Help with where to stay for best beach!
#1
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Help with where to stay for best beach!
We LOVE the beach - we are looking for a laid back vacation. Good food would be nice too. It does not have to be a 5 star resort. We were looking at Shoal Bay Villas. They are pricey in high season but it sounds like you are paying for the beachfront location. Any other good suggestions in the Caribbean? We have been to: Dominican - 3 times, Costa Rica, Mexico, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Jamaica, Caymans, Aruba, St. Maarten. Prefer somewhere new.
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I think it depends on (YOUR) definition of what makes a beach great for you. Some people like wide expanses of endless white sand....while other prefer those small out of the way crescent shaped beaches that are tucked away. Some people want all the services like food & bathrooms, while other prefer isolation. Tell us what you want in your perfect beach, and I'm sure someone will make a great recomendation. If snorkeling is not a priority, I'm sure you will love the beaches in Anguilla if you are considering Shoal Bay Villas. Good luck.
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Debster, We stayed at Cap Jaluca in mid December 2010. Loved it. Beach was the nicest I've seen - powdered sugar sand, next to no one else on the beach (but we were there before high season started). Beach attendants to bring us cocktails or lunch. Kayaks and other watersports on site. I don't recall going to shoal bay, but all the other beaches we went to were lovely there. You mentioned good food. I thought the dining on Anguilla was very good even by US standards as is not the case on some other islands I have visited. Blanchard's and Veya were excellent. We didnt eat at the restaurants at Cap Jaluca but as strange as this will sound, the room service food was really very good. I live in San Francisco and am a bit spoiled when it comes to dining out so was very pleased with the food on the island. How did you like Turks & Caicos? We are headed there in June for a family trip.
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While St. Kitts and Nevis have nice beaches they rarely meet anyones definition of one of the Caribbean's "best beaches".
I agree with Bassguy66 - you have to define what "best beach" means to you. That said, Shoal Bay on Anguilla is definitely one of the best beaches in the Caribbean but as you already know you are going to pay for the privilege of staying on that beach. I'm sure you realize from your travels that you will always pay dearly for staying on a very nice beach. If that's difficult for your budget you can save money by staying at a non-beachfront property on an island with fantastic beaches and enjoy those beaches as much as anybody.
If you like the beaches in the T&C's consider going to some of the Bahamas Out-Islands - many like Long Island (Cape Santa Maria Resort) or Cat Island (Fernandez Bay Resort) have miles upon miles of fantastic beaches with nobody on them.
Another island you might consider is Barbuda - the beaches there are white and pink and stretch for as far as the eye can see (and once you get to that point they stretch on even further. Check out Coco Point Lodge - a little pricey but it includes EVERYTHING.
I agree with Bassguy66 - you have to define what "best beach" means to you. That said, Shoal Bay on Anguilla is definitely one of the best beaches in the Caribbean but as you already know you are going to pay for the privilege of staying on that beach. I'm sure you realize from your travels that you will always pay dearly for staying on a very nice beach. If that's difficult for your budget you can save money by staying at a non-beachfront property on an island with fantastic beaches and enjoy those beaches as much as anybody.
If you like the beaches in the T&C's consider going to some of the Bahamas Out-Islands - many like Long Island (Cape Santa Maria Resort) or Cat Island (Fernandez Bay Resort) have miles upon miles of fantastic beaches with nobody on them.
Another island you might consider is Barbuda - the beaches there are white and pink and stretch for as far as the eye can see (and once you get to that point they stretch on even further. Check out Coco Point Lodge - a little pricey but it includes EVERYTHING.
#5
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Grem - we stayed at Turks & Caicos about 12 years ago - we stayed at the Beaches resort. It was AWESOME! The beach is incredible. I was drinking an ice cold bottle of Corona with fresh lime standing near the shore in about a foot deep or so of water with fish swimming around my legs. So fun. The food there was exceptional for an AI. I would not hesitate to go there.
"Best Beach" - meaning nice sand - smooth water - no undertoes - you can walk into the ocean without getting hit too hard by waves. I will say 2 1/2 years ago while in Punta Cana - the waves were fun! We were "riding" the waves - not too rough. Anyway - bottom line - Anguilla/Shoal Bay is TOTALLY on my bucket list. It sounds like it is so quiet - laid back.
"Best Beach" - meaning nice sand - smooth water - no undertoes - you can walk into the ocean without getting hit too hard by waves. I will say 2 1/2 years ago while in Punta Cana - the waves were fun! We were "riding" the waves - not too rough. Anyway - bottom line - Anguilla/Shoal Bay is TOTALLY on my bucket list. It sounds like it is so quiet - laid back.
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The island of St. Lucia can give you a totally different experience to those islands you have visited. It is a place with some lovely natural attractions. Moreover, its an island that is easy to get to from international gateways. You will find lovely all inclusive resorts in St. Lucia. Sandals is one of the popular ones.
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Go back to Turks & Caicos...it has changed so much in 12 yrs...for the better. Look at www.thesomerset.com
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Jul 19th, 2005 07:36 AM