabbage Beach, Paradise Island, Bahamas
This public beach, on the north side of Paradise Island down from the Atlantis Resort. What stands out? Aside from the whitest of sand, it’s the water — an unmatched turquoise that only the Bahamas can deliver, even at sunset.
Trunk Bay, St John
The white-sand Trunk Bay is part of the Virgin Islands National Park, a nature preserve that covers much of this US Virgin Island. It regularly places among the tops not just in the Caribbean, but in the world, and we’re happy to —deservedly — include it here.
Le Carbet Beach, Martinique
The site of our Best Caribbean Beach Bar from 2012, Le Petibonum, Le Carbet is notable for its very, very soft sand and, as you can see above, incredible sunsets.
Pinney’s Beach, Nevis
Home to the world-famous Sunshine’s Beach Bar, Pinney’s Beach is a miles-long stretch of sand beginning at the Narrows, which passes between St Kitts and Nevis. But don’t just take our word for it — it’s also a favourite port of call for many a sea turtle.
Frenchman’s Cove, Port Antonio, Jamaica
It’s not hard to see why Frenchman’s Cove is frequently used for movie locations, most recently the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz flick Knight and Day. It’s also the site of the namesake Frenchman’s Cove hotel, which once hosted Queen Elizabeth II.
Grand Anse Beach, Grenada
The beautiful Grand Anse beach in Grenada fronts a number of the tri-island state’s top hotel properties, and the wide stretch of sand (which includes beach bar favourite Umbrellas) represents the best of laid-back Caribbean beach vibes.
Long Bay on Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Our favourite beach on Tortola notable for its spectacular scenery featuring the famous green, hilly humps that dot the British Virgin Islands, on a half-mile slice of sand. It’s also the site of the Long Bay Beach Club.
— CJ