My husband and I (early 40's) want to spend our anniversary in the Caribbean, but have no clue.... Frankly, the more I research, the more confused I get. We have a week to 10 days, third week of May. I am running out of time, need help!

He wants a gorgeous white sand beach with good swimming. I want good snorkeling & a few options for 'things to do'. We are not heavy partiers but do like to have a few drinks and listen to some good music.

We both hate tourist traps & big cities but don't want to be isolated either. We don't need 5 star but want clean, nice, -preferably beachfront- accomodations with a breathtaking view.

Middle of the road, financially.

I love the looks of Belize but want good swimming and snorkeling.

Help?

You may want to consider Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos. It has the white sand beaches with good swimming and some pretty good snorkeling. In fact, the main beach on Grace Bay is one of the finest in the Caribbean. There are a range of hotels from luxurious to less so (most right on Grace Bay) and a number of good restaurants from which to choose (some very high quality with prices to match). Not a lot of nightlife though. You can and should take advantage of the inter-island snorkeling and exploring excursions offered by several excellent tour operators. In Providenciales, it's all about the water.

I'd suggest going to a local travel agent and see what kind of packages they have since you don't know the carribean, a travel agent would be a better place to start, and you can get all kinds of brochures so you know what the places look like.

Also www.where2stay.com lists islands, hotels and rates and lots of pictures there as well.

Lastly any of the outislands in the Bahamas would work for you, beautiful beaches, nice accomodations, a bit of nite life a little shopping and wonderful warm people.

Try this website as well:

www.eleu.net - for Eleuthera
www.myharbourisland.com -Harbour Island
www.coconuttelegraph.com -The Abacos

Thanks for your advice!

Hi Loribelle -

St. John sounds like it could be a good possibility for you. Beautiful beaches, great snorkling, not commercialized. Did you see crowisland's post about the Gibney Beach Cottage? It could be perfect for what you describe...and I think it's the same week you are considering too.

I'll be in STJ for 2 weeks in May...love it there! Trish

I agree with the St. John recommendation. It's very nice as approximately 70% of the island is a national park = less resorts, less people and the reefs tend to stay in good shape.

Just my thoughts!

Bermuda has beautiful beaches but they are more pink in color due to the coral reefs. Should be nice and warm the third week in May. The Pompano Beach Club has a beautiful beach with a nice bar / lounge to have drinks and listen to live entertainment. The food is excellent and the dining terrace is awesome. The property is nestled right in a cliff so the view of the water is amazing. This place just finished a renovation so it should look better than when I stayed there in 2002. Check their web site:
www.pompanobeachclub.com

There is plenty to do on this island and the people are real friendly. This island does not feel touristy at all.
Happy Anniversary!
Annika

I agree with the St. John suggestion, in particular with the Gibney Cottage opportunity. That place is unbelievable and not much gets closer to fulfilling both of your lists. It's also got a lot of interesting history to it. It's very private but a quick ride into town also. Gorgeous. IMO, do yourself a favor and look at the Gibney Cottage post from crowisland.

You did say the Caribbean, but since you're talking about May, Bermuda has beautiful beaches and would be the perfect setting for an anniversary. It's a magnificent and enchanting island with pink sand and some nice hotels.

I checked out the beach house some of you suggested. Way more $$ than I am up for. Looking at Turks and Caicos.... also Negril. More advice?

Thanks for all your input!

What sort of budget are you looking at for your vacation? Turks and Caicos has a number of fine hotels on Grace Bay Beach that range in price from the extremely expensive to the very reasonably priced. If you enjoy snorkeling, it would be hard to beat the Coral Gardens Resort (http://www.coralgardens.com/the_resort/index.php) which is located right next to one of Providenciales's best snorkeling reefs. There are also a number of companies that offer half day or full day snorkeling excursions to other parts of Turks and Caicos. The Coral Gardens also has an excellent on-site restaurant and there are many other nice restaurants and bars within an easy walk or short commute of the hotel. But not a lot of nightlife (dancing, music, etc.) if that's important.

We went to Bermuda for our anniversary a few years ago. We stayed at The Reefs, which is a beautiful smaller hotel. The beaches on Bermuda are fantastic and the island is very pretty. Lots of nightlife options.

I also think that St John's is fantastic. The two main hotels are the Westin and Caneel Bay, both of which are on the beach. St John's has a lot of nice restaurants and an array of nightlife. We stayed at Lavender Hills recently in a two-bedroom penthouse. The hotel is not on the beach, but is a very easy walk into Cruz Bay. I really liked it here, but would not consider it romantic. It was a fun place. We rented a jeep and went to a different beach each day. St John's is much smaller then Bermuda, so it is easier to get around. Snorkeling is amazing