Caribbean Holiday

If by reasonable access from Miami you mean easy and affordable, then the Bahamas are your first choice. However, I get the impression that you are hoping to avoid the tourist rabble, and to do that would require avoiding Grand Bahama Island, Nassau, and Freeport International Airports… the center of gravity for Bahamas tourist swarm and the cookie-cutter all-inclusives.

I have flown in and around much of the Bahamas as a private pilot and through air charter.
So, I will offer this suggestion:

If you are truly looking for an alternative to the all-inclusive, all-type-of-tourist, going-coconuts approach, then research the southern Bahamas for a private residence/villa.

Long Island and Crooked Islands are my favorites. I often visit friends who have a beach house on Long Island. There is some civilization (but it is not a zoo), and these islands are beautiful, an adventure, romantic, not-too-secluded and safe. These islands do not feature large resorts, golf courses, and the crime that can be prevalent in the Northern Bahamas (or any other island nation once you "go off the reservation"). Mammoth commercial development has evaded the southern Bahamas out-islands; however there are ample villas and private residences for lease, and at prices that meet your budget.

If you plan on any scuba diving, dive shops are not as common as in the more populated inner-islands, but they do exist up and down Long Island. Reeldivers is in Salt Pond and when the owner Kris Newman is not busy filming under-water movies, he runs a scuba charter. He is an archetype character with great stories.

Bahamas Air flies out of Miami and into both Stella Maris and Deadman’s Cay airports.

Ciao !
 

I really like curacao. I hated bahamas, but I was only in Nassua. I like aruba, too.


if you want to fly a little longer, you could enjoy a bitching vacation on the islands in Thailand for 500 bucks a night

viceroy on anguilla....perfect (IMHO) blend of Caribbean character and contemporary design

I was really impressed with the Nisbet Plantation on Nevis. Very quiet, private, and luxurious in an understated and classy way. Their beach was mediocre, though. It may be closer to $700 a night IIRC, but check and see if they have any specials.

Nevis is cool, but not super-scenic like Tortola, or someplace. Some really nice plantation stuff, some great restaurants, but I was not very impressed with the beaches in general. But if I were just going to relax at my resort and maybe go out in the evening for dinner, the Nisbet would be near the top of my list.

I think I had to fly through SJU, but maybe you could get there through MIA.

I think St. John is one of the most beautiful Caribbean islands I've been to, with splendid beaches, but I have only day-tripped there, and don't know the hotel situation. It seems to be pretty high-end, though. Easy to get to.

I have spent some time time working or vacationing on, let's see, Puerto Rico (incl. Vieques and Culebra), St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, St. Martin, Saba, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Dominica. I can try to provide helpful opinions on any of these places if one of them interests you. I'm more of a go out and explore rather than a hang around the resort/beach type of guy, though, so YMMV.

David