The Best Beach Bars in the Caribbean
With sublime beach views, laid-back vibes, and colorful cocktails, the Caribbean’s best beach bars and restaurants deliver an extraordinary mix of fun in the sun. Great for glorious, languid days and creating sun-tinted “Wish You Were Here” postcard moments, these spots are so much more than waterfront bars. Whether you’re seeking a beachfront no-frills shack, a sophisticated hotel bar, or a kitschy watering hole, we’ve got you covered. Plant your toes in the sand, order a cocktail, and prepare for the hours to slip by at these beach bars in the Caribbean.
This gallery was last published in April 2019. It has been updated with new information.
Bjorn Wallander/Courtesy Cheval Blanc Isle de FranceLa Cabane Beach Bar, St. Barts
There’s no better place to experience St. Barts’ legendary people-watching, high fashion, and gastronomy than this new beachfront bar and restaurant at Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France. Following in the footsteps of its pre–Hurricane Irma predecessor, La Cabane de L’Ilse, there are great views of Flamands Beach plus light lunches of salads, gourmet burgers, and tequila-forward libations to enjoy with your new A-lister friends. While the most coveted seats are in the sand, there’s also ample seating under the roofed bar area.
Joe VaughnLa Plaj Beach Bar, St. Martin
Exceptional beach views abound at Belmond La Samanna, St. Martin, which shoulders Baie Longue, the island’s most prized stretch of surf and sand. So it should come as no surprise that the property’s intimate beach bar is the place to embrace the art of beachfront living on this French-Dutch island. Get cozy on a couch or cushioned lounger, order a pricey glass of French wine, and ogle the ultra-turquoise waters ahead.
Courtesy Sugar Beach, A Viceroy ResortBayside Bar, St. Lucia
Along the shore of Anse des Pitons and under the shade of almond trees, the beach bar at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort promises a front row seat to the Caribbean’s most extraordinary topographical phenomenon—Gros Piton and Petit Piton, a duo of lush, towering mountains that rise dramatically from the ocean. Marvel at the powerful scenery, lunch on wood-fired pizzas, and savor the potent, strawberry-passion fruit caipiroskas before taking a dip in the cool waters.
Courtesy Four Seasons Nevis/Christian Horan PhotographyKastawey Beach Bar, Nevis
Savor the luxury-spiked simple life at the charming beach bar at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies, with exceptional views of Pinney’s Beach. Sip the Nevisian Spirit Rum Punch in a hammock or pull up a chair and bury your feet in the sand for a traditional lunch of lobster roti and spiced jerk chicken, washed down with a few local island beers. Not ready to leave by late afternoon? Make your way over to the resort's floating pier, which, come 5 p.m., transforms into a sunset pop-up bar, with 360 degrees of oceanic bliss.
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Tadeu Brunelli/Courtesy Baha MarOut Island Bar at Baha Mar, Bahamas
This 1950s-inspired beachside bar is one of 42 noteworthy bars and restaurants at the Baha Mar mega-resort. But what makes this watering hole so special—aside from an unforgettable view over dreamy Cable Beach and a design-forward feel—is that it’s located on the exact spot where the famed Bahama Mama cocktail was invented some six decades ago.
Courtesy Mandarin Oriental, CanouanPool Bar at the Mandarin Oriental, Canouan, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
It may be a trek to reach Canouan (for the quickest option, hop on a Cessna from Barbados), but what awaits will be worth it: the ultimate pool and beach dream team at the Mandarin Oriental, Canouan. A high-design infinity pool spills on to pristine Godahl Beach with the full-service Pool Bar serving light, Peruvian Nikkei–inspired cuisine and refreshing cocktails. But that’s not all. The massive 1,200-acre hotel sprawls over four beaches, including L’Ance Guyac Beach, where there’s another eco-chic, palapa-topped beach bar.
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Courtesy Four Seasons Resort and Residences AnguillaHalf Shell Beach Bar, Anguilla
This 30-seat restaurant-bar at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Anguilla overlooks beautiful Barnes Bay and is a testament to the island’s reputation as a place for food lovers. Chow down on the signature spiny lobster roll and sip on imaginative drinks, including a spiked version of Dean’s Green Supreme, a juice made with fresh-picked leaves from local moringa trees, which are thought to have natural healing powers.
AlamySunshine’s Beach Lounge, Nevis
Colorfully painted in reds, yellows, and greens and over-embellished with sports memorabilia and international flags, this legendary Nevisian spot is what Caribbean beach bar dreams are made of. Don’t expect anything fancy—this laid-back place is beloved for its charming owner, quirky regulars, and famous Killer Bee rum punches.
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Paul RubioSandy Island, Anguilla
Off the Anguilla mainland is a spectacular speck of sand with just enough room for a restaurant shack, a few dozen lounge chairs, and a beach (the size of which depends on the tide). You’ll quickly discover that Sandy Island’s beach shack serves up the best barbecue crayfish in Anguilla—and a killer rum punch to wash it down. Arrive by private boat or the island’s daily water shuttle, all subject to a (sometimes very) wet landing.
AlamySunset Bar & Grill, St. Maarten
We'll admit it: downing cheap drinks at Sunset Bar & Grill and watching planes nearly scrape our heads as they land at Princess Juliana airport is a veritable St. Maarten ritual we’ve indulged in on more than one occasion. Head to this kitschy Caribbean mainstay and embrace the blaring music, the spring break vibe, and pizzas named after airlines.
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AlamySoggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Thanks to a sizable yachting community, beach-bar hopping between islands is a favorite pastime on the British Virgin Islands. And while there are many sandy watering holes to choose from, the undisputed king of the BVI scene remains the circa-1970s Jost Van Dyke legend: the Soggy Dollar Bar. Anticipate having a few rounds of rum-forward Painkillers—the drink was supposedly invented here—and complete the rite of passage by swimming to shore to pay with soggy dollars (though today’s bar tabs may require soggy twenties or hundreds).