The Bahama islands might not be the first place you would think of when looking for a stunningly white tropical beach. Because of the Bahamas' accessibility from the eastern United States, however, they remain one of the closest gateways toward sinking your toes in the sand. The out islands of the Bahamas, especially Eleuthera and Exumas, are known for several white, remote beaches. Venturing deeper into the Caribbean, The Turks and Caicos offer vast stretches of spectacularly white sand with a deeper hint of the hallmark emerald Caribbean water.
Some of the longest stretches of white sand are situated in the area known as the Greater Antilles. Here's where you'll find an all-night party on the nearly seven-mile stretch of Negril Beach in Jamaica. If you're not up for quite as much reggae and hedonism, check on nearby Seven Mile Beach on upscale Grand Cayman -- this one isn't truly seven miles, but it still provides plenty of room to plant yourself on a different spot of sand every day. Further east, St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands offers a coastline spotted with the whitest of foliage-framed beaches in the region. You'll hear the most about Trunk Bay, but Trunk's sister beaches, Cinnamon, Jumbie and Gibney, provide just as much beauty -- if not more -- when you consider the added seclusion these beaches provide.
Many tourists to the British Virgin Islands visit Cane Bay Gardens -- it's a pretty white-sand beach, and its accessible location helps boost its popularity. But residents of the British Virgin Islands will tell you that the remote island of Anegada provides superior white beaches and solitude. Another lesser-known Island, Anguilla, provides what might be some of the whitest beaches in the entire Caribbean. According to Conde Nast Traveler writer Ron Hall, whiter beaches may exist, but they're only accessible by boat. Through sand sampling analysis, Hall determined Anguilla's Shoal Bay the whitest, shiniest beach accessible by visitors without sails or rudders. Although it might not compare to Shoal Bay, the beaches on the islands of Grenada deserve a mention. Grand Anse seems to be winning the battle of the tourist and hotel development, but the smaller nearby Morne Rouge -- affectionately called BBC Beach by old-timers and locals --deserves a gold star for all-around beauty. Visitors really wanting to get away from it all can travel to nearby Caricou or Palm Island -- offering beaches reminiscent of something from "Gilligan's Island."
Although Aruba's dry, scrubby landscape isn't for visitors looking for palm-draped beaches, the island's Palm Beach has been touted as one of the world's whitest sand beaches. On Palm Beach, however, you're more likely to people watch or stop in at a beachfront bar than watch flora and fauna. For a break from the hub, you can always wander to Eagle Beach for a little more solitude, where you'll be sure to find a spot to plant that beach towel in the sand -- and lazily work on that tan.
