Tag Archives: St. Lucia

St. Lucia Sugar Beach
Bahamas-Out Islands, British Virgin Islands, Cancun, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Islands, Maui, Mexico, Oceania, Play, Playa del Carmen, St. Lucia, Tahiti, Trip Ideas, Turks & Caicos

Supermodels and Sand: 10 Top Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Locations

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Sports Illustrated invented the swimsuit issue more than 50 years ago, tempting readers with images of bathing beauties vamping in some of the most scenic locations on earth. The supermodels may take center stage, but the resorts and beaches that provide the backdrop also draw oohs and aahs from readers and viewers. Here are some of the featured locations where you can indulge in an amazing beach vacation and maybe convince your mate to help recreate a few iconic poses from spots like the Pitons on St. Lucia. Photo: Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort

Valentine's Day In The Caribbean On Beach
Anguilla, Bahamas-New Providence, Barbados, Caribbean, Dominica, Grenada, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Martin/St. Maarten, U.S. Virgin Islands

10 Romantic Caribbean Escapes

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Don’t settle for the same old flowers and candy routine this Valentine’s Day. Treat yourself and that special someone to a romantic interlude in the Caribbean. These premiere properties are offering special packages that are sure to fan the flame.

Suite Love

Rekindle romance in a Love Nest Suite at Sandals on Barbados. These private enclaves of intimacy provide all the elements, from four-poster beds to balcony soak tubs with ocean views. Personal butler service brings indulgences right to the room, but should you wish to venture out, all the amenities of Sandals Barbados await. For Valentine’s week, the resort will offer special couple’s nights presentations such as a chocolate themed buffet. 

Barbados Sandals Resort

A swim-up suite at Sandals Barbados includes a private veranda with a soak tub that blends indoor and outdoor spaces, while still providing the ultimate in privacy. Photo: Sandals

Wine and Dine

If the way to the heart really is the stomach, there’s love aplenty at Nassau’s Graycliff Hotel. This historic and casually elegant five-star property serves up a three-night Romance Package that begins with a chilled bottle of champagne and a sampler of Graycliff chocolates. Later, you’ll be indulged with a four-course chef’s tasting menu and wine. Another night is highlighted by a Caipirinha and dinner at the Churrascaria Humidor. There is also a culinary lesson with an executive chef, a chocolate and spirits tasting and a day at the Blue Lagoon Beach.

Nassau Graycliff Chocolatier

Signature chocolate creations from Graycliff Chocolatier. This historic Nassau hotel combines five-star service with a casually elegant atmosphere. Photo: Graycliff

Stay Together, Play Together

Sugar Beach’s Sweet As Sugar package starts off with champagne and a long-stemmed rose at a luxury villa. But this isn’t your usual boudoir-centric getaway. Over the course of four days you and your special someone will bond over an introductory dive in the crystal waters of St. Lucia’s national marine reserve, hike up Gros Piton, and experience the Sulphur Seduction tour, which includes a visit to an active volcano and a soak in therapeutic mineral springs. There’s also relaxation in the mix, including a sunset cruise, breakfast in bed and a romantic candlelit dinner served beachside or in a garden setting. 

St. Lucia Sugar Beach Viceroy

A hillside villa at St. Lucia’s Sugar Beach takes in expansive views of the Caribbean Sea. Native fruit trees grow on the landscaped grounds. Photo: Sugar Beach

Spice It Up

Escape to Grenada, the island of spices, where your private luxury suite opens to spectacular Grand Anse Beach. You don’t actually have to be newlyweds to enjoy the Spice Up Your Honeymoon package at Spice Island Beach Resort, which welcomes you with tropical flowers, fresh fruit, chocolate truffles, and champagne on ice. Dine on your private patio or take in spectacular ocean views and the sounds of a steel band at Oliver’s. Relax with a couple’s massage at Janissa’s Spa and leave with a basket of spice scented body oils. Cap off a memorable day at the beach with a sunset sail along the island’s scenic Caribbean coast. 

Grenada Spice Island Resort

Spice Island Beach Resort is Grenada’s premier all-inclusive property. The resort occupies a prime location on Grand Anse Beach. Photo: Dehoog/Spice Island

Let Love Linger

Why settle for a day of romance when you can stretch a Valentine’s Day treat to a full week of togetherness. An ideal way to keep that special feeling going is with the Sea of Love package at CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa on Anguilla, where luxury accommodations are set against a dazzling crescent of white sand on Rendezvous Bay. Couples can begin the day with al fresco offerings at Café Med or enjoy in-room breakfasts. There’s golf and beach time, but food often takes center stage, as the package includes select meals at three additional signature restaurants, plus cooking classes, private beachside dining and a chef’s table experience. Also in the mix are massages and spa packages, and a day’s use of a rental car to explore the island. 

Anguilla Cuisinart

Beachfront rooms and suites at Anguilla’s CuisinArt resort provide sweeping views of Rendezvous Bay. Fine dining is a hallmark of this upscale property. Photo: Joe Rahm/CuisinArt

If you love Piña Coladas…..

The song may be kitsch, but the setting is not. Puerto Rico’s Caribe Hilton actually is the birthplace of the Piña Colada, but there are many more reasons to visit this landmark property. Occupying a prime beachfront location on Condado Lagoon, and just a short distance away from the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, the Caribe Hilton is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The property has kept up with the times, and offers a full range of modern luxuries. Couples who book a three-night Valentine’s package will enjoy special perks and pricing. 

Puerto Rico San Juan Caribe Hilton

The pool at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan. For more than 60 years, this resort has been a favorite with vacationers to the island. Photo: Don Riddle/Caribe Hilton

Natural Attraction

Reconnect with nature and each other at the Caribbean’s premier eco- resort. The Tropical Romance package at Dominica’s Rosalie Bay is a five- night immersion in the island’s natural beauty, and a relaxing indulgence for body and mind. Enjoy healthful, savory cuisines based on locally sourced foods, wander a surf-washed black sand beach and enjoy a private five- course dinner served on the banks of a scenic river. The package also includes a couple’s massage, a day trip to Dominica’s famous Champagne Reef, and a relaxing soak in the hot sulphur springs. Rooms are lavished with fresh flowers daily, and gifted with natural island-related aphrodisiacs at evening turndown.

Dominica Rosalie Bay

A view from the porch at Rosalie Bay. Sitting next to a nature preserve, this upscale eco retreat overlooks a black sand beach and the surf-washed Atlantic. Photo: Rosalie Bay

Love on the Rocks

Perched on a rocky seaside bluff at the entrance to Charlotte Amalie’s harbor, Frenchman’s Reef provides a romantic setting where couples can watch the ships come and go from a private balcony, and take in the lights of St. Thomas at night. The resort’s Ultimate Romance Package is ideal for a Valentine’s getaway, and includes requisite perks such as champagne, couple’s spa treatments and special dining credits. An added attraction of stays at Frenchman’s is immediate access to the quiet sands of Morningstar Beach.

St. Thomas Frenchman's Reef

A view from the hillside terrace at Frenchman’s Reef take in the harbor of Charlotte Amalie and the island of St. Thomas. Photo: Corey Weiner/Frenchman’s Reef

Fragrant Memories

A dozen red roses set the tone when you arrive at Belmond La Samanna, where rooms open to fresh sea breezes and the sapphire blue waters of Long Bay. During the month of February, the resort’s Valentine’s Package provides perks such as a Tijon VIP gift bag, couple’s Swedish massage and a unique dinner experience at La Cave, the resort’s on-site atmospheric wine cellar. For a sensory reminder of their time together on St. Martin, couples are treated to a perfumery tour, where they can create their own handcrafted fragrance.

Belmond La Samanna St. Martin

Whites and warm wood accents complement the blues of the Caribbean at Belmond La Samanna. This St. Martin resort is known for good food and fine wines. Photo: La Samanna

Say I Still Do

Anguilla’s Cap Juluca is a stunningly beautiful setting where it would be hard not to fall in love—or fall in love again. To facilitate romances new and old, the resort is offering several Valentine’s themed specials during the month of February. The Romantic Rendezvous pampers couples in a luxury oceanfront room or suite, and adds in extras such as couple’s massages, daily libations and a special private beachside dinner under the stars. During Valentine’s week, couples can reaffirm their commitments with the I Still Do package, which begins with a beach or lawn ceremony, complete with photographer, bouquet and boutonniere. This is followed by champagne and cake, and the day ends with a private three-course dinner with wine on the beach.

Cap Juluca Anguilla

The distinctive Greco-Moorish architecture of Cap Juluca resort complements the white sands and blue waters of Anguilla’s Maunday’s Bay. Photo: Mark Welland/Cap Juluca

Aruba Saint Nick
Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Plan, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Christmas Traditions

 

They may not hang stockings with care, or watch for a jolly fat guy breach the chimney, but celebrants throughout the Caribbean have their own holiday traditions. Each island celebrates the season in slightly different ways, but food, fellowship and song are sure to play a central role. Here are some of the ways to ring in the holidays, island style.

Grenada

On the Spice Island, the holiday season is the time for parang music, where groups of singers and musicians go house to house to serenade friends and family with folk songs that often include ad-lib lyrics with a personal note. The week before Christmas, Grenada’s sister island, Carriacou, hosts the annual Parang Festival, where tunes may take on social and satirical overtones. The sounds of steel pan music also fill the air, as musicians put a tropical riff on holiday classics. Holiday bunting takes a tropical turn in Grenada, as the halls may be decked with bamboo, palm, or coconut, and Christmas trees adorned with nutmeg, cinnamon, or sea shell ornaments. A favorite treat is black cake, which is flavored with dried fruits and infused with spices and the rich flavors of rum. Christmas ham is a must for each household, and seasonal refreshments include sorrel tea, ponch-de-crème and ginger beer.

Grenada Christmas Music

On islands such as Grenada, the uniquely Caribbean sound of a steel pan orchestra transforms traditional Christmas tunes into lilting island melodies. Joshua Yetman/Grenada Tourism Authority

Barbados

In December, holiday lights brighten the historic buildings of Bridgetown; music fills the air as speaker-equipped trucks take to the streets to spread Christmas music. Two of the season’s most anticipated concerts are the Christmas Jazz Festival and the Carols by Candlelight celebration, which takes place at the gardens of Ilaro Court, the residence of the Barbadian Prime Minister. After the observance of a midnight mass or Christmas morning service, many Bajans flock to a concert in Queens Park for musical performances from the Royal Barbados Police Force Band, Tuk bands and gospel performers. Food is an important part of the season, and visitors can sample an array of Barbadian favorites. Must try dishes include great cake, jug jug and baked ham. Great cakes blend dried fruit and spices with a liberal infusion of Barbados’ famous rum. Harking back to Barbados’ Scottish heritage, jug jug is a porridge-like dish made from green peas, guinea corn flour, herbs and salt meat. The most important part of a Bajan Christmas meal is the baked ham, basted in a pineapple and sorrel glaze.

Barbados Bridgetown Holidays

Holiday lights along Wharf Road are reflected in the still waters of Barbados’ Constitution River. Through December, the island’s capital is resplendent in seasonal décor. Photo: Andrew Browne/Barbados Tourism

St. Lucia

St. Lucia’s holiday season kicks off with the Festival Lights, an annual celebration honoring the island’s namesake Saint Lucia, the Patron Saint of Light. Residents and visitors are encouraged to make colorful and creative lanterns, which then decorate towns and streets. Another favorite Saint Lucian Christmas tradition is bamboo bursting, which involves the making of homemade fireworks from hollow bamboo canes. In the nights leading up to Christmas, the booms of exploding bamboo stalks can be heard on village streets. Holiday feasts center around roasted lamb or turkey, complemented with local yams and plantains. The traditional desert is the St. Lucian version of fruitcake, made with dried currants, raisins and fruits soaked in red wine for several months before being mixed into the pudding to create spicy, fruity taste. The signature drink is the Caribbean favorite known as sorrel, a refreshing spiced drink that is often mixed with rum and enjoyed during a stroll along the beach.

Aruba

Seasonal music and special foods are a big part of any holiday celebration, and in Aruba this means Gaita and ayacas. Several weeks before Christmas, Aruban families gather to make a traditional holiday food called ayacas. Though no two family recipes are the same, ayacas are made by smearing plantain or banana leaves with a cornmeal dough; adding a mixture of chicken, pork, or ham, along with a potpourri of spices, prunes, raisins, olives, pickles, cashews, piccalilli, and pearl onions; and folding the assemblages into neat little packets to be boiled in salted water for an hour. These hearty treats can then be kept ready for last-minute holiday parties or served to impromptu visitors.

Ayacas came from Venezuela, and so did Gaita music. Arubans have adopted this Venezuelan Christmas music and made it their own. Gaita bands are typically made up of a line of female singers accompanied by musicians playing the furuku, cuarta, base, piano, tambu. These groups perform at public venues across the island from October through December, with festive rhythms that put passers-by and partygoers into the holiday spirit. Another musical tradition unique to Aruba is Dande, which occurs after Christmas. Dande means “to revel” or “to carouse” in the local language, Papiamento. These small groups of singers and musicians travel to the homes of friends and families, serenading with wishes of success and happiness in the coming year.

Aruba Dande

In Aruba, Gaita bands perform during the holiday season at homes and in public areas, passing a hat that the audience fills with coins to ensure prosperity in the coming year. Photo; Julien de Bats/Aruba Tourism Authority

Cayman Islands

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Camana Bay marks the beginning of the Cayman Islands’ holiday. The Island is transformed into a tropical version of a winter wonderland with the hallmark 40-foot tree, musical performances by the Cayman National Choir, a Christmas craft market, and a special visit from Santa. The Parade of Lights brings a fleet of colorfully lit boats into the harbor, as thousands watch from shore, and the evening ends with an over-water fireworks show. Throughout December, the island’s National Trust hosts a Christmas Lights Bus Tour, where guests can sample Christmas beef and cassava cake during a guided tour of local houses and gardens beautifully decked out for the season. Musical highlights of the season include the Christmas Carol Concert at Elmsie Church and the Singing Christmas Tree, a pageant which highlights the story of Jesus’ birth depicted through a 25-foot Christmas tree encased with over 5,000 lights, and featuring more than 60 local and international performers. Also popular with locals and visitors are the Christmas Moonlight Movies, which are family friendly flicks shown on a big screen under the stars in Camana Bay.

Cayman Islands Christmas Santa

Santa makes a much-anticipated appearance on the island of Grand Cayman. The downtown waterfront at Camana Bay is a focal point for many holiday events, from concerts to boat parades. Photo: Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

Bermuda

Christmas traditions brought from Olde England take on a tropical flavor in Bermuda. In the historic district of St. George’s, historical re-enactors roam candlelit streets, and the sound of classic carols fills the air. Private homes, some dating from the Colonial era, are resplendent in lavish displays of holiday lights, and historic churches are filled with singing and lights on Christmas eve, The mood lightens at the Hamilton Christmas Parade, and goes full tropical on Christmas Day, when hundreds of ex-pats and visitors gather at Elbow Beach for a festive day of food, drink and music. December 26—Boxing Day—puts yet another unique spin on the season with the arrival of the Gombies, traditional troupes of colorfully-attired dancers who move to the sounds of goatskin drums, beer bottle fifes and tin whistles.

Bermuda St. George Christmas

Holiday lights fill the historic district of Bermuda’s capital, St. George’s. Each December, a tradition known as the walkabout brings islanders into the streets for singing and mingling. Photo: Bermuda Tourism Authority

Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, Christmas celebrations start early and keep going into the middle of January. Starting the first days of December, groups stage impromptu parrandas, which are a local version of caroling. In late evening, the parranderos gather quietly at a chosen home of a friend or relative, then burst into song to surprise and wake the occupants. The parranderos are invited in and refreshments, music and dance follow. Christmas Day is the time to gather for lechón asado, the roasting of a whole pig over a fire pit. The cooking begins well before dawn, and continues through the day as friends and relatives gather to gossip and sing. Santa is a recent addition to Puerto Rican culture, and long before the man in the red suit was imported to the tropics, island children looked forward to El Día de Reyes on January 6th, which honors the arrival of the three wise men in Bethlehem. On the evening of January 5th Puerto Rican children fill boxes with grass for the king’s camels, and go to sleep with the anticipation of having the grass eaten, and exchanged for candies and presents. Traditional holiday celebrations continue with a pair of weeklong festivals known as the Octavas and the Octavia, which stretch the season through late January.

Puerto Rico Arroz Con Dulce Holiday

Arroz con Dulce—sweet rice pudding—is a favorite end to a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dinner that typically centers around lechón asao, a fire-roasted whole pig. Photo: Olaf Speier/iStock

Anguilla

One of the most anticipated holiday observances on the quiet island of Anguilla is the Festival de Noel, which takes place December 18 – 19. This gathering on the grounds of the Old East End School kicks off with competitions and pageantry, caroling, a visit from Santa, and the distribution of food baskets to the elderly. Another island-wide holiday tradition is the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, which kicks off the Festival of Lights display along Coronation Avenue, the main street of the island’s capital. A relatively new tradition on Anguilla is the South Hill Christmas Experience, which is a celebration of holiday traditions and culinary treats hosted by a local village. Like a number of other Caribbean islands with a British heritage, December 26, Boxing Day, is a public holiday.

 

Trinidad Hyatt
Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Nevis, St. Lucia, Stay, Trinidad & Tobago, Trip Ideas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Best Caribbean Resorts for Holiday Celebrations

 

You won’t have to choose between a white Christmas and a Caribbean holiday getaway at these resorts, which honor holiday traditions, but with a tropical spin. And for the white stuff? Look no farther than the beach.

The Buccaneer, St. Croix, USVI

Santa comes to the tropics to visit this beachfront classic resort on Christmas morning, with presents for the children staying there. Midday is devoted to lounging on the beach and listening to live local bands, then guests gather at the historic Great House to enjoy a holiday buffet created by Executive Chef Dave Kendrick. A week later, when it’s time to ring in the New Year, the party moves to The Terrace restaurant, which sits high on the hill overlooking the grounds and beach. Guests enjoy a New Year’s Eve buffet complete with carving stations, followed by a champagne toast at midnight. There are fireworks, which can be enjoyed from The Terrace bar or from private room patios or balconies. www.thebuccaneer.com

St Croix Buccaneer Beachfront

After a morning visit from Santa, Christmas Day is spent enjoying live bands and sunshine on the beach at St. Croix’s Buccaneer resort. Photo: The Buccaneer Resort

Windjammer Landing, St. Lucia

The Windjammer Landing goes all out for Christmas, with a tree lighting ceremony, special Christmas menus and a visit from Santa, who makes a visit to the sun and sand at Labrelotte Bay. Guests wanting a taste of sweet holiday spirit will find eggnog stocked at the bar and restaurant during the season. The resort is popular for family and group holiday getaways, with villas of two to five bedroom boasting private pools where everyone can gather before heading out to the resort’s festivities. www.windjammer-landing.com

St Lucia Windjammer Landing Villa

Families and groups can gather for private celebrations at the villas of St. Lucia’s Windjammer Landing, and then join a range of resort-wide activities. Photo: Windjammer Landing

Montpelier Plantation & Beach Resort, Nevis

This elegant enclave brings in a holiday choir to kick off the festivities on Christmas Eve. In keeping with the resort’s tradition, guests are invited to join in to sing The 12 Days of Christmas. The evening continues with refreshments in the stone walled Restaurant 750 before moving to the terrace for an elegant meal paired with fine wine to celebrate Christmas Eve. As the holiday spirit progresses, guests can join the “Save Water, and Drink Champagne” event at the poolside restaurant Indigo. Here, the bubbles flow all afternoon, accompanied by light canapés. On New Year’s Eve, there is a white party held on Montpelier’s private beach. The night unfolds with a big beachside bonfire as guests dine and dance to live music before ringing in the New Year. www.montpeliernevis.com

Nevis Montpelier Resort Champagne

One of the signature traditions at the Montpelier Plantation & Beach Resort on Nevis is the poolside known as “Save Water, and Drink Champagne.” Photo: Montpelier Plantation

Mango Bay Hotel, Barbados

Located in historic Holetown, this small all-inclusive resort offers guests of all ages a range of holiday activities. During afternoon tea, a primary school choir visits the hotel to serenade guests. Santa Claus arrives on Christmas morning, and during the day guests indulge in Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are candy hunts and a piñata party for the youngsters, and Boxing Day brings races, sand building workshops and an evening movie on the beach. Entertainment and fireworks follow the resort’s annual New Year’s Eve Grand Buffet. mangobayresort.com

Mango Bay Barbados

Special Christmas activities at Barbados’s Mango Bay Hotel include choir concerts, a visit from Santa beach parties and holiday foods. Photo: Mango Bay

Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada

Music fills the resort during the weeks leading up to Christmas, with a mix of Grenada top brass bands, steel bands and choirs, all rotating nightly to put guest in the holiday spirit. Christmas Eve is a time for caroling and the following morning begins with a champagne brunch. Guests head beachside to round out the day with a buffet lunch to the background sounds of the Jolly Boys—a local group playing Caribbean tunes. Dinner is a traditional Christmas meal served at Oliver’s restaurant. On New Year’s Eve, a culinary journey begins at 7pm and guests dance until midnight when the firework welcome in the New Year. www.SpiceIslandBeachResort.com

Grenada Spice Island Resort

Music enlivens the holiday season at the Spice Island Beach Resort, where the sounds of Grenada’s favorite brass bands, steel bands and choirs put guest in the holiday spirit. Photo: Dehoog/Spice Island Resort

Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is home to the Christmas Elf Village, an edible community of 12 elves, which are brilliantly colored showpieces made of pure chocolate and fondant. In addition, there are two holiday dessert-making classes hosted by pastry chef, Melissa Logan. The Gingerbread House workshop brings families together to decorate a pre-made house with edible decorations. The second class is devoted to making the chocolate roulade and butter crème Yule Log. In this class guests learn how to roll the log with different filling and add decoration. The New Year’s Eve ball includes a festive dinner with music of Spinphony, a string group. After dinner the DJ takes over and couples hit the beach for dancing and fireworks at midnight. www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/caribbean/grand-cayman

Grand Cayman Ritz Carlton Christmas

The Christmas Elf Village is a tasty tradition at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. These chocolate confections are just for show, but guests can create their own gingerbread houses. Photo: Irene Corty/Ritz-Carlton

Peter Island Resort & Spa, Peter Island, BVI

Christmas Eve kicks off with a visit from the Peter Island Choir, followed by dinner and guitar music. Christmas Day takes guests to the beach for a sandcastle building competition while waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. At the resort, a steel band plays holiday music and moko jumbies entertain guests. New Year’s Eve begins with a pre-gala cocktail hour featuring flowing champagne and oyster stations. Dinner is a grand gala buffet while the Elvis White band plays. After the meal a DJ spins and fireworks bring in the midnight hour. Guests are free to find their own private holiday moments on the 1,800 acres that make up the island resort. peterisland.com

Peter Island BVI

Guests at Peter Island Resort can start with caroling and a visit from Santa, then go tropical with steel band music and a parade of stilt-walking moko jumbies. Photo: Peter Island Resort

Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, St. Lucia

Magic, meditation and mind reading ring in the holidays at Sugar Beach as well as traditions of lantern lighting and tree decorating. Holiday activities include appearances from Michal Sindelar, magician and illusionist, who will engage guests in his defying magic tricks with cards, coins and balloons. Gerard Senehi, the master mentalist, will perform mind reading, telekinesis and telepathy in his show. A small session is open for moonlight crystal mediations with Latham Thomas. And, for the little ones, Santa arrives on Sugar Beach by boat to hand out presents. New Year’s Eve begins with a young DJ, Fulano Librizzi, and as the evening progresses DJ Marc JB takes over to usher in the New Year. A highlight of the night is the fireworks show against the backdrop of the pitons. www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/en/sugarbeach

Sugar Beach St Lucia

At the Sugar Beach resort, the holidays are enlivened by visits from magicians and mind readers, and a New Year’s Eve fireworks show with a backdrop of the Pitons. Photo: Sugar Beach

Hyatt Regency, Trinidad

Everyone in the culturally rich islands of Trinidad & Tobago celebrate the holidays. Children go from house to house for festive food and drink, with holiday favorites that include pastelles, spicy meat filled corn patties, and black fruitcake. At the resort guests can enjoy holiday specialties like sorrel, which is a crimson-colored drink obtained from a local flower, ginger beer, and ponche de crème, which is a sweet milk and rum-based drink similar to eggnog. At the end of the day, celebrants can take a dip in the rooftop infinity pool and enjoy the views overlooking the city, with a sorrel mojito in hand. trinidad.regency.hyatt.com

Trinidad Hyatt Regency

One of the favorite seasonal libations offered at Trinidad’s Hyatt Regency is sorrel, which is a crimson-colored drink, here, in the form of a mojito. Photo: Hyatt Regency

Hermitage Plantation, Nevis

The Hermitage holiday experience is reminiscent of a home party. The halls are decked, the sorrel and black cake is served and carolers come to visit. Because the planation is a family home, guests are made to feel like family members. When the children make Christmas cookies, guest can join in. On Christmas Eve, the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes is served. Christmas Day is typically spent at the beach after a Christmas buffet brunch. Afterward, guests come home to a visit from carolers from nearby church choirs. Christmas dinner its roast goose and all of the trimmings followed by Victorian figgy pudding. New Year’s Eve is a more subdued dinner of beef and salmon followed by drinks and relaxing music. www.hermitagenevis.com

Hermitage Nevis

At the family-owned Hermitage Plantation on Nevis, guests enjoy an intimate setting and holiday traditions such as caroling, and a Christmas dinner with roast goose. Photo: Hermitage Plantation

Laluna, Grenada

The white sand beach at Laluna replaces snow to create a tropical white Christmas, where villas are decked out with holiday decorations. Every year, carolers visit the Laluna Sunset Lounge, and guests gather around to enjoy the music and sip Ponche Crème, a local version of eggnog that infused with rum. Christmas lunch is celebrated as a barbecue on the beach. For holiday tastes from the tropics there is sorrel and black cake. www.laluna.com/

La Luna Grenada

Each December, the beachside villas of Grenada’s Laluna resort are decorated and lit for the holiday season. Guests gather at the beach on Christmas day for a mid-day barbecue. Photo: Laluna Resort

Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach and Palace, Dominican Republic

These sister properties offer a wealth of special activities for the two weeks around Christmas and New Years. Both resorts are decorated with lights, trees and wreaths by early December, and Santa makes his first appearance for the lighting of the main Christmas tree a few days before Christmas. On the night of December 24, a live nativity scene is set on the beach and Santa comes for his visit in the late afternoon on December 25, landing by parachute to deliver presents to each of the kids at the resort. On New Year’s Eve, there is a huge party with Olympics games, live music and a gala dinner and show. The holiday activities continue until January 6. www.vivaresorts.com

DR Wyndham

In the Dominican Republic, the adjacent resorts of Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach and Palace liven up the Christmas season with a live nativity scene and a visit from Santa. Photo: Viva Wyndham

Banyan Tree Spa Mayakoba
Bermuda, Cancun, Caribbean, Mexico, Playa del Carmen, St. Lucia, Stay, Trip Ideas

Amazing Water Treatments at My Favorite Caribbean Spas

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Whenever I visit a spa, I look for the unique treatments I can’t find back home or at just any spa. Among my favorites are those therapies that involve exotic ingredients, state of the art equipment and time-honored therapies that have roots in past cultures. These five resort spas break the mold by offering out-of- this-world treatments that involve water, steam and even ice.

Water Massage

Release physical and emotional tension with Jansu therapy at Belmond Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Watsu is an in-water treatment that resembles Shiatsu. You relax in warm, chest deep water while the therapist gently cradles you and works you through various dancelike movements that encourage relaxation and create a healing experience.

Maroma Kinan Spa Riviera Maya

Relaxation begins as your walk down the long outdoor corridor to the Kinan Spa. The spa is aligned with the stars to create positive energy flow, treatment rooms point east and west and offerings include authentic Mayan treatments. Photo: Maroma

At Maroma these sessions are called Jansu and take place in an isolated area far from the center of the resort. Here in the mediation pool, your therapist will guide you through movements, stretches, twists and even submerge you for brief moments. Opt for a mid-day treatment just after the sun has warmed the pool, when sunbeams dapple the water’s surface.

Maroma Spa Pool Riviera Maya

At the Belmond Maroma in Riviera Maya, Jansu treatments involve an immersion in a pool of warm water, where a therapist guides you through a series of relaxing movements. Photo: Ingrid Rasumussen/Maroma

Cleansing Steam

Cleanse body, mind and spirit in the steam of a Temascal treatment at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, St. Lucia

Embraced by the majestic valley of the Pitons, the Rainforest Spa is secluded in 100 acres of tropical rainforest. Tree house gazebos become treatment rooms; each reached by wooden walkways and spaced for ultimate privacy.

St Lucia Sugar Beach Spa Exterior

Built of local materials, the seven thatched roofed tree house treatment rooms offer complete privacy and a connection to the natural surroundings within the rainforest of the Pitons. Photo: Sugar Beach

The on-site earthen steam room is inspired by the traditions of the indigenous people of Mesoamerica, who used steam ceremonies to purify the body and improve health. You’ll sit in a circle around a mound of hot rocks that are periodically doused with water to produce steam. Some people have visions; others just relax, as the treatment can be very cathartic. After a stint in the hot, moist heat, you head for a cool shower and drink liquids and juices to replenish lost electrolytes. Most people note that this treatment induces some of the best sleep.

St Lucia Sugar Beach Spa

The Rainforest Spa at St. Lucia’s Sugar Beach resort draws on the healing traditions of the indigenous people of Mesoamerica, using cleansing steam to relax and detoxify the body. Photo: Sugar Beach

Rain and Mist

Transport yourself to the rainforest of Thailand as you experience the Rain Walk at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

This Asian-inspired spa brings centuries of Eastern healing wisdom and knowledge to each of its treatments, which are based on the traditions and techniques of Thailand. You could spend your entire stay experiencing a different therapy each day, but the Rain Walk is unlike any other.

Banyan Tree Spa Riviera Maya

Treatment rooms are set out over a peaceful fresh water lagoon where relaxation comes easy. Here, at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Thai trained therapists deliver Asian inspired treatments in absolute tranquility. Photo: Debbie Snow

This extensive treatment can take an afternoon, as it includes eight unique hydrothermal therapy experiences. You begin with a walk on a pathway of river stone, where streams of water flow gently down from above. It’s immediately relaxing and takes your mind to another level. You’ll then move from room to room to experience even more unique sensations. There is the eucalyptus steam chamber, a summer storm chamber, a brine fog, and a chamber of ice fountains and cool winter rains. Treatments follow a sequential flow that culminates with an immersion into a vitality pool where water jets create gentle acupressure.

Riviera Maya Banyan Tree Indoor Spa

The Rain Walk experience at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba culminates with an immersion in the vitality pool, where water jets create the aquatic equivalent of an acupressure session. Photo: Debbie Snow

Not Just a Shower

Splish-splash away with a Tropical Rain Splash in the Silver TAG shower at Sense spa at Tucker’s Point on Bermuda.

The Sense spa at Tucker’s Point offers all of the world-class treatments you would expect from a Rosewood Resort. Treatments also incorporate natural materials found on the islands. Honey and sugar cane are used to exfoliate; cedar oils to relieve tension and stress; and papaya to nourish the skin.

Bermuda Tuckers Point Spa

At Sense spa at Tucker’s Point, Bermuda, patrons are enveloped in a soothing and cleansing spray delivered by the 18 separate water jets of the Silver TAG shower. Photo: Debbie Snow

You can add the Silver TAG shower to any spa treatment, or opt for an experience such the Bermuda Triangle, which is geared toward those arriving after long flights. You begin by entering the chamber where 18 showerheads massage you from top to bottom, both cleansing and relaxing the body. You then move to the massage table for a rubdown with aloe freshly plucked from the garden and end with a citrus inspired facial. You can come back the next day just for the shower, or combine it with another treatment.

Bermuda Tucker Spa Pool

Spa guests at Tucker’s Point can enjoy a private space along the calming reflection pool before and after treatments. Opt for a Rum Swizzle and enjoy the cocktail as part of the signature manicure and pedicure. Photo: Debbie Snow

The Colors of Relaxation

Receive the effects of crystal healing and color therapy at Cambridge Beaches on Bermuda.

The resort’s private and secluded setting is conducive to canoodling, but it’s not just for couples. Singles will also love the pool area, the four beaches and the many options for treatments at the Ocean Spa.

Cambridge Beaches Spa

Soothing crystalline illumination sets the mood in the Experiential Suites, which are a signature element of the Ocean Spa, in Bermuda’s Cambridge Beaches resort. Photo: Debbie Snow

A signature element is the Experiential Suites, which provide a four-stage journey of color, temperature and moisture. Chambers allow each guest to enjoy private spaces as they move through a steam room, cooling mist room, rainfall shower and sauna. Along the way, glowing crystals set the mood as they change colors to invoke a sense of well-being. The whirlpool, relaxation pool and lap pool are also available before or after the experience. Many of the Ocean Spa Experiences are longer treatments that also include a stint in the Experiential Suites. Couples can partake in a Sauna Ritual where they exfoliate each other with sea salt before retiring to their couples massage.

Cambridge Beaches Pool Bermuda

The tiered infinity pool at Cambridge Beaches overlooks Morning Beach, the resort’s Zen beach. Guests have space for swimming laps or relaxing to the sounds of the water falling. Photo: Debbie Snow

 

St Lucia Jade Mountain
Cancun, Caribbean, Grenada, Mexico, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Lucia, Stay, Trip Ideas

Best Private Pools in the Caribbean

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Resort pools can be spectacular. Unique designs, water features like fountains, waterfalls and cascades are all designed to wow, and infinity edges that meld into the ocean are breathtaking. But there’s nothing like your own private pool to jump in whenever you have the desire. The private pools at these Caribbean resorts offer up a bit more space than the typical plunge pool allowing you room to splash, kick and immerse in any way your heart desires.

Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico

At first glance, you might think you were in Scotland or Ireland when you survey the rolling green hills that cascade down to blue water. But you are in one of Puerto Rico’s finest resorts, where a collection of luxurious casitas sits terraced along the cliff tops overlooking the Atlantic. The hotel is set within a 1,800-acre golf course community, so there is plenty of open space to immerse yourself in the natural surroundings. Each of the 20 casitas has a private pool and terrace to take in the outdoors and view the starlight nights.

Puerto Rico Isabela Royal Pool

The casitas of Puerto Rico’s Royal Isabela resort sit on a wooded hillside overlooking a magnificent golf course and the Atlantic Ocean. Each includes a private deck and pool. Photo: Joann Dost/Royal Isabela

Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, St Lucia

This collection of British colonial-styled cottages and villas are tucked away in a glade of tropical foliage on slopes near the base of the Pitons. Over the years the property has changed names and received upgrades, but the villas still stair step up the hillside, each with its own pool hidden from the next, but with views of the Pitons. Here your private outdoor space has a covered area to retreat from the sun and take an afternoon nap between dips in your pool. Call for a ride or take a stroll down the hillside to the sugar white sand beach, experience the tasting menu at the Great House and succumb to a tropical treatment at the Rain Forest Spa.

St Lucia Sugar Beach Luxury Villa With Pool

Cottages at St. Lucia’s Sugar Beach resort open to expansive private terraces that include a pool, sun lounges, al fresco dining nook and a sheltered cabana ideal for afternoon naps. Photo: Sugar Beach/Viceroy

Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Situated among the canals and cenotes of the Riviera Maya, the Banyan Tree is all about water. The resort’s front entrance is a giant lily pond. Dining and lobby areas open to additional waterways and ponds. Suites are either adjacent to the canals and channels or overlooking the waterway that carries guests to and from the beach via launches. Here you’ll find villas with complete privacy where you can float the afternoon away in your private pool while the fragrance of frangipani fills the air. When a need arises, attentive service is just a call a way.

Banyan Tree Mayakoba Private Pools

Water dominates at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, where suites set in lush natural foliage offer private pools and terraces. Boats carry guests to the beach via a central canal. Photo: Debbie Snow

Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada

Much more than rooms, the Royal Collection Pool Suites at Spice Island are sanctuaries from the outside world. A private door leads to your walled terrace where day beds, an outdoor dining area and a private pool awaits. These pools are large enough to do some serious splashing about, and maybe swim a few strokes. The suites are also exceptionally large, covering up to 1,500 square feet including living room and private cedar saunas. Once you are ready to face the world, Grand Anse Beach, the longest stretch on the island, is just outside your door.

Grenada Spice Island Pool Villa

Spice Island Beach Resort offers three types of private pool suites. Shown here is the Royal Collection Pool Suite, which features the largest water feature. Photo: Spice Island Beach Resort

Le Toiny, St. Barts

Hotel Le Toiny is located on the uncrowded southeastern corner of St. Barts. This boutique property offers 14 villa suites tucked into a 42-acre hillside garden overlooking Anse de Toiny beach. Each villa provides dramatic and direct ocean views and has its own private pool, which is heated during winter months. Inside the one-bedroom villas the coastal theme continues with a décor in beige and white, accented with warm brown that brings in the palette of the hillside and the beaches below. Simplicity and sophistication blend easily, and guests are pampered accordingly. When it comes time to socialize, head to the oyster shell bar overlooking the half moon shaped pool to share an appetizer and sip champagne.

Le Toiny Hotel Pool Villa St Bart

The one-bedroom villas at Le Toiny open onto private terraces set high above one of the best beaches in St. Barts. The adjacent private pools can be heated for comfort. Photo: Le Toiny

Sandals LaSource, Grenada

When ensconced in your elevated private sanctuary, you may never want to leave. The one bedroom Skypool Villa not only offers private butler service but also a personal mobile phone to summon everything from meals and snacks, to floats for the pool and buckets of ice with cold champagne. Your pool offers up enough space to kick to the end and when you want to take relaxation to another level, there is a private Jacuzzi to slip into when the moment arises. Eventually, you may want to leave your retreat to head down to Gin Beach. This pink stretch of sand is one of the best in the Caribbean.

Grenada Sandals Private Pool

The Skypool Villas at Grenada’s Sandals LaSource include not only a large private pool, but also an adjacent hot tub. Guests have a direct number to a personal butler. Photo: Sandals

Jade Mountain Resort, St. Lucia

Your private pool becomes an extension of your suite, as the fourth wall of each room at Jade Mountain is omitted to provide cinematic-quality views of the Pitons and Caribbean. Right before your eyes the morning golden sky lights up the mountain range, and come sunset the pink and blue fill the sky and light bounces off the hillside and reflects in the sea. Small wonder many honeymooners start their life journey with a stay here. Each villa has a unique color scheme and design, but full living room, bedroom and pool open to the splendid scenery. With no phones, no television and absolute no distractions, this resort knows how to provide sanctuary to guests seeking ultimate seclusion.

St Lucia Jade Mountain Private Pool

Hillside rooms at Jade Mountain Resort are left open to the elements, ushering in sea breezes and grand views of the coast and the iconic Piton peaks. Private pools perch on the edge to heighten the drama. Photo: Jade Mountain

St Lucia Pitons
Caribbean, Plan, St. Lucia, Trip Ideas

St. Lucia: 10 Reasons to Go

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When European explorers first glimpsed the lush green mountains of St. Lucia rising from the cerulean waters of the Caribbean, they nicknamed the island “Fair Helen of the West Indies,” making reference to the unrivaled beauty of legendary Helen of Troy. Today, this jewel of the Windward Islands epitomizes the Caribbean island escape, with warm palm-fringed beaches to relax, colorful coral reefs to discover, forests to explore, mountains to climb and waterfalls to admire.

1  Twin Peaks

The Pitons are St. Lucia best-known landmarks. This pair of iconic mountains, known as Gros Piton and Petite Piton, rises above Anse Chastanet Beach, and is the most photographed site on the island. The remnants of volcanic eruptions more than 30,000 years ago, the pitons are now covered in green vegetation. They provide ambience and a backdrop for weddings and honeymooners, and challenging routes for hikers.

2  Favorite Subjects

The forested mountains, seaside villages and sparkling bays of St. Lucia are postcard pretty, and have been highlighted in movies from Dr. Doolittle to Pirates of the Caribbean. Photographers from around the world also turn their focus to subjects such as the villages of Marigot Bay and Anse La Raye, where colorful fishing boats and anchored yachts add color and interest to the natural beauty of the scene.

Marigot Bay St Lucia

Encircling hills create a calm, perfectly protected anchorage at Marigot Bay, which attracts visiting sailors and gleaming mega yachts alike. Photo: Robert Rushton/iStock

3  Sight Seeing

The mountain roads that wind their way across St. Lucia unveil one spectacular view after the next. Along the coast, the scene includes bright beaches, tranquil coves and quaint seaside villages. Near Soufrière, the Pitons provide a magnificent backdrop against the cobalt sky, while inland roads lead to jungle- clad valleys and rivers. The views grace every hairpin turn and postcard-worthy shots pass by one after the next.

4  Beach Variety

From golden tan to volcanic dark grey, the beaches of St. Lucia come in a wide range in colors. For the typical white sand beaches head to the southern coast of Anse Des Sables. Warmer beige and gold tones are found in Rodney Bay at Reduit Beach and the connected peninsula of Pigeon Island, which is a 40-acre national park. The black and gray sands of Anse Cochon provide a dramatic contrast to the bright coral reefs just offshore.

St Lucia Reduit Beach

Reduit Beach is one of St. Lucia’s most popular places for swimming and sunning, with easy parking, public restrooms and beachside food and beverage vendors. Photo: iStock

5  Rooms with Views

Some of the world’s most amazing resorts cling to the hillsides of St. Lucia. Some are even built into the mountainside and hang over the beaches below. These venues exude seclusion and romance, with private pools, outdoor showers and rooms that open to nature. Suites at Jade Mountain provide private infinity- edge pools that seem to dissolve into the Caribbean below. Boucan sits in the middle of a cocoa plantation. Ladera has a quirky appeal and rooms with the fourth wall left open to nature, while Sugar Beach’s British Colonial-styled villas sit above a white sand beach. All provide the highest level of service and unrivaled views of the Pitons.

6  Amazing Waterscapes

St. Lucia’s rugged mountain landscapes continue underwater, providing divers with dramatic reefs and slopes carved by canyons, caves and deep drop offs. Near Anse Chastanet, the Soufrière Marine Park reveals underwater grottoes and fields of brain coral rich in tropical fish. Nearby, coral-encrusted pinnacles rise from the depths, and a subsea fumarole creates champagne- like gas bubbles that filter up through the reef.

St Lucia Diving Sponges

Divers examine a colorful sponge on a St. Lucia coral reef. The island’s western shore provides consistently clear, calm waters. Photo: Kevin Panizza/iStock

7  Friday Fries

The Friday evening fish fry is a celebrated island tradition, and there are two places to get your fill of golden-fried fillets served with a heady dose of local flavor. At the small fishing village of Anse La Raye, reggae music fills the air as crowds in a celebratory mood clutch brimming plates of snapper, lobster and conch. At Rodney Bay, the mood can get rowdy at Gros Islet’s Jump Up. Some come for the seafood, others come to party and dance in the streets until early morning. For a quieter local spot, Dennery fishing village sets up tents on the beach and vendors cook up an array of seafood for the neighborhood and whoever comes by.

8  Crafty Markets

Barter and bargain for authentic island flavors and handicrafts at one of two colorful market squares in the towns of Soufrière and Castries. Soufrière’s main square leads to the waterfront market where vendors sell root vegetables, an island staple, and offer visitors a taste of coconut water right from the husk. Castries market is the place to pick up spices, souvenirs, woodcarvings, and find a local spot for lunch.

St Lucia Castries

The lights of Castries Harbor sparkle in evening light. This lively harbor city is one of the region’s busiest nautical crossroads. Photo: Flavio Vallenari/iStock

9  For The Birds

While a number of new hotels and golf courses have come to the island in the past decade, much of St. Lucia remains in a natural state and many resorts promote nature tours, hiking and bird watching. The national bird, the St. Lucian parrot is making a comeback due to conservation efforts. Other noted finds include the St. Lucian oriole, warbler and white-breasted thrasher, along with the Antillean crested hummingbird.

10  Waterfalls

St. Lucia’s streams and rivers spill from the highlands to create sparkling cascades. The most visited waterfall is Diamond Falls at Diamond Botanical Gardens, which has been in the same family since 1713. Also near the Pitons and Soufrière is one of the islands largest falls, Toraille Waterfalls. For bathing in warm spring waters the shorter Piton Falls is a popular stop.

Belize Hol Chan Reef Scene
Aruba, Bahamas, Bahamas-Out Islands, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cancun, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Play, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trip Ideas, Turks & Caicos, U.S. Virgin Islands

The Caribbean’s Best Snorkel Sites

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The Caribbean is home to thousands of snorkel-worthy beaches and reefs, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours exploring sites near and far. For the optimum combination of calm water, easy access, vibrant coral growth, abundant fish life and sheer variety, here are my favorites.

Kline Bonaire

Coral reefs start close to shore all along Bonaire’s sheltered western coastline, but the most colorful sites are a short boat ride away. A five- minute ride across calm water brings you to the low-lying, uninhabited shores of Kline Bonaire. Your boat captain can choose from one of more than two dozen sites based on conditions, and my consistent favorite begins right off No Name Beach, where hard and soft coral growth starts in as little as five feet of water.

Bonaire Klein Turtles

Sea turtles are often seen along the shoreline of deserted Kline Bonaire island, which is just a short boat ride from dive resorts on the west coast of Bonaire. Photo: Alejandro Gutierrez/ Tourism Corporation Bonaire

Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia

I’ve spent hours watching the fish life on Anse Chastanet Reef, but every so often, I find myself pausing to admire the view above the water. A foreground of golden sand and jungle green frame the towering profiles of St. Lucia’s most famous landmarks, the Pitons. Just a short swim from shore, a coral-covered plateau presents an undulating profile that rises within five feet of the surface, and then falls from 20 feet to depths of more than 100. In addition to large schools of tropical fish, this site is known for its small invertebrates, giving critter spotters hours of enjoyable hunting.

St Lucia Anse Chastanet Snorkeling

On the island of St. Lucia, the twin spires of the Pitons provide a dramatic backdrop for snorkelers exploring the near shore reefs at Anse Chastanet. Photo: Bernd Rac/Anse Chastanet Resort

The Indians, British Virgin Islands

Between the bareboat fleets, tour operators and private boaters, you’ll seldom find the waters around the rock pinnacles known as the Indians deserted. But that’s OK, there’s plenty of coral-covered reef to go around. I especially enjoy the steep cliff faces to the west, where seas are calmest and the underwater landscape is the most dramatic. The usual roster of reef characters there in abundance, including blue tangs, queen angels and a colorful assortment of parrotfish. Peek into the crevices and you might discover an eel or lobster lurking in the shadows.

BVI the Indians Rocks

The distinctive rock pinnacles known as the Indians are the most popular snorkeling destination in the British Virgin Islands, offering clear water and colorful corals. Photo: BVI Tourist Board

Puerto Morelos, Mexico

Cancun isn’t known for great snorkeling. But drive a few miles south to the sleepy fishing village of Puerto Morelos, and you’re just a short boat ride from the Yucatan’s premier national marine park. The coral gardens begin a half-mile from the beach, and there are always a number of panga-style launches on the beach, with gregarious crews ready to provide guided snorkel tours of the park. Depths are typically less than 10 feet, making it easy to spot the menagerie of reef creatures that flit through the sea fans and coral fingers.

Puerto Morales Mexico Reef Fish Snorkel

A short distance south of Cancun, the national marine park at Puerto Morales features protected reefs rich in fish life and corals. Photo: Adam Saltman/Flickr

Smith’s Reef, Turks & Caicos

There are literally hundreds of miles of pristine shallow reef to explore around the islands of the Turks & Caicos. When I’m staying on Providenciales, and don’t feel like a boat ride, there’s no need to go far. Right off the beach is a three-mile expanse of coral heads and sea grass shallows known as Smith’s Reef. I sometimes enjoy searching the grass beds for hidden critters, but it’s the coral heads that hold the greatest variety of life. To locate a coral patch from shore, look for the patches of water that have a brownish tint, which indicates hard bottom.

Turks and Caicos Smiths Reef

On the island of Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos island group, the coral heads of Smith’s Reef start just offshore of the Turtle Cove Marina and stretch for three miles to the east. Photo: Turks & Caicos Tourist Board

Exumas Land and Sea Park, Bahamas

In the heart of the Bahamas, the Exuma Land and Sea Park encompasses dozens of islands and miles of protected reef. The best way to explore the fish-laden waters of this aquatic preserve is by signing up for a half or full day boat tour. The guides will not only know which sites are best based on tides and weather, they will also put you on to a number of additional adventures such as a swim through the hidden grotto from the James Bond film Thunderball, or a visit to the famous swimming pigs of the Exumas.

Exumas Bahamas Land Sea Park

The Exumas Land and Sea Park encompasses a number of small islands and thousands of acres of shoals and reefs ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Photo: Darryl Massaro/Flickr

Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize

Belize’s original marine reserve packs a lot of underwater diversity into a relatively small area. Hol Chan is the Mayan phrase for “little channel” and when snorkelers arrive at this cut in the reef after an easy boat ride from Ambergris Caye, they are treated to spur and grove coral formations, sea brass beds and mangrove nurseries. Most tours also take in the site’s famous Shark Ray Alley, where southern stingrays and nurse sharks gather to nosh on fishy morsels offered by dive guides. The interaction is safe, and will put you right in the middle of the action.

Belize Hol Chan Nurse Sharks

Nurse sharks gather in the shallow waters of Belize’s Hol Chan Marine Reserve in anticipation of a free meal of fish scraps. These placid reef dwellers pose no danger to humans. Photo: iStock

Buck Island, St. Croix

It’s been more than 50 years since Buck Island Reef was declared a National Monument, and it’s still one of the Caribbean’s most popular snorkel sites. Located off the northeastern shore of St. Croix, Buck Island offers deserted white sand beaches and an encircling reef dominated by branching Elkhorn formations and groves of undulating sea fans. An underwater snorkel trail leads through the coral maze, which is home to hawksbill sea turtles. Shallow depths put swimmers face to face with the many tropical fish that seek shelter in the branching arms of the corals.

St Croix USVI Buck Island

St. Croix’s Buck Island National Monument includes a white sand beach and one of the most extensive groves of elkhorn corals in the Caribbean. Photo: Steve Simonsen/ US Virgin Island Department of Tourism

De Palm Island, Aruba

A visit to Aruba’s De Palm Island is part snorkel trip, part beach party. Located just off the main island’s southern coast, this all-inclusive day resort offers half and full day experiences that include beachside buffets, libations, entertainment and guided tours to the nearby reef, which is one of the best on the island. Snorkel equipment and instruction are included in the price of admission, and while water conditions are beginner friendly, the underwater landscape offers plenty to keep even veteran snorkelers enthralled.

Aruba De Palm Island

De Palm Island is located just off the coast of Aruba. Guests who come for an all-inclusive beach day can enjoy guided or individual snorkeling on reefs just off the beach. Photo: De Palm Tours

Horseshoe Reef, Tobago Cays

I love to swim with sea turtles, and one of the best places to do this in the southern Caribbean is in the Tobago Cays. This collection of five uninhabited islands lies just east of Mayreau in the southern Grenadines. It became a wildlife reserve in 2006, and is home to a colorful array of marine life— including a population of resident turtles. The formation known as Horseshoe Reef encircles four of the five islands to create calm conditions for snorkeling. Portions of the park can get a bit crowded when several tour boats arrive at once, but even on busy days I’ve always been able to slip off and find a quieter corner of the reef to enjoy.

Horseshoe Reef Snorkeling St Vincent Grenadines in Tobago Cay

In the southern Grenadines, a group of five small, uninhabited islands known as the Tobago Cays provide excellent snorkeling within the protected shallows of Horseshoe Reef. Photo: Debbie Snow

St Martin Belmond La Samana
Bahamas, Bahamas-Out Islands, Barbados, Caribbean, Jamaica, Play, St. Lucia, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Trip Ideas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Romantic Adventures in the Caribbean

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The mere mention of the Caribbean conjures romantic visions of sparkling waters, beachside frolics and island sunsets. But some visions are more romantic than others, and few can compare to the memories made at these stunning resorts, which highlight the best and most romantic the Caribbean has to offer.

Swimming In Your Private Infinity Pool – Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

Anse Chastanet owner/architect Nick Troubetzkoy put everything he’s learned about design and hospitality into Jade Mountain Resort and the result is more than magical—it’s nearly surreal. The resort’s suites have only three walls, with the fourth open to sweeping views down the mountain and over the Caribbean to the Pitons across the bay. And each room has an infinity edge pool that’s completely private. Enough said.

St Lucia Jade Mountain Pool

The wow factor comes standard at St. Lucia’s Jade Mountain resort, where hillside suites open to big views of the twin Piton Peaks and the Caribbean Sea far below. Photo C.J. Walker/Jade Mountain

Marooned On A Deserted Island – Kamalame Cay, Bahamas

Perhaps the most persistent and widely shared romantic fantasy is being on a deserted island with your significant other, laying in the shade of a palm tree and, well, whatever else might happen in that sort of situation. Book into the Kamalame Cay Resort just off of Andros and their boatman will take you to a deserted islet for the day, set up a lunch and leave you to your own devices for as long as you care to stay.

Kamalame Cay Villa Andros Bahamas

Kamalame Cay Resort provides day trips to a deserted Bahamian island, where you can live out castaway fantasies before returning to the luxuries of a private villa. Photo: Danilo Scarpati/Kamalame Cay

Couples Massage – Caneel Bay, St. John

Having a skilled masseuse remove the knots and soothe frayed nerves is a wonderful feeling. Sharing that makes it twice as nice. There are fabulous spas all across the region where you can be rocked, reiki’d or rolfed, but for pure romantic potential the casual old-money surroundings of Caneel Bay are hard to beat. Book one of the resort’s massage cabanas, with their high-peaked wooden roofs and gaze out over the private beach and the Caribbean as the two of you are gently lubed, rubbed and restored.

St John Caneel Bay Massage

On the island of St. John, the open-air massage cabanas at Caneel Bay Resort combine the pleasures of a relaxing massage with soothing sea breezes and water views. Photo Michael Grimm/Caneel Bay

Sunday Brunch By The Sea – The Crane Barbados

If you’ve attended the jump up at Speightstown on Friday, you should be sufficiently recuperated to enjoy the Sunday brunch at L’Azure in the venerable resort, The Crane, which has reigned over the east coast of Barbados since 1887. On Sundays, couples flock to the tables on the terrace overlooking the beach to load up on the breakfast buffet and listen to sweet Gospel music. If this doesn’t inspire you, nothing will.

Barbados Crane Restaurant

At The Crane beachfront resort in Barbados, Sunday brunch is served on the terrace, accompanied by gospel music and spectacular views of Crane Beach and the Atlantic. Photo: Ross Knight/The Crane

Sunset Cruise – Bolongo Bay, St. Thomas

There may be no more romantic place on earth than aboard a boat in the Caribbean. The warm salt water and the moist salty air create a combustible amorous atmosphere. Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is the perfect picture of a Caribbean harbor, with a long waterfront and narrow streets winding up the hills that back the city. Board the 53-foot catamaran Heavenly Days at Bolongo Bay Resort in St. Thomas and sail through the sunset in Charlotte Amalie harbor. Glittering lights flicker along the waterfront, working their way up to the hilltops as the sun lavishes its last rays on the ridge above the city.

St Thomas Bolongo Bay Sailing

Bolongo Bay has long been one of St. Thomas’s premier beachfront getaways. Each evening, the resort’s sailing catamaran departs for sunset cruises of the Charlotte Amalie harbor. Photo: Bolongo Bay

Private Dinner On The Beach – Belmond La Samanna, St. Martin

Dining alone on a torch lit beach with the waves for a soundtrack is more than memorable. Champagne, a private chef and a cushioned chaise lounge a deux combine in a potent recipe for romance on the shores of Baie Longue in St. Martin. Far from the clamor of Marigot and Maho Beach, the Belmond La Samanna serves up something, which, if it’s not true love, is pretty close.

St Martin Belmond La Samana

The quiet waters of St. Martin’s Baie Longue provide a perfect backdrop for an intimate beachside dinner, complete with private chef provided by Belmond La Samanna resort. Photo: Joe Vaughn/Belmond La Samanna

Drinks On The Veranda Bar – The Cotton House, Mustique

There are two distinct Caribbeans, the glitzy new Caribbean of glam go- go multi-story resorts and the laid-back old Caribbean of plantation houses, deserted beaches and serenity. While it may be sexy to strap on some heels and kick it in a chic disco, find the true meaning of romance sitting next to your significant other on the veranda at the Cotton House in Mustique. This hip oasis in the Grenadines has hosted a procession of rock ’n’ roll and actual royalty; Mick Jagger has a villa nearby, as did the late HRH Princess Margaret. Relax on the veranda with your prince or princess and feel the buzz; it could be the magnificent view or perhaps it’s that Planter’s Punch.

Mustique Cotton House Verandah Restaurant

The setting is chill at Mustique’s Cotton House, which has long provided a low-key getaway for royalty, rock stars and celebrities seeking a respite from public life. Photo: The Cotton House

Sweet Dreams From A Hilltop – Strawberry Hill, Jamaica

It was one of Admiral Lord Nelson’s cousins who was first taken by the view from Strawberry Hill. Horace Walpole planted his flag here, building a home on the 3,100-foot rise overlooking Jamaica’s capital, Kingston. Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records, bought the property in the 1970s and Bob Marley was a frequent visitor. Book into one of the dozen cottages scattered across the property and then retire to the deck of the infinity pool. Order up some Myers Dark Rum to sip while the sun goes down and, as the shadows spread along the base of the mountain, the lights of Kingston blink on below.

Jamaica Strawberry Hill Night Vista

At Strawberry Hill resort, private cottages overlook the green hills of Jamaica. In the evening, the distant lights of Kingston come alive to enhance the view. Photo: Nikolas Koening/Strawberry Hill

Aruba Palm Beach Sunset
Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Caribbean, Jamaica, Plan, St. Lucia, Trip Ideas

Best Caribbean Resorts to Watch the Sunset

 

After a full day of sand and sun, there’s nothing like cooling off and chilling out with cocktail in hand while watching a colorful Caribbean sunset. As the light fades and evening breezes arrive, you can stroll the beaches, where gentle waves lap the sand. Then, after stretching your legs and refreshing that drink, you can settle in to the perfect spot around the pool or up on your private terrace to watch nature’s light show unfold in the western sky. Here are four of our absolute favorite spots to enjoy the Caribbean at sundown.

Trident Hotel, Jamaica

The Trident Hotel sits on the northeast corner of Jamaica, just 7 miles from the sleepy and balmy town of Port Antonio. The area is still off the beaten path, even for Jamaica. Here, nature takes center stage with jungle-like foliage edging the beaches and immersing Trident in a green canopy of privacy.

Trident Hotel Jamaica

Each seaside villa at Jamaica’s Trident Hotel includes a private pool and an open-air terrace that provides big views of sea and sky. Photo: Trident Hotel

Port Antonia was once the stomping ground of society figures and movie stars like Errol Flynn. The resort acknowledges this history at Mike’s Super Club, which is a cabaret lounge giving a nod to the calypso bop era of the 1950’s Caribbean. Today, the exclusive yet laid-back vibe of the hotel shines through in the chic decor, which includes serendipitous accents like the ceramic sheep by the pool. The property is small, with just 13 villas ranging from studio to two-bedroom, all with private pools, outdoor baths and private terraces ideal for sharing a crimson sunset with your companion.

Carlisle Bay, Antigua

Afternoon tea signals the beginning of day’s end at Carlisle Bay. While many guests are still relaxing in chaises lining the beach, others take tea on their private balcony or by the pool. Quiet settles in as children take naps, boats are anchored and kayaks pulled shore. This is a favorite time for an early evening stroll on the crescent of beach, and for choosing a venue to enjoy the sunset to come.

Carlisle Bay Sunset Antigua

The pier at Antigua’s Carlisle Bay resort is often the site of sunset yoga sessions, and later in the evening provides a romantic setting for candlelight dinners. Photo: Debbie Snow

As refreshing evening breezes come off the bay, the resort’s pier transforms into a yoga platform for a sunset session. Later, it will be framed in candlelight for romantic dinners. Ashore, the bar at waterfront Indigo Restaurant is a favorite, as is the beachside Coconut Palms, where you can keep your toes in the sand. Or, should you be seeking a more private viewing, each of the resort’s 82 suites provides private ocean-facing terraces or patios, where the warm wood tones of walls and shutters are lit by the last rays of the setting sun.

Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, St. Lucia

Nature lovers consider the Boucan to be a little slice of heaven on earth. The boutique resort sits in the midst of the St. Lucia rainforest, on the island’s oldest cocoa plantation, the 140-acre Rabot Estate. The property’s 14 rooms are decorated in a blend of West Indian charm and contemporary chic.

Boucan St Lucia

Nature takes center stage at St. Lucia’s Boucan resort, where the setting sun signals the start of nature’s nightly symphony of bird calls, chirping crickets and singing frogs. Photo: Boucan

After a day of hiking or taking in a chocolate-making tour, you’ll want to head down to the 50-foot long infinity pool for sunset. Lined with black quartz, the pool mirrors the rainforest ambience, and images of the Pitons engulf as you float in the cool waters, with cocktail by your side. As the sun sets behind the craggy edges of the majestic Pitons, the evening rings in a cacophony of sounds. Birds, frogs and crickets transport you into the cool mountain air of night.

Half Moon, Jamaica

The perfect half-moon crescent of aptly named Sunset Beach serves up some of the most spectacular sunsets in Jamaica, and guests at the Half Moon resort have a front row seat for the nightly show. The Half Moon traces its roots to 1954, when several families built winter cottages for family and friends to enjoy. Today, the founding families still visit and the resort has become a home away for the Royal family as well as luminaries like Paul Newman and Jackie Kennedy.

Half Moon Jamaica

A solitary oceanside palapa at Jamaica’s Half Moon resort provides a tranquil and private setting to enjoy sunset views to the accompaniment of gently lapping waves. Photo: Debbie Snow

Over the years, the enclave grew into a 400-acre, self-contained village that includes a collection of cottages, villas and hotel suites, along with an 18-hole golf course, equestrian center, tennis courts, two miles of private beach, a nature preserve and several restaurants that serve up sunset views. The Seagrape Terrace is a favorite, but guests can also opt to stroll the shores and settle into a beachside chaise or palapa to watch the sky transition from pink to orange, red and ultimately a rich violet that signals the arrival of the night.