Monday, November 16, 2009

The "Search for the #1 Beach" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just traveled to Half Moon Bay in Antigua. This is supposed to be one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. It didn't make my top list, by a long shot! Over the years different travel magazines such as Travel and Leisure, Caribbean Travel and Life, National Geographic Traveler, Conde Nast Traveler and Islands Magazine have rated islands in the Caribbean and around the world according to: people watching, snorkeling, sunsets, beach bars, romantic destination, friendliest people, undress code and the beach itself. My wife and I have been traveling to the Caribbean for ten years now and have touched the shores and sand of quite a few of the top beaches and have developed a list of our own. The very first beach we went to in the Caribbean was on St. Thomas. I drove our rental car through a maze of hilly and curvy roads until we entered a park area with a toll booth. We paid for the car load of people and entered the parking area. All of a sudden we were struck with the sight of the most gorgeous beach I had ever seen. Magen’s Bay beach! It's sand was so white with crystal blue water. I can visualize it as I type this. This still is one of my favorite beaches, just because it was my first experience with a Caribbean beach. Other top favorites for Carol and I are Crane Beach in Barbados with its’ smooth soft pink sand, Trunk Bay in St. Johns for the beauty of the surrounding area and the fantastic snorkeling, Bottom Bay in Barbados for its’ beauty and solitude, The Baths in Virgin Gorda because of their unique rock formations and snorkeling, Peter Island for the snorkeling, Smuggler’s Cove in Tortola because of the white sand beaches and Pinel Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of St. Martin because of the calm warm waters and the total beach atmosphere. Our top 3 beaches have been and still remain: No. 3 - Grace Bay in Providenciales on the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is a 12 mile powder white beach with water that has so many shades of blue you can’t count them all. No. 2 - Orient Beach in French St. Martin. This beach is referred to as “the Riviera of the Caribbean” and as some say beats the original. It features 5 beach bars, water sports, white sand beaches, fantastic food and drinks and a naturist resort at the far end of the beach. No. 1 - SHOAL BAY BEACH in Anguilla. I’m not sure what to say about it. It is truly beautiful!!! White sand, perfectly colored water, and solitude. A remarkable Caribbean jewel! We also have a special “secret beach”, but that will be another story! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Top right photo is Grace Bay, top left is Orient Beach and bottom is Shoal Bay Beach.

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