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by Mick the Ram
Lonely Planet, the highly respected publisher of travel guides for locations right across the globe, have released a new attention-grabbing book entitled “100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches”.
It boasts it will enable readers to “discover the most extraordinary shorelines inside this dazzling display of beaches.”
The collection of captivating sandy gems have been spilt between continents, with 32 chosen from the Americas. Within these are six amazing destinations from the Caribbean, featuring breathtaking photographs, together with lots of useful tips and information.
The selected beaches can be found in: Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Lucia, and the US Virgin Islands and each have their own special qualities, which the researchers felt set them apart from the abundance of competition in the region.
Bottom Bay, at Saint Philip, Barbados
Bottom Bay, at Saint Philip, Barbados “ticks all the boxes for a quintessential Caribbean beach” according to the publication. They promote what they call the “translucent turquoise water, smooth white sand, and wind-gnarled palms dotting the shore.”
What seemingly gave this beach a place amongst the “100 most incredible” was its tendency to remain spacious compared to other locations on the south coast of the island. This they attribute to the slightly rougher waters of the bay that might not necessarily appeal to everyone, but does have the effect of presenting the ideal relaxing escape for a sunrise breakfast, afternoon picnic, or romantic sunset stroll.
Bahía de las Águilas, Pedernales, Dominican Republic
Bahia de las Aguilas, is located in Jaragua National Park, in the Dominican Republic’s Pendernales province, and is one of the largest protected natural areas in the Caribbean. Its pristine white sandy beach runs for a five miles, alongside bright crystal clear waters. It is sometimes referred to as “Eagle’s Bay” and genuinely offers a piece paradise, due to its protected setting.
There are no hotels, shops, or restaurants to disturb the surroundings, just spectacular views of the rocky landscape overlooking the beach. It can only be reached by an all-terrain vehicle, or by boat from the shores of Cabo Rojo, giving it an endearing seclusion.
Frenchman’s Cove, Portland, Jamaica
This truly is a hidden gem, with its golden sands and a warm sapphire coloured sea that is uniquely topped up by clear river waters, to present a tropical spectacle. It is a privately owned enterprise, but access is a very reasonable $10 per day. It is surrounded on both sides by vegetated rocky cliffs, creating a stunning vista.
Nestled on the eastern side of the island in the Portland parish, the beach represents a wonderful escape from the hustle of the touristy magnets such as Montego Bay. Big hit movies, Lord Of The Flies, and Knight And Day were both filmed on the beach because of its sheer beauty.
Playa Tortuga/Turtle Beach, Isla Culebrita, Puerto Rico
With magnificent powder-like sand, Tortuga Beach is situated on the tiny island of Culebrita and as such can only be accessed by boat or water taxi. It acts as the home and feeding station for green turtles, which is actually from which the location takes its name. It is a snorkellers dream, taking into account the diversity of stunning sea creatures in its crystalline water.
Its remoteness is a major part of its appeal, although with a lack of amenities it does pay to arrive fully prepared.
Sugar Beach, Soufrière, St Lucia
Located in the southwestern part of St Lucia, not far from the town of Soufriere, this beach offers visitors a wonderful setting for an array of activities, or an idyllic destination to simply chill out and enjoy a spot in paradise.
The chances are that the Lonely Planet research team probably stayed at the Sugar Beach resort, which is a huge expanse on a former sugar plantation. It is from there that guests can obtain equipment for snorkelling, sailing, kayaking and windsurfing, as well as all the necessary scuba diving instruction and certification. It is well deserving of this latest recognition that will only serve to allow the attraction of the beach to go from strength to strength.
Trunk Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands
Trunk Bay is part of the Virgin Islands National Park and gets its name from the Leatherback turtle, which is endemic to the USVI and locally known as “trunks”. The beach is actually situated on St. John and is the island’s most visited.
It has previously been voted one of the top ten in the world by a travel magazine, so this accolade will possibly be seen as an just another endorsement of that award. This is yet another for the snorkelling community, with its own marked underwater trail for beginners, in glorious clear turquoise waters. This beach does unfortunately get rather crowded with cruise ship passengers finding it very appealing.
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