I am a beach bum! I’ve fortunately travelled to a beach destination every year for most of my adult life. So if you love to swim in the ocean too, this post is for you! Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL shares our favourite beaches for swimming.
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“The beach is my happy place! It brings my soul happiness!”
Nurture Happiness Today
Listed below are my favourite beaches, mainly in the Caribbean, that are great for swimming. Of course there are certainly other beaches that should be included on the list, but we may not have been there…yet! Also note:
- Some beaches, although beautiful, are not good for swimming. Some are rocky, have rough waters, and some are better for surfing.
- Seaweed & sargassum: unfortunately this has negatively and overwhelmingly impacted many beach destinations, especially during the warmer months, for the last few years. Before booking any beach destination, research the current seaweed situation! This is repeated and emphasized throughout the article as we know of people who have booked vacations and not been able to swim in the ocean as they expected.
Be sure to check out the Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL and RESORTS & HOTELS section for more posts and tips on the individual destinations, hotels where we have stayed, and excursions (more posts to come!).
Grace Bay Beach, Turks & Caicos
Considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, often at the top of the lists, Grace Bay is absolutely stunning!
We’ve been to Grace Bay Beach twice at the time of writing. In my humble opinion, if you are a beach lover, this is a must-visit beach which has amazing water for swimming!
We were just there for vacation in June 2022 and I would return again to this incredible beach!
Over three miles long (roughly five kilometres), Grace Bay is perfect for long walks along the beach. The powdery sand is soft and white.
- The waters in the spring were always calm and perfect for swimming.
- Breath-takingly beautiful, the waters are clear and turquoise blue in colour.
- The waters in the spring were always calm and perfect for swimming.
- Due to the location, sargassum and seaweed is rarely an issue for Grace Bay Beach. We visit in the spring and have never experienced issues.
Bavaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Bavaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (November 2022) – Image Source: Nurture Happiness Today
The Dominican Republic has many beaches and draws visitors from around the world. I have been multiple times and would return to Bavaro Beach.
- Soft powdery sand beach, great for long walks.
- The waters can be both calm and lively, depending on the weather, month, and season.
- The beach is open to the public, busy, and lined with resorts. Vendors may approach you while on the beach.
- Due to the seaweed and sargassum issues in recent years, be sure to research the current situation! It can potentially be an issue depending on the year and month, especially in the summer.
- I’ve visited in the spring and winter, always able to swim daily.
- During our last visit in December 2022, there was some seaweed but it was not a major issue fortunately. The seaweed was visible on the beach and in the water some days. However, we swam in the ocean everyday during this visit; the summer situation maybe very different and should be researched. Seaweed in the hotter months can be a major problem here.
- Some hotel layouts are very crowded on their beachfront. If this is an issue for you as well, make sure to to research your hotel and reviews. Depending on your resort, your beachfront can be very spacious or somewhat cramped with loungers side by side as we saw during our daily walks.
Reduit Beach, St. Lucia
On a lush, beautiful island, Reduit Beach in St. Lucia surpassed our expectations! The water and the beach were beautiful!
- Soft, golden-coloured sand.
- Calm waters during our week-long stay in the spring.
- Public beach:
- vendors may approach you on the beach but it was never a major disturbance.
- There may be days where passengers from visiting cruise ships are on the beach.
- Some beachfront hotels appear to have busy, somewhat cramped beach lounge areas! Differences in the hotel beachfront layouts are noticeable as you walk along Reduit beach from end to end.
- Massages on the beach: if your hotel does not have a spa, you may want to walk along the beach to check for options. We had a wonderful couples massage on the beach in front of another hotel by two registered massage therapists.
- Be sure to research the current situation of seaweed and sargassum as St. Lucia can be negatively impacted.
For availability and hotels in the larger surrounding area of Gros Islet in Saint Lucia:
Bahamas beaches
Bahamas is comprised of hundreds of islands and thus has many beaches. We have only been to the beaches at the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort in Nassau so far. The white sand beaches and clear waters were so beautiful that we had professional photos taken there! The waters were calm and stunning, perfect for swimming.
Ultimately, I would return Bahamas to see the other islands and beaches as well! Be sure to check for our Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL post on Bahamas and the resort for more details:
Reminder that due to the seaweed and sargassum issues in recent years, be sure to research the current situation as Bahamas can be negatively affected.
Check here for availability and reservations:
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
My ultimate dream destination that became a reality!
The Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa had soft white sand beaches and had incredibly clear blue waters.
The waters at the resort were always calm to swim in and enjoy water sports like paddle boarding or just laying on an inflatable water float.
Also, I highly recommend leaving the resort on excursions to truly enjoy and see the waters and other beaches in Bora Bora. We went snorkeling, swam with sharks and stingrays, and saw the coral reefs in the crystal clear waters of Bora Bora (read our article here on Day Trips To Do in Bora Bora).
For availability and reservations:
Antigua beaches
Antigua has so many beaches, one for each day of the year as is often noted! There are two beaches great for swimming included in our list, from two resorts I stayed at, in Antigua: Galley Bay Resort and Spa and the Pineapple Beach Club. The beaches here were basically only used by the guests, and therefore never felt crowded, nor were we approached by vendors. I never had to wake up early at these two resorts to secure umbrellas, loungers, and spots on the beach. The beaches and resorts were beautiful and truly relaxing:
The beach at the all-inclusive Galley Bay Resort and Spa:
- the resort is located on one of the best beaches in Antigua.
- soft, white sand beach that is nearly three quarters of a mile.
- water is great for swimming.
The beach at the all-inclusive Pineapple Beach Club resort:
- beautiful, soft white sand beach
- the water is very calm, particularly due to the location and hotel surroundings, great for swimming.
- the resort is on 30 private acres.
Reminder, due to the seaweed and sargassum issues in recent years, be sure to research the current situation in Antigua.
Other beautiful beaches:
- Kanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A:
- Beautiful golden coloured sand beach that is approximately one mile long.
- The beach is lined with several resorts and hotels, never feeling crowded on the beach or in the nearby town of Lahaina.
- Loungers and umbrellas were available for rental fees. Fees are possibly charged per day or per use, even if staying at a beachfront resort. Inquire and confirm details with your hotel.
- Maui has also black sand beaches – we were unfortunately not able to swim at the black sand beach (pictured below) due to the rain and time constraints on our excursion.
- Palm Beach, Aruba:
- A beautiful soft, white sandy beach that is about two miles long with beautiful waters.
- Palm Beach is busy. It is a high tourist area, lined with hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
- Public beach. There are umbrellas and loungers available to rent if you are not staying at a beachfront resort.
- I did find the beach breezy and windy everyday; it was not an issue for me.
There are many gorgeous beaches not yet included in this article of our favourite beaches for swimming! We hope to visit and write about the many more places to explore! Happy travels and enjoying planning your own beach vacations!
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For more articles, be sure to take a look at Nurture Happiness Today‘s other features on travel, food, and inspiration for happiness:
- Nurture Happiness Today TRAVEL and RESORTS & HOTELS
- Nurture Happiness Today FOODIE
- Nurture Happiness Today – inspiration for happiness such as quotes, speeches and lifestyle posts.
