Cliffs vs. Beach

[BIG SHINY n Rootsy]

I have read quite a few posts on here in which folks say that they used to stay on the beach but since they tried the cliffs they will never go back to the beach. My question is........WHY? What could be so much better about staying on the cliffs? The views? The bars? The privacy? What is it?

We have been to many places up on the cliffs, and although most are very nice, we have never stayed at any of them. We are pretty much strictly beach people. I am VERY curious as to what the attraction to staying on the cliffs is. Please enlighten me. Thanks! BS

[billndonna]

We love both,we have stayed on the beach(Hedo)about 12 times and on the cliffs 2 times and we are doing 10 days on the cliffs this November.We love waking uo to that awesome view,the sound of the waves against the cliffs and coffee on the balcony watching the fisherman go by.It's also really nice to know that it is only a five minute ride to the beach where we can enjoy beach life and higglers etc...We can party on the cliffs or chill all the time,it's a mix of all things up there,you have to try it once to really understand how it is.

[freebirdny]

Staying on the beach: You get to have your feet in the sand and sit by the usually gentle ocean and wade in slowly when you want to. The people watching is great. You can walk the beach stopping along the way to sample some drink or food or go into a shop. Everything around you is much more accessible, like restaurants and shops. Sitting under a palm tree on the beach, a drink and a book in hand, watching people go by, talking to some, wading into the beautiful ocean whenever you want, it can't be beat. LOVE IT. Staying on the cliffs: The beauty of the cliffs and the waves smashing against the cliff, the quietness and serenity. The intimacy of the resorts there. The cliffs are quieter and more serene, almost spiritual to me. If you go in the water you go in all the way, there is no wading. But being out in a calm cove snorkeling and looking up at the beautiful cliffs or exploring a cave is wonderful. Sitting under an umbrella with a drink in my hand, reading a book, talking to one of my neighbors staying at the same spot, listening to the quietness and the waves crashing on the cliffs, going for a little snorkel and climbing out on a rusty ladder to have a snack, it can't be beat. LOVE IT. Everyone is different and although I've read many posts by people saying they would only stay on the cliffs, I've also read many posts by people saying they would only stay on the beach. Or people like my husband and I who can't decide and split it up because we love both. You're on vacation! Do what you enjoy! No worries!

[Flipadelphia26]

I stayed on the beach my first 3 times. Then the 4th time we split beach and cliffs. Guess what? I retreated to the beach for my last full day of that trip and I am back on the beach again for trip 5.

The cliffs are awesome if you just want a chill vibe and can hack sitting in the chair or the pool or floating around all day. If you want to bar hop you have to walk the West End road, which makes you feel disconnected from what you went there for in the first place. The Sea.

In which case, the beach is where it's at. And that's what I like. We do make it up to the West End a lot though, as there are some fun places to go.

[negril#1fan]

its funny but I was a cliff lover (still am), but now always stay on the beech. But I do have a scooter so spend plenty of time each day at both locations.

[VVHT]

Stayed on the beach from 1992 to 2005. Never thought I would leave. Tried Seastar Inn in 2006, I'm not going back to the beach!

Freebird's explaination was excellent...Staying on the cliffs: The beauty of the cliffs and the waves smashing against the cliff, the quietness and serenity. The intimacy of the resorts there. The cliffs are quieter and more serene, almost spiritual to me.

As I get older I'm less attracted by the hustle and bustle on the beach. When the need arises, it is a quick Route Taxi (with RED PLATES) to the beach or anywhere else I want to go...

Chris Tomney the Owner of Seastar Inn said it best "Visitors to our resort arrive as guests and leave as family". That never happened to me at any place on the beach to the extent that I experienced it at Seastar.

Enjoy,

VVHT

[Mike_D]

We stay on the cliffs every time, and probably always will. One big draw for us is an ocean front room. On the cliffs, most rooms have an unobstructed ocean view and a clear view of the sunset. Many of them also have private balconies. On the beach, very few rooms have an ocean view, and the ones that do command a premium price. My wife and I like to spend a lot of quality time on our balcony, so this is important to us. Another plus is the overall vibe of the West End. Most of the people you encounter on the West End are chill and there is very little hustle. On our trips we always love to spend a few days on the beach, but frankly, at the end of the day I can't wait to get back to West End. On our last trip (2 weeks ago) I found the hustlers to be relentless. Now, this may be due to the slow season and less tourists being around. I can usually take them in stride, but after 7 hours on the beach it got to the point where I had a hard time being polite. At that point I couldn't wait to get back to the West End and chill out.

[JaJodi]

After two trips with a cliff/beach split, next trip will be all week on the beach. We like the cliffs and will visit, but it really just isn't for us. I think we all have our own likes/dislikes and the beach just happens to be more our cup of tea.

Won't rule out ever staying on the cliffs again, but it would be on a longer trip and we'd probably go to Seastar for a couple of days, always visit and like that place, they do have a great vibe.

[Homebrewer]

We started staying on the beach the 1st 3-4 trips and then split beach/cliffs for 2 trips. We no longer do cliff stays at all, we were too bored during the day.

We eat and drink/visit plenty of places on the cliffs, in fact we laugh that it seems all of our favorite food places are on the cliffs but too quiet/boring during the days, we miss all of the people watching and vendors coming by. Don't get me wrong we like to sit and read as much as anyone LOL but we can do that on the beach and enjoy the distractions in front of us.

[Hussyband]

They are definitely a different vibe. All of our first trips were beach, the last two were cliffs. The next one is a week on both. I love the cliffs, but I really need some beach time this trip. The constant stream of activity makes the beach a lot of fun to my way of thinking, but the initial week on the cliffs will allow me to decompress from work.