Caribbean Beach Advice

[Pensioncruiser]

We are cruising next year 'Paradise Islands' and 'Caribbean Cocktails' we have been to all of the islands several times over the past nine years so our intention this time is to 'do the beaches' I know that some of you out there are a font of knowledge when it comes to the Caribbean so any info on beaches that fit our criteria would be most welcome. I like to swim but Mrs PC likes to curl up with a book under some shade, a bar with Wi-Fi would be nice and not to far from the port as we would only be stopping a max of two hours which stops us sharing a taxi, we have tried sharing a couple of times but found it unfair on people who liked to stop longer, we would still be ok using a taxi.

We are ok with St Maarten (that's the type of beach that's perfect for us) and Barbados.

We will also be looking at Toms Port Guides & What's In Port.

Fingers crossed some can help:)

[geomagot]

tortola

cane garden bay beach about 20 minutes drive .... lots of bars/shops and sunbeds for hire.... nice big sweep of sand with palms at the back, rum factory nearby (but we haven’t been) $5 per person on a safari bus.... they will wait until the bus is full before leaving, easy to get on another safari bus back to the ship whenever you are ready

 

st kitts

10 minute taxi ride to nearest beach south frigate bay or south friars beach or cockleshell bay a little further on (cockleshell is a little more upmarket/expensive) north beaches are on the Atlantic and can be very 'surfy' (north friars/north frigate) bars and sunbeds for hire on all all (marriot hotel on north friars do day passes)

 

antigua

100's of beaches to choose from, we like ffryes beach about 30 minutes taxi ride away ($20) very quiet no jet skis…. with a bar and rest rooms

 

st vincent

water taxi to indian bay ($5pp or you can go overland £20 for the taxi).... gritty volcanic sand lots of bars and vendors, you can pay a man with a rowboat to row you over to young island where there is a resort much quieter over there, watertaxis will give you a time to showup for return trip

 

grenada

water taxi to grand anse where there is a long beach a spice market and lots of bars or next beach along mourne rouge which will cost more (in the taxi) but is much quieter (both have tourist police patrolling) watertaxis ferry people back and forth all day or you can grab a land taxi (who congregate in the car park)

 

bequia

princess margaret beach, about a mile walk or jump in a taxi.... beautiful beach with a bar and a little market one end, some caves and good snorkelling at the far end, lots of yachts anchored in the bay

 

st lucia

rodney bay ($20 taxi) very busy lots of resorts/bars/vendors) jalousie beach or anse castnet is a longer drive (about an hour) but quieter and prettier

 

dominica

mero beach is the nearest, black volcanic sand backed by pineapple fields about 40 minutes in a taxi (very scenic drive) there is another beach further on at portsmouth which has golden sand which is close to the cabrits national park

 

tobago

pigeon point beach has a beach club with security, rest rooms, bars and glass bottom/snorkelling boat operators $10 pp entry to the beach most tourists go here (its about a half hours drive)

 

hope this helps

Edited October 5, 2015 by geomagot

[geomagot]

also... forgot to mention, any of the bars on any of the beaches all over the caribbean will call you a taxi if you cant find one? (unless you are somewhere very remote and even then any local will know a number to call).... most bar staff nearly always have taxi driver friends/kickbacks and will fall over themselves to call a taxi for you

 

give yourself plenty of time to get back on certain islands.... st lucia (poor roads and hilly terrain) dominica (hilly terrain....v hilly terrain!... just dont look down) st maartin (very busy traffic between 3pm 6pm) tobago (very busy around scarborough)

[Pensioncruiser]

It certainly does geo thanks very much for the quick response, I can remember the Portsmouth beach on Dominica when Destiny used to dock there

[geomagot]

yes the cabrits national park is right on the doorstep of portsmouth (beautiful... well worth the $5 entrance fee for the views alone) but it is a bit of hike from rouseau (nice scenic drive tho):cool:

[Pensioncruiser]

Don't know how you remember everything we must have been in that park, up the hill, lots of time's but could not recall the name or entrance fee. Can't understand why Thomson moved to Roueau probably financial😕

[geomagot]

Don't know how you remember everything

 

an entire career of moving around (in the forces) has trained/forced me to attempt to pay attention and commit small details (like where to get a decent beer) to memory whenever I find myself somewhere new (i can never remember anything important... like my wife's birthday):o

[Pensioncruiser]

Never forget an anniversary or birthday, we always cruise in Feb Mrs PC birthday and Sep our anniversary:D sometimes forget the cards:rolleyes:

[gillhalfpint]

Thank you PC and Geo for this post. We are doing these islands on 17 Jan, and are the same. I like to swim but my husband cannot manage the beach and sunbeds very well, so he prefers to find a seat in a bar behind the beach till I come to join him. We have been to all the islands before except Bequia, and have done ship tours and just want to chill out round the beaches this time, so the info is great, especially with having the beach names as we can get our old maps of the islands from previous cruises and really plan our beaches.

 

Thanks ever so much.

 

Gill.

[gillhalfpint]

Found my island maps that I picked up on shore at the tourist places for all except St Kitts and Bequia. Have one for St Maarten too. The beach here is the one where the planes come in low if I remember right. We walked from the ship to a beach though where a water taxi ran back to the port area. Will spend a lovely afternoon plotting and planning. Thanks again.

[Pensioncruiser]

Yes we have the books and maps out thanks to Geo but will expect a full report from you on your return before we go in Feb;) You must be close to reserving seats etc if you do that sort of thing, how exciting:)

[geomagot]

Found my island maps that I picked up on shore at the tourist places for all except St Kitts and Bequia. Have one for St Maarten too. The beach here is the one where the planes come in low if I remember right. We walked from the ship to a beach though where a water taxi ran back to the port area. Will spend a lovely afternoon plotting and planning. Thanks again.

 

yes on st maartin you can either walk (20 mins) or get the water taxi ($7pp return) to the nearby beach in phillipsburg.... it has a boardwalk promenade & lots of bars, (and a macdonalds... love those twix flurrys)

 

maho beach is the one at the end of the runway, there is one bar there (sunset bar) its about a 30 minute ride in a taxi.... but... there is no sand on that beach at the moment, just a rocky foreshore, the sand was washed away in a storm a couple of months ago ... locals are hoping it will wash back in

 

also (tip) if you are going to maho beach, give yourselves plenty of time to get back to the ship, traffic is very busy after about 3pm in the afternoon

 

the big long haul (klm etc) aircraft land between 2 & 4pm

 

have a great time.... we booked our seats yesterday for christmas:cool:

[geomagot]

a couple of tips on bequia gill

 

there is a tricky path to get down to princess margaret beach (unless it has been developed in the last 3 years since we were there?) may be easier for you to get a water taxi to the little dock which is close to the bar/restaurant

 

or

 

the belmont walkway in port elizabeth runs right along the bay and takes you past all the gift shops/cafes/bars right by the water's edge, its narrow but level, there are some v small patches of sand (depending on tide) the water is clear and shallow there are steps into the water on some of the little wooden docks

 

if you are on princess margaret beach and looking for shade? beware of the manchineel trees there is a couple of them at the back of this beach (by the caves) their sap and fruit is poisonous and can cause a very severe skin reaction, they are clearly marked with a red painted band around the trunk, dont shelter under them if it is raining

[gillhalfpint]

Wow Geo that is great information. I have copied St Maarten onto the "plan I am working through. I have Thomson's info on nearest beaches from 2013 when we were over there for Barbados - believe the Boatyard is the place to go there. Found a map of Bequia on the Grenadines map I had for St Vincent, and we will likely get a water taxi over - more fun than a land taxi. Thanks for the info on the trees.

We book seats for the long flights as Ray needs to stretch his leg so we book aisle seats. Shouldn't be long to get them done now.

Edited October 6, 2015 by gillhalfpint

[geomagot]

boatyard on carlisle bay is the one most people and the crew head for in barbados, its about $15pp?? entrance (cant remember exactly as we go to harbour lights) the entrance covers a free drink, a sunbed, use of the rope swing and trampolines and a ride back to the ship (minibuses leave every 15 minutes or so)

 

there is another beach club right next door, harbour lights (the music isnt so loud) its free to enter, its smaller so less people (same beach) there is a bar & restrooms, free wifi (faster than boatyard as not so many on it and it works on the beach if you hire a sunbed they will give you the password) sunbeds are $20 for 2 plus umbrella, taxi fare from ship is $5pp each way (that is the set government rate, no one should be charged any more than that) or its about a half hour walk, which is quite pretty as it takes you over the bridge in bridgetown ... bridgetown is quiet on a sunday everything is closed and not too much traffic

 

all the beaches are public in barbados so technically you dont have to pay to enter any beachclub.... you can just walk up the beach and put your towel down on the sand for free

[gillhalfpint]

I ike the sound of Harbour Lights - not into loud music. This cruise is going to be amazing for the beaches and I am enjoying my plotting and planning what we want to do and where to go. I do enjoy my rum, but not the spiced rum, and the free drinks on the trips are not always to my taste, so won't really miss them. Much better to have free choice from the bars.

 

Hope your Christmas cruise is fantastic, but then, how can it not be given where you are going. Thank you for helping me make mine too.

[all-afloaty]

boatyard on carlisle bay is the one most people and the crew head for in barbados, its about $15pp?? entrance (cant remember exactly as we go to harbour lights) the entrance covers a free drink, a sunbed, use of the rope swing and trampolines and a ride back to the ship (minibuses leave every 15 minutes or so)

 

What is the rope swing please geomagot?

[Pensioncruiser]

Well I said we were OK in Barbados, we normally go to Bathsheba, but I think I will be trying Harbour lights and seeing that it is our changeover day, sorry gillhalfpint, we may have lunch and stay all day thanks again geo😀

[geomagot]

 

What is the rope swing please geomagot?

 

 

 

[all-afloaty]

Oh wow fantastic [emoji12]

[geomagot]

but I think I will be trying Harbour lights and seeing that it is our changeover day, sorry gillhalfpint, we may have lunch and stay all day

 

they do a nice lunchtime bbq (flying fish & sometimes lobster) at harbour lights.... they just grill up whatever the boats bring in:cool::cool:

 

lots of picnic tables in front of the bar and a little gift shop at the back too

[geomagot]

Oh wow fantastic [emoji12]

 

also free shots on the hour in the afternoon in the boat yard

 

where you line up along the bar with your mouth open and the barman stands on the bar pouring in various (neat) liquids (of uncertain distillation?);):cool:

[gillhalfpint]

Now that rope swing I could really have a go at - takes me back quite a few years when kids could play in denes and fun didn't cost a fortune. Will have to decide on the day, but both would suit me fine.

[Pensioncruiser]

There was a rope swing at Portsmouth, Dominica, hung from the typical Caribbean palm but no supervision great fun but a lot of years ago so don't think I would try it now☺

[all-afloaty]

also free shots on the hour in the afternoon in the boat yard

 

 

 

where you line up along the bar with your mouth open and the barman stands on the bar pouring in various (neat) liquids (of uncertain distillation?);):cool:

 

 

For real geomagot or you having a laugh? [emoji12]