I have visited all of the 13 Caribbean islands that are independent nations as well as many other islands in the Caribbean and I can tell you one thing. Some islands have gorgeous beaches that just don’t compare to the rest.

So if you are looking for that perfect white beach, here is the list of the Caribbean islands best beaches from someone who has visited all of them.

A Complete List of Caribbean Islands Best Beaches:

1. Grand Cayman – Seven Mile Beach

One of the Caribbean’s most pristine beaches, the Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman Island is a postcard-perfect beach. With a few world-class resorts, you can stay right on the beach.

The Caymans are one of the most well-known tax havens on the planet due to the absence of income tax. Combine it with these incredible beaches and vibrant gastronomic scene and it sounds like paradise in the Caribbean. 

Another attraction is Stingray City. Stingray City is a series of shallow sandbars where you can see stingrays and the best way to see them is to join this day tour.

Stingray City has been voted as the Caribbean island’s best family activity, so if you are looking for some fun for the kids – this is it.

2. Turks and Caicos – Grace Bay

You won’t believe this, but we didn’t even plan to go to Turks and Caicos when island hopping the Caribbean. Then we found a flight from one island to the Bahamas with a layover here. Skyscanner is such a good tool to find great flight deals.

Naturally, we looked up this island and quickly learned that it is one of the best islands for beach holidays for Europeans so we had to go.

Grace Bay beach was simply stunning! The sand was super white and the colours of the water – oh my! So breathtaking. Definitely on the list of Caribbean islands’ best beaches.

 The beach was also spotless and there were not that many people there either. Simply bliss. 

Turks and Caicos are also home to one of the largest barrier reef systems in the world, so often features as one of the best Caribbean islands for snorkelers and scuba divers.

3. Cuba – Varadero Beach

We visited Cuba for three weeks, and to be honest, we didn’t really think of it as one of the Caribbean Islands for beach holidays. We thought it was more about the old cars, the architecture, cigars, and rum.

Of course, Cuba is all of that and more.

These 10 photos of Cuba show what a colourful nation it is.

While maybe there are not as many visitors from the USA (this has changed in the last few years though), for Canadians, Cuba is one of the most popular Caribbean islands for beach break during winter.

When we arrived on the beaches of Varadero we could also see why. Yes it is a popular tourist beach with powdery white sand and you might forget you are in Cuba sometimes, but it is gorgeous.

If you want to get away from the big resorts and see beautiful virgin beaches, then head to Cayo Largo del Sur, also known simply as Cayo Largo.

If you’re wondering what Cuban food is like, our post about the 20 Most Popular Foods From Cuba has got you covered.

4. Dominican Republic – Playa Rincón & Bávaro Beach

If you are looking for Caribbean islands for a beach holiday and currently live in Europe, chances are the Dominican Republic will be your top pick. It’s also one of the best Caribbean Islands for food too.

Check out these 10 popular foods to try in the Dominican Republic

With direct flights from Europe, Dominican Republic is well known for its gorgeous white sand beaches, tropical vibes, and beautiful resorts that cater to all.

View Top-Rated Resorts in Punta Cana

While Bacaro Beach near Punta Cana is the best well-known beach in DR, it’s worth leaving the tourists behind and heading to the Semana Peninsula to stay at Playa Rincon which offers close to 3km of flawless beach as well.

It’s not as well known as other places, so it gets our vote.

View Top-Rated Resorts at Playa Rincon

Did you know that Haiti and the Dominican Republic share an island? Read more about why they are so different 

5. Jamaica – Seven Mile Beach

While Jamaica is one of the best Caribbean islands for adventure and food as well, when it comes to stunning beaches it also makes this list.

The Seven Mile Beach is located near the town of Negril, and over the years, there has been plenty of infrastructure for visitors: a great range of hotels, beach bars and restaurants. It is the perfect place for a great beach holiday.

You can sit back and relax, listen to reggae rhythms as you sip local rum and watch the sunset.

Don’t miss out on trying Jamaica’s most popular dish, jerk chicken, and if you can, then visit the capital city, Kingston to see the Bob Marley Museum.

I highly recommend this Bob Marley Museum Tour with pick-up/drop-off from your hotel in Kingston.

6. Bahamas – Exumas 

You might have seen the photos of tourists swimming with pigs in the shallow crystal clear waters of Exumas. Exumas are an archipelago of 365 islands with untouched pristine beaches and sapphire-blue waters. 

So why are there pigs on the beach in Exumas, Bahamas? 

Before there were pigs in the Bahamas, Big Major Cay was completely uninhabited. The neighbouring island of Staniel Cay was once a well-known farming village. It’s not clear if the pigs swam across as they were after more food or if the farmers brought the pigs to the neighbouring island of Big Major Cay because of the pigs’ stench, I guess we will never know. 

Either way, swimming with the pigs is one of the most popular things to do on the Caribbean islands. See the most popular day tours to swim with the pigs below:

If you are flying into Nassau and staying on the island, then just head to Cabbage Beach. This is the best beach on this Caribbean island. 

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7. Barbados – Rockley Beach

Barbados island was so much fun! We searched for the best beach here as well, because isn’t Caribbean island hopping all about beaches, sunset, and rum? Travel here to taste the famous Mount Gay Rum, explore the limestone caverns of Harrison’s Cave and look for the best beach in the Caribbean. 

Barbados is definitely one of the best Caribbean Islands for vacation. Up there with the best islands in the Caribbean to visit at any time of year.

Our favourite was Rockley Beach, also known as Accra Beach. Not only it was a postcard-perfect white sand beach, but there are also restaurants and beach bars just off the beach so spending a day here is a must.

When you get tired of the beach and sunbathing, you can walk along the Barbados Boardwalk that starts at the end of the beach and it continues along other restaurants and cafes. 

And if you are a budget traveller, here is our guide on how to visit Barbados on a budget. 

8. Puerto Rico – Playa Flamenco 

Puerto Rico is the world’s leading rum producer and it has a charming old town. And if you are a US citizen you don’t need a passport to visit Puerto Rico as it is a United States territory.

And when it comes to the list of the best Caribbean islands for beach lovers, Puerto Rico makes the list! The stunning Playa Flamenco is everything you want from the perfect beach in the Caribbean. 

9. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Friendship Beach

If you are looking for stunning beaches on the lesser visited Caribbean islands, then Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a perfect choice. Comprising 32 islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines are one of the off-the-beaten part Caribbean islands on this list. 

While there are beaches on the main island, I recommend taking the ferry across to Bequia and maybe staying at the Bequia Beach hotel for a few days for the perfect getaway.

The gorgeous Friendship Beach on Bequia is one of the nice beaches on the Caribbean islands I have visited. and it feels so far away from all the touristy ones. You will most likely have the beach to yourself with just a few travellers too. 

10. St Maarten – Maho Beach

When you say Caribbean vacation with a unique beach, most of us probably imagine that plane descending over a white sand beach that is way too close. Well, that famous image of the plane landing over the Caribbean Island is from St Maarten.

Maho Beach on the Dutch side of St Maarten is the best vantage point to watch planes land at Princess Juliana International Airport, known as Maho Beach Airport.

And while there are other nice beaches on this Caribbean island, Maho beach has to be on this list – because when it comes to unique beaches on the Caribbean islands – this one is really special.

That’s the 10 best Caribbean Islands for beach lovers, but there is one more island I need to mention. I was going to focus on the 10 best islands in the Caribbean when it comes to beaches, but I ended up with 11 islands and I couldn’t bring myself not to mention them all. 

11. Grenada – Grande Anse Beach

When we first arrived in Grenada we were blown away by the beauty of St Georges Harbour. We quickly learned that there are more than 45 beaches on the island and decided to check out as many as possible.

Then we arrived at Grand Anse Beach, the perfect Caribbean island beach.

The azure crystal clear warts and white sand with a few palm trees – it’s simply everything you looking for from a beach in the Caribbean.

And did you know that Grenada is also a great destination for foodies? Check out our experience on a food tour here in Grenada.

And that’s it for the Caribbean Islands best beaches! It is up to you now to figure out what is the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. For me, the hunt for the perfect Caribbean island beach resulted in many favourite ones mentioned in this blog during our 2-3 months in the Caribbean.

While it’s not all about the beaches, I would have to say these are also the 11 best islands in the Caribbean Island for vacations. 

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Someone once asked me “Is Caribbean a country?” I understand that sometimes it’s hard to know what is a continent, a country or even another island that is part of a country.

I wrote this blog explaining how many countries are in North America, and even this one about ‘Is Bali a country?”

More Tips About Travelling in the Caribbean

If you’re planning to visit the Caribbean, then you may enjoy reading our detailed post about how to go Island Hopping in the Caribbean. The post includes ferry and flight schedules, plus lots of information that is hard to source online about how to put such a journey together.

We enjoyed travelling in all of the Caribbean nations, however, we especially loved discovering Grenada. We highly recommend this food tour in Grenada and these 7 AWESOME things you shouldn’t miss in Grenada.

You can find our best travel hacks to save you money here, and these are our Best Travel Tips from 20+ Years of Travel.