We absolutely love exploring the many beaches the Caribbean has to offer. Truth be told, I’ve explored many Caribbean beaches while enjoying cruises around that region of the world. I absolutely love the fact that cruises can give you the ability to try out a few different locations and get an idea of places you’d like to visit for a longer period of time. When visiting a new Caribbean country (or city in a country we’ve already visited) via cruise, I will look for interesting beaches, shopping, local food, local art. Try to find something to try out with our at port time. My family loves swimming at the beach, so that’s often at least part of the day.
This list goes over my favorite beaches to visit while on a Caribbean Cruise. There are many factors that go into why a beach might be my favorite, so I’ll give a little explanation, as well as what port we docked at for these beaches.
Coki Beach – St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
- Cost: Free to access, but any amenities, like snorkel gear or a chair and umbrella will cost you.
- How to Visit: You’ll be able to find a taxi (either shared or solo) at port.
- Type of Sand: White
- Food: The folks managing the chair and umbrella rentals can also help you get some food. Or you can bring your own snacks, as well.
- Lifeguards: While they have lifeguard chairs, there are no active lifeguards.
Coki Beach is a white sand beach found on the North East side of St. Thomas. It is absolutely stunning, even if you don’t always find it at the top of the list of beaches to visit. That spot usually goes to Magen’s Bay. It’s definitely a smaller beach, but it’s home to arguably the best shore snorkeling on the island.
Locals will often be found more on the other side of the road that takes you to Coki, but, in general, it’s not as crowded as you’d expect even when a couple of ships are docked at port.
The water is pretty calm and clear, which is why it offers such excellent snorkeling. It can also get decently deep fairly quickly. When you’re about 100 feet from the shoreline, it’s already probably 10+ feet deep. If you’re comfortable snorkeling near the rockier areas, be prepared to see so many beautiful fish.
Junkanoo Beach – Nassua, Bahamas
- Cost: Free to access, but any amenities, like snorkel gear or a chair and umbrella will cost you.
- How to Visit: You’ll be able to find a taxi (either shared or solo) at port or you can walk for about 15-20 minutes depending on how fast you walk.
- Type of Sand: White
- Food: The folks managing the chair and umbrella rentals can also help you get some food or you can walk over to the food stands on the beach. You can also bring your own snacks. There are a number of food establishments nearby.
- Lifeguards: There are no active lifeguards.
Junkanoo is only about a mile away from the cruise port in Nassua, which makes it a very convenient beach for that port. And while it is close to the port, even with 4 or more ships there, the folks handling chair rentals really work to keep it from feeling like everyone is on top of one another.
Referred to as “Spring Break Beach”, Junkanoo does have a bit of a party reputation, but that really creates such a fun atmosphere. You can also see all the cruise ships to the right, which makes for great photos. Additionally, there is an iconic lighthouse across the water which is very picturesque.
Snorkeling at Junkanoo is okay. There isn’t a ton of wildlife out there unless you swim to the roped bouey. That being said, the water is very clear and relatively calm. Junkanoo isn’t a secluded experience, but it’s definitely a fun one.
Seven Mile Beach – George Town, Grand Cayman
- Cost: Free to access, but any amenities, like snorkel gear or a chair and umbrella will cost you.
- How to Visit: You’ll be able to find a taxi (either shared or solo) at port or you can take the local bus (which is more of a van). It’ll only cost $2-$3 (as of 2022), and is a more interesting experience overall, since this service is primarily used by locals.
- Type of Sand: White
- Food: The folks managing the chair and umbrella rentals can also help you get some food or you can walk over to the food stands on the beach. You can also bring your own snacks.
- Lifeguards: There are no active lifeguards.
Seven Mile Beach is a long crescent of coral sand found on the western end of Grand Cayman. It is often voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in all of the Caribbean, which is saying something because the Caribbean is filled with absolutely stunning beaches.
Because I love facts like these, just a quiet note that Seven Mile Beach is actually only about 5.5 miles. Due to recent storms (as of 2020), this beach has been experiencing higher levels of erosion, which is just heartbreaking because it really is that beautiful.
The sand is white and the water is a clear blue, but the shore snorkeling isn’t as great due to how busy and shallow the water can be. If you’re willing to go further out or hop on a boat, this beach will offer excellent snorkeling due to that super clear water. Also, there is basically no seaweed, which is awesome and adds to the overall beauty.
Governor’s Beach – Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos
- Cost: Free to access, but any amenities, like snorkel gear or a chair and umbrella will cost you.
- How to Visit: You’ll be able to find a taxi (either shared or solo) at port or you can take the short walk from the cruise terminal.
- Type of Sand: White
- Food: There is a snack bar as part of the visitor facilities (that also includes freshwater showers). You can also bring your own snacks. There are a number of food establishments nearby.
- Lifeguards: There are no active lifeguards.
This beach offers clean white sand and turquoise water within minutes from your cruise ship. Even though it’s so close to the port, it doesn’t feel super crowded or as touristy as some of the other beaches in the vicinity. It’s a national park, as well, which means it’s very well maintained and has restrooms.
The water is extremely calm and very turquoise which helps add to just how beautiful and serene this beach looks. The water is filled with colorful fish and coral, which means you’ll get some excellent snorkeling in.
Govener’s Beach also offers a village-like complex of amenities, including a restaurant with a swimming pool, a pier that’s great for photos, and a large variety of shops that sell local crafts and more.
Maho Beach – St. Maarten
- Cost: Free to access
- How to Visit: You’ll be able to find a taxi (either shared or solo) at port or you can take a public bus or van like the locals.
- Type of Sand: White
- Food: There is a bar and restaurant next to the beach. You can also bring your own snacks.
- Lifeguards: There are no active lifeguards.
Listen, we could talk about the traditional beach experience, like the rocky, coarse sand or the really rough water. Or the snorkeling which is really challenging because of the rough water. Instead, let’s chat planes.
Maho Beach is located at the end of Maho Bay, and also right next to the Princess Juliana International Airport. One of the coolest things to do here is hang out on the beach and look up as planes land right next to you. It is pretty amazing and just an awesome visual and auditory experience.
These planes take off and land just feet from the sandy shoreline. It’s a relatively unique experience, as beaches go. So many other Caribbean beaches offer the white sand and clear water experience. Head to Maho for something different but just as spectacular.
