I am going on a cruise to St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Martin/Maarten and want to know what 1 or 2 beaches on each island are best. Also, could you give some pros and cons? Swimming is important and preferably white or golden sand.
Since it’s a cruise that you’re on, I’ve googled your options (assuming that you won’t be spending too long on each island) and got the following:
St. Thomas – Magens Bay:
Pro: The water is warm and so still, it’s like a big bathtub; perfect for lounging and lazing.
Con: It gets a little crowded when cruise ships are at port, and there’s a cost of approx $5 for a non-local.
Dominica – Champagne Beach:
Pro: You can take a taxi to Champagne Beach for some sunshine and snorkeling.
Con: Be aware that the beach is not too user friendly as there are small pebbles for sand
Barbados – Brighton/ Brandon Beach:
Pro: 1½ mile long stretch of white sands offers a tranquil place to relax in the sun or calm waters to bathe. The Weisers Beach Bar on the beach provides lunch, dinner, watersports and volley ball court for patrons.
St. Lucia – Pigeon Island Beach (I personally love this one):
Pro: The white-sand beaches at Pigeon Island have all sorts of amenities, including a restaurant, historical museum and water sports.
Con: As with all St. Lucian beaches, the beach is not very long (compared to others in Barbados for example)
St. Kitts – South Frigate Bay:
Pro: Popular for swimming, windsurfing and water-skiing.
St. Martin – Orient Beach:
Pro: Activities include swimming, sunbathing, drinking, parasailing
Con: The island’s most popular beach features a clothing-optional area on one end (It’s a con, depending on you)
St. Maarten – Mullet Bay
See link: http://www.st-maarten.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=65
Orient Beach is my favorite. Check ou my link below on the Best Caribbean Beaches to see what one you may like.
Have Fun!
References :
http://www.online-travel-agent-opportunities.com/caribbean_best_beaches.html
Since it’s a cruise that you’re on, I’ve googled your options (assuming that you won’t be spending too long on each island) and got the following:
St. Thomas – Magens Bay:
Pro: The water is warm and so still, it’s like a big bathtub; perfect for lounging and lazing.
Con: It gets a little crowded when cruise ships are at port, and there’s a cost of approx $5 for a non-local.
Dominica – Champagne Beach:
Pro: You can take a taxi to Champagne Beach for some sunshine and snorkeling.
Con: Be aware that the beach is not too user friendly as there are small pebbles for sand
Barbados – Brighton/ Brandon Beach:
Pro: 1½ mile long stretch of white sands offers a tranquil place to relax in the sun or calm waters to bathe. The Weisers Beach Bar on the beach provides lunch, dinner, watersports and volley ball court for patrons.
St. Lucia – Pigeon Island Beach (I personally love this one):
Pro: The white-sand beaches at Pigeon Island have all sorts of amenities, including a restaurant, historical museum and water sports.
Con: As with all St. Lucian beaches, the beach is not very long (compared to others in Barbados for example)
St. Kitts – South Frigate Bay:
Pro: Popular for swimming, windsurfing and water-skiing.
St. Martin – Orient Beach:
Pro: Activities include swimming, sunbathing, drinking, parasailing
Con: The island’s most popular beach features a clothing-optional area on one end (It’s a con, depending on you)
St. Maarten – Mullet Bay
See link: http://www.st-maarten.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=65
References :
http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=17
http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=14
http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=13
http://www.caribbeanportreviews.com/Dominica.htm
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147406-d149849-r55602641-Magens_Bay-Magens_Bay_St_Thomas_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html
http://cruisebarbados.com/barbados_beaches.cfm
I’ve been to St Kitts three times. All of the beaches are public. Both South and North Frigate Bay are nice. South Frigate for all the activity and North Frigate for seclusion. On St Kitts I suggest you skip the beaches and take an excursion into the rain forest……..their rain forest is expanding. You cut down a tree and you go to jail. If you have never been into a real rain forest…..this is your chance. We did not go to St Kitts as part of a cruise……we always stay at the Marriott and hire guides. Our island trip which included the rain forest cost $90 total for 2 of us.
References :
Rather than trust someone else’s google (!!?), I’ll tell you about my experiences on some of these islands. Also, since this is a cruise, you don’t have a lot of time to travel from beach to beach and for some (like St. Lucia) that’s not easily done. It would be best to stay near the cruise ship dock.
St. Thomas- Megans bay is nice but if I were you I’d take the water taxi to St. John. It’s only 15 minutes away and is much nicer. It will take you nearly 40 minutes to get to Megans bay from the Cruise ship dock anyway. St. John is 80% national park and the beaches are fantastic. It’s a great place to hike especially since you will encounter beaches every few minutes that are even more remote and beautiful than the next. Trunk bay is fabulous! You can also rent a vehicle to get around.
St. Lucia- Not great beaches. There isn’t that much close to the cruise ship dock.
St. Martin- Orient beach is nude and/or topless but don’t feel pressured to do either if you don’t want to.
Barbados- There is a really great beach near the cruise ship dock with a lot of fun activities like water skiing, banana boating, wind sailing, jet skiing.
That’s all I can comment on. Have a fun time!
References :
http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Beaches/beach_home.html
St. Thomas:
Magens Bay
http://stthomasusvi.thebeach.vi/magens-bay.html
Dominica:
Soufriere Bay Beach
http://dominica-guide.info/attractions/beaches/soufriere.bay.beach/
Barbados:
The Crane beach
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/bestbeaches/3453409/Best-beaches-Crane-Beach-Barbados.html
St. Lucia:
Reduit Beach
http://stlucia-guide.info/attractions/beaches/reduit.beach/
St. Martin/Maarten:
Friar´s Bay
http://www.sint-maarten.net/St-Maarten-Beaches/FriarsBay.html
These are the beast beaches in these islands! I hope this helps!
♥
References :
I’m not sure about the others but In Dominica I would definitely say either Wood ford Hill in or purple turtle beach in portsmouth (my personal favorite). Although if you’re on a cruise you’ll probably be landing in Roseau and most beaches are in the country side not the capital . I suggest you get a motor boat around the island and choose. You can hire one and a driver quite easily. Speak to your cruise rep.
References :
lived there for a year and numerous holidays