Avoid These Destinations When Booking Your Next Caribbean Beach Vacation

It is no secret that the Caribbean is a popular destination. With its toasting climate, energetic nightlife, and expansive beaches, everybody around the globe dreams about visiting these islands to dissolve their problems. And ironically, that is the exact problem. When a destination earns its reputation as the must-go place for paradise vacations, the explosion of tourism will always rush close behind. This inescapable truth often comes with welcomed effects, such as the economic opportunities for local businesses and the cultural exchange between nations. 

However, those visitors who prefer their Caribbean break served with a slice of zen may find their dream sequence ripped apart by a sudden influx of crowds, clamor, and even crime. If you are one of those travelers seeking to drift through their beachy days at an undisturbed pace, then here are a few chaotic Caribbean hot spots you should probably scribble off your list immediately.

The capital of Grand Bahama, West End, is a joyous stopover for any explorers of the Bahamas. Coming from the United States, it is usually the first port of call, meaning easy accessibility. It is also the oldest town on the island, with a long history of bountiful fishing — so much so that various celebrities have been regular visitors, such as Ernest Hemingway, Richard Nixon, and Martin Luther King Jr. Yet above these boasting points is the allure of clear oceans spreading out from expansive beaches. That is, if you're not afraid of sharks.

Tiger Beach is known as the Caribbean's most dangerous beach due to sharks. Aptly named, it has a higher concentration of tiger sharks than anywhere else but hides various other sharp-tooth breeds, including hammerheads, blacktips, and bull sharks. It's enough to scare anyone from braving the scene, but statistics remain in your favor. In fact, The International Shark Attack File reports that there have only been 32 confirmed shark attacks in the Bahamas since 1749. This number is surprisingly small considering the vast amount of tourism the Grand Bahama sees. But if you can't shake the theme music from "Jaws" out of your head, perhaps you might test the waters with one of their many cage-diving activities available.

Aruba's thriving tourist industry constitutes the majority of the country's gross national product, pulling in over a billion dollars annually, with an estimated 7.6 tourists per resident. A large part of its appeal comes with its scenic presentation, offering more than a dozen beaches to catch a tan on. That said, none will test your patience as intensely as the world-famous Palm Beach.

As Aruba's all-inclusive resort destination, Palm Beach has close to 5,000 rooms only a stone's throw from the sand, which means a daily swarm of guests elbowing to locate a spot. It's known to be noisy, squashed, and the polar opposite of a peaceful beach getaway. However, if you find yourself in this position, you could always embark on the six-minute drive (or gorgeous 40-minute walk) southward to Eagle Beach. It's not going to be an abandoned space of tranquility either, but it should be a little quieter than its Palm neighbor.

The tourist appeal of Montserrat abruptly collapsed in July of 1995. The dormant Soufrière Hills volcano exploded to life, obliterating their former capital, Plymouth, which is now a ghost town. Two-thirds of the island fled, with Montserrat's population remaining under 5,000 today, and the volcano is still active. The most recent volcanic event occurred in 2010, resulting in a dome collapse. This incident caused ash clouds to travel as far as the islands of Guadeloupe and Antigua.

Understandably, the Montserrat government enforced an exclusion zone, where a large section of the southern land remains off-limits to visitors. Due to these measures and the watchful eyes at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, tourism has speedily increased. Certain areas have reopened, including Fox's Bay, which straddles the exclusion line. Explorers love the quiet beach, which is unspoiled thanks to the years of restrictions. Nevertheless, if you are concerned about natural disasters occurring on your vacation, then Montserrat's looming threats of volcanic eruptions may wreck your peace of mind.

It is impossible to daydream about the Caribbean without including Jamaica somewhere in the fantasy. The country is world-renowned for its reggae contribution to music, its jerk spice style of cooking, and its laid-back Rastafarian culture. And if you're pursuing the therapy of the ocean, then Jamaica checks those boxes too, with white sand beaches in the north and black sand in the south.

Following that thought, there is no Jamaican beach city as loved as Montego Bay for numerous reasons: duty-free shopping, the cruise line terminal, and stimulating outdoor activities such as horseback riding through Montego Bay's waves. It is a tourist playground that often circles around Doctor's Cave Beach, an area so well-visited that they even opened the first Jamaican branch of Starbucks there.Thankfully, for those who want to experience the thrill of Montego Bay but find Doctor's Cave too squished, there is always Cornwall Beach. Not only is it known to be several notches quieter, but it is also just a short walk away.

Ha'Penny Bay (say "Hey Penny") may appear perfect at first. It's a mile long. It's secluded. And it is yet untouched by the industrial development spreading across neighboring areas. However, its second name, Manchineel Beach, warns us of a dire threat. The manchineel tree bears fruit that looks almost identical to an apple but is instead fatally poisonous.

To give you some idea, the Spanish have named the tree Manzanilla de la Muerte, which means "little apple of death". Eating the reportedly pleasantly sweet-tasting fruit will lead to the swelling of your throat and then intestines, complete with internal bleeding. The tree itself is also hazardous. People standing beneath it for shelter from the rain have been inflicted with skin blisters due to the sap in the droplets. Because of these nightmare stories, several beaches in the Caribbean are referred to as "Manchineel Beach", so it is best to avoid all of them.

If you're an avid windsurfer, then Condado Beach may be the perfect stop for you. There is a popular community based around this watersport due to the strong winds, which, incidentally, contribute to the beach's problems. These forceful weather conditions lead to a rough undercurrent, and the waves are known to drag people below the water, even smashing them against the jagged rocks found on both sides. These waters are so dangerous that there have been up to five drownings reported in one day.

To tackle this major crisis, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, installed lifeguard towers, hoping that this safety measure would help to maintain the area's tourist buzz. But the warning is loud and clear: Do not tempt fate by swimming here, especially if you are traveling with kids. Instead, explore the surrounding area. If you simply must get your feet wet, consider driving two hours west to the city of Aguadilla, where there are plenty of much calmer beaches to visit, such as the well-loved Playa Crashboat.