best beaches caribbean

[suebubbles]

Please any info on best beaches visisting islands barbados st kitts st lucia st maarten aruba also going to catalina island and curacao not studied these 2 islands yet so any info on them also would be helpfull thanks

[Real Dutch Cruiser]

Dear Sue,

I've been to Aruba and Curacao so i can comment on these two.

On Aruba you have Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.

Palm Beach is bussy beach with a lot of high rise hotels, Eagle Beach is a little more quiet with less activeties.

In Curacao you have Mambo Beach you have to pay an enterance fee here.

When you like a quiet beautiful beach go to Knip Bay, this is maybe a little far from the cruise port but it's very nice.

 

Enjoy you're cruise.

[suebubbles]

Many thanks for that :o

[holiday queen 500]

Hello, I've prepared a couple of cruise guides for my party that include most of the islands you mention, but the are 3MB each so they exceed the limit that cruise critic allows, so I've taken bits from each that are relevent. We have young children so the main focus is on beaches and not so much sightseeing on bus tours etc.

Sorry the reply is so long, if you want to share an e-mail address I'd be more than happy to send you the documents.

St Maarten - Orient beach is aparently the best however it was cloudy when we went and then rained so it seemed a wasted journey.

Orient Bay or Orient Beach, in French "Baie Orientale", sweeps around a blue cove, facing east, as the name suggests. The 2 mile long, white powdered sand beach is protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef, and the bottom has a very gradual slope. The area has been recognized as a marine reserve, so snorkeling in the marine park is just incredible.

Orient Bay is the most developed the most popular and the busiest beach on the island, probably the most famous beach in the entire Caribbean. The beach is reputed as much for its natural beauty and setting as it is for being the island’s foremost swimsuit optional or nude beach. Lined with tiki huts, colourful beach chairs and restaurants, the sands of Orient are always full of action! Many compare Orient Bay to the French Riviera, the "Saint Tropez of St Martin" with its pampering services and ambiance. Although there are no boundaries between swimwear and nude beach sections, there are still parts which favour more one or the other style. So, if you feel more comfortable being dressed, stay close in the center part

The beach at Philipsberg, where you dock is also good, thin and gets deep quite quickly but its right there and lots of good cheap designer shopping one street back. Tommy Hillfiger and Ralph Lauren in particular.

Great Bay: the "house beach” of Philipsburg on Dutch St Maarten - go here if want to stay close to ship or bad weather.

Paralleling Front Street in Philipsburg, facing south, lies Great Bay Beach. The beach is long of over a mile, and wide. So there is plenty of fine white sand to lie on. The waters are clear and calm. Great Bay is ok for swimming, but also a favourite place for beach strollers, as you can watch the coming and going of cruise ships in the harbour. You have just to cross Front Street in Philipsburg, and after a few steps, you will find yourself right on the beach - bars, restaurants and entertainment all nearby.

Barbados - actually been here for a 2 week holiday as well as cruise stop so had chance to tour the island looking for great spots, small and exclusive beaches on the west coast, rough sea's on the east and south. For a party beach try the Boatyard in Bridgetown 5 mins in a taxi:

The Boatyard offers unbeatable beach facilities enhanced only by the natural white sandy beach and calm azure water.

Upon entering The Boatyard, a beach package is offered at Adventure Beach which ensures you a day filled with fun and pleasure in paradise.

The package entitles you to:-

Beach Lounge Chair * Complementary Cocktail, Juice or Soft Drink * Rope Swing from Pier * Ocean Trampolines * Iceberg Rock-climb and water Slide * Bar * Restaurant * Fresh Water Showers * Changing Rooms * Beach Games * Free Shuttle back to Cruise Ship

The following are offered at reduced rates:-

Beach Umbrellas * Wave Runners * Kayaks * Snorkeling * Glass Bottom Boat * Scuba Diving at Roger's Scuba Shack * Beach Volleyball * Lockers

Relax in our seafront restaurant, South Deck and savour the flavour of the Caribbean. We are sure to satisfy your hunger from our extensive menu of local and international dishes.

Sharkey's Bar is fully stocked and just the place to be to quench your thirst after soaking up the warm Caribbean rays. Sip on one of our many exotic cocktails while we pamper you silly!

Adventure Beach at The Boatyard - where the fun never stops!!

or for a quite beach with shallow water and a great local beach bar try Sandy Bay. We found this towards the end of our holiday and wished we'd found it earlier, however when on the cruise the taxi driver didn't really want to take us there and we had to arrange him to collect us at a fixed time:

Sandy Bay, Worthing- Protected by a coral reef this beautiful beach is a tropical dream come true

St Lucia - Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay, Near the Royal St. Lucian Hotel, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia About $15 each way in a taxi from Castries.

This is St. Lucia's most popular beach with good reason. Located near to the Royal St. Lucian Hotel, you will find everything you need for a comfortable day on the sand. A variety of restaurants and bar provide refreshments, and you can arrange water sports of all kinds at the many kiosks dotting the mile-long strip of beige sand. It has the best location if you are looking for a beach with all sorts of amenities right on it. It has been voted in the top ten in the Caribbean.

Catalina Island is a private island where P&O take staff and food to shore and cook up a huge BBQ. There are beds, umbrellas and a full service just as you were on the ship. Beautiful beach with a few local craft stalls, no hotels or anywhere to go but the beach you land on.

Curacao -Beaches

Curacao's beaches are its best-kept secret. The best beaches are not the long, expansive patches of sand found in other islands, but rather smaller, more intimate beaches found in secluded inlets, called "bocas" in Papiamentu. Many of the best beaches are found at the west end of the island, which is fittingly named Westpunt, or "west point".

The island claims to have 38 beaches in all, yet you'll certainly find more along the secluded and rough coastlines of the eastern and northern coasts. Some of the beaches, "playas" in Papiamentu or Spanish, have changing and picnic facilities and charge a small admission, while others are wide open and free of both admission and facilities.

As previously suggested Mambo beach is good It's also the nightlife beach of Curacao. Frequently performances of artists, and a good restaurant

or next door

Seaquarium Beach

Has all-imaginable facilities (shops, bars, watersports vendors and restaurants) plus white sand and palm trees; a good choice for families. Very busy on weekends, and the place to see and be seen. Topless sunbathing allowed.

This beach, right next door to the seaquarium has all facilities, palmtrees and beautiful white sand. During the day it's the perfect place for children to play in the shallow water. There are shops, several bars like Mambo, Kontiki, Wet & Wild and Blue Oceans. There are facilities for all watersports. The beach is popular with families and young people.

I've not yet been to St Kitts yet, but this is my homework so far for my December cruise:

Beaches - St. Kitts boasts a wide variety of beaches which range in character from the sparkling black sands of the northeastern side of the island, through to the grey sands and the golden sands which give way to a whiter hue as one travels towards the end of the southeast peninsula. One of the best areas is the two-mile stretch between Cockleshell Bay and Banana Bay

Cockleshell Bay - is two miles (3 km) of power-white sand. It offers a splendid view of the sister island of Nevis, since it sits directly on the Narrows, which is the channel between the two island. This is the perfect beach seclusion.

Turtle Beach is where most cruisers head, it is situated at the extreme end of the South East Peninsula, and is ideal for a day out. Party island-style on a beach, where the bar plays island rhythms during the day and dance music at night. It has an excellent beach bar and restaurant – Turtle Beach (voted in the top 45 beach bars in the world) and is frequented by friendly vervet monkeys, which will gladly join you for a drink and a bite to eat. If you are out on a boat and you are lucky, you might see the odd dolphin or pod of whales passing through, especially in wintertime. The beach is great for bathing, water sports and beach sports. It is worth the drive

Tracy

T

[suebubbles]

Holiday Queen wow thats fantastic info thanks ive copied it off thanks again:)