What is the first thing you want to do after you land at an airport in the Caribbean? For many, it’s a pretty simple answer. Make your way, by car or boat, to your sandy chair, cocktail in hand, at a Caribbean beach bar. Because there is something about finding yourself at that rum-covered bar counter, palm trees shaking, waves lapping, faces smiling. It’s just at the core of the Caribbean vacation fantasy, a dream that we all just can’t get out of our heads, a memory we can’t wait to repeat.
Our annual list of the Best Caribbean Beach Bars is a voyage through the current pantheon of toes-in-the-sand watering holes in the region: you’ll find everything from world-famous spots to hidden-away beach bars you may not have ever heard of.
Think of this is 25 different inspirations for the top of your post-airport to-do list.
Maho Crossroads, St John Our number one beach bar in the Caribbean for the second year in the row is this beloved spot on the stunningly beautiful Maho Beach in St John, a zero-footprint pop-up bar that, every day, manages to create the ultimate beach day in the Caribbean, anchored by its Paddle-in Tiki Bar.
Roxxy Beach, St Maarten The coolest spot on either side of the island is this Simpson Bay star, where the party goes on all day, the food is magnificent and the vibes (and the DJs) are always spot on.
Le Petibonum, Martinique Guy Ferdinand’s masterwork is a Michelin-level restaurant on a prime stretch of sand in Martinique’s Le Carbet; the beach itself is jaw-droppingly beautiful; the food is even better than that.
Reggae Beach Bar, St Kitts Cockleshell Bay is the best beach in St Kitts, and Reggae Beach is the crown jewel of its beach bars, with a cult following drawn to its delicious Reggae Rum Punch and, in our opinion, the best fish fingers in the Caribbean.
Arashi Beach Shack, Aruba If Aruba is the Happy Island, Arashi Beach just might be its happiest beach, the sort of place where you can spend an hour trying unsuccessfully to find someone who isn’t smiling. That’s in large part due to the terrific Arashi Beach Shack, a thatched-roof maintay with cold beer, colorful drinks and almost impossibly friendly service.
Tranquil Turtle Beach Bar, Green Turtle Cay, The Bahamas How can you not fall in love with a place called the Tranquil Turtle? This lovely spot is the beach bar at the Bluff House hotel on Green Turtle Cay in Abaco, where the focus is warm service, cold cocktails and a perfect white-sand beach.
Yellow Sub, St Martin This is the beach bar outpost of Grand Case’s legendary Le Pressoir, and the food is a marvelous menu of high-level takes on traditional beachy fare (and some superb seafood), all set right at the edge of the sand in Orient Bay.
Sunshine’s, Nevis The best rum punch in the Caribbean is the eponymous Sunshine’s Killer Bee, a secret-recipe stunner that is almost indescribably deliicious – but try it at your own peril.
Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands The sine qua non of Caribbean beach bar lists, this world-renowned spot continues to be a Mecca for beach bar aficionados, with a tried-and-true formula of painkillers and good tunes.
Catherine’s Cafe, Antigua This is far more than just a beach bar, but Antigua’s A-list beach spot is a fantastic place for a beah day, with a fabulous wine list, excellent cocktails and some seriously good food.
SunShine Shack, Anguilla Rendezvous Beach is one of the most beatiful places in the Caribbean, a beach right out of a Corona commercial, and its signature beach bar fits right in: a tiny shack with a smattering of beach chairs, spectacular rum punch and positive vibes.
Da Pink Chicken, Cat Island, The Bahamas Cold kalik, turquoise water, no crowds. It’s a simple formula at Da Pink Chicken on Cat Island, and it just plain works.
Tippy’s, Eleuthera, The Bahamas They won’t tell you what’s in the famous Tippy Sunshine, but we can assure you you’ll want to try enough to figure it out at this beautiful spot perched above the beach in Governor’s Harbour.
Zanzibar Beach, Curacao Curacao has no shortage of fun beach bars and lounges, but we’re rather fond of this all-day spot at the lovely Jan Thiel Beach. The pizza alone is worth the trip.
Hendo’s Hideout, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands Jost Van Dyke’s White Bay (the home of Soggy) is a Caribbean beach bar capital; our other favorite Jost watering hole is Hendo’s, where the cocktails are out of this world (try the Delirious Donkey). It’s also home to a great Sunday brunch.
La Sagesse Beach Restaurant, Grenada We just love Grenada’s La Sagesse Beach, home to this eponymous eatery and bar right at the edge of the sand. The wine list is fantastic, and the food is wonderfully fresh.
Miss Lily’s, Negril, Jamaica The Jamaican outpost of the legendary New York spot, this is set at the Skylark Beach Hotel right on Seven Mile Beach. The recipe is simple: great food and drink, and even better music.
Deia Beach, Barbados Equal parts beach bar and beach lounge, this hotspot next to the Bougainvillea resort on the south coast is chic but relaxed, with an impressive lineup of cocktails (we like the Deia at the Beach) and a deliicous mostly-Mediterrean menu.
Surfside Beach Bar, Aruba Aruba’s Surfisde Beach, set just on the outskirts of Oranjestad, still feels a bit like a secret. And its Surfisde Beach bar (you’ll recognize the big yellow surfboard) is its go-to spot, the perfect place for a bucket of Amstel Bright and a pair of all-day beach chairs.
Chat ‘n Chill, Stocking Island, The Bahamas Stocking Island is one of the most beatiful places in Exuma, a rather tall feat considering, well, this is Exuma, but the sparkling white-sand beach is just the beginning at this beloved spot famous for its conchburger. If there were a textbook on how to make a beach bar, this would be on the cover.
Karibuni, St Martin Tiny Pinel Island, set just off the coast of St Martin, is the home of this Euro-style beach bar with outrageously good food and the feeling that you’ve been transported to some remote, exotic island for an afternoon. Because you have.
Ti’ Sable, Martinique The Anses des Arlets are a chain of beaches stretching along the southwestern edge of Martinique, each seemingly more beautiful than the last. While they teem with beach bars, the crown jewel is Ti Sable, the essence of barefoot fun, with the food (and cocktails) to match.
Shellona, St Barth Is there a better place to spend the afternoon in St Barth? Set on Shell Beach in Gustavia, it’s a hybrid of the Caribbean the Mediterranean, with a breezy, fun-loving party scene that is just intoxicating (not that you’ll need any extra help).
Club Tropicana, Bonaire This beach bar at the Delfins Beach Resort in Bonaire just so happens to share a kitchen with the number one restaurant in the Caribbean, the Brass Boer. Beyond its outstanding fare and impressive spirits selection, it’s just a lovely place to spend the day (including its swim-up pool).
Barracuda Beach Bar, North Caicos North Caicos isn’t a place you end up in by accident. But this wonderfully uncrowded island has some gems, none more so than the Barracuda Beach Bar at the family-owned Pelican Beach Hotel. Just make sure you order a Pelican Rum Punch.