So many of the best beaches are not on the beaten path, such as many of the beaches found in the Out Islands.

Harbour Island's pink sand beach *is* beautiful and accessible.

I can't wait! Harbour Island here we come! :)

I guess what all the others mentioned have over Harbour Island to me is that they have fewer people there- Harbour Island is just not very big so there are more people than on some others. We have been to places in the Exumas, Eleuthera and Long Island when we saw fewer than five other people on a beach all day- now those are my favorite beaches! Personally, I don't find the sand on HI any prettier than that at Old Club Med on Eleuthera or Cape Santa Maria on LI. In fact, there were small uninhabited cays in the northern Exumas where I thought the beaches were far more beautiful than HI but if accessible is a factor then not everyone can get there to see some of those.

Exactly, ishkribbl.

I agree with ishkribbl that Bri'land was not as impressive as one might think. The sand was definitely soft but when we were there there was a bit of a surf, and our preference are the calmer waters of the beaches in Eleuthera. Again we liked Ten Bay the best, Gauldings Cay was a close second. We spent a morning at the Old Club Med beach but was not that impressed, again partly because of a stronger surf.

By the way I do have a question to all my fellow beach lovers here:

I am intrigued by the idea of renting a dinghy/small boat so that we could boat around and find unoccupied, little sandy cays. Since I had never done it before calm waters is important (just want to be safe). Sounds like Abacos or Exumas might be the place?

Thanks.

If I only had to pick one, Exumas waters are the clearest, most turquoise, probably due to the shallowness of the water. It creates different hues and swirls, and at low tides cool little sand bars. So I would say, Tropic of Cancer wins for me!

(I have been to HI, Eluethera, Abacos, Exumas, San Salvador, New Providence, Paradise Island, and Grand Bahama, and of course, Exumas) to compare.