Our No. 5 pick is White Bay and its secluded beaches on the BVI's most untouched island, Jost Van Dyke. Miles of swaying palms and year-round 80-degree temps beg you to stay for more much than just a vacay. Us too! | Zach Stovall
ByIslands StaffOct. 4, 2013
Beaches are a dime a dozen in the Caribbean. But not all are created equal. Here are our top picks for beauty, privacy and more.
Just two hours south of Cancun, Tulum is where ancient Maya ruins line the coast atop 39-foot cliffs that overlook turquoise water and cotton-soft beaches. The views from the bluff impress, but a look back at the iconic Pyramid El Castillo is worth a swim out to sea. | ThinkstockChatham Bay rests on the undeveloped western side of Union Island, where gentle waters and lush foliage offer travelers a tourist-free getaway. Fishing excursions, kayak tours, white beaches, and snorkeling with sharks and dolphins make it perfect for both the relaxed and adventurous set. | ShutterstockWhite-sand beaches are often what we love, but Pink Sands beach in Harbour Island has its own special allure. Often renowned as one of the best pink-sand beaches in the world, these sands gets their brilliant color from the millions of microscopic animals with red shells — foraminifera — that have washed onshore. | Zach StovallConnected to little-known Barbuda like the handle of a coffee mug is our most favorite beach. We're not typically ones for throwing out absolutes, but when we say "favorite," we mean it. Our editors have landed on more than 64 islands in 27 Caribbean countries, and planted their butts on beaches of every color, texture and shape. The sand here is so sweet, in fact, and development so shunned, that the area's main income is exporting its most plentiful natural resource to other beaches that can't naturally compare. We're OK with it as long as it never runs out here. | Zach Stovall
