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Want to sun on a beach somewhere and not have it cost an arm and a leg? We can help with that.
Want to sun on a beach somewhere and not have it cost an arm and a leg? We can help with that. (Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority)

Tropical Islands You Can Stay on for Less Than $100

Spending a night in paradise doesn鈥檛 have to cost as much as a month鈥檚 rent back home

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Want to sun on a beach somewhere and not have it cost an arm and a leg? We can help with that.
(Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority)

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Did聽you know that 52 percent of American workers聽? Maybe we鈥檙e not using all that PTO because we tend to think of vacations as grand聽endeavors that are often too expensive to be worth it. And sure, a tropical-island getaway sounds pricey and hard to pull off, but what if we said聽you could stay in a low-key, off-the-radar beach town for less than $100 a night? And we鈥檙e not talking about bunk beds in backpackers鈥 hostels. These are sweet accommodations聽where you can swim in the ocean, hike a volcano, and read a book in a hammock. Don鈥檛 wait. It鈥檚 time to actually use those vacation days.

Lanzarote, Spain

(Xyzspaniel/Wikimedia Commons)

On Lanzarote, in Spain鈥檚 Canary Islands, you can cycle scenic roadways, hike the craters of Timanfaya National Park, windsurf, and kiteboard. The island has plenty of upscale hotels, or you can find affordable, low-fuss guesthouses and bungalows. At the family-owned聽 (from $97), you鈥檒l have views of inland vineyards and volcanic peaks from your cottage or yurt. There are also yoga classes, surf lessons, and bike rentals, or stay put and enjoy the saltwater pool and home-cooked breakfasts.

Saint聽Lucia, Caribbean

(Saint Lucia Tourism Authority)

People don鈥檛 typically look to the Caribbean for budget-friendly destinations. But you can do Saint聽Lucia, in the Lesser Antilles, on the cheap if you know where to look. Lounge on the volcanic island鈥檚 golden sands, paint yourself in mud at聽, and ride eight miles of rainforest singletrack at聽. At聽, cottages start at just $90 a night during the low season if you stay for a week. Tag along on one of the guided hikes to the top of 2,619-foot Gros Piton, one of the Caribbean鈥檚 most iconic peaks, then stretch out in the yoga barn or on the estate鈥檚 secluded beaches. 聽

Pahoa, Hawaii

(Courtesy Glamping Hub)

This laid-back town on the Big Island is back up and running after the 2018 volcanic eruption of Kilauea, but tourism has been slow to return. Which means you can score empty beaches and good deals on lodging. The聽, which closed during the eruption due to its location within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, is now fully operational, and you can stay in a refurbished camper cabin for $80 a night or rent camping gear and a tent site for $55 a night. Want to be closer to the ocean? Book聽this聽 (from $61), which is聽walking distance to a black-sand beach near Pahoa.

Koh Mak, Thailand

(Pxhere)

Many of Thailand鈥檚 bustling southern islands are filled with full-moon partiers and tour busses. Not Koh Mak, a small, six-square-mile isle in the Gulf of Thailand聽that鈥檚 reached by a one-hour speedboat ride from Trat, on the mainland. The place feels untouched, friendly, and blissfully peaceful. Sleep in a bungalow on the beach for $37 a night at聽, and watch the most stunning sunset of your life from your porch or the on-site and aptly named Sunset Bar. From there, rent bikes to pedal village to village, snorkel through turquoise waters, or take a Thai cooking class.

Anna Maria Island, Florida

(Courtesy Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce)

Slow, old-fashioned charm permeates this seven-mile-long barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, just an hour south of Tampa. You鈥檒l get about by bicycle, sea kayak, or the free island trolley, and beach time is the main activity here.聽Gear-rental company聽 will deliver cruiser bikes, paddleboards, and kayaks to聽your vacation rental, but there鈥檚 also sailing and fishing charters. Most of the island鈥檚 hotels are on the pricier side, but you can find an聽 just a block and a half from the ocean聽with a shared pool for $99.

Isla Holbox, Mexico

(Pedro Mendez)

Separated from the mainland by a sandbar and shallow lagoon that鈥檚 part of the Yum Balam Nature Reserve, Isla Holbox is only accessible by airplane or ferry, meaning there鈥檚 little in the way of development. There are, however, small fishing villages filled with colorful homes and one of the of the planet鈥檚 largest concentrations of whale sharks just offshore. Snorkel the reef聽Cabo Catoche, fish for sea trout, and swim with sharks while you鈥檙e there.聽 (from $86) has a pool, garden, and rooms ten聽minutes from the beach.

Culebra, Puerto Rico

(Courtesy Casita Tropical)

Culebra, 18 miles east of Puerto Rico鈥檚 mainland, was hit hard by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The island聽is still recovering, but most of the guesthouses and聽restaurants are back open, and the beaches are as pristine as ever. Don鈥檛 expect Wi-Fi or hotel chains here鈥攖his is a tranquil, low-tech escape.聽,聽a mile from the beach, has rooms from $80 and will outfit you with聽chairs and towels. Be sure to hike a mile to Carlos Rosario Beach and snorkel the amazing the coral.

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