So, the kid and I have decided to hit up a beach vacay next summer ('23). Beach getaways were a pretty regular thing while she was growing up, and it will have been five years since we've done one next summer. We had decided we were going to hit up an active retreat in Utah complete with spa treatments and all that stuff, right up until I went to Mexico a few months back and sent her pics of the beach I was at which brought her to the decision that Utah can wait because she missed the beach so much. With that agreement out of the way, we have to decide WHICH beach to go enjoy. We both want to discover somewhere new, so that rules out Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, and the Dominican. I was eyeballing Aruba, one of the Saint islands (Lucia, Kitt, Maarten, Thomas), the Caymans, or maybe the Virgin Islands. All of these sound pricey on the surface, so I would love to hear some advice and stories of where you've traveled to go with the good and bad of the places! [Reply]
Originally Posted by burt:
Save your money. The best beach in the US is Siesta key, just outside Sarasota. White sands, beautiful water, great restaurants. MAYBE there are 1 or 2 beaches more beautiful than Siesta Key, but not by much AND they will be much more expensive. I stay at Siesta Key Beach Resort and Suites. It's a 1/4 mile walk to the beach and 2 steps to the bars and restaurants. And inexpensive.
Pros to Siesta Key as opposed to a Caribbean Island destination:
-It's America so no language barrier
-No travel hoops to jump through
-Beach is probably just as beautiful as any other
-No poor Islanders or people trying to hock you shit everywhere you walk
-Little to no crime
Cons:
-Not nearly as exotic
-Similar to Aruba, this is Florida so there are no mountains to hike, jungles to explore, etc. It'll basically just be beaching it, water activities and shopping/eating. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
Agreed. Siesta Key is my favorite beach.
Pros to Siesta Key as opposed to a Caribbean Island destination:
-A LOT LESS MONEY
-It's America so no language barrier
-No travel hoops to jump through
-Beach is probably just as beautiful as any other
-No poor Islanders or people trying to hock you shit everywhere you walk
-Little to no crime
Cons:
-Not nearly as exotic
-Similar to Aruba, this is Florida so there are no mountains to hike, jungles to explore, etc. It'll basically just be beaching it, water activities and shopping/eating, Access to Sarasota so Art Galleries, Ringling Bros. Museum, a plethora of eateries, etc.
FYP
The highest point in Siesta Key/Sarasota is the bridge between them. We called it Joggers Bridge. [Reply]
When you say beach, what kind of experience are you looking for? A few areas I can offer from experience :
Hawaii - pretty much any island is going to be a good experience. Tons to do, so if you want to do a beach but also have a lot of other options to explore, Maui is always a good place.
Other option, do one of the socal beaches and then pick a night or two to stay at Catalina island in Southern California.
The Bahamas beaches are great however I’ve only experienced them through cruise lines. If I’ve ever went somewhere to stay close to a beach it’s always been Southern California or Hawaii. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
Agreed. Siesta Key is my favorite beach.
Pros to Siesta Key as opposed to a Caribbean Island destination:
-It's America so no language barrier
-No travel hoops to jump through
-Beach is probably just as beautiful as any other
-No poor Islanders or people trying to hock you shit everywhere you walk
-Little to no crime
Cons:
-Not nearly as exotic
-Similar to Aruba, this is Florida so there are no mountains to hike, jungles to explore, etc. It'll basically just be beaching it, water activities and shopping/eating.
Bro, you should go to Carnival with us in 24. Shits gonna be LITTTTTTTT [Reply]
Originally Posted by TripleThreat:
When you say beach, what kind of experience are you looking for? A few areas I can offer from experience :
Hawaii - pretty much any island is going to be a good experience. Tons to do, so if you want to do a beach but also have a lot of other options to explore, Maui is always a good place.
Other option, do one of the socal beaches and then pick a night or two to stay at Catalina island in Southern California.
The Bahamas beaches are great however I’ve only experienced them through cruise lines. If I’ve ever went somewhere to stay close to a beach it’s always been Southern California or Hawaii.
Hawaii and Catalina are both good suggestions, in my opinion. Catalina isn't a classic beach place, but you go there for a couple of days and then go to a beach on the mainland if you want a beach. [Reply]
Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and St Lucia are meant to be some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Cuba has some great beaches but might be difficult to navigate if you don't speak Spanish. Also have to be flexible on amenities... outside of Havana things get scarce.
Tobago has some great beaches as well but it will take more time to get there and it is pretty low on shopping/ nightlife. You could probably split time between Trinidad (more developed) and Tobago (less developed).
I would take Roatan and Utila off the list if you wish to lay out on the beach. The sand flies will eat you up.
Somebody mentioned the Corn Islands. The beaches are ok but these are small islands with very little going on.
I would also take Bonaire off the list for a beach vacation. Some of the best scuba in the Caribbean but the beaches are crushed coral- not sand. [Reply]
Originally Posted by el borracho:
Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and St Lucia are meant to be some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Cuba has some great beaches but might be difficult to navigate if you don't speak Spanish. Also have to be flexible on amenities... outside of Havana things get scarce.
Tobago has some great beaches as well but it will take more time to get there and it is pretty low on shopping/ nightlife. You could probably split time between Trinidad (more developed) and Tobago (less developed).
I would take Roatan and Utila off the list if you wish to lay out on the beach. The sand flies will eat you up.
Somebody mentioned the Corn Islands. The beaches are ok but these are small islands with very little going on.
I would also take Bonaire off the list for a beach vacation. Some of the best scuba in the Caribbean but the beaches are crushed coral- not sand.
I wouldn't take Roatan, Utila, not Bonaire off the list simply because of the NoSeeUms (yeah, that's what they're called), but they are a real thing. That said, and this is a community service deal, taking a B1 suppliment every day for a couple of weeks before you head Carrib locations, then every day when you're there, does help.
Originally Posted by Coochie liquor:
Bro, you should go to Carnival with us in 24. Shits gonna be LITTTTTTTT
Going to a Carnival is actually a recent addition to my bucket list! Where are you guys planning on hitting?
My girlfriend's family is from Guyana but she's got a lot of cousins who are Trini so I imagine Trinidad would be a good stop. I also spent a lot of time working with Brazilians so a Brazilian Carnival would be dope. [Reply]
I've done three Cat sails in BVI all starting out of Tortolla. Absolutely the best trips I've taken. Also, been to St. Thomas several times, the Marriott is Ok and has boat shuttles to the main part of town and decent beaches. They have bungalows right on the beach as well, and I've stayed there for a few days, but they are way pricier than the hotel portion. I also stayed at the Ritz once for a work function. Absolutely beautiful property and the best snorkeling I've had in the that bay despite it looking quite unassuming. St. Johns is cool as well, very hilly and windy roads, a cool old sugar mill we visited. Have fun! [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
(Lucia, Kitt, Maarten, Thomas)
I took a Cruise out of Puerto Rico on a Carnival cruise ship that docked at all those islands. Basically stayed at resort for a few days in PR then got on the cruise boat. Was able to visit all those places and the beaches are really nice. Cost is fairly cheap as well.
If you want low cost and to be able to visit a lot of places like that then you can't go wrong with a cruise. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
Going to a Carnival is actually a recent addition to my bucket list! Where are you guys planning on hitting?
My girlfriend's family is from Guyana but she's got a lot of cousins who are Trini so I imagine Trinidad would be a good stop. I also spent a lot of time working with Brazilians so a Brazilian Carnival would be dope.
We were set to do Barbados for Carnival, but we have a couple friends in Trinidad who want us to come do Carnival there with them. It’s been on my bucket list for years. I think we’re gonna do Trinidad Carnival in 24, and then Barbados in 25.
Speaking of Guyana, idk if you’re familiar with Dexta Daps, but he’s a dancehall artist from Jamaica. I guess he’s kind of a sex symbol in the Caribbean, and known for bringing women on stage and getting explicit lol. He was getting ready to tour Guyana and the men of the island basically were telling him he better not play that shit this time. But of course it didn’t stop him, lmao.
