Anyone been to St. Lucia?

[coltrane]

Thinking about going.  THoughts?

How are the beaches?

[Fat Personal Trainer]

The beaches suck, unless you stay on a resort that had the sand brought in. it is one of the youngest islands in the area and is still a giant volcanic rock in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't even walk on the beach where I stayed. The "sand" would shred your feet.

Having said that, it is a beautiful island and smells really good. Very lush.

I would go back, but I would stay where they have imported sand and remade the beach. Those resorts exist and are nice but expensive.

To keep it Body Building related, I went to Rick Wayne's gym while there. He still owns the gym but I think he writes for the island newspaper. I wanted to buy his book and get it signed, but I never saw him.

[coltrane]

The beaches suck, unless you stay on a resort that had the sand brought in. it is one of the youngest islands in the area and is still a giant volcanic rock in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't even walk on the beach where I stayed. The "sand" would shred your feet.

Having said that, it is a beautiful island and smells really good. Very lush.

I would go back, but I would stay where they have imported sand and remade the beach. Those resorts exist and are nice but expensive.

To keep it Body Building related, I went to Rick Wayne's gym while there. He still owns the gym but I think he writes for the island newspaper. I wanted to buy his book and get it signed, but I never saw him.

Thanks.  Any other thoughts on nice beaches in the Caribbean from first hand experience?  Planning honeymoon.

[CalvinH]

Thanks.  Any other thoughts on nice beaches in the Caribbean from first hand experience?  Planning honeymoon.

Aruba has great beaches.

[JasonH]

Thanks.  Any other thoughts on nice beaches in the Caribbean from first hand experience?  Planning honeymoon.

I've been to Antigua (on honeymoon), Barbados, and the Dominican Republic twice. It's hard to say what was the nicest because they're all good in their own way.

Barbados has the nicest people - very friendly and crime free - very safe to walk around, but the beaches are quite narrow. A great place to explore around though.

Antigua had the nicest food but the people were a bit moody. Decent beaches and hotels as well and the sea is very clear. Mosquitos were a pain though and I was there in the August where the humidity was ridiculous.

Dominican Republic (the south east in Punta Cana) has massive beaches where you can walk for miles, the hotels are big too but there's a risk of crime if you start exploring away from the resorts. Women are hot though. 

Stay away from the north of the Dominican - the sea is the Atlantic ocean, not the caribbean and the beaches are crap. Food was average.

[IndustryInsider]

St. Lucia is great.. I can even tell you the hotel to stay at. Its a sandals but its really nice and has a huge beach. definitely recommend going there.

This is the hotel to stay at. http://www.sandals.com/main/grande/gl-home.cfm

[Cleanest Natural]

Your mom hated it. She kept getting her knees sand burned

[JasonH]

St. Lucia is great.. I can even tell you the hotel to stay at. Its a sandals but its really nice and has a huge beach. definitely recommend going there.

This is the hotel to stay at. http://www.sandals.com/main/grande/gl-home.cfm

I stayed at Sandals Antigua - met an American couple there who had been to the St Lucia one as well - they said they thought the Antigua one was the better of the two.

[Fat Personal Trainer]

Aruba has great beaches.

It's hard to say what was the nicest because they're all good in their own way.

X2

It really depends on how much you want to spend.

Even a bad beach in the Carribean is usually pretty good. Where you stay has a lot to do with it. Service, food, amenities.

Some islands are pretty flat with little vegetation (Grand Cayman, Aruba, Cozumel) others are more rain foresty (Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. John).

If it's for a Honeymoon, I would do Hawaii. Most of the Carribean looks pretty similar. I'd never seen anything like Hawaii.

My wife and I did a Mediterranean cruise (10 day) for the honeymoon. That rocked.

[JasonH]

My uncle went to Aruba and said it was good but pretty expensive.

I think if money was no object I would want to go to the Turks and Caicos islands, or maybe The Grenadines.

[Rickson Gracie]

is one times I made the seminars in the Sainte' Lucia'

Very many Chocolate peoples there to make sex and the strangulation to

very excitement times

[no one]

Thanks.  Any other thoughts on nice beaches in the Caribbean from first hand experience?  Planning honeymoon.

i've been to pretty much everywhere in the caribbean.

antigua is by far my favourite. the locals say they have 365 beaches- a beach for every day of the year. beautiful coral sand beaches, and the sand suspends itself in the water giving it a whitish/ blue hue. a very captivating island. big towering palms. very nice.

punta cana is prolly the only place i'd say go to in the DR. i think the beaches and water there are amongst the best in all of the caribbean.

cuba- nice beaches and water, not somewhere i'd get married. food is lacking too. but prolly the nicest locals you'll meet. very genuine nice people.

barbados- i love th water there- crystal clean with a hint of green to it. like one poster said the beaches are small. it is very populated, but the locals are friendly, and truthfully its a pretty vibrant little island, if your looking for something not so quiet. its got a really nice vibe to it.

aruba and curaco are very clean, nice islands. aruba has the better of the beaches but are PACKED with tourists. 1000's of people on the beach at palm beach. just too busy to be romantic. curaco is a very cozy little island. sleepy and clean. every paints their houses pastel colours. its a very nice little island, but the beaches and water pale in comaprison to other place in the caribbean.

st lucia/ st kitts volcanic islands like someone mentioned. coarser beaches- but black sand beaches in st kitts are cool. not the typical beautiful turquoise water for swimming seen in other areas of the caribbean. the locals on st kitts i found very nice. a small island, under developed and very picturesque. i dont really have that much good to say about st lucia. my buddy loves it. different strokes i guess.

turks and caicos- heres a good pick- one of the nicest beaches in the world. its a coral island so there are no towering palms, the tress are all kinds shrubby looking. locals all very well educated- a lot having gone to the US for school. not overly developed yet. very quiet. if i was planning a honeymoon and wanted a place in the caribbean  that was peaceful and quiet and romantic, id pick either here or antigua.

truthfully- its your honeymoon bro- go somewhere you cant normally travel to- its easy to go to the caribbean for a week or two. go somewhere you'll prolly never get a chance to see again. make it special. kawai or one of the other smaller hawaiian islands for example.

[Butterbean]

Been to St. Maarten a couple times.  The beaches were great...except one (Grand something?)..too crowded etc.

Did a day trip to Anguilla ....  Great beach....would like to stay there sometime.

[Princess L]

I've only heard reviews from people who have never been to another island, so nothing to compare it to.  It's never been on my bucket list for some reason.

Depends what you want for a honeymoon/vacation, how long you're going and how much you want to spend.

St. Thomas has some beautiful beaches, but staying there IMO kinda sucked.
St. John is awesome, but there's not much to do.
Grand Cayman is lovely, esp. for underwater stuff.
Punta Cana has some great beach resorts.  Can't really beat the bang/buck except Mexico, which also has some great beach resorts on the Caribbean side.
Jamacia - safest to stay on property.
Hawaii - been to (2X) Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai.  Maui would be my first choice for a vacation (outside of going to the other side of the world) hands down HOWEVER it's very $$$ and it takes a long time to get there.  I wouldn't go unless you had 2 weeks to burn.

[Wiggs]

Your mother and I, no go clean your room.

[wes mantooth]

try st kitts.....

didnt open to official tourism until 2004.

less traveled....amazing

[Flexb]

X2

It really depends on how much you want to spend.

Even a bad beach in the Carribean is usually pretty good. Where you stay has a lot to do with it. Service, food, amenities.

Some islands are pretty flat with little vegetation (Grand Cayman, Aruba, Cozumel) others are more rain foresty (Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. John).

If it's for a Honeymoon, I would do Hawaii. Most of the Carribean looks pretty similar. I'd never seen anything like Hawaii.

My wife and I did a Mediterranean cruise (10 day) for the honeymoon. That rocked.

Hawaii is beautiful but purely tourist. I always dreamed of going there and finally went in '09. I was around Waikiki beach and hated the traffic and tourist feel. I'm sure there are some parts that aren't as bad but I didn't dig that at all and wouldn't go back.

[Firemuscle]

 Go to Jamaica. Smoke same herb and hang out with rastas. Coolest place in the Caribean.

[Princess L]

Hawaii is beautiful but purely tourist. I always dreamed of going there and finally went in '09. I was around Waikiki beach and hated the traffic and tourist feel. I'm sure there are some parts that aren't as bad but I didn't dig that at all and wouldn't go back.

That's like saying you went to Manhattan as representation of the entire U.S.  All of the Hawaiian islands have a different "feel".  Even from one part of an island to another is widely different.  The differences are as vast as the differences between N.Y., Florida, California, Washington, and Texas.

I agree, Waikiki beach is a zoo and would not recommend it.

[coltrane]

I'm leaning towards antigua.  I've been to aruba and st marten, but wanna go elsewhere.  And my fiance only has a week off from work, so going anywhere far is kinda outta the question.

Her thing is the beach.. so i'm thinking (after research) that antigua is great

[CalvinH]

Hawaii is beautiful but purely tourist. I always dreamed of going there and finally went in '09. I was around Waikiki beach and hated the traffic and tourist feel. I'm sure there are some parts that aren't as bad but I didn't dig that at all and wouldn't go back.

Go to Maui or Kaui next time.

[coltrane]

Go to Maui or Kaui next time.

or oahu..  (i think that's the island i was on).  It's the one with the Napoli coast.  Amazing!

[Princess L]

or oahu..  (i think that's the island i was on).  It's the one with the Napoli coast.  Amazing!

That's Kauai.  Oahu is where Honolulu, Waikiki and the Arizona (Pearl Harbor) are.

[Playboy]

Thinking about going.  THoughts?

How are the beaches?

Yes, very nice island. I did a Sandals resort there a few years ago and it was phonomenal. Go 5 star all the way. Spend the money and stay at a good resort. Top notch. You'll be glad.

[dan18]

Aruba has great beaches.

yes but no night life unless your at a resort