There’s nothing like a Caribbean hotel that’s right on the sand.
There’s nothing standing between you and a blissful morning bobbing in the ocean, lazing at the edge of the waves, listening to the Caribbean’s original album.
Sure, you can find myriad resorts filled with all sorts of amenities but where getting to the beach requires a rather long stroll.
At other resorts, though, there’s one premier amenity: you walk right from the room (or downstairs) to the sand. That means a deeper connection with the ocean, with the island, with the experience. It means a vacation with a very different focus.
Most of those hotels are, unsurprisingly, well-chronicled and well-traveled. But still others remain far off the radar of even in-the-know travelers, hidden away in far corners of the Caribbean, secret beach hotels for those who love the joy of discovery.
Here are five “secret” Caribbean hotels to check into right now.
Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman There isn’t much like Little Cayman anywhere in the Caribbean —or the world, for that matter — an almost impossibly lovable little stretch of sand just a short flight from Grand Cayman, where the biggest traffic jams are the chickens walking across the runway. And we just love the Southern Cross Club, a mix of 14 beach bungalows right on the sand, a place that instantly takes you to another state of mind entirely.
Villa Saint Pierre, Martinique Another French Caribbean gem, this ultra-affordable (the rooms are often under $100 per night) Villa Saint Pierre has just eight rooms, most with views of the fishing harbor. And yes, there’s a little black-sand beach at the foot of the hotel, where you can spend your afternoons after exploring the fascinating history of the town of Saint Pierre (and the two world-class rum distilleries, Depaz and Neisson, each within about 10 minutes’ drive).
Hotel Lobleu, Terre de Haut, Guadeloupe Fly to Guadeloupe, hop on a ferry to the tiny island of Terre-de-Haut, take a short walk along the beachside boulevard and you’ll find Lobleu, an 11-room inn with a just delightful stretch of ultra-calm beach in plain view of the green hills of Les Saintes and, in the background, the imposing beauty of Basse-Terre and Grand-Terre. It’s the perfect place for days spent sipping on ti’ punches in the sea.
Anegada Beach Club, British Virgin Islands This is the edge of the British Virgin Islands, the beach-filled frontier of Anegada, home to the BVI’s bucket-list hotel: the Anegada Beach Club, which includes a traditional hotel and a collection of simply spectacular “glamping” style luxury indoor-outdoor units perched right above the dunes. It’s one of the most unique experiences in the Caribbean, and the best way to experience an island that’s still a closely guarded secret.
Atlantis Historic Inn, Barbados Bathsheba, Barbados is the Caribbean’s greatest surf town, an almost mystical village set on the rugged eastern shoreline of the island. And this is its signature place to stay, a centuries-old boutique inn right on the beach, with a beautiful ocean-view pool and one of the best restaurants on the island.