The main road into Shoal Bay East dead-ends at Uncle Ernie's beach bar and barbecue, epicenter of all the action. In the shade between beach shacks, local entrepreneurs play dominos when they're not helping visitors arrange lounge chairs, umbrellas, snorkel trips, etc. Pick one place to plant your towel and then spend the day walking a few steps into the blue water and then a few the other way for fresh drinks. Or you can see it like a sea turtle, crawling from one beach bar to the next, maybe stopping to hook up with a water-sports operator for an offshore snorkeling excursion.

Day-trippers from St. Martin descend on the beach most afternoons, but anytime you're feeling cramped, simply walk east or west to find plenty of sandy space. Sundays are the biggest beach days, when most of the bars serve up live music.

Where to Stay: Madeariman Beach Club (264-498-3833; www.madeariman.com) tucks four suites and one studio into a garden just steps from the beach. Only palms stand between the beach and Shoal Bay Villas' (264-497-2051; www.sbvillas.ai) studios, apartments and suite.

Where to Play: Uncle Ernie's (264-497-3907) classic spot serves up everything from burgers to lobster; Elodias Beach Bar & Grill (264-497-3363) is great for West Indian beach barbecue.

Hot Stuff: Just to confuse first-timers, there are three Shoal Bays: East, Upper and West. All have excellent beaches. East is the widest and most popular, Upper offers similar attractions on a smaller scale, and West is simply beach, water and private resorts.

UPPER SHOAL BAY
Walk east along Shoal Bay East, go around the point where the beach elbows sharply south, and you'll come upon another mile of superb beach, Upper Shoal Bay. It's better to drive, though, because chances are you'll like this spot so much you'll want to stay (from Bay View Road, simply follow the signs for Gwen's Reggae Grill).

It's at Upper Shoal Bay that you'll walk on the whitest sand on the island--and arguably the entire Caribbean. The dazzling, snow-white scene is the result of a high concentration of oatmeal-like calcareous algae flakes, halimeda, produced by the extensive offshore reef and swept ashore here by currents.

The beach runs from the villa-dotted hills at the southern end, past Gwen's, then along a stretch of nothing but sand. Fine snorkeling is just a fin kick off the beach.

Where to Stay: Serenity Cottage (264-497-3328; www.serenity.ai) has four cottages split into one- and two-bedroom studios; as well as a restaurant and tiki bar.

Where to Play: Gwen's Reggae Grill (264-497-2120; www.gwensreggaegrill.com) is the coolest spot on the beach, with a full bar and barbecue; it's open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., showcasing live reggae on Sundays. Shoal Bay Scuba & Watersports (264-497-4371; www.shoalbayscuba.ai) offers scuba, snorkeling and sailing trips.

Hot Stuff: Though Uncle Ernie's gets all the attention, Gwen's is the best choice when you want to spend the entire day at one place. Great drinks (try her piña colada), superior food, easy snorkeling a few feet off the beach and, best of all, a palm grove--practically the only naturally shady spot on the entire island--complete with a fleet of hammocks.