Tigertail Beach

Tigertail isn't a beach in the postcard sense — it's a slow ritual. You park beneath the sea grapes, cross a wooden boardwalk and arrive at a glassy lagoon that mirrors the morning sky before you ever reach the Gulf itself.

Wade across the lagoon and you'll find Sand Dollar Island: a thin spit of pure white sand where the only sound is the wind and the soft churn of the surf. Locals come here for the shelling — sand dollars, scotch bonnets, the occasional perfect olive — and stay for the silence.

By late afternoon the light softens into something cinematic. Bring a blanket, a book and nothing else. The island will take care of the rest.