Fav so far - White Bay on JVD, BVI; probably the most picturesque setting anywhere...the requisite long, crescent-shaped white-sand beach with calm, turquoise waters followed with yellow-tinged palm trees and sea grape trees then surrounded by lush, green hillsides. And best of all, it has a terrific beach bar (Soggy Dollar) and there were very few visitors on the beach when I visited there as part of a BVI day trip.
Not far behind:
Grace Bay Beach on Provo, Turks and Caicos
Meads Bay, Shoal Bay East, Maundays Bay and Rendezvous Bay on Anguilla
And any north shore beaches on St John, USVI
Great question and responses; all the recommendations for White Bay are making me think I need to get to Jost Van Dyke, because I share other favorites with many of you who mentioned this beach.
Like others, it is hard for me to pick one favorite, but if I was forced to, I probably would pick Grace Bay Beach on Provo. It has both quality (gorgeous turquoise water and soft white sand) and quantity (almost 12 miles long). My other favorites include several of the Anguilla beaches (Rendezvous Bay and Shoal Bay East would be my top two there, although others are very nice too). Ahh, too many beautiful beaches and too little time and money to explore them all
1. White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
2. 7 Mile Beach, Negril
3. Maho Beach, STJ or really any of the North Shore Beaches.
4. Although only there on a day trip, Palm Island was really beautiful too in The Grenadines.
Palm Island in the Grenadines has a very special beach. By far the most fantastic beach we've been on, especially as we enjoyed the peace and quiet. You feel totally secluded as if you were on your own private island with the palm trees planted by a turquoise sea.
Little Maho Bay beach
Denis Bay beach
Lameshur
All on St. John
Liked the Atlantic side of Bonaire as well, don't know the name or if it has one, but it was all rocks and surf and just stunning.
Pulley, Have you made it to Drunk Bay on STJ yet? We thought it was pretty stunning. All rocks and surf on the Atlantic side. It's an interesting place with all of the "coral people" figures.
Ha ha... I linked to this thread via the Fodors newsletter, intending to name White Bay on JVD... and I see I am definitely not the first! I'd call Trunk Bay my second choice, despite it being in all the guidebooks and cruise ship itineraries. There's a reason it's pictured in all the Caribbean tourism paraphernalia!
Here's a panoramic shot of White Bay from my visit (and yes, love them Painkillers!):
Trunk Bay, St. john's HANDS DOWN!
omg I've never seen such beautiful aquamarine waters, I literally could not believe my eyes that I was vacationing there! GORGEOUS!
Brenandg, I haven't been there yet but close Salt Pond & Blue Cobblestone but this August I will go to Drunk Bay for sure and include it my trip report. Was there any snorkeling there?
Pulley, Definitely no snorkeling there. It is rough, rugged, and windswept. It is really more of a walk than a "hike", from Salt Pond but it is all exposed. You will get some good pics of the rocky coastline and the various rock art.
Joan-
Love TI! How close are you to Caddy's? My parents live in Bradenton and are beach goers. TI is one of their favorite places. I'll be back in November for a week with a couple of days spent at Treasure Island, no doubt.
Right down the street, about six sandy blocks away, CaribbeanSoul! Funny you should mention Caddy's, their popularity has soared recently, creating big parking and road problems for residents. Luckily I'm just far enough to not have it affect my street.
November is my absolute favorite month for sunsets BTW, we shall have to GTG to share a sunset pina colada on Caddy's upstairs deck when you are here!
Joan-
That is awesome! What a great place to live….I am very envious. Especially with the cold, rainy weather, winter-like weather we have been having here in the Pacific NW. Ugh. Yeah, I can imagine a place like Caddy’s isn’t too popular with the residents, but those places seem to be few and far between as most have been absorbed by developers. Caddy’s has that laid back, no shoes, right on the beach vibe I like. My son and I are all booked for the first week in November, so it would be great to meet for a drink! We are actually contemplating a couple of nights at the Island Inn so we can have a bit more fun for a couple of afternoons/evenings. Let’s keep in touch! You can email me if you’d like at negrilbound at gmail dot com.
You know what? I really needed to hear that too today - awful day at work. So thanks for pointing out how lucky I really am. Twenty five years ago we moved from NJ to FL and the one caveat was "if I'm going to live where it's hot, I've got to be near the water" and it's one of the best decisions I (we) have ever made.
I think I'll take a quick walk to the beach and ...who knows? The turtles are nesting now, maybe I'll see one!
I’m going to have to go with:
1-Mahoe Bay, Virgin Gorda (can’t beat waking up 10 feet from the beach and the great sunsets)
2-Jalousie Beach, St. Lucia (love the location between the pitons-breath taking!)
3-Solomon Bay, St. John (beautiful palms and privacy)
4-White Bay, JVD (painkilllers, hammocks, what more can I say?)
I’m thinking we may have a new favorite coming up in the winter per reviews and pictures- Cape Santa Maria’s beach in Long Island, Bahamas. I’ll let you know after our trip!
Change Forum
Bonaire - amazing snorkeling, but stay away from the jellyfish!
Shoal Bay East on Anguilla.
sandy Point on St Croix or White Bay on Jost Van Dyke BVI
Fav so far - White Bay on JVD, BVI; probably the most picturesque setting anywhere...the requisite long, crescent-shaped white-sand beach with calm, turquoise waters followed with yellow-tinged palm trees and sea grape trees then surrounded by lush, green hillsides. And best of all, it has a terrific beach bar (Soggy Dollar) and there were very few visitors on the beach when I visited there as part of a BVI day trip.
Not far behind:
Grace Bay Beach on Provo, Turks and Caicos
Meads Bay, Shoal Bay East, Maundays Bay and Rendezvous Bay on Anguilla
And any north shore beaches on St John, USVI
Woodlands Beach, Montserrat
How can you pick just one? It depends on my mood and what I'm looking for ...
White Bay, JVD for beautiful beach and low-key beach bar action.
La Sagesse on Grenada for lush, tropical, South Seas beauty.
Coco Point, Barbuda, for blazing white sand and utter seclusion.
Manjack Cay, Abaco (Bahamas) for Robinson Crusoe exploration.
Fernandez Bay, Cat Island, for sunsets, rustic chic and romance on a pristinely beautiful half moon bay.
Shoal Bay East or Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla, for beach bar action.
Grand Case, St. Martin, for its Euro feel and spectacular dining.
And the list goes on and on...
Anyone I'm currently on!
Peace, Greenie
Great question and great answers!
Top beach - Savannah on Virgin Gorda
Tied for second - Shoal Bay East on Anguilla and Grand Anse on Grenada
Tied for third - Smugglers on Tortola, Pinney's on Nevis and Leinster Bay on St. John
That said, my favorite beach in the world is Matira Point, Bora Bora.
St. Jean's Bay, and Anse Colombier -- both in St. Barth's. St. Jeans has oodles of style and vibe, and Anse Colombier is peaceful and secluded.
Cow Wreck Beach, Anegada, BVI. White Bay on JVD comes in a close second. And Shoal Bay East on Anguilla takes third place.
I really can't choose but I like greenie's answer!
Bloody Bay, Negril Jamaica
Great question and responses; all the recommendations for White Bay are making me think I need to get to Jost Van Dyke, because I share other favorites with many of you who mentioned this beach.
Like others, it is hard for me to pick one favorite, but if I was forced to, I probably would pick Grace Bay Beach on Provo. It has both quality (gorgeous turquoise water and soft white sand) and quantity (almost 12 miles long). My other favorites include several of the Anguilla beaches (Rendezvous Bay and Shoal Bay East would be my top two there, although others are very nice too). Ahh, too many beautiful beaches and too little time and money to explore them all
Both of my favorites are in the Bahamas. smith bay at Cat Island (talcum powder and deserted)
Pink Sands beach at Harbour Island
There are many others.. some I don't even know the named of.
Commercial Beach.. um.. a... or maybe.. ah heck..I can't choose.
My two favorites are Negril 7MB and White Bay Beach (JVD) which is a smaller version of Negril beach!
I'm still on my journey to see them all, how can I pick one? !
BeachGirl
Whitby Beach, North Caicos -- powder white sand, electric blue water and we had it all to ourselves.
Nipper's Beach on Great Guana Cay, Abaco and Treasure Cay, Abaco. My eyes were blinded by the white sand and blue, blue water.
Blue Beach, Vieques. Total seclusion. What beaches were like before hotel chains invaded.
Cat Island, Bahamas is my next stop in 20 days (not that I'm counting).
Meads Bay Beach in Anguilla, Grace Bay Beach in Provo and Rose Island Bahamas (from many years ago..I am sure it is developed by now though)
Gotta go with White Bay! It is like no other place. Will be there within the next 2 weeks! Drinking Painkillers and stopping by One Love!
I have two, Seven Mile in Negril and Princess Margaret in Bequia.
1. White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
2. 7 Mile Beach, Negril
3. Maho Beach, STJ or really any of the North Shore Beaches.
4. Although only there on a day trip, Palm Island was really beautiful too in The Grenadines.
Hmmm. I love La Sagesse on Grenada, Industry Bay on Bequia, Half Moon Bay on Antigua, Secret Beach on Vieques, and White Bay on Guana.
Palm Island in the Grenadines has a very special beach. By far the most fantastic beach we've been on, especially as we enjoyed the peace and quiet. You feel totally secluded as if you were on your own private island with the palm trees planted by a turquoise sea.
Shoal Bay East on Anguilla, followed closely by Turks and Caicos's Grace Bay.
Negril ,Jamaica!!!!
MY FAVORITE BEACHES ARE ANGUILLA (CAP JULUCA); PROVIDENCIALES T & C
HOW COULD I FORGET? TRUNK BAY ST. JOHN!!!
Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos
Pine Cay is on my short list. I wish they would update Meridian Club though.
RENDEZVOUS BAY, ANGUILLA!!!!!!!!!
Here are my top 3:
Ten Bay Beach, Eleuthera (yes, this trumps "Briland" Beach!)
Secret Beach, Vieques (not so secret anymore)
White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
Little Maho Bay beach
Denis Bay beach
Lameshur
All on St. John
Liked the Atlantic side of Bonaire as well, don't know the name or if it has one, but it was all rocks and surf and just stunning.
Pink Sands Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas (o.k., not the Caribbean)
Buck Island, St. Croix
Hawks Nest Beach, St. John
But after reading all of the responses, seems I need to get myself to White Bay on JVD!
Pulley, Have you made it to Drunk Bay on STJ yet? We thought it was pretty stunning. All rocks and surf on the Atlantic side. It's an interesting place with all of the "coral people" figures.
Frenchman's Cove in Port Antonio Jamaica, & Manzanillo Beach on Old Providence Island , Colombia.
Ha ha... I linked to this thread via the Fodors newsletter, intending to name White Bay on JVD... and I see I am definitely not the first! I'd call Trunk Bay my second choice, despite it being in all the guidebooks and cruise ship itineraries. There's a reason it's pictured in all the Caribbean tourism paraphernalia!
Here's a panoramic shot of White Bay from my visit (and yes, love them Painkillers!):
http://strick.net/travel/images/stjohn/newhorizons/jostvandyke_pano.jpg
Mike
My travel blog: www.stricklandia.com
Trunk Bay, St. john's HANDS DOWN!
omg I've never seen such beautiful aquamarine waters, I literally could not believe my eyes that I was vacationing there! GORGEOUS!
My vote goes to Lyford Cay, Nassau, Bahamas.
Brenandg, I haven't been there yet but close Salt Pond & Blue Cobblestone but this August I will go to Drunk Bay for sure and include it my trip report. Was there any snorkeling there?
Pulley, Definitely no snorkeling there. It is rough, rugged, and windswept. It is really more of a walk than a "hike", from Salt Pond but it is all exposed. You will get some good pics of the rocky coastline and the various rock art.
The secret Pink beaches of Eleuthera (or at least they felt secret!)
AND
Lover's Beach on Nevis (spent our wedding anniversary morning with champagne on that beach...mmmmm!).
I live on a beach but it's not in the Caribbean, can I name it anyway? OK thanks! : Sunset Beach on Treasure Island, Florida
Joan-
Love TI! How close are you to Caddy's? My parents live in Bradenton and are beach goers. TI is one of their favorite places. I'll be back in November for a week with a couple of days spent at Treasure Island, no doubt.
Right down the street, about six sandy blocks away, CaribbeanSoul! Funny you should mention Caddy's, their popularity has soared recently, creating big parking and road problems for residents. Luckily I'm just far enough to not have it affect my street.
November is my absolute favorite month for sunsets BTW, we shall have to GTG to share a sunset pina colada on Caddy's upstairs deck when you are here!
Joan-
That is awesome! What a great place to live….I am very envious. Especially with the cold, rainy weather, winter-like weather we have been having here in the Pacific NW. Ugh. Yeah, I can imagine a place like Caddy’s isn’t too popular with the residents, but those places seem to be few and far between as most have been absorbed by developers. Caddy’s has that laid back, no shoes, right on the beach vibe I like. My son and I are all booked for the first week in November, so it would be great to meet for a drink! We are actually contemplating a couple of nights at the Island Inn so we can have a bit more fun for a couple of afternoons/evenings. Let’s keep in touch! You can email me if you’d like at negrilbound at gmail dot com.
Joan, I'm so jealous! Sand, sunshine and the sea. You're a lucky gal.
Yes, I am truly blessed.
You know what? I really needed to hear that too today - awful day at work. So thanks for pointing out how lucky I really am. Twenty five years ago we moved from NJ to FL and the one caveat was "if I'm going to live where it's hot, I've got to be near the water" and it's one of the best decisions I (we) have ever made.
I think I'll take a quick walk to the beach and ...who knows? The turtles are nesting now, maybe I'll see one!
Thanks!
I'll be in touch, CaribbeanSoul!
I particularly like the beaches at Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Especially the beaches in front of the Riu Resort Hotels.
I’m going to have to go with:
1-Mahoe Bay, Virgin Gorda (can’t beat waking up 10 feet from the beach and the great sunsets)
2-Jalousie Beach, St. Lucia (love the location between the pitons-breath taking!)
3-Solomon Bay, St. John (beautiful palms and privacy)
4-White Bay, JVD (painkilllers, hammocks, what more can I say?)
I’m thinking we may have a new favorite coming up in the winter per reviews and pictures- Cape Santa Maria’s beach in Long Island, Bahamas. I’ll let you know after our trip!
St. Jeans Beach in St. Barts and Oualie Beach, Nevis.
US: Anything in Corolla, NC
(1)Longbay Beach, Provo,Turks & Caicos
(2)Grace Bay Beach, Provo, Turks &Caicos
(3) Palm Beach, Aruba