Ten beaches from the Turks and Caicos to the Bay Islands of Honduras, ranked by the sand and water, with the way in and the months to go for each.
We ranked these ten by the beach itself: the sand and the water, the setting around them, and how well each holds up to the people who come. Central America and the Caribbean count as North America here, as they do on our continent page.
Fine white sand on the north shore of Providenciales, with water kept calm by the barrier reef offshore. The bay lies inside Princess Alexandra National Park, public paths run between the resorts, and the snorkelling at Bight Reef starts from the sand at its western end.
Aruba's widest beach: soft white sand, calm water and the island's much-photographed fofoti trees, a short drive north of Oranjestad. The island sits south of the main hurricane belt, and from spring the dunes are roped off for nesting sea turtles.
A white-sand bay on St John with a small cay offshore and an underwater snorkel trail, marked by plaques on the seabed, around it. It is the one beach in the national park that charges a day-use fee; arrive early, before the day-trip boats from St Thomas.
A long, unbroken run of soft sand on Grand Cayman's west coast, a little shorter than its name and open to the public along its whole length. The sea is calm and clear, and Cemetery Beach at the north end has a reef close enough to swim out to.
A horseshoe of white sand on Culebra, an island off Puerto Rico's east coast reached by ferry from Ceiba. The curve of the bay keeps the water calm, and old tanks left from the US Navy's target practice sit, painted over, at its western end.
About three miles of sand on Harbour Island's Atlantic shore, tinted pink by the crushed shells of foraminifera, tiny organisms of the reef. The colour shows best in the wet sand at the water's edge; the island is a short water taxi from North Eleuthera.
Pale sand and palms just south of the Maya ruins of Tulum, the one beach here with an ancient city on the cliff next door. The beach itself is free to reach; sargassum seaweed can wash in from spring to late summer, so check conditions before you plan around it.
Two miles of white sand on a calm bay south of St. George's, shaded by palms, almond and sea grape trees. It is the island's own beach as much as a resort strand, with vendors on the sand and a short taxi ride from town.
Soft sand on the western tip of Roatán, with the Mesoamerican reef close enough to snorkel from the beach, nearest at the southern end. Cruise-day excursions fill it by late morning, so come early or stay the night.
A crescent of white sand inside a national park on Antigua's southeast coast, with Atlantic surf in the middle and calmer water at its edges. Few people make the drive, about 40 minutes from St. John's, and there is a bar by the car park.
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