We all travel to the Caribbean for different reasons. Often, it’s for a certain hotel, or a certain island, or a certain kind of getaway. But why not make your next decision based on a beach? We’ve made no secret of our love for the region’s beautiful stretches of sand, but there is always another great beach to try. Here are five beaches worth flying to right now.
The turquoise seas of Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique are eminently alluring.
Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique
Okay, so this isn’t just one beach. It’s a stretch of coastline on a peninsula on Martinique’s Caribbean side. But each beach has its own perks and charms, from world-class beach bars like Ti’ Sable on Grand Anse d’Arlet to the foodie-friendly beach shacks in the main town. If you’re heading here, book a room at the Hotel Bakoua in nearby Trois-Ilets, and make sure you get one of the property’s toes-in-the-sand rooms.
Maho Bay, St John
Nearby Trunk Bay gets much of the global acclaim, but St John’s Maho Bay is a stunner in its own right, and it’s often far less crowded. That means you get one of the Caribbean’s best beaches all to yourself. Where to stay? Caneel Bay, St John’s best hotel.
Long Bay, Tortola
There’s something special going on here. Tortola’s most spectacular beach has a kind of mystical quality — maybe it’s the exotic views, or the sound of the waves, but there is a pull here that will make it oh-so-hard for you to leave. And why not stay right on the sand? Go for the bungalows at the Long Bay Beach Club.
Valley Church Beach, Antigua
With 365 beaches to choose from, it’s rather challenging to pick just one on the island of Antigua. But we swoon over this stretch and its impossibly gorgeous blue water. There are so many great vantage points, but for a romantic stay check out the hip but laid back Cocos Hotel overlooking the sand.
Yes, you can get a table in the water here.
Pinel Island, St Martin
Is this heaven? It certainly feels like it when you’re drinking rosé or a ti’ punch on the calm waves of Pinel Island, the offshore islet just a short boat ride from St Martin’s Cul-de-Sac neighborhood. A slice of the Mediterranean in the Caribbean, there’s something here for everyone, from hiking trails to cocktails made inside of pineapples. But the best thing to do here is, well, nothing at all. Stay at the Karibuni Lodge across the water on the mainland, which has its own beach bar (and reserves your beach chairs) on the island.