best value island
 

My wife and I are trying to plan a trip for either May or June of 2010. We are curious what fellow posters believe is the best value island in the Caribbean. We are looking for a nice place on the beach, and for lounging we prefer the beach over the pool. Stayed at the Bucuti in Aruba and had a great time, but would like to explore somewhere else. Thanks for your suggestions.

dominican republic is usually cheaper, lots of ais. coast south of cancun is a bargain as well. a price range will help us suggest specific resorts.
however there are deals to be found on most islands. also by may/june low season will have started so prices will drop. and - with the current lack of travelers lots of resorts are offering deals like stay 7 pay for 6.
most islands have nice beaches. < i know this does not help.
did you like the dry flat of aruba of would you like to try someplace lush & hilly? aruba is very busy. do you want to go do lots of stuff (if yes, what?) or hang on the beach? how important is food?

Your choices: Aruba, Bahama's, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
My favorite of these is Jamaica. It's a popular vacation zone with many AI's, if that's what you are looking for.

I strongly feel that the best value for the dollar is in Mexico; Playa del Carmen/Mayan Riveria. You'll find nice AI hotels with good food, lots of amenties included in the base price and great service. Plenty of things to see and do off the resort. Look at the resorts located around Maroma Beach. However, it won't match up to Eagle Beach in Aruba.

The DR will have better beaches and lots of AI's to choose from. Not many are adult's only though.

We are still trying to decide whether we would like to go the AI route or not. As for dry and flat vs lush and hilly, we would prefer lush. Mostly, we like to hang on the beach, so having a ton of activities to do is not a necessity. Again, food is not a deal breaker, but we do enjoy getting out and exploring dining options. Out lodging budget will probably end up in the $250 - $300 range. We are hoping to go for 14 nights, so being at the lower end of that range goes a long ways. I have heard that the Punta Cana area of Dominican Republic has horrible sand fleas and you can't spend much time on the beach - is this true?

Mexico is great value even if you don't choose ai. Check out Tulum and Akumal.

If you don't want AI, check out any of the boutique hotels on 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. 5th Avenue is similar to the Strip area across from Palm Beach in Aruba. Has tons of restuarants, bars, shopping and entertainment. La Tortuga, Las Palapas, Shangri La Caribe, and Blue Bay are some of the more recommeded hotels for that area.

Another suggestion would be Isla Mujeres. Fly into Cancun and take the ferry over to the Island. Cute inexpensive boutique hotels. There is a Strip in front of the ocean with many resturants and bars. Food is good and much less expensive than Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The mode of transporation is a golf cart. Rent one for the week and do your own thing. The main beach there is very nice. Snorkeling is also good in that area.

Cozumel is another Island I would consider inexpensive. The are a good selection of AI and non-AI hotels. Some of the beaches are rocky, but that makes the snorkeling excellant. Water is crystal clear. Spend a day at Chankanaab Park. Very nice beach area, good snorkeling and beach chair service from their bar and restuarant. We thought the food was good and decently priced.