Don’t spend all your money on where you sleep. Save some of it for food, drinks and excursions (and more food and drinks) when you spend less on these Caribbean beachfront hotels.
Easy and Affordable Caribbean Vacations | Top 30 All-Inclusives | Top 10 Beach Chair Views
Divi Dutch Village — Eagle Beach, Aruba
It might be part of a big hotel chain, but this all-suite low-rise on famed Eagle Beach is as boutique as it gets. At sunset, head next door to the beachfront Bunker Bar, a thatch-topped watering hole that draws crowds of local revelers. From $139, diviresorts.com
Idle Awhile — Negril, Jamaica
Bigger isn’t necessarily better on Negril’s famed strip. Small wonders at this boutique resort include a welcoming staff that makes you feel like long-lost family and delectable ackee and saltfish at Chill Awhile, the beachfront dining deck. From $150, idleawhile.com
Jakes — Treasure Beach, Jamaica
Eclectically decorated (think Morocco meets Mo’Bay) rooms, cottages and villas with evocative names like Starfish, Octopussy and Cowrie dot this coastal compound, where everyday cares are whisked away on every ocean breeze. From $95, jakeshotel.com
Las Palapas — Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Lazy afternoons here call for cocktails underneath your palapa and siestas in the hammocks strung on your patio. When you’re ready for some action, head to Avenida Quinta, at the northern end of this 13- mile beach, where a strip of bars, shops and restaurants promises something for everyone away from the beachfront hotels. From $164, laspalapas.com
Nueva Vida de Ramiro — Tulum, Mexico
No hot water, phone, TV, Internet or AC. Power comes courtesy of generators and solar and wind energy. And this makes it one of Tulum’s best-loved off-the-grid spots. This is the place to do nothing, so feel free to while away the hours surveying bone-white sands from the balcony of your seaside bungalow or lingering over a bowl of sopa de lima at Casa Banana restaurant. From $90. tulumnv.com
Numero Uno Guest House — Ocean Park, Puerto Rico
This romantic 11-room inn, formerly a private home, sits on one of Puerto Rico’s less traveled beaches, and although lively San Juan is minutes away, stay here to hole up in blissful tranquility. From $89, numero1guesthouse.com
Oualie Beach Resort — Oualie Bay, Nevis
The hammock is the best seat in the house at this cozy and family-friendly retreat on what many consider Nevis’ best strand. The only real action you’ll see is on Tuesday nights when lobster beach barbecues pull in a good-size local crowd and tourists from other beachfront hotels. From $138, oualiebeach.com
Siboney Beach Club — Dickenson Bay, Antigua
Charming owner Tony Johnson and his staff make sure your stay at this homey 12-room enclave set amid frangipani, flamboyant and breadfruit trees feels like a visit with old friends. Don’t miss getting a massage in the Zen garden and an early morning walk along Dickenson Bay. From $130, siboneybeachclub.com
Sibonne Beach Hotel — Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Here at Provo’s first hotel on its most famous strand, 12-mile Grace Bay Beach, you’ll be staying on the very same strip as the (not so) poor saps in the neighboring wallet-wrenching high-rises — but for about a quarter of the cost. From $110, sibonne.com
There was a time when this resort was known only to Dutch naturists. But after the windsurfers discovered it in the ’80s, it has become a favorite of super-fit kayakers, kiteboarders and windsurfers, who flaunt their physiques at the beach bars between sessions on the water. From $150, sorobonbeachresort.com
Tranquility Bay Resort — Ambergris Caye, Belize
Choose from one of 11 brightly painted cabanas at this speck of a resort set amid the 15,000-acre Bacalar Chico National Park. It’ll take you at least two flights and a boat ride to get here, but it’s worth it, if only to dive the Great Blue Hole or the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, just five minutes from your cabana. From $135, tranquilitybayresort.com
Tres Sirenas — Rincon, Puerto Rico
Life-size wooden sirens greet you at the door, and mermaid paintings and sculptures add a dash of whimsy. Each of only four rooms offers perfect views of the water, and the sound of waves lapping at the shoreline is a natural sleep machine. Gourmet breakfast on the waterfront terrace is an added treat. From $170, tressirenas.com
