Walker who loves Negril's 7-mile beach. What other beach/island compares?
 

Please help me find a beach I love as much as Seven Mile Beach in Negril! Last March I fell in love with Negril. My boyfriend and I walked that gorgeous beach every day, swimming, eating breakfast and lunch outdoors, listening to live music over drinks.

I am now looking to book a week in January in the Carib. that offers a long beach like Negril's for walking and exploring. Snorkeling and food are important to us. We have $ to spend on this vaca but don't want to break the bank either. Any help on island suggestions and hotels you love would be much appreciated!

I have already been to Puerto Rico, Curacao, St. Marteen/Martin, Mayan Rivieria and the Dominican Republic. I noticed Grand Cayman also has a seven-mile beach but the hotels seem very expensive. Have heard great things about Barbados also. Thanks in advance!

You might consider Ambergris Caye, Belize. The beaches aren't great, but you can walk for miles and miles, especially north of town. There are small resorts and beach bars where you can stop for drinks/food. Most swimming is done off the docks since the water is very shallow next to shore, lots of sea grass.

Never been to Negril, heading there in a couple of weeks. We enjoy walking the beach as well. Looking forward to it.

I suspect the beaches in Negril are much more developed. Walking the beach on north Ambergris, there are still stretches with nothing built on it.

Jean, thanks for your reply. Ambergris Caye sounds great but I guess I should have added that in addition to a walkable beach, I like a beautiful beach, easy to swim, clear water, with soft sand. I am so jealous that you're headed to Negril, enjoy!

I suggest Anguilla and Rendezvous Bay. The softest sand and the bluest water you will ever get. If you want to keep it in budget try Anguilla great house, outherwise I would recommend Cuisinart. There is no more beautiful beach to walk-we do it like 4 times a day when we go there.

I keep going back to Negril myself.

Thanks Anguillagirl, Anguilla Great House is still a little out of my budget though! Suze, my boyfriend loved Negril as much as me but insists we should try somewhere new. If I had my way, I'd go back to Negril in a snap!

Your tag for Grand Cayman would be a great choice. We stayed at the Courtyard by Mariott and although the beach is across the street it was not a issue to get there. A lesser expensive option or you might consider one of the several condos to rent. The snorkeling is great and you can walk the beach.

Other option would be Provo, Turks & Cacios. Grace Beach is fabulous. The water is crystal clear. It's a much nicer beach than Negril (sorry Negril overs) and you can walk very long distances.

Also Eagle Beach in Aruba. Very nice white sand. The water not as crystal clear, but still just as gorgeus. Several hotels with their own on the beach restuarants and bars. It's a long stretch of beach and great for walking.

you should look at seven mile beach on grand cayman & 11 mile long grace bay beach on provo in turks & caicos. both beaches are excellent for looong walks. i will differ with anguillagirl and say provo has the softest sand in the caribbean. one beach on provo (taylor bay beach) is like talculm powder :)
both (provo & gc) have wonderful white white sand with crystal clear water - perfect for swimming & off beach snorkeling. the water color off grace bay beach is a stunning, indescribable tourquoise.

provo pics:
http://turksandcaicossothebys.com/co...image00005.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u463vC7TIr...beach-at-t.jpg
http://www.coralgardens.com/database...f125eebd7c.jpg

grand cayman pics:
http://image.hotbikeweb.com/f/107902...and_cayman.jpg
http://www.destination360.com/caribb...mile-beach.jpg

plenty of condos on both beaches can make your stay less expensive. provo in particular is known for it's condo style resorts - condo rooms in resort with pool, restaurant/bar, some with shops & activities. on provo you could look at royal west indies or the sands. on gc maybe plantana or villas of the galleon.

january could be a bit cool for provo, but grand cayman would be nice for sure. both have good food with the edge going to provo.

all that said - i do not think you'll find anyplace with the negril vibe. and i must say there is something to be said for returning to a place you like and are somewhat familiar with. after my third trip to provo i started to feel like a "local" with fav spots and restaurants, etc. & to be greeted warmly by a real local you've met on last trip is an oh so nice feeling.

i prefer going places i've been before. but i know not everyone agrees. i've been to puerto vallarta mexico 19 times :-)

Hi, you might check out Grenada -- I have not been yet (but I have been doing research for a cruise stop in March) but I hear Grand Anse beach is beautiful and that there are beach bars, craft markets etc. on certain stretches. I have been to both Grace Bay and Seven Mile beaches and they are both gorgeous long stretches, but they might be lacking that Caribbean "vibe" you enjoy so much in Negril. Both destinations are pretty expensive also. Frankly, I find them both to be very Americanized and with little Caribbean personality, perhaps Grenada might be a better fit.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I am going to do some research and will probably be back with some more specific questions.

I've been to many of the islands and have never found a beach that compares favorably to Negril's long stretch of sand. Grand Cayman has a beautiful beach, but it is a very Americanized island, expensive, and feels a little like Miami in the Caribbean.

I second Turks & Caicos...we stayed at Royal West Indies and booked through www.hotels.com and got a great rate. I have never stayed at a place where I didn't get to walk the whole stretch of sand except for T&C...it was just too long! Beautiful and perfect for long walks! Loved Grand Cayman too but found hotels more expensive.

For walking, Turks & Caicos , stay on Grace Bay - perfect...

Suze, I know this is the wrong forum to ask aboaut Puerta Vallarta but can you tell me what you like about it so much? I am not a fan of Cancun but do like Isla Mujeres and parts of the Mayan Riviera. What is so special about Puerta Vallarta?

It's like falling in love... hard to describe.

I like that Puerto Vallarta is a regular working town, along side being a tourist destination. The local people are the most friendly I have ever met, anywhere. The weather is terrific, the price is right. It's a big enough place there's plenty to see and do so I never get lonely (often I go solo). You can be busy or you can relax. You can get buy without Spanish, but people appreciate it if you speak a little (which I can and do). Also since I've gone so often there is a bit of home-away-from-home about it. The people at my usual hotel know me by name and greet me with a hug, ask me where I've been. I know where to shop for groceries, what restaurants are the best, how to find local things to do reading the paper. I don't have to reinvent the wheel each time. I'm having FUN approximately 30 seconds after the plane hits the tarmac.

There are practical considerations too like easy to get to from Seattle, cute hotels near the beach priced under $50/night, good public transporation so no need to consider car rental, etc.

Thanks so much Suze. I can tell how much you enjoy Puerto Vallarta from your response! How are the beaches, beautiful? Can you walk the beaches, are there little bars and cafes along the beach for relaxing? We do not like large AI hotels, we prefer smaller places but don't want to be in a hotel in the middle of nowhere either.

bostonallison~ Maybe we can start a Vallarta thread on the Mexico forum? I have loads of posts about it over there.

Yes you can walk on the beaches, and yes are beautiful but nothing like those on the Caribbean side or in the Caribbean. It's the Pacific ocean, so more rough and rugged, you don't get the white sand turquoise water on the west coast. Yes there are beaches lined with cute beach bars where you can relax in a chair under a palapa right on the sand with drinks and food service available. You can lieterally have dinner with waves washing over your feet under the table.

I have never stayed at an All-Inclusive so can't really comment except to say, they really aren't much the thing in PV. You are more to find small resorts and traditional Mexican hotels around Centro/Southside area. I stay right in town which is walking distance to everywhere. The smaller places in PV are right in the thick of things not isolated at all.