7 Best Caribbean Beaches | Our Top Picks

Ready to hit the beach? These 5 stunning Caribbean beaches are sure to soothe your sun-starved cravings and help you get your relax on!

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Ready to hit the beach? Find the best beaches in the Caribbean here!

The days will get shorter. The temps will drop. Autumn may just be starting, but in a few short months it will be winter and cabin fever will set in.

Sounds like a good time to start dreaming about the beach! #amiright?

Securing a spot at the best Caribbean beaches can be expensive. Thankfully, now is a great time to book your winter beach vacation. Many of the top Caribbean destinations are reopening to tourists, and you can find some pretty super deals right about now.

But just where are the best beaches in the Caribbean? Here’s a list of seven of my favorite spots. Enjoy!

Best Beaches in the Caribbean: Our Picks

Seven Mile Beach – Grand Cayman

Best Caribbean Beaches - Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman

Quite simply, Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sand is like powder. The crystal clear water is as still as a bathtub. And the entire area is super safe.

What’s not to like? The only thing I can come up with is the price.

Grand Cayman is definitely beautiful, but it isn’t cheap. Although you can use points for your flights and hotels (there are plenty of options if you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points), the food and beverages are pretty spendy. In fact, we paid about $60 USD for a case of beer at the liquor store. Yikes!

In addition, this particular beach is lined with hotels. Although I enjoy walking down the beach and checking out the other hotels, you may not. So, if you’re looking for a more natural experience, you may want to try somewhere else.

Rendezvous Bay – Anguilla

Best beaches in the Caribbean, Rendezvous Bay - Anguilla

Anguilla is home to some of the most amazing beaches on the planet, but Rendezvous Bay is quite simply one of my favorite places in the world. The deep powdery sand and incredible views of mountainous St. Martin make this the perfect place to kick back and relax. And, like nearly every beach in Anguilla, you’ll feel like you have the place to yourself.

What’s better than spending the afternoon on one of the best beaches in the Caribbean? Grabbing a drink and some delicious food while you’re there, of course!

Garvey’s Sunshine Shack, located right on Rendezvous Bay Beach, serves up cold drinks and delicious eats. From pina coladas to ribs and chicken, this place will make your taste buds tingle. If you want, you can even book a private lobster dinner on certain evenings. Oh, and the friendly guy on the grill is almost certainly Garvey himself.

Related: Anguilla Travel Guide

Trunk Bay – St. John

Best beaches in the Caribbean - photo of Trunk Bay

If you love natural settings, Trunk Bay is it.

Located on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Trunk Bay is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Surrounded by gorgeous mountains and lush green forests, this incredible beach is actually a U.S. National Park. I adore the powdery sand, and the views from the beach – including nearby St. Thomas and British Virgin Islands – are absolutely incredible.

Snorkelers can take snorkeling “path”around a small little island just 50 yards or so off the beach. The water was a bit choppy the day we visited, but some of our friends tried it and had a great time.

Sandy Lane Beach – Barbados

Photo of Sandy Lane Beach, Barbados

I’ll be honest, I love the entire Platinum Coast of Barbados. But, if I have to pick just one spot along the coast, I guess I’ll go with Sandy Lane.

Like Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, the Platinum Coast of Barbados is famed for its beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters. Again, the “waves” aren’t really waves at all. The water is so still that it barely laps against the beach every few seconds.

Sandy Lane Beach sits in front of the luxurious Sandy Lane Hotel. As with all beaches in Barbados, the beach itself is public. However, you’ll need to bring your own blanket, chair, and umbrella if you wish to have one. It’s also important to note that there are no facilities available unless you’re staying at the hotel.

Arashi Beach – Aruba

Photo of Arashi Beach, Aruba

Palm Beach is beautiful and home to dozens of hotels. Baby Beach gets all the love. But, Arashi Beach is my favorite beach on Aruba.

Seriously, this is one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. Just north of the hotel district, Arashi Beach feels like you’re a million miles away from anywhere. Other than a facilities building and a small snack stand, the only thing on the beach are people and a few palapas. Across the road, you can enjoy some serious cacti and sand dunes, which are rather unique for a Caribbean island.

The sand is like powder and the water is one of the most incredible shades of turquoise that I’ve ever seen. Like the beaches listed before, the water is calm and inviting. The natural setting is a great place to get away from it all. At just a 5 to 10 minute ride from the hotel zone, I highly recommend checking it out!

Related: Aruba Travel Guide

Grace Bay – Turks and Caicos

Grace Bay - Turks and Caicos

If you love sugary sand beaches and crystal clear waters that barely sport a ripple, Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos has you covered. This isn’t just one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, it is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Whether you’re staying in a hotel or a private villa, the price reflects that too.

The beach’s ridiculous beauty definitely makes Grace Bay worth checking out. With that said, if you enjoy being pampered on vacation, know that your experience may not measure up to your expectations.

Having been to the island of Providenciales a few times, I have to admit that it lacks the service culture you find at other destinations like Jamaica or Mexico – and I’m not particularly picky about service. Don’t let that ruin your vacation though. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the Caribbean’s best beaches.

Maho Beach – St. Maarten

Maho Beach - St. Martin

The world-famous Maho Beach on St. Maarten was wiped out by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Thankfully, it is back and so is the hotel right next door.

While beautiful in its own right, its the location that makes this one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Maho Beach sits between the runway of St. Maarten’s airport and the water.

Tourists flock to this beach to experience the thrill of having giant airplanes fly over their heads. If you’re brave enough (or stupid enough) like I was, you can even stand on the beach and get blasted by jet engines as the planes prepare for take off. It’s definitely a rush!

The beach itself is relatively small and nice. It is surrounded by resorts on one side and a few restaurants on the other. The water can get very choppy, but that’s not why you’re there. Holly and I enjoyed laying on the beach all day, watching the planes come in and scoping out the tourists enjoying their thrills. Now that it is ready for visitors again, I’d recommend checking out the Sonesta Maho Beach All-Inclusive Resort.

Best Caribbean Beaches: Final Thoughts

Ready to hit the beach? These 5 stunning Caribbean beaches are sure to soothe your sun-starved cravings and help you get your relax on!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the best Caribbean beaches! As a certified beach lover, I really don’t think you can go wrong with any of these spots. Feel free to add your favorites to the comments below.

Oh, and now that you’ve read about my favorite beaches, you might want to check out some of my favorite places to visit in Europe!

Thanks again for reading. Until next time, happy traveling!

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11 Comments

  1. You’re dead on about Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands! It’s the best beach, surrounded by a few hotels, condos and other restaurants all in walking distance. There’s some pretty good bargain restaurants like Stingers located right outside of the Comfort Inn, the food is grilled to perfection and it’s reasonable.

  2. Hi- curious to see if you have any updates to this article that you want to share? Are there other beaches in the Caribbean that you love? Have you been to Antigua or Turks and Caicos? My husband and I went to Turks and Caicos in 2017 and your perspective is spot on. Thinking of ideas for our 2019 vacation. Such a beautiful beach and so safe. We had a wonderful time. Thank you in advance!

    1. We love Turks and Caicos (Grace Bay) and Antigua! We also went to Anguilla last year and I think it’s our favorite Caribbean island now.

        1. Thank you so much for sharing the link to the review. Very helpful, thank you!

          Chris L.

      1. Thank you so much for responding. I will definitely check out Anguilla. I will also review your article. When I told my husband about Anguilla, he told me that you wrote a review on your experience there. Looking forward to reading it. Thanks again!

        Chris L

  3. My apologies – I meant to say your perspective about the Grand Cayman Seven Mike beach was spot on. We loved it there! Thank you

  4. I wanted to update you on Trunk Bay-
    When I went May 18, 2021 it was absolutely šŸ’Æ stunning! Gorgeous! My favorite beach I’ve been to yet.

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