Top Crowd-Free Beaches in the Caribbean for a Winter Warm-Up

Consider quiet beaches on these 5 islands when searching for a place to escape the cold

Seeking a quiet beach escape in the Caribbean? Consider the black sands of Woodlands Beach in Montserrat and other locations featured below.

Steve Bennett

Terry Ward,

AARP

Published October 22, 2025

From Antigua and Barbuda’s catchphrase claim of a beach for every day of the year to the 270 miles of Puerto Rico’s golden coastline, the Caribbean steals the spotlight when it comes to beautiful beaches in abundance.

That said, hundreds of islands and cays spread across cerulean seas here make up the world’s largest cruising region. And when it comes to the most popular international travel destination for adults 50 and up, the Caribbean, along with Latin America, comes in second (after Europe), according to AARP’s 2025 travel survey results.

The Caribbean island nations and territories boom with tourism year-round. Finding a quiet beach to enjoy during peak season (from December to April) when temperatures are pleasant can be challenging. Read on for a few tips from frequent Caribbean travelers (including this author) if you’re looking to spend some time on a quiet beach removed from mass tourism — even during high-season travels.

Eleuthera in the Bahamas is a place where you can road-trip along the island’s narrow spine and find beaches you probably won’t share with anyone.

Alamy Stock Photo

Eleuthera, the Bahamas

I’ve made countless visits to the Bahamas on cruise ship itineraries over the past couple of decades. But a recent trip to 110-mile-long Eleuthera showed me the rewards of straying from the typical tourist destinations in this archipelago of 700 coral islands, among which roughly 30 are inhabited.

One of the Bahamas’ Out Islands, Eleuthera is a place where you can road-trip along the island’s narrow spine and find beaches you probably won’t share with anyone. French Leave Beach, on the eastern side of the island, has pale pink sands and shallow turquoise waters and stretches for over a mile near Governor’s Harbour.

Just north at Twin Coves Beach, pink sand beaches sheltered by offshore sandbars are popular with snorkelers. Tay Bay Beach, on Eleuthera’s north shores near a cave system that was used by the Eleutheran Adventurers (English Puritans who arrived here in 1647), is another secreted-away spot I love that most visitors miss.

Stay: Great glamping awaits in beachfront canvas tents, complete with air-conditioning and separate bathrooms, at the Other Side, a solar-powered property across the lagoon from busier Harbour Island.

a person wading in the water off the shore of a beach

Jolly Beach, on Antigua’s west coast, has plenty of room for everyone.

Adina Tovy/Alamy Stock Photo

Antigua and Barbuda

With 365 public beaches to explore, it shouldn’t be hard to find a few to put some space between you and the crowds in Antigua and Barbuda. Erin Carey, founder of travel PR agency Roam Generation and an experienced sailor, spent 18 months on a sailboat touring the Caribbean with her family in 2018 and 2019. She points to Antigua’s Jolly Beach, on the island’s west coast, as one of her favorites.

“At nearly a mile long, it is one of the island’s longest beaches, which means plenty of room for everyone,” Carey says, adding that there are shops and restaurants as well as a local marina nearby for grabbing a meal. “There are sun beds available at some locations of the beach, but if you walk closer to either end, you’ll likely find a place all to yourself,” she says.

Carey also says not to miss the sister island of Barbuda and its famous Pink Sand Beach, which is 17 miles long. “When we were there, we didn’t see a single other person. It really did feel like we had discovered paradise, and we had it all to ourselves,” she says.

Stay: On a quiet bay on Antigua’s southwest coast, the splurge-worthy Carlisle Bay has newly renovated suites, including some just steps from the resort’s horseshoe-shaped beach.

a long stretch of beach with a few beachgoers scattered along the sand

Grand Anse, a popular beach in Grenada, offers plenty of room to spread out and relax.

Alamy Stock Photo

Grenada

Grenada, located 100 miles off the coast of Venezuela, has volcanic soils where nutmeg, cocoa, cinnamon and cloves flourish, giving it its “Spice Island” nickname. Lifelong sailor Tim Geisler, who founded the sailing school Nautilus Sailing, says Grenada is for the more adventurous traveler who likes getting off the beaten path and into nature, as well as connecting with the local culture.

“Grenada seems set back in time and is today what much of the Caribbean was 30 years ago. The locals are genuinely friendly and not jaded by over-tourism,” he says. Uncrowded beaches of the black and golden sand variety abound on this 21-mile-long island. But even Grand Anse, the most popular one near the capital city of St. George’s, offers plenty of room to spread out and relax.

Stay: Right on Grand Anse Beach, check into Mount Cinnamon Beach & Wellness Resort’s hillside villas and suites overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

an empty beach with mountains in the background

Soufrière Hills volcano is visible from Barton Bay Beach on Montserrat.

Steve Bennett

Montserrat

Located in the Lesser Antilles to the southwest of Antigua and just 11 miles long, Montserrat is one of the smaller inhabited islands in the Caribbean. It makes a big impression, though, with the active Soufrière Hills volcano at the island’s summit spewing visible plumes into the air.

Stephen Bennett of travel website Uncommon Caribbean says the volcano’s dramatic silhouette makes a visit to Barton Bay Beach, accessible via a short hike from Bransby Point on the island’s west coast, one of the most distinctive – and uncrowded – experiences anywhere in the Caribbean.

The black sands of Woodlands Beach are another island favorite, with great swimming when conditions are calm. Montserrat’s only white-sand beach is the crescent-shaped stretch at Rendezvous Bay, lapped by gin-clear waters on the island’s northwest coast.

“Montserrat is one of the least-visited destinations in the Caribbean,” Bennett says, adding that the total number of stay-over visitors hasn’t surpassed 10,500 since 2019. “As such, Montserrat’s beaches are generally not a place where you’ll ever find crowds.”

Stay: A less than 10-minute drive from Woodlands Beach, Olveston House has a pool and six guest rooms surrounded by tropical gardens.

the puerto rican flag erected in the water off the shore of a beach

In Puerto Rico, venture away from the popular beaches for a new experience.

Courtesy Discover Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

I first traveled to Puerto Rico in my early 20s on a surf trip. Since then, repeat visits have taken me back with family, friends and, most recently, my kids on a Caribbean cruise. The Isla del Encanto has cast its beachy spell on me, from coast to coast. While some visitors never leave the resorts fronting Isla Verde Beach near San Juan, I suggest a 20-mile, roughly one-hour ferry ride from the town of Ceiba, on Puerto Rico’s east coast, to the island of Culebra. Here, you’ll find less-crowded playas like Flamenco Beach and, on the islet of Culebrita just east, the white sands of Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach), where sea turtles nest. You can even spot them at times while snorkeling in the warm waters of the shallow bay.

Stay: Steps from Flamenco Beach, Villa Flamenco Beach has studios with beach-facing balconies that can accommodate two people and larger efficiency apartments on the ground floor, with space for up to four.

%{postComment}%