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The trade winds are always blowing in the Caribbean, keeping the temperatures mild. In fact, you may feel slightly cool walking on the beach at night.
The year-round average water temperature in the Caribbean is a warm 77 degrees Fahrenheit and reaches a bathlike 84 degrees Fahrenheit or so in summer. Surf conditions are localized, so if the waves or undertow are threatening on your beach, you can usually find sheltered, calmer waters by taking a short walk. Ask the hotel staff for recommendations.
Here are some of the best stretches:
- Palm Beach (Aruba): Hailed by such magazines as Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best beaches in the world, the powder-white sands of Palm Beach put Aruba on the tourist map. On the tranquil leeward side of the island, this beach is set against a backdrop of Aruba's leading resorts. When there weren't enough palm trees for that Caribbean portrait of cliché charm, the government planted more. For beach buffs, Palm Beach is about as good as it gets in the Caribbean.
- The Gold Coast (Barbados): Some aficionados call this strip of white sand on the island's tranquil western coast "the Platinum Coast." Either name will do. This isn't one beach but a string of white-sand beaches that lie along this coast — take your pick. Naturally, all the swanky and fabled Barbados resorts chose this coastline for their tony locations. Expect tropical gardens, miles of palm trees, and secluded little coves with shallow reefs teeming with rainbow-hued fish. The shoreline is overcrowded and overbuilt, but this coast has plenty of sand and water for everyone.
- Seven Mile Beach (Grand Cayman): Beginning north of George Town, the capital, this beautiful beach of white sand stretches for 8.8km (5-1/2 miles). So, technically, it's not 7 miles, but when you're here that hardly seems to matter. With its deluxe resorts and string of small hotels and condos, this rather overbuilt beach evokes Aruba's Palm Beach. But even in winter when the resorts operate at peak capacity, the sands and tranquil waters still have plenty of room for everybody — families, honeymooners, and singles alike. Australian pines form a backdrop, and the beach strip offers an array of water sports. Most people describe its waters as translucent aquamarine.
- Seven Mile Beach (Negril, Jamaica): The Caribbean has another seven mile beach, and this one is actually 7 miles long, unlike the sandy coast of Grand Cayman. The Jamaican beach at this hedonistic resort is the biggest party beach in the West Indies. Envision an adult summer camp at its raunchiest — plenty of nudity, drinking, and illicit drugs. With all this debauchery, you may forget the sands and sea. That'd be a mistake. They're spectacular.
- Luquillo Beach (Puerto Rico): Lying 30 miles east of San Juan, this crescent-shaped public beach of golden sand is the best the island has to offer. Set near the tacky town of Luquillo, the beach stretches for 1/2 mile along a crescent-shaped bay fronting a backdrop of coconut palms. Sanjuaneros (you know, natives of San Juan) flock here by the hundreds on weekends for fun in the sun, but weekdays are more tranquil. A festive party atmosphere prevails here, with many water-sports kiosks to hook you up with everything from sailing to windsurfing. Dozens of beach shacks offer tasty island snacks such as cod fritters.
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