They’re not near the main airports. They don’t show up on typical itineraries. And that’s exactly the point. These are the remote beaches across The Bahamas that deliver something harder to find: clear water, white sand, and long stretches with almost no one else around. We’ve spent years traveling across the country’s 700 islands and cays, from Abaco to San Salvador, and this is our list of 15 little-known beaches that stand out. Some are steps from small hotels. Others require a drive and a walk. All of them are worth it.

They sit far from the usual routes, beyond the places most travelers stop. These are the beaches in The Bahamas that don’t rely on visibility. You won’t find crowds, cruise traffic, or built-up areas — and some of the most impossibly brilliant hues of blue you’ll ever encounter. 

Here are 15 secret beaches in The Bahamas. 

Cape Santa Maria, Long Island, The Bahamas This is the one you want. The one you think about, the one you conjure up in your perfect Caribbean beach fantasy. You can travel all over the Caribbean (and we do) and not find a better beach than this one: it’s a perfect crescent shape, with palm trees and pine trees and Windex-blue water that has an otherworldly quality, with sand so white you have to squint to look at it during the day. (It’s also the setting for a classic, throwback beach resort that shares the beach’s name).