Under-The-Radar Beaches You Need To Visit In The Caribbean

Can anything be more alluring in the Caribbean than its dizzyingly gorgeous beaches? From north to south, a scattering of islands that stretch from near Florida all the way down to the edges of South America, these jewels are blessed by some of the finest seas on the planet. And welcoming those waters onto the shore are the beaches that attract travelers every day, all year round. Every tourist will have their favorite beach in the Caribbean — some beloved because of its facilities, a handful for the atmosphere, and others for its simplicity. 

There are beaches on each island that clearly win the popular vote and are rarely empty; this usually happens for a good reason. But this doesn't mean that travelers have to spend their time on these slips of sand; for every beach blanketed with sun worshippers, there are many more out there that promise fabulous swimming without the crowds. And while Mexico and some Central and South American countries have shorelines that hug the Caribbean Sea, a good place to start when discovering hidden gems, like our list below, focuses on the islands.

Located on the south end of St. Kitts, at the end of the tail that protrudes down from the main bulk of the island, this beach looks across The Narrows to sister island Nevis, with its towering central peak. Banana Bay is beautifully low-key with tall, skinny palms, slender strips of light golden sand, and glorious turquoise water. But its beauty — and Cockleshell Beach right next door — is that it isn't super developed. Park Hyatt opened there a few years ago, but its buildings are low-rise, so its presence isn't overpowering.

Sure, there are food vendors along Cockleshell Beach, and the sands fill up on weekends with beachgoers. Still, the place has a thrown-together feel, a sense of untapped tropical splendor that waterfront high-rises and international chain restaurants could have easily ruined. Visit during the week to enjoy the beach and water as nature intended it.

A little east of Port Antonio on Jamaica's north coast, this small cove tightly hemmed between forested headlands is pure bliss. The beach is part of the resort, and its name, according to the grapevine, refers to an intense battle on the grounds between the British and the French, with the latter prevailing. The resort opened in the 1960s, a ritzy retreat comprising individual villas and a main house that has welcomed the upper echelons of aristocracy and entertainment from around the world, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, The Beatles, and Marlon Brando.

The property has faded a little since its heyday and is no longer the domain of the rich and famous, and these days travelers don't need to stay here to visit the sumptuous beach; a day pass for a non-guest aged 12 costs J$1,800 (about US$12). The conditions here are dreamy — the turquoise water gently lapping at the shore, the tall and densely green headlands, and the soft and clean sand. Adding to the allure is a small stream nearby that flows into the sea all the way from the Blue Mountains.

The easternmost island in the Caribbean, Barbados, sometimes feels like a space all its own, set a little beyond the loose arc that runs through the islands connecting Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago on a map. In the south of Barbados, set below cliffs and beautified by lovely palm trees, this beach is often overlooked in favor of its more popular neighbor a few minutes walk to the north. Bottom Bay is an archetypal Caribbean beach, a vast stretch with brilliant white sand, baby blue swells rolling to the shore, and plenty of visitors sunning themselves at this slice of paradise. 

Yet Harrismith Beach, which is much smaller and just a short walk away, feels all but forgotten, which is a plus for anyone who comes here. With a small lagoon and a reef that ensures the waves are never big, it's a great and safe place to swim. On the cliff above it, a former plantation house that has fallen into disrepair stands sentry, an interesting place to wander when you need a break from the aquatic ecstasy.

Any visitor to Anguilla, or fan of Caribbean beaches, will know about Meads Bay, a fabulous ribbon of sand that's home to one of the plushest resorts in the Caribbean — Malliouhana — and that has calm, clear, achingly beautiful turquoise water in front. And yet, Long Bay Beach, a short distance to the northeast of Meads Bay, somehow manages to escape the plaudits and the crowds. 

It's certainly much quieter than its southwestern neighbor, and large sections remain undeveloped, with just a few private homes and villas on other parts. The water is as stunning as at Meads Bay, but without the visitors, and parts of the beach are home to rows of rock formations, which create small tide pools and add a little visual variety to the beachscape. This does feel a million miles away from the far more popular destination that sits just down the coast.

The islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are where to find some of the most striking seascapes anywhere on the planet, with clear, electric blue seas filling the spaces between the nation's various islands. Some of that water is on display at this unheralded, small beach near the southern tip of Union Island, which has heart-melting views of the gorgeous seas and nearby Frigate Island, a spot popular with kite surfers. Miss Irene Beach won't wow visitors with a heavy roster of offerings or facilities but will charm with its implicit simplicity, a sober section of sand with no concessions or stalls and little shade, but with super soft white sand and water that screams to be jumped into. 

In a sense, this beach reflects the sensibilities of this island, wonderfully uncommercial and refreshingly easygoing. The main pleasures on Union Island, in general, are swimming in the warm water or hiking to the fort in the main village of Clifton, which offers great views of the island.

The words La Romana, a town in the Dominican Republic with its international airport, are synonymous with plush resorts. This, after all, is where to find the gated Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, whose golf course has won numerous accolades and has its marina. Down the coast, the Hilton La Romana all-inclusive, geared strictly toward adults, is an equally extravagant affair, sitting on the gorgeous beach of Bayahibe. This small waterfront on the island's southern coast is a quiet place, and despite the Hilton resort, it has managed to retain its easy-going charm. 

Most visitors come here to dive in the waters nearby or take a day trip to the small islands of Catalina and Saona, with boats leaving from the port of the village, more than a mile away. That ensures that the beach, which is a classic tropical idyll — think turquoise waters, coconut palms strung along the shore, and sugary sand that just crumbles underfoot — remains blissfully serene.

Located east of the main island of Puerto Rico, Culebra is where visitors to this U.S. territory come to detach from daily life. It's an unplugged destination focusing firmly on nature, not on flashy bars and restaurants and high-rise hotels and resorts. Culebra has a huge number of fans that prize its untouched splendor, and part of the island falls under the remit of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge. 

The island does, however, have gorgeous beaches that draw tourists from near and far, and perhaps the most renowned of these is Flamenco, with clear, calm seas and soft sands that young kids, and even adults, love. As alluring, though, but with few facilities, Playa Zoni is another fascinating piece of waterfront, with the same sugary sand and hypnotic blue water as Flamenco but lacking restrooms, stalls, and a liberated sense of commercialism.