The Caribbean has some very famous beaches: Grand Anse in Grenada, Seven Mile Beach in Cayman, Isla Verde in San Juan — and they’re all deserving of the fame. But the Caribbean is also full of beautiful lesser-known beaches, the beaches that may be harder to get to, or frequented mostly by locals, or simply off the beaten path. We call them “secret beaches.” You might call them the Caribbean’s “other” beaches. We’ve picked a list of 10 such beaches worth visiting this year. Have any secret beaches of your own? Let us know in the comments section.
Mangel Halto Beach, Aruba
Aruba is known for its world-famous Eagle Beach, home to most of the island’s major hotels. But one beach that doesn’t get as much attention is on the island’s southeast coast: Mangel Halto Beach. The beach, which is located in the Pos Chiquito area, has soft white sand and is usually empty, unless you count the mangroves.
Meridian Club – Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos
Everybody knows the beautiful, five-mile-long Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, but the archipelago south of the Bahamas has a slew of superb beaches without the name recognition. One is the beach of the Meridian Club hotel on the private Pine Cay, a quiet, two-mile sliver of tranquility.
Klein Curacao
The uninhabited islet of Klein Curacao (“little Curacao”) is actually home to the longest beach in Curacao, eight miles away by boat from Curacao’s southeastern end. It’s a true getaway from Curacao, and definitely worth the two-hour trip.
Cayman Kai, Grand Cayman
A world away from the more-famous Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Kai is located on the quiet northwestern peninsula of the island of Grand Cayman. It’s calm, secluded and typically empty. Cayman Kai is mostly an exclusive residential neighbourhood, but feel free to make the beach your private home for the day.
Atlantis Beach – Bonaire
Bonaire may not have a multitude of beaches, but it has some hidden gems on the southeastern portion of the island. One lesser-known beach is the so-called Kite Beach (though most call it Atlantis Beach). It’s called Kite for a reason — this is the capital of kite surfing in Bonaire, and the beach is frequented by mostly by kite surfers. If you don’t want to learn to kite surf, simply kick back and watch everyone else.
Baie Rouge, St Martin
Located on the western end of St Martin near Marigot, Baie Rouge is a beach typically free of crowds. The trick is to head to the western end of the beach, though, where you’ll almost certainly have large swathes of sand to yourself.
Smuggler’s Cove, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Everybody knows about beaches like The Baths on Virgin Gorda. But it’s hard to choose among lesser-known beaches in the British Virgin Islands, which has a seemingly growing number of them. But Smuggler’s Cove takes the cake this year. The beach is at the end of an unpaved road located on the western tip of the island of Tortola.
Almirante Beach – Rincon, Puerto Rico
Beaches like Isla Verde in San Juan and the multitude of beaches in Vieques get most of the press for Puerto Rico, but the laid-back surfing capital of Rincon has some fine beaches of its own. One in particular is Almirante Beach, home to a pair of resorts, near the southern tip of Rincon.
Cote-des-Arcadins, Haiti
As Haiti begins the long journey to rebuild its tourism sector, you might say the whole destination remains a secret. But Haiti, long off the map for Caribbean travelers, does have some beautiful beaches. A little under an hour away from Port-au-Prince on Haiti’s western coast, the Cote-des-Arcadins gives you mountains to your back and a beautiful view of the sea ahead.
Saunders Beach, Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau and Paradise Island have rightly gained international praise for their beaches — with two, Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island and Cable Beach in Nassau the most famous. But Nassau has some terrific beaches that don’t receive as much hype, including Saunders Beach, a lively beach very popular with locals.