Hello all:

My wife and I had been to the Islands numerous times and had found ourselves liking the tranquility and calmness of beachs with little to zero surf. As we begin our research for our next vacation may be you can help me locate a destination with beaches that meet our description. Also, we prefer less-populated locales where we could find solitude.

So here are our favorites from the islands so far:

Secret and Blue Beachs - Vieques
Ten Bay and Gaulding Cay Beachs - Eleuthera, Bahamas
Francis Bay and Trunk Bay Beaches - St. John, USVI
White Bay - Jost Van Dyke, BVI

Thanks for your help!

foodiechan

I would suggest Nisbet plantation on Nevis. http://www.nisbetplantation.com/ It is a low density resort with a lovely beach. There is a beach cabana/restaurant and fresh water pool but since the density is low there is very little disturbance from the other guests. Also check into Rum Point area of Grand Cayman. http://www.eandbcaymans.com/2Attract...um%20Point.htm or The Retreat at Rum Point, Grand Cayman http://www.theretreat.com.ky/

I loved Nisbet plantation on Nevis, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for calm water with zero surf. There were breakers offshore that made for some serious bobbing in the waves as they broke near shore.

In addition to the places you've visited, you might also like Morne Rouge on Grenada, Mahoe or Savannah Bays on Virgin Gorda, or Lower Bay on Bequia.

The beaches on the leeward side of Cat Island would certainly fall into this category and it doesn't get any less populated than Cat Island.

I agree with ejcrowe. As lovely as the Nisbet property is, the surf on their beach is anything but tranquil. Just the opposite in my experience. The water at Rum Point beach is very tranquil but that said, it's not an expansive beach.
The beach at Harbour Isle just of Eleuthera can be very calm and tranquil although possibly you visited there.

One of our favorite beaches is Grace Bay on Provo in Turks and Caicos. The beach is stunningly white, sugar soft and has no surf. We have stayed a number of times at Coral Gardens resort. A big plus is that there is a wonderful coral reef that begins about 10 feet off the beach, right in front of Coral Gardens (hence the name), and off to the side of the reef are turtle grass beds frequented by many large hawksbill turtles. I think this is one of the best places in the Caribbean to just hang out on the beach and go snorkeling.
You might also like Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda. The resort has a lovely crescent-shaped beach in a protected bay which is calm nearly all of the time. Also, the beach is never crowded, even when the resort is at full capacity.

If it's solitude you seek, and beautiful, calm beaches, consider Barbuda. We spent a couple of days there while doing a bareboat sail from Antigua. My trip report can be found here: www.homestead.com/islandtime/MainPage1.html. It's an island that's basically nothing but beach; we anchored off Coco Point, and there is a small lodge there and 5 miles of basically empty pink-white beach. Mmmmmmm.

Also, as you've loved Eleuthera, I can point you to other Out Islands as well. Second the vote for Cat Island (we love Fernandez Bay, and the many nearby leeward beaches); also consider the Abacos (great beaches on Elbow Cay, Great Guana Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Manjack Cay... you get the picture). I hear great things about Long Island as well, and am about to finalize plans to go there in late 2008.

We've enjoyed Grace Bay, but it looks a bit too developed for my tastes; but some of the other Turks and Caicos Islands might suit your wishes. Also, Anguilla looks fabulous for beach-o-philes; I'll be checking that out more thoroughly in 2008 as well.

Thank you all for your feedback.

Grenada, Cat Island, and Virgin Gorda are high on my list. T&C sounds cool but their vacation rentals are expensive! Also probably a little too developed for my tastes.

Keep those great ideas coming folks!

= )

I love White Bay on JVD too, foodiechan, but my heart now belongs to Cow Wreck Beach on Anegada. It would fit your needs to a T.