Tammy ... we were there in 2018 (and near Nice, France) and the beaches were truly outstanding. Clean, no seaweed, white sand and sand bars that extended out far into the water so you could venture a long way from the shore before reaching deeper water. No rip currents to worry about, etc. And, many of the beaches had lifeguards. This year in July the beaches of the Balearic Islands were still very nice, but like much of the Caribbean I was dismayed by the sea grasses and seaweed that was quite thick in some areas. But, if you walked along the beach you would reach areas without seaweed so you had to look things over first before parking your umbrella and towels. The beaches of St. Martin are still my personal favorites, but the European experience is definitely worth a try if you don't mind the 8 hour flights to-and-from Spain or France.