Surprised no one has responded to this yet, so I'll give it a go. As far as easy access to the beach, most units at Plantation are a decent walk from the beach, uphill. Esmeralda, the units are closer and that area is pretty flat, so not as much of a walk. As far as privacy, the decks at Plantation are a lot more private, some very private, or they USED to be, with a fair amount of vegetation shielding you from other units. That could have changed since Irma. I've not actually stayed at Esmeralda, just visited there, but I don't think the decks are very private there at all. Of course the big draw at Esmeralda is the private pool for each building. Traditionally, as I assume you know, nude use of the pool is allowed if the other building residents don't object. I believe that Esmeralda just recently reopened after Irma, so I have no idea of the status of the nude beach at Esmeralda. Perhaps I am mistaking your intent with regard to wanting privacy though, so maybe that wasn't what you even were asking about. Personally, I prefer the larger units at Plantation, higher up, with a nice view of the beach. We would drive to the beach from there. Most of the units at Esmeralda have no view of the beach. Hope that helps somewhat, although most of my info is old.