How to Get to the Best Beaches in the Caribbean

caribbean beachNow that we've told you our top 10 Caribbean beaches in the May 6 Travel Agent magazine cover story, allow us to tell you how to get your clients there.

1. Grace Bay Beach

Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos is located less than 10 miles away from the Providenciales International Airport. According to www.turksandcaicostourism.com, here are the most notable flights available to Providenciales International Airport:

On American Airlines, for the winter season, there are three daily flights from Miami, and one a day from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Direct flights are also available from Boston on Saturdays.

Delta Air Lines offers service six times a week from Atlanta (no Tuesday flight), plus a second flight on Saturdays.

US Airways offers two daily flights from Charlotte. Direct flights are also available from Boston and Philadelephia on Saturdays and Sundays.

United Airlines flies direct to Turks and Caicos from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey three days a week.

JetBlue Airways fly there direct from both New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and Boston's Logan International Airport. The service to JFK is daily while the Saturday service to Boston is seasonal and available from November to April.

Other airlines that fly there include Air Canada and WestJet.

2. Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, The Cayman Islands is located just 15 minutes from the Owen Roberts International Airport. According to www.caymanislands.ky, here are here are the most notable flights available to Owen Roberts International Airport:

There are more than 55 weekly flights into the Cayman Islands including 28 flights each week between Miami and Grand Cayman with connections to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Direct service from Miami is provided by Cayman Airways and American Airlines.

Air Canada offers non-stop flights from Toronto to Grand Cayman every week, twice a week. 

Delta Air Lines operates a 148-seat Boeing 738-800 from Atlanta to Grand Cayman three days a week. The Atlanta-Grand Cayman service continues to operate year-round. American Airlines provides, non-stop daily flights from Miami to Grand Cayman. US Airways serves Grand Cayman with non-stop flights from Charlotte and Philadelphia.

United operates a Boeing 737-700 aircraft equipped with 12 first class and 112 economy class seats. United now has direct service from Houston and Newark.

WestJet offers non-stop service, from Toronto to Grand Cayman on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

JetBlue Airways offers nonstop flights from JFK in New York on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and nonstop flights to Boston on Saturdays.

3. The Baths

The Baths in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands is located just under 20 minutes from the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. According to www.bvitourism.com, when travellng to the BVI, there are no direct flights from the U.S, Canada, Europe or South America to the British Virgin Islands' main airport. All flights must connect through another Caribbean airport on islands such as Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Kitts or St. Maarten/St. Martin.

4. Shoal Bay Beach

Shoal Bay Beach is just a 20-minute drive from Anguilla’s Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport. According to www.ivisitanguilla.com, the airport is easily accessible by air through Anguilla's main gateways: Puerto Rico, St. Maarten/Martin, Antigua and St. Kitts.

From Puerto Rico, Anguilla is just a one-hour direct flight via Cape Air or Rainbow International Airlines. Its closest gateway is St. Maarten/Martin. From here, Anguilla’s Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport is just a seven-minute flight via Trans Anguilla, Anguilla Air Services or a private charter.

St. Maarten is serviced by most major international carriers including US Airways, United, Delta, Jet Blue, Air Canada, Air Transat (charter), Sky Service, West Jet, Air France, KLM, Copa, Corsair and more.

From Antigua, LIAT provides one scheduled flight per day into Anguilla.  Private air charters are also available to and from Antigua, St. Kitts and from various islands throughout the Caribbean.

5. Crane Beach

Crane Beach in St. Philip, Barbados is located just about five minutes from the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA). U.S. Airways, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are perhaps the most notable airlines heading to Barbados from the U.S. According to www.visitbarbados.com, flights are available from Miamia, North Carolina, New York and Dallas.


6. Anse Marcel Beach

Anse Marcel Beach in Anse Marcel, St. Martin is located a little over 20 minutes from the Princess Juliana International Airport by ferry and 45 minutes by land. The Princess Juliana International Airport is the second busiest airport of the hemisphere. Regular jet service from most metropolitan centers in the U.S.  turns travel to the Caribbean into an easy two- to three-hour commute from most cities on the U.S. East Coast. Jumbo jets also arrive from Europe, mostly Paris and Amsterdam. Read the Shoal Bay Beach section above for specific carriers that fly to St. Maarten/Martin.


7. Cinnamon Bay

Cinnamon Bay on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands is located closer to the Cyril E. King International Airport, which serves both St. John and St. Thomas while The Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport serves St. Croix. 

JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are perhaps the two most notable carriers flying directly to the U.S. Virgin Islands from the U.S. mainland. Other airlines that service St. John include United, Delta, Air Canada, West Jet and Porter Airlines.

8. Pink Sands Beach

Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island, Eleuthera, The Bahamas is located near the North Eleuthera International Airport. But we recommend flying to the Grand Bahama International Airport and taking a ferry to Eleuthera since Grand Bahama International Airport gets most of the direct flights from the U.S. 

AirTran Airlines offers nonstop from Atlanta and Baltimore. American Airlines offers nonstop from Dallas and Miami. JetBlue Airways offers nonstop from Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, New York and Westchester County. Delta Airlines offers nonstop from Atlanta and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. United offers nonstop from Newark and Houston.

9. Horseshoe Bay Beach

Horseshoe Bay Beach in Southampton Parish, Bermuda is located just six miles from the L.F. Wade International Airport, the sole airport serving Bermuda. Carriers that serve the destination include AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and US Airways.

10. Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica is located closer to the Negril Airport, but the better flights can be found at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, which is just 32 miles from Negril. Among the carriers that fly here are AirTran, American Airlines, Delta, United, US Airways and JetBlue.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com/Caribbean for all the latest Caribbean stories and news.