Top-Rated Beaches of Barbados, Jamaica, and St. Lucia

What better way to enjoy this winter season (or the next) than to be outside soaking up the sunshine on a celebrated Caribbean beach? Discover a few of the most top-rated beaches of St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Barbados—regarded for their allure, setting, and watersports.

On resorts, like those we’ve mentioned prior, you can find tour desks that take you beyond the gates of your hotel/resort and into the heart of the island without compromising your decision to be pampered and cared for on your getaway.

Folkestone Beach | Barbados

Barbados is a nature lover’s paradise with tropical gardens and features like the bustling capital of Bridgetown’s natural wonder: a giant, thousand-year-old baobab tree that is so wide it takes 15 people to surround it. When it comes to beaches, family-friendly Folkestone Beach is just as storied as the capital’s ancient tree. Situated on the tranquil west coast, this beach is highly rated for its myriad of beach pursuits, water activities like glass bottom boat rentals, beachy facilities including picnic tables and restrooms, and diving opportunities. Other favorite amenities include beach bars and cafés, souvenir shops, a children's adventure park and playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, and more. Folkestone Beach is also home to the Barbados Government-run Folkestone Marine Park, a marine reserve stretching from Heron Bay to Sandy Lane Beach. The area features an aquarium with rare marine species, including coral and sponges. There is also a marine life photographic exhibit.

Quite possibly most revered for its teeming marine life, scuba diving in Barbados at Folkestone can be quite thrilling! Diving enthusiasts can delight in the nearby Stavronikita wreck, a sunken ship 120 feet below the water's surface and about a half of a mile from the shore. When pondering what to see in Barbados, make sure this beach makes the list!

Doctor’s Cave Beach | Jamaica

The Land of Wood and Water boasts plenty of alluring water-themed excursions like Dunn’s River Falls and Negril’s cliffside waterfall hikes and jumps. But arguably the most popular Jamaica beach is located on the island’s bustling hip strip in St. James, Montego Bay.

With its interesting back story, Doctor’s Cave Beach was a bath club in the early 1900s. A prominent doctor and his friends in the medical field once used the area as a private getaway. In the 1920s, following a visit to the beach, one doctor published an article about Jamaica in which he declared the Doctor’s Cave water had healing powers and could cure several common ailments such as arthritis, due to the combination of warm temperatures and the properties and minerals found in the beach’s cave. However, any chance to test this theory was wiped out when a hurricane in 1932 demolished the cave. Despite this, the beach retains its allure. Renowned for its soothing and warm water, immaculately manicured grounds, clean facilities, and popular beachfront restaurant and bar, Doctor’s Cave Beach remains a hip strip must-stop staple that visitors to the island and locals continue to frequent.

Sugar Beach | St. Lucia

Soufrière offers a world of interesting excursions and fascinating sightseeing opportunities including the famous Pitons, the island’s two mountainous volcanic plugs. St. Lucia beaches present a pristine turquoise sea. One such top-rated Soufrière beach is Sugar Beach. Also called Jalousie Beach, this stretch of paradise is popular for its variety of water activities, cozy beach beds, and vivid marine life. Sugar Beach-goers rave about this unspoiled beach not only because of its stunning tropical scenery and powdery sand but being encircled by the shadow of the island’s volcanic mountains while enjoying beach activities, is like no other experience in the world.

Snorkeling enthusiasts and divers will discover prime conditions for exploring St. Lucia’s rich underwater world. Explore from above the water on a paddleboard or kayak or choose a more fast-paced adventure on a jet ski. Perhaps the most enticing charms are the plentiful dive sites in the area—suitable for beginners and experienced divers alike. Experience the bests of St. Lucia diving with neighboring sites. Nearby Superman’s Flight, located at the base of the Petit Piton, is known for its underwater beauty and currents. Part of its allure is a Hollywood fun fact: some scenes of Superman II were filmed here and that’s how the popular dive site got its name. Huge barrel sponges and lovely soft orange sponges make this a most desirable dive. Home to diverse aquatic life, The Piton Wall dive has a wall that drops down hundreds of feet below. The sometimes-elusive seahorses have also been spotted on this dive. The Sugar Beach Reef is the area’s home reef and perfect for beginners or those needing a quick refresher!

Learn more about our destinations on islandroutes.com.