Professional Documents
Culture Documents
jen judge
new places to stay in favorite destinations, new combinations of beloved flavors. Best of all
for the winter-weary, many Caribbean islands lie just hours away by air from American hubs, with
bargains still to be had. Our team of writers and photographers fanned out from the Leewards to
the Windwards, from the Bahamas to the Dutch Antilles to the Costa Maya, to see what the near
blue sea has done lately. We brought back the news and views of beaches, mountains, hotels and
spas — canyon adventure and candlelight, underwater phantasmagoria and eco-friendly farm-
ing, glow-in-the-dark bays and a sustainable pig — the best of the new, plus a few irrepressible
Th e Car ibbean
44 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 45
what we love about
The Caribbean
�natural flavor
south andros
tiamo resorts
culinary experience
grenada
l Chef Joanne
Gibson of Tiamo
Grand Etang forest reserve Resorts watches as a
guest chops an onion
to make chicken pica-
dilla empanadas. “You
46 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 47
what we love about
The Caribbean
vieques
glowing
bio Bay
Tunnels of red man-
groves obscure
Puerto Rico’s night
sky as paddlers slip
through silky black
water on the way
to Vieques’ Puerto
Mosquito. That’s OK
because the real
show is happening
below their paddles.
Tiny bioluminescent
dinoflagellates twinkle
with every ripple
in the water. On a
moonless night, you
might even catch the
outline of a grouper
as it darts by. For the
ultimate experience,
�artistic vistas
angel.” (Don’t worry,
the dinoflagellates Moonhole houses
s t. b a r t s
are too small to bite.)
Then spend the night
on Vieques — there’s
no transportation off m Built of stone, exotic woods, whale bones and other “treasures of dubi-
ous value,” each rental house on Bequia’s Moonhole peninsula has
Janes
gallery m Beware — the decadence of a croissant and French-roast coffee served seaside at Eden Rock’s open-air cafe
on St. Barts might awaken your inner Renoir. And fortunately, Janes Gallery — situated beside the white-sand
beach, with doors usually open to the sea breeze — welcomes wandering guests looking to express their creativity.
the island after dark
— and do some star-
gazing of the regular
a personality all its own. Overlooking Moonhole Beach, these homes were
created by hand starting in 1961, with the contours of the site dictating the
floor plans. That’s why the multilevel buildings sit amid their natural surround-
at eden The artist in residence props an easel wherever inspiration strikes. Guests can paint, too, or browse the current sort. Find i mages ings so uniquely. Some travelers might consider this roughing it — there’s no
rock gallery exhibit. This artistic infusion comes courtesy of co-owner Jane Matthews. Her career includes a brush with at islands.com/ electricity — but kerosene lamps and daily maid service help. And the moon
hotel the arts, a fascination evidenced throughout the hotel. Like any good artistic movement, this one is constantly evolving, puertorico. rising through the namesake Moonhole rock arch offers cosmic alignment.
with a new exhibit and artist in residence every season. See artwork at islands.com/stbarts. — adrienne egolf — josh sampiero Find photos from our visit at islands.com/bequia. — l o r i b a r b e l y
49
what we love about
The Caribbean
new�friends
dominican
republic
s t . k i tt s
get wet
Tours
50 51
b e r m u d a & b e l i z e c ay e s
oq Long the accommodation of choice in places like Fiji and Tahiti, over-water bungalows
are popping up here, different in feel from their South Pacific predecessors but no less
luxurious. Sporting a New England vibe in a Caribbean-style setting, Bermuda’s 9 Beaches features
soft-sided cabanas made of a material like sailcloth, and a casual, flip-flops-required dress code.
Cell phones provided at check-in let guests contact the concierge or order roving room service. The
private-island resort of Cayo Espanto in the Belize Cayes offers one new over-water bungalow in addition
to five over-land villas. The island itself is a great jumping-off point for excursions like snorkeling
in Shark Ray Alley (where nurse sharks play like puppies) and for bonefishing. Enjoy an open-air
shower and an alfresco massage and then order a three-course dinner under the stars on your own
over-water porch. See more photos at islands.com/bermuda and islands.com/cayoespanto. — lb
g a r y b o g d o n ; o p p o sit e : l o r i b a r b e ly
A room at Cayo
Espanto (left) and
the bungalows of
9 Beaches elevate
Caribbean luxury.
52 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 53
what we love about
The Caribbean
�pure experiences�
virgin gorda
54 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 55
what we love about
The Caribbean
�quick trips
g r a n d c ay m a n
Lighthouse Point
g r e e n t u r t l e c ay
k One 19th-century
shipwreck lies to
Green Turtle Club and Marina the left of the dive dock,
another to the right. Go
straight, and you’ll swim
over the edge of a pris-
q In less time than it takes to fight through rush hour, you could take a flight to one
of the most relaxing islands in the Caribbean: Green Turtle Cay. It’s an ideal mix
of accessibility and authenticity. The 3-mile-long outpost with its one barely paved road
tine mini-wall that drops
to the sand at 65 feet.
The little-explored North
lies on the outskirts of the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands, yet it’s still just a one-hour plane West Point of Grand
ride (and a 15-minute ferry) from Florida. The 32-room Green Turtle Club and Marina here Cayman has always held
is perfect for seasoned travelers who want to show the rest of the family what it’s like to a mystical allure for
take a real island trip — while enjoying a kid-friendly pool and a parent-friendly pool bar savvy divers, and now
(another round of Tipsy Turtles, please). The resort is charmingly retro, with a handful of TV there’s direct access
channels and VHS tapes, yet beautifully high-end, with gourmet local-seafood dinners and from the Caymans’ new
ultra-clean villas. The historic town of New Plymouth and long beaches are a golf-cart ride sustainable condo rentals,
away — no rush hour. View our video and map at islands.com/abacos. — chris tauber Lighthouse Point. (You
can dive now and book
A loggerhead turtle
shares its warm
Caribbean waters.
56 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 57
what we love about
The Caribbean
�exotic indulgence
providenciales
grace
bay r Scents of garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper and cilantro waft from the cooking class held in a penthouse at
Grace Bay Club on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Chefs Kevin and Eion, accustomed to the
view, wait patiently and then present, in a very TV-cooking-show fashion, all the pre-cut, pre-portioned ingredients
club of your meal. The resort’s new class centers around the Caribbean’s signature food — conch — and although this
marine snail (call it escargot of the sea) might not be for everyone, the lessons are. Kevin slices red and green
bell peppers for the raw conch salad while holding your gaze. “Looking down,” he says, “is when you lose a finger.”
Towering Eion, almost 7 feet tall in a chef’s hat, hammers and fries fresh-from-the-sea conch into gastronomic gas- isla holbox
tropod deliciousness. And now it’s your turn. See more photos at islands.com/turksandcaicos. — ashl ey knaus
whale
shark
swims
It’s only 40 miles
northwest from
Cancún to Isla Holbox
(HOHL-bosh), yet this
rustic island seems
a world and a cen-
tury removed from
the modern revelry
of Mexico’s Riviera
Maya. Boutique
lodgings range from
refined duplexes to
whimsical huts that
Gilligan could have
built, virtually all front-
ing on a sprawling,
7-mile-long beach.
Explore the village
life, sample lobster
pizza at Edelin and
catch the sight
of pink flamingos antigua
preening in Yalahao
Lagoon. From spring
through September, Verandah Resort & Devil’s Bridge
you must don mask,
snorkel and flippers to
g a r y b o g d o n ; o p p o sti e : j o n w hitt l e
mingle with Holbox’s
most enduring repeat
visitors: the docile
m Open to commercial jets since World War II, Antigua has one of the
best-developed collections of resorts in the Caribbean, so new places
have to offer something special. The Verandah Resort & Spa on the Atlantic
whale sharks that side flanks its cliffs and secluded pocket beaches with bungalows that
each season con- exude tradition even amid brand-new plantings. Every room has a deck with
gregate offshore. a view of the water. At Devil’s Bridge, a storied natural feature near the
Explore our new resort, incoming waves enter a culvert beneath the cliff’s edge and launch
map at islands.com/ sea foam into the dawn-pink sky. At first light you might have the scene to
holbox. — tas yourself. See more photos at islands.com/antigua. — matthew miller
58 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 59
s t. c r o i x
n The ruby-red tea tastes like hibiscus and sunlight. The genuine calm in the open-air central
building creates a sense of inclusion and well-being. And Ben Jones, VISFI’s affable founder
and director, smiles as if nothing bad ever happens here. He may be right. This year for the first time,
the farm in St. Croix’s pocket-size rainforest welcomes overnight guests. The farm-stay program offers
accommodations in stilted cabanas and in the stately Hawk’s Nest with its panoramic view. Guests
don’t have to toil in the fields, but most will at least want to learn the practices by which such peace
can be sustained. Find our map, photos and more at islands.com/stcroix. — mm • photos by tim olive
60 61
what we love about
The Caribbean
�novel adventures�
barbados
Harrison’s
cave r Half an hour into the eerie depths, no one has even broken a sweat — except for Harrison’s Cave itself.
It’s dripping on everything, including the latest group of spelunkers fearlessly riding an electric tram
past ancient mineral formations on a mile-and-a-half circuit. In the Rotunda Room cavern, a breathtaking forest
of stalactites and stalagmites thousands of years in the making flanks a groundwater stream. A few minutes
beyond, a cascade splashes 20 feet into an emerald pool. The same water, carrying minerals down from the ceiling,
created the cave’s spectacular formations, cut into Barbados’ porous coral limestone foundation. Updated for big Corn island
the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the trams make what would be a rugged, exhausting trek every bit as relaxing as a culebra
day at the beach. Enjoy our photo gallery at islands.com/barbados. — zach stovall j o s t Va n D y k e
secret
snorkel
spots
The Caribbean still
has secluded hide-
aways perfect for
snorkeling — if you
know where to look.
Nicaragua’s Big Corn
Island offers south-
ern stingrays, green
morays and yellow
fairy basslet fish that
appear to swim up-
side down near over-
hangs. Few travelers
go to Culebra, 25
miles east of Puerto
Rico. Fewer still trek
to Flamenco Beach,
the island’s best
spot for encounter-
ing hawksbill turtles,
squid and angelfish s t. m a a r t e n
among the fingers of
reef. The east tip of
little Jost Van Dyke 12-metre Challenge
attracts eagle rays,
62 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om 63
what we love about
The Caribbean
Island Outpost’s
Geejam hotel on
Jamaica is more
than just a pretty
place to sleep.
�island sounds�
jamaica
trinidad
l If resorts could
talk, this one
would say, “I hope you
Carnival Steel-Band Season like jammin’, too.” At
Island Outpost’s new
Geejam hotel, open
since March, guests live
f r o m l e ft: j o n w hitt l e ; c o u r t e s y g e e ja m h o t e l ( 2 )
from oil barrels, and the island close to Port Antonio.
still grooves to their rhythm. Lounge by the central
Tradition figures heavily in the waterfall; dine at Gee-
festivities, held in the weeks jam’s Bushbar (serving
leading up to Fat Tuesday (on stellar Jamaican-Japanese
Feb. 24 in 2009). See if the band cuisine); dodge the pa-
Phase II Pan Groove can de- parazzi. No Doubt, Indie What do YOU
fend its title in the Panorama .Arie and others have love about the
contest. Phase II’s advantage? recorded here, but you Caribbean?
Let us know at
Leader Len “Boogsie” Sharpe don’t have to be a star to islands.com/
has been called “the Mozart enjoy Geejam. Find more caribbean and
of Pan.” Hear music samples at at islands.com/jamaica. you might win a
Caribbean trip!
islands.com/trinidad. — JW — jenny block
64 J a n u a r y/ Fe b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 isl a n d s . c om
The Caribbean (from p. 65)
k A bird of paradise in constant bloom, the Caribbean perpetually renews itself —
BIMINI ABACO
new places to stay in favorite destinations, new combinations of beloved flavors. Best of all
for the winter-weary, many Caribbean islands lie just hours away by air from American hubs, with
bargains still to be had. Our team of writers and photographers fanned out from the Leewards to
the Windwards, from the Bahamas to the Dutch Antilles to the Costa Maya, to see what the near
blue sea has done lately. We brought back the news and views of beaches, mountains, hotels and
spas — canyon adventure and candlelight, underwater phantasmagoria and eco-friendly farm-
ing, glow-in-the-dark bays and a sustainable pig — the best of the new, plus a few irrepressible
TH E CAR IBBEAN
44 45