The right beach, the right chair, the right drink.
It may sound simple, but, like the greatest cocktails, you only need a few ingredients.
In a time when travel has been significantly disrupted, this is the kind of experience we all dream about: the tropical idyll — an afternoon at a Caribbean beach bar, the thing we all think about when we’re stuck at home, moored behind a desk, or surrounded by wintry air.
For those who are traveling right now, these beach bars are the perfect Caribbean venture: outdoors, socially-distanced, breezy.
For those who aren’t traveling, think of them as your to-do list for when the world returns to normal.
Either way, it’s worth celebrating these Caribbean institutions and the people who’ve worked to build them.
Here are the best Caribbean beach bars for 2021.
Karibuni, St Martin There may be no more memorable beach bar experience in the entire Caribbean than an afternoon at Pinel Island, the intoxicating little cay just off the coast of the “mainland” in St Martin. You take a one-minute ferry boat and reach Karibuni, the beach bar that belongs to the St Martin hotel by the same name. Plainly, this is what it’s all about — a Crusoe-chic beach bar that will make you feel like you’ve somehow landed on a desert island — one that just so happens to have marvelously fresh seafood and the best cocktails of the French Caribbean. A true bucket-list experience.
Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands The Mecca of beach bars is back, having relaunched after the British Virgin Islands reopened its borders for tourism in early December. Because after 2020, we could all use a few Painkillers (now with the bar’s own Soggy Dollar Rum).
Bikinis on Beach, St John, US Virgin Islands We call it the best beach bar in St John, and Sybille Sorrentino’s Honeymoon Beach outpost continues to draw in travelers thanks to the perfect mix of painkillers, pizza and St John personality. But the biggest draw is still the gorgeous scenery of Honeymoon Beach, set on the grounds of Caneel Bay.
Iggie’s Oasis, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands There’s no more authentic, beloved bar in St Thomas than Iggie’s at the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, and now in its current form as Iggie’s “Oasis,” it’s open and welcoming guests. It’s all here — the food, the cocktails and even regular live music. Just make sure you make a reservation in advance.
Sunshine’s Nevis There’s a handful of cocktails in the pantheon of Caribbean mixology, ones that stir up a combination of anticipation, respect and even fear when you hear their name. And the Killer Bee is one of them. Nevis’ world-famous beach bar is back and ready for 2021, and this place is still all about the eponymous Sunshine and his legendary hospitality.
Le Petibonum, Martinique Martinique’s leading beach bar just keeps getting better thanks to the creative efforts of 2021 Caribbean Chef of the Year Guy Ferdinand, who has helped turn the fishing village of Le Carbet into one of the region’s great beach bar destinations. The French Caribbean cuisine is spectacular, there’s an on-site Rhum Agricole bar and now you can even stay the night at a floating hotel.
Jacqui O’s BeachHouse, Antigua Still something of a well-kept secret regionally, this beach lounge on the southern coast of the island is the pinnacle of Antigua cool, with great music, capacious chairs on the sand a standout cuisine, including the best Caribbean burgers this side of Le Select.
da’ Pink Chicken, Cat Island, The Bahamas This is what you imagine a Caribbean beach bar to be. It’s simple, it’s rustic, it’s perfect. Set in the Flamingo Hills Resort complex on still under-the-radar Cat Island, da’ Pink Chicken is, as it says, “a good place to do nothin” — and we couldn’t say it any better. Pull up, grab a Kalik and, well, spend a wonderful day doing, well, nothing at all.
Roxxy Beach, St Maarten, When it opened its doors in St Maarten’s Simpson Bay in 2019, it immediately added a new level of cool to the island. And Roxxy Beach continues to serve up a different kind of beach bar experience for the island, with exquisite Riviera-style food, great music and a beautiful little beach.
Shellona, St Barth Just a short walk from downtown Gustavia, Shellona is a wonderful amalgam of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, with heavenly food by Athenian Chef Yiannis Kioroglou, copious cocktails and an unrivaled beach scene.
Catherine’s Cafe, Antigua From the team behind the island’s renowned Sheer Rocks eatery, this Pigeon Point Beach signature is the place to see and be seen in Antigua, a beach bar that marries French chic with Antiguan character. And the Sunday jazz lunches are one of the great pleasures in Antigua.
Garvey’s SunShine Shack, Anguilla This has long been our favorite beach bar in Anguilla, and with good reason: it’s set on the breathtaking sands of Rendezvous Bay, and it’s got the perfect mix of rum cocktails and fresh BBQ, all expertly stewarded by the wonderful Garvey.
The Naked Fisherman, Saint Lucia The signature beach bar at the Cap Maison luxury hotel is open once again, providing inspired cocktails and arguably the best seafood on the island in a spectacular setting at the foot of a cliff. The bar is open to all guests at other hotels in Saint Lucia five days a week, and reserved for locals and Cap Maison guests on the weekend.
Pearl Beach, St Barth It doesn’t get any more glamorous than the white sands of St Jean in St Barth. And this is the epicenter: Pearl Beach, the beloved beach bar and eatery in St Jean that serves up endlessly creative drinks and some superb seafood with the island’s classic, carefree vibes.
Da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos You can’t go to Provo without stopping here for at least some conch fritters and a rum punch. One of the region’s classic beach bars, it’s got it all: great conch in every form, a beautiful stretch of sand and even a separate rum bar to boot.