Hi - We are visiting New York for 3 nights in August and would like to spend a week at a beach before or afterwards.

We're on a budget as flights are expensive from the UK, but the £ is strong so the budget is not too strict.

We were leaning towards Bermuda but people mention the food being expensive. Also, we would prefer to be in a condo/villa on the beach and this doesn't seem to be possible there.

We've also considered British Virgin Islands, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Jamaica, Key West, Cape Cod (my husband is worried that beaches will not be as nice there though).

What we're looking for are nice villas/condos on beautiful beaches with sea safe and warm enough for swimming, safety, nice dining options where we're not required to get too dressed up, reasonable flights from New York, humidity not too unbearable.

Where would you suggest? Thanks.

If great beaches are a priority, I'd eliminate Key West. I love Key West, but the beaches aren't very good, mostly small and man made.

My trips to the Caribbean have all been in January, and I headed further south to Grenada, St. Kitts, Nevis in search of warm weather.

Hello,
Great beaches and great prices...Jamaica!!
I personally love Negril! And they fly direct from New York!

If you are looking for a good deal, then the best deal will be to Florida, and beaches there can be very good indeed (though Key West is certainly not a good beach destination).

Bermuda is extraordinarily expensive, but you can find some deals (if you book an apartment, then you can do some of your own cooking and save a lot that way, but food will still be expensive, as it is throughout the Caribbean).

You could take a cruise from Manhattan to the Bahamas, you could also take a trip to the Caribbean or the Bahamas, but airfares are now on the way up, so I'd urge you to book quickly and beware of hurricanes, which hit their peak season in August and September.

The U.S. has a lot of good beach destinations, though. Coastal Alabama has beautiful beaches, as does South Carolina. You needn't limit yourself to Florida or the Caribbean.

Cape Cod has some beautiful beaches, but the water is cold (too cold for me), and there are relatively few beachfront accommodations. Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard also have nice beaches but are very expensive. Block Island might be another possibility (at least you wouldn't need a car there).

hi catherine, flights from jfk to st. thomas are running 450-550 rdtp right now. there is a small condo style resort on the east end of the island that i think might be perfect for you. www.secretharbourvi.com
directly on a very nice fairly quiet beach. calm for swimming, with very good snorkeling off the beach. they have one of the nicer restaurants on the island - but it's not a dressy kind of place. fun, small beach bar. the condos are very large and all have balcony or patio. there is a very complete grocery store about 10 mins drive and the condo kitchens are very complete.

Thanks everyone - these are great suggestions and I've been checking a few of them out. I've also been looking at Tortola. Is that a good base to explore the other islands?

Also - forget to mention - I'm allergic to mosquitos. I know I can't avoid them altogether but which islands have fewer mosquitos during August? Thanks.

We just got back from Negril in Jamaica. Beautiful beach, and you can stay and eat quite economically in the off-season.

We were not bothered by mosquitoes, but bring a good repellent, like Cutter's, just in case.

Since August is the heart of the hurricane season, you may want to consider Aruba, which is south of the hurricane zone (and very easily accessible by direct flights from NYC). Grenada is a good possibility as well, as it very rarely gets hurricanes.

the dry flat islands will have less mosquitoes. provo in turks and caicos or grand cayman. maybe aruba.

Doug Stallings,
Thank you for pointing out (as few seldom do) that as far as US beaches go it is hard to beat the Alabama/Florida panhandle coast for gorgeous white sand beaches, calm (usually) surf and reasonable accommodations and local seafood. Although I live in coastal Alabama, I would have to say the absolute best are those around Seagrove, Santa Rosa and Grayton Beach, Florida. The UK traveller might want to look into flying into Pensacola, Ft. Walton or Panama City, Florida and renting a car for a wonderful beach stay which would be far, far less expensive than things recommended here. I love the Bahamas and the Caribbean but truth be told "it ain's cheap"!!! Anyway, thank you for recognizing our beautiful part of the country.

Oops- correct spelling of word we don't really use here except to be sarcastic, tongue in cheek, or make a point- "ain't".

I have friends who go to Dauphin Island every year, and someone in my building is from Mobile and always extols the virtues of the beaches there. I've only driven that stretch when I lived in Baton Rouge and drive once to Pensacola, so I can't say I've spent a lot of time there, but it's a beautiful area.

Thanks everyone. I've checked out the Panhandles and they are beautiful. But I'm worried about the heat and humidity. I like warm weather but I'm used to it being pretty cold over here. 75 degrees is hot for me.

Would the Panhandles be as hot and humid as Florida? How is New England, or Long Island?

Yes; the Florida "panhandle" (look at a map and you'll see how it got the name) is most assuredly hot and humid in August. You would probably melt into a steaming puddle if you find 75 degrees F to be "hot".

The New England coast (Maine, Cape Cod) is very nice, but the water is quite cold for swimming. The farther south you go -- Long Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina - the beaches get sandier and the water gets better for swimming. Of course, the climate gets hotter too.

Ok- I am the one who suggested the Florida panhandle beaches but I live here and am used to the heat/humidity (although, even though Doug Stallings mentioned it, I would never recommend Dauphin Island to anyone- too many oil rigs, water not pretty like it gets to be on east side of Mobile Bay). New suggestion- have you considered the Outer Banks of North Carolina? Some of that area is very pretty and might not be as hot but the water would be warmer- take a look- try VRBO even.

It is going to be hot & humid unless you stay in the NE. The Outer Banks is a good suggestion although not easy to get to. Lots of beaches in NC/SC. Perhaps somewhere around Charleston or Wilmington (NC) ?

Well the obvious near-NYC beach option is Long Island...Hamptons, Montauk, Narraganset anywhere on the south shore will have wide sandy beaches and waves. North shore offers woods and the sound, Shelter Island is a thought. Southern Connecticut has some nice beaches and towns too, Lyme comes to mind.

Cape Cod is an old favorite of mine, by August the ocean is pretty swimmable and the bay side is warm long before that.

Obviously these offer a very different experience from Bermuda, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, and it is high season in these NE places, so can be expensive.

Excuse me, I meant Amagansett NY, not Narragansett RI.

If you are looking for great beaches, you may want to try the East end of LI in NY...take the train out and then rent a car. Southampton has fun and trendy shopping, great beaches....Montauk for fishing, Bridgehampton for the wineries...the clubs...

Just came back from Bermuda...way too $$$ and we were in the Netherlands in April and thought that was pricey but Bermuda takes the prize!