We’ve all had that feeling on one Caribbean trip or another — “what if we don’t go back?” But this is one step further — moving to the Caribbean and living right on the beach, living steps or a short distance from the sand in your own Caribbean fantasy. Imagine waking up with the sound of the waves and opening the front door to the sea every morning. We’ve gathered a collection of beaches with that perfect combination of a beautiful beach, available beachfront real estate and a great quality of life. These are the best Caribbean beaches to move to.
Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos Islands
This is a hard one to beat simply because of the quality of this beach, one of the greatest anywhere on earth. But it’s also got a remarkably wide range of beachfront real estate, concentrated in luxury condos (like the one at the Gansevoort above), making it an even easier moving proposition. The perfect beachfront living destination.
Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Is this the clearest water in the Caribbean? It just might be, so why not move here to find out? Cayman is an increasingly cool destination thanks to new restaurants, new developments like Camana Bay and a thriving expat community. That, coupled, with a vast array of beachfront villas and condominiums along just about all “seven” miles.
Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
This Bahamian destination has another world-class stretch of protected beach, but it also has a variety of homes at all levels — from luxury homes to affordable condominiums, with so many right at the foot of the sand. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a bustling yachting community and access to the greater Abacos archipelago. (That and it’s just a short distance from the coast of Florida).
Meads Bay, Anguilla
Beaches don’t get any better than they do in Anguilla, one of the region’s most luxurious destinations. The island is also home to some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful villas, including on the stretch called Meads Bay. But there are also great real estate opportunities at developments like the Viceroy, where you can even put your home in a rental pool if you don’t want to live all year round.
Malmok Beach, Aruba
Just across the road from one of Aruba’s beautiful beaches is perhaps the island’s most exclusive neighborhood, a cool, laid back community of single-family homes — and luxury villas. In Aruba, beaches are life, and Malmok puts it all together — with several other beaches within easy access.
Platinum Coast, Barbados
While this is actually a combination of beaches, what they all have in common is Barbados’ idyllic white sand and blue waters, along with some of the Caribbean’s most magnificent villas. This is where to go for a luxury beachfront life.
Nettle Bay, St Martin
Part of the Sandy Ground area, this is one of the most beautiful beaches in French St Martin and also a likable neighborhood that combines residential calm (condos and villas) with the comforts of tourism, meaning great shops, restaurants and beach bars right nearby. It doesn’t hurt that ’s close to the always-energetic town of Marigot.
Spring Bay, Bequia
If you’re looking for a peaceful, eclectic island, then Bequia is for you. This charming slice of the Grenadines has long been one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets, and now there’s a new development that’s making it even easier to live here on the beach – the new Firefly Villas Bequia, which combines the benefits of a home and a hotel in one — with some villas starting below $700,000.
Cayman Kai, Grand Cayman
This is a different corner of Grand Cayman, a beach community with an exclusive but unpretentious feel. Set on the northern tip of the island, it’s home to a few great restaurants, a world-famous beach bar (Rum Point) and a little bit more privacy in its townhomes and villas at a number of price points, although the luxury villas, like the Rainbow’s End above, are hard to beat.
Dawn Beach, St Maarten
While it’s famous for its Westin resort, this is a lovely, quiet corner of the Dutch side of St Maarten, with a number of homes and condominiums right on the beach. The adjacent Oyster Pond section is also home to beautiful newer developments like the Coral Beach Club.
Sandy Bank Bay, St Kitts
St Kitts’ southeastern peninsula is one of the Caribbean’s emerging luxury destinations, thanks to its flagship Park Hyatt, which is slated to open toward the end of this year. That hotel is part of the wider Christophe Harbour development, home to beachfront villas (and hillside properties, too) in a managed, luxury resort community. And then there’s the added bonus of St Kitts’ Citizenship by Investment program, which offers citizenship for a number of real estate investments at Christophe Harbour.
Cabarete, Dominican Republic
This is the Dominican Republic’s most happening beach spot. There is a wide collection of properties here, from villas on the beach to smaller condominium units. This isn’t a quiet beach, but what it lacks in tranquility it makes up for in culture, excitement and international energy, making it a fascinating place to live, especially for active people.