We all dream of living on the beach in the Caribbean. But years of development (and forward-thinking home builders) have made finding the perfect Caribbean beach house an often difficult proposition. Indeed, the vast majority of the best beaches in the Caribbean have either already seen development — or will never see development (the latter for good reason). So finding a place has both great beaches and a surfeit of available beachfront property (built or unbuilt) is a bit more art than science. That’s where we come in, to point you in the direction of places where that magical combination of great beach and beach house opportunity actually exist. These are the best places to Buy a Beach House in the Caribbean.
The Exumas, Bahamas
Drive the main coastal road on the eastern end of Great Exuma and you’ll be amazed at how many available properties you’ll find. Yes, that means beach houses you can buy on some of the most beautiful white-sand beaches in the hemisphere. And thanks to Exuma’s lack of crowds, you can still find some bargains, too. Of course, the Exumas also have a number of private islands on the market (a reason why it’s become such a popular celebrity real estate spot), if you want a beach totally to yourself.
The Riviera Maya
When it comes to pure affordability, the Riviera Maya puts much of the Caribbean to shame. That’s because the stretch of coast from Puerto Morelos all the way south to Punta Allen has a remarkable collection of available condos and homes, a great portion of which are right on the sand, including villas, condos and beach tracts.
Long Island, Bahamas
Yes, the Out Islands of the Bahamas remain the best place in the wider region to find that beach house you’ve been looking for. Whether you’re in search of beachfront land or an already-built beachfront home, Long Island, the 80-mile-long, four-mile-wide island that has just about 3,000 people, is for you.
The East End of Grand Cayman
While it’s slowly starting to see tourism development (including one major golf resort project), the East End of Cayman is one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets. It’s a charming, relaxed enclave with some beautiful stretches of sand and — yes — a wave of beachfront and waterfront real estate available.
Cat Island, Bahamas
Another unheralded but lovely destination in the Out Islands, Cat Island is sparsely populated but blessed with a surfeit of wonderful beaches — the perfect recipe for finding a great home opportunity. And there are also some spectacular, totally undeveloped strands just waiting for your dream home.
Anguilla
If you’re looking for a mega-villa, this is the Caribbean’s best destination right now. The island has some of the region’s most stunning beachfront homes, although the price tag is often far above the other destinations on this list, like this one currently on the market for $4.9 million.