VACATION IDEAS

30 Beautiful Photos of the Caribbean

Nothing inspires a beach escape quite like a dreamy photo. These 30 sun-drenched images, taken by our BT audience, show off the variety and appeal of destinations like Cozumel, Vieques, and Cuba.

By Budget Travel Staff, Thursday, Jan 3, 2013, 11:00 PM | Subscribe to the magazine

"A beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico."
(Courtesy laminarwind/myBudgetTravel)
"The Baths, British Virgin Islands."
(Courtesy mlboyer1/myBudgetTravel)
"On the northern edge of Cozumel, there is a Mayan resort called Passion Island that's accessible only by boat. We enjoyed an incredible day of swimming, walking, and eating the best guacamole I've ever had. I kept watching these cormorants and the native fishermen in the background. I think I know who the better 'fishermen' are."
(Courtesy BigDogMom13/myBudgetTravel)
"Colorful Hobie Cats stand tall on the sand and await their time to sail at Rendezvous Bay on the Caribbean island of Anguilla."
(Courtesy melpilgrim/myBudgetTravel)
"Kayaks on the beach in Cancún."
(Courtesy pbowen/myBudgetTravel)
"A volleyball net in the blue waters off Grand Cayman."
(Courtesy tkalexander/myBudgetTravel)
"Small fishing boat at Doctor's Cave Beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica."
(Courtesy willdrew/myBudgetTravel)
"Tulum, Mexico."
(Courtesy AndrewPaul/myBudgetTravel)
"Wiliamstad, Curaçao—a trip to the Netherlands without the long flight."
(Courtesy JIMDEAN/myBudgetTravel)
"Sailboats in the southern Caribbean."
(Courtesy mlboyer1/myBudgetTravel)
"A taxi in Cuba."
(Courtesy Tuckerg/myBudgetTravel)
"Elkhorn coral in Bonaire—the reef system there is so beautiful and healthy."
(Courtesy lsullivan/myBudgetTravel)
"Beautiful beach on the north shore of the Dominican Republic."
(Courtesy ronhartley99/myBudgetTravel)
"The Caribbean island of St. Lucia is full of natural beauty! The Pitons make this landscape magnificent."
(Courtesy egyptianheidi/myBudgetTravel)
"Most of the beaches on Vieques, a small Puerto Rican island, are called by the color code the U.S. Navy once used for its landing exercises. Punta Arenas Beach, or Green Beach, is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places on the island."
(Courtesy andypro/myBudgetTravel)
"This is a photo of Castillo de San Cristobal, a historic Spanish fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was completed in 1783 and covers about 27 acres."
(Courtesy sojourner73/myBudgetTravel)
"A church on Aruba."
(Courtesy mlboyer1/myBudgetTravel)
"On the north side of Isla Colón, Panama, there is a nearly empty white-sand beach with beautiful wildlife. We saw stingrays, jellyfish, and many colorful starfish."
(Courtesy KStassen/myBudgetTravel)
"The view of Trunk Bay from St. John, U.S.V.I."
(Courtesy rgtmum/myBudgetTravel)
"St. Thomas was full of quaint side paths just off the main streets. Quaint, quiet, and peaceful, these less crowded areas offered some beautiful picture opportunities."
(Courtesy wellw001/myBudgetTravel)
"A colorful view of the Caribbean, as we look down on Marigot Bay on St. Martin from Fort Louis, on the French side of the island."
(Courtesy TracyP/myBudgetTravel)
"A brewing storm seen from St. Croix's West End."
(Courtesy Margate/myBudgetTravel)
"A lone tree rises in silhouette against cotton-candy sunset clouds in Belize City. Panned by many guidebooks, the capital nevertheless offers a funky Caribbean vibe and decent seafood, along with a bustling port that is a travel hub for the entire region."
(Courtesy bberwyn/myBudgetTravel)
"Divi-divi trees at sunset on Aruba."
(Courtesy shattman/myBudgetTravel)
"Having never left the borders of the U.S. and needing a big change, I decided to go backpacking through the Yucatán Peninsula. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The adventure began on Isla Mujeres, only two buses and one ferry ride away from the tourist trap of Cancún (which you can see on the horizon)."
(Courtesy believeinyourhands/myBudgetTravel)
"Manchebo Beach, Aruba."
(Courtesy ydmarkin/myBudgetTravel)
"A secluded beach in Costa Maya, Mexico—typical of many beaches in the Caribbean, with its swaying palm trees and white sand."
(Courtesy sojourner73/myBudgetTravel)
"White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands."
(Courtesy mademoisellemermaid/myBudgetTravel)
"A hummingbird in Grenada."
(Courtesy jnine13/myBudgetTravel)
"View of the Caribbean Sea in Cancún, Mexico."
(Courtesy prolwing/myBudgetTravel)