Anonymous wrote:For those saying Sicily, can you say which beach?

I admit I haven’t been to a lot of the carribean islands but my favorite beaches so far have been hapuna beach on the big island, or if you want a beach that is walkable to restaurants and such, either of the beaches in San Sebastián (water at concha slightly warmer but beach slightly more touristy).

NP - lived in Sicily with the Navy. Marina di Ragusa is our favorite standalone beach area - blue flag beach, clear water and long stretch of sand. Lots of restaurants on boardwalk. San Vito Lo Capo has a stunning setting and beautiful blue water, so very dramatic. And of course Cefalu - lovely town, and beach right at the edge of historic center. I adore Cefalu! The whole island is gorgeous, but those were our faves. Taormina is fine, but the nearby beach is rocky.

On an island you are not 100% safe from natural disaster.
Neither are you anywhere.
But in an island you are isolated. One of my friends grew up on an island, and she would never choose to live on one as an adult.

I’m not even saying, don’t, but wrap your head around it and decide with that knowledge.

Anonymous wrote:Cayman is beautiful and safe and easy to navigate on your own with a rental car.

St. Lucia has rough water and is not a safe island for tourists to navigate alone.

But St Lucia is gorgeous. Jade mountain is like nothing else and worth every penny

PEI

Anonymous wrote:People who are saying Anguilla or Cayman, please explain why.

Cayman is safe. But it also has warm, SUPER CLEAR water for snorkeling. And the color of the water is beautiful. I watch a lot of Hawaii House Hunters episodes, and it is beautiful too... but much less convenient if you live on the East Coast. Cayman is great if you want beach and snorkeling -- and you are not going to deal with jet lag.

Paros, Greece
Maui
Urban with nice beaches and the Hotel Del: Coronado Island in San Diego

St Lucia is pretty. Traffic is chaotic even in a taxi we had a fender bender and drivers fought. Snorkeling not great. It's a stay in your resort place or charter a boat.

Kauai

Anonymous wrote:Anguilla posters — where would you recommend staying? I was just looking at spring break and 4 seasons and cap Julica look to be about 1500 room a night. Anyplace that still feels very nice on a nice beach that would be under 1K a room a night?

Go to Trip Advisor and stay at one of the smaller, highly rated properties. Lots to choose from.

Anguilla posters — where would you recommend staying? I was just looking at spring break and 4 seasons and cap Julica look to be about 1500 room a night. Anyplace that still feels very nice on a nice beach that would be under 1K a room a night?

St. Thomas/St. John

Pretty much any Greek island, depending on whether you require sandy beaches or not. Do you like a specific type of beach? Do you want anything more than just nice beaches?

For those saying Sicily, can you say which beach?

I admit I haven’t been to a lot of the carribean islands but my favorite beaches so far have been hapuna beach on the big island, or if you want a beach that is walkable to restaurants and such, either of the beaches in San Sebastián (water at concha slightly warmer but beach slightly more touristy).

Anonymous wrote:Galapagos. But don’t stay on the islands; instead, take one of the boats that has about 25 passengers. It’s small enough to have a ton of personal interactions with the guides but big enough to avoid sea sickness. Seeing the Galapagos totally changed me—I fell in love with earth and the ocean in a way I hadn’t expected. Truly beautiful! Worth the $$.

I liked the Galapagos but it’s not a good beach vacation. The islands are mostly very rocky and vegetation is scarce. It’s interesting but honestly didn’t find it life changing and didn’t think it was really worth double a trip to Hawaii or one of our great national parks. There are lots of places to see incredible nature and tons of marine animals for less money. Just saying this so that all the people that can’t really afford Galapagos don’t feel bad.

Can the St. Lucia posters elaborate? I have heard and read mixed reviews. What’s so great - is it because it’s mountainous?