Our Honest Sandals South Coast Review
Sandals South Coast is set in a 500-acre nature preserve in White House, Jamaica, making it the most secluded of the 7 Sandals resorts in Jamaica. It has a gorgeous pristine beach which is the best of any resort we’ve visited on the island, a peaceful and romantic vibe, and the famous overwater bungalows in addition to other great options like beachfront swim-up suites and unique Rondovals. We feel like these aspects make it one of the best Sandals resorts for honeymoons.
Sandals South Coast has a 4.5 rating on Google.
We have enjoyed our visits to Sandals South Coast, and recommend it for anyone who likes a laidback atmosphere and beautiful beach. To find out whether this is the best Sandals for you, read on for our full, honest Sandals South Coast review.
What to Know About Sandals South Coast
Sandals South Coast is very romantic, peaceful, and beautiful, with the best beach of all the Sandals resorts in Jamaica and luxurious overwater bungalows. There’s also an overwater wedding chapel for wonderful destination weddings.
Sandals South Coast is one of the most affordable Sandals resorts.
However, the location means you have a long drive from the airport, and it’s along very windy and rough roads so be aware if you get motion sickness. It’s also very spread out, which contributes to the peaceful feeling but can mean long walks depending on where your room is.
Getting to Sandals South Coast
Sandals South Coast is located in White House, Jamaica, on the island’s southern coast. You fly into Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and head to the Sandals lounge, where they will connect you with your complimentary transportation to the resort.
It takes about an hour and a half to get from the airport to South Coast. The roads are winding and rough, so be aware if you get carsick. We had to take Dramamine.
Sandals South Coast Rooms and Suites
Sandals South Coast has a wide variety of rooms and suites, many of which have been updated recently. The most luxurious are the overwater bungalows, which are currently being refurbished. These romantic suites are set around a heart-shaped walkway and have large private decks with direct water access, oversized soaking tubs, and an overwater hammock. Inside, you’ll find glass inserts in the floor that allow you to see the marine life below. These come with the 24-hour services of a personal butler.
The accommodations are divided into different areas called “villages.” These are now named Starlight, Silver Sun, and Longbeach but used to be called Italian, French, and Dutch. The last time we were there, some of the old signage was still around so it can be a little confusing.
We have stayed in the Longbeach building, which has been completely renovated and now features Tranquility Soaking Tubs™ for two on the patios, and swim-up suites on the ground floor. On our most recent trip, we stayed in the beachfront one-bedroom butler suite, which has a living room with bar, really nice bathroom with a freestanding tub and separate shower, and balcony with soaking tub and a couch that we loved to hang out on. It gave us great views of the beach and sunset and was very tranquil.
Other cool options here are the Rondoval suites, which are unique round thatched-roof suites. They come with zero-entry access to a river pool from a private patio, spa-like bathrooms, a Tranquility Soaking Tub for two, and a private plunge pool, as well as 24-hour butler service.
We recommend staying in the Starlight area, which is more centrally located than the Longbeach area.
Sandals South Coast Restaurants and Bars
There are 9 restaurants at Sandals South Coast, offering a range of cuisine types including Caribbean, Mediterranean, Italian, Asian, Jamaican, seafood, and sushi. There’s also a French café with pastries and coffee.
Two food trucks were recently added, one serving chicken tenders and the other serving tacos. Many of the restaurants overlook the beach.
You can also get in-room dining if you’re staying in a club or butler-level room or suite. Another option is to request a private candle-light dinner on the beach or in a garden.
There are 7 bars at Sandals South Coast including swim-up bars and a cool overwater bar. We enjoyed going to the martini bar in the evenings, where you could usually hear the live entertainment.
The Beach at Sandals South Coast
The beach at Sandals South Coast is absolutely gorgeous and the best of all the Sandals resorts in Jamaica, in our opinion. It’s a two-mile stretch of pristine white sand along beautiful clear water. There are plenty of peaceful spots to relax, but the water does tend to have sea urchins so be mindful of that.
The Pools at Sandals South Coast
Sandals South Coast has four different pools, all of which are nice. The main pool is one of the Caribbean’s largest, and it features daily entertainment including a DJ and games as well as a swim-up bar. There’s also a hot tub here.
The Longbeach area also has a large pool, which has been refinished and offers a swim-up bar, cabanas, and a hot tub. The Silver Sun area has a very small pool, and the Starlight area has a peaceful pool with a swim-up bar.
Sandals South Coast Activities and Amenities
As at every Sandals, you can enjoy a broad variety of complimentary watersports and instruction at Sandals South Coast including snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, windsurfing, Hobie Cat sailing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing.
Scuba diving is also free for certified divers. (You can get certified onsite, but that costs extra.)
This is one of the Sandals resorts with pickleball, and other land activities include day and night tennis, squash, beach volleyball, table tennis, bocce ball, and a fitness center with classes.
Like every Sandals resort, you can go on excursions here. However, the location means that we don’t recommend going to activities in the Montego Bay or Ocho Rios area, so your options are a little more limited. We loved the YS Falls excursion, as it’s pretty close, a beautiful spot, and you can combine it with other fun activities. These include going for lunch at a local Jamaican restaurant, ziplining, or touring the Appleton Rum Estate (with tastings of course).
Sandals South Coast also offers the Red Lane Spa, which costs extra but is very nice. This spa has a full range of services including couples’ massages, as well as a steam room, a beauty salon, a plunge pool, and relaxation areas.
There is nightly entertainment onsite including live music. There’s also a piano bar which hosts singalongs, bonfires on the beach, and romantic firepits throughout the grounds.
Sandals South Coast Honeymoons
Sandals South Coast is very popular for honeymoons because of the secluded location, beautiful beach, and romantic overwater bungalows and swim-up suites. You can also get a free honeymoon package if you come within 30 days of your wedding. This includes a bottle of chilled sparkling wine, a romantic turndown service with flower petals on your first night, breakfast in bed one morning, and fresh flowers.
Sandals South Coast Cost
Sandals South Coast rates currently start at $186 per person per night, making it one of the most affordable Sandals resorts.
Sandals South Coast Pros and Cons
Sandals South Coast pros are the beautiful and quiet location in a nature preserve along the south coast of Jamaica, the fabulous beach, and the updated rooms. Cons at Sandals South Coast include the distance and road conditions from the airport, and the potential for long walks onsite depending on your room location.
After reading our real and honest review of Sandals South Coast, would you like to go here or not? Let us know if the comments. And if you’d like help planning your trip, feel free to contact us—we are Sandals certified travel specialists!
