OP here, this is all very helpful. With travel, this is easily a 5 day trip which is fine. I just thought more than 3 days at the beach would be too much and we’d be too sunburned anyways.

Thank you!

Four Seasons Anguilla or any other resort there. The amount of time it takes to get there means a 5 day trip, trust.
Turks and Caicos, United has a direct flight in their busy season (doesn't seem to run peak summer).
Out Island of the Bahamas, needs more time and likely a beach rental or smaller resort.
Aruba, but it is very westernized.
St John, close, domestic, United has direct flights, maybe buy someone's week at the Westin.

I think the 3 day stipulation goes against what you are looking for, the travel time is really a full day. 5 full days is really needed for crystal clear water.

Four Seasons in Anguilla

OP, with a short trip like that you should look at islands that you can get to with a direct flight.

So I'm throwing out Turks & Caicos and Dominican Republic f r having direct flights from the DC area (as does Aruba).

Orient Bay Beach Hotel (nice, fantastic beach for snorkeling) or La Sammana (luxury, beautiful) in St. Martin.

Curacao. Stunning beaches that are small and don't get overcrowded, and beautiful town to walk around in on non-beach days. The water is warm and calm as well. Excellent food, as well.

Sorry, PALM beach.

While I enjoy Aruba, OP should be aware that the hotels on Pal Beach do get extremely crowded. Not a dealbreaker but something to point out since she mentioned it.

You didn't say anything about price. If that isn't a problem:

Little Dix in Virgin Gorda or Cap Jaluca or Four Seasons in Anguilla.

Anonymous wrote:Aruba is what you want. Any hotel. Curaco also. Any hotel.

+1

I would go to aruba. Hyatt is nice. 3 days isn’t long enough. 5 barely is.

Aruba is what you want. Any hotel. Curaco also. Any hotel.

We just came back from Royalton Blue Waters in Jamaica with our 8,11 and 21 year old. We all loved it especially the kids as they had a kids water park section and a lazy river. Buffet got old after two days, but the restaurants that required reservations were great.

We stayed in the 2-bedroom suite which included a butler.

In winter. Most of carribean had the seaweed crowding the beaches and making them uniseable. Or aruba.
We liked paradisus Palma real in the DR (went early spribg years ago before seaweed was an issue). Snorkeled close to shore and there were fish etc. good all inclusive buffed, tired rooms but who cares. We went with little kids but it would be fun with older who like to swim. The pool is fancy but the Non reserve rooms sre super close to the ocean and its a smaller resort so i liked it better.

I have looked all over the internet and find this quest exhausting. Here is what I am looking for, does it exist?

-kids allowed. I have a 12 year old who wants to be a fish but we don’t need a huge kids club.
-quiet and not a Sandles or beaches type place that attracts crowds.
-shallow lagoon/perfect waters to swim, snorkel and just be a fish all day. I mean gorgeous pristine water
- doesn’t have to be all inclusive, but can be and good needs to be good.
- some things to do as a break from being a fish. Maybe fishing, sailing, a cute town, adventure. But nothing demanding.
-not cheap, but not crazy expensive.

We would want to spend 3-5 days.

Any ideas would be appreciated.