Often, when you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean, the resort is high on your mind.
Choosing the perfect place to stay is integral to an unforgettable Caribbean vacation. But there’s another way to think about your travel planning.
What if you started with the beach?
Our latest list flips the traditional vacation plan on its head, beginning with finding the right beach.
Naturally, though, the best beaches in the Caribbean have the best resorts on them. So when planning your next all-inclusive Caribbean vacation, maybe you should start with the beach and then find the best resort on that beach to fit your needs.
Because no matter what anyone tells you, it’s all about the beach.
Between long walks on the beach, hours of sunbathing, beach sports and the beach bar, you will spend most of your vacation on the beach. So it just makes sense to do your vacation planning with the beach as a primary consideration.
The good news is, there are so many wonderful Caribbean beaches where you can find great all-inclusive resorts. Even better? We’ve selected the best ones for you.
Here are the top all-inclusive beaches to start your planning.
Bavaro Beach.
Bavaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic This is the impossibly white stretch of sand that made Punta Cana the centerpiece of the Caribbean’s most popular destination, the Dominican Republic. This stretch of east coast shoreline is perfect for long walks, calm sunbathing and carefree afternoons. And it’s also home to some great all-inclusive properties, led by favorites like the Reserve at the Paradisus Palma Real and the Level at Melia Caribe Tropical.
Palm Beach, Aruba This remarkable stretch of sand on Aruba’s northwestern coastline is home to an impressive collection of places to stay, including some all-inclusive properties, led by the Riu Palace Aruba (and the adult-friendly Riu Palace Antillas), a 400-room signature resort that combines a broad range of all-inclusive amenities with one of the Caribbean’s greatest stretches of sand.
Galley Bay, Antigua It’s hard to find a stretch of shoreline more beautiful than Galley Bay in Antigua, a beach that combines classic Caribbean tranquility with an exotic feel. There’s something about the way the green hills combine with the turquoise of the water for a truly intoxicating experience. And thankfully, one of the region’s most legendary all-inclusives is here: the eponymous Galley Bay resort.
Seven Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica The sand is sparkles, the bars hop and there’s an uncanny energy here on Jamaica’s most famous beach, the heartbeat of Negril. And this funky, bohemian, always-bustling stretch is also the site of some serious all-inclusive options, including Couples Swept Away and Sandals Negril.
The beach at Turtle Beach.
Dover Beach, Barbados The south coast of Barbados is another side of the island, entirely, energetic and dynamic, filled with bars and eateries and beach shacks. And the crown jewel of the south coast is Dover Beach, a blindingly white stretch of sand that boasts brilliant turquoise seas. It’s also home to some of the island’s leading all-inclusives, led by Elegant Hotels’ Turtle Beach and a pair of Sandals-branded resorts.
Grand Anse Beach, Grenada The most famous beach in Grenada (and, in our opinion, its best) has a bit of everything, from great little eateries to some charming hotels. But this remarkably relaxing stretch of beach is also home to one of the most rarefied all-inclusives in the Caribbean: the venerable, family-run Spice Island Beach Resort, an all-inclusive for your bucket list.
Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos It’s hard to find a better beach anywhere in the world than the jaw-dropping Grace Bay on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands — and it’s also home to some seriously good all-inclusive options, led by the family-friendly Beaches Turks and Caicos and the adults-only Club Med Turkoise.
Reduit Beach, Saint Lucia It’s our pick as the greatest beach in Saint Lucia — Reduit Beach, the golden-hued stretch of sand near the northwestern tip of the island that’s home to ultra-calm waters and breathtaking views. And yes, you can take an all-inclusive vacation here, thanks to all-inclusive experiences at the great Bay Gardens Beach Resort.
Plage de la Pointe Marin, Martinique While there are beautiful shorelines across the perimeter of this French Caribbean jewel, it’s the south coast of Martinique that’s truly renowned for its sand. And the magnificent Plage de la Pointe Marin is also home to the Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, a property that pulls off the difficult task of fusing French Caribbean charm with all-inclusive convenience.
Curtain Bluff, Antigua When an island has 365 beaches, it’s hard to choose just one. But the south coast of Antigua has some of the island’s greatest coastlines, led by the white sands of the legendary Curtain Bluff resort, one of the region’s finest all-inclusives.