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Choosing the Perfect Island: the Best of the Caribbean

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Choosing the Perfect Island: the Best of the Caribbean 537385 Ch01.qxd 7/25/03 9:38 AM Page 3 1 Choosing the Perfect Island: The Best of the Caribbean In the Caribbean, you can hike through national parks and scuba dive along underwater mountains. But perhaps your idea of the perfect island vacation is to plunk yourself down on the sands with a frosted drink in hand. Whether you want a veranda with a view of the sea or a plantation house set in a field of sugar- cane, this chapter will help you choose the vacation that best suits your needs. For a thumbnail portrait of each island, see “The Islands in Brief,” in chapter 2. 1 The Best Beaches Good beaches with soul-warming sun, coast. Chances are your hotel will crystal-clear waters, and fragrant sea be built directly on or near a strip air can be found on virtually every of white sand, as nearly all major island of the Caribbean, with the pos- hotels open onto a good beach. sible exceptions of Saba (which has See chapter 4. rocky shores) and Dominica (where • Palm Beach (Aruba): This superb the few beaches have dramatically strip of white sand put Aruba on black sands that reflect the hot sun). the tourist map. Several publica- • Shoal Bay (Anguilla): This lus- tions, including Condé Nast, have cious stretch of silvery sand helped hailed it as 1 of the 12 best put Anguilla on the world tourism beaches in the world. It’s likely to map. Snorkelers are drawn to the be crowded in winter, but for schools of iridescent fish that dart swimming, sailing, or fishing, it’s among the coral gardens offshore. idyllic. See chapter 5. You can take the trail walk from • The Gold Coast (Barbados): Old Ta to little-known Katouche Some of the finest beaches in the Beach, which offers perfect snor- Caribbean lie along the so-called keling and is also a prime site for a Gold Coast of Barbados, site of beach picnic under shade trees. some of the swankiest deluxe See chapter 3. hotels in the northern hemisphere. • The Beaches of Antigua: Legend Our favorites include Paynes Bay, has it that there is a beach here for Brandon’s Beach, Paradise Beach, every day of the year, though we and Brighton Beach, all open to haven’t bothered to count them. the public. See chapter 6. Antiguans claim, with justifiable • Cane Garden Bay (Tortola, pride, that their two best beaches British Virgin Islands): One of the are Dickenson Bay, in the north- Caribbean’s most spectacular west corner of the island, and Half stretches, Cane Garden Bay has 1 Moon Bay, which stretches for a 2km (1 ⁄2 miles) of white sand and white sandy mile along the eastern is a jogger’s favorite. It’s a much 537385 Ch01.qxd 7/25/03 9:38 AM Page 4 4 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF THE CARIBBEAN The Caribbean Islands FLORIDA Miami d a THE o r i f F l BAHAMAS S t r a i t s o Havana CUBA Little Cayman Cayman Brac Grand Cayman HAITI CAYMAN ISLANDS Montego Bay Port-au-Prince G R JAMAICA Kingston E A T E R Caribbean Sea COLOMBIA 537385 Ch01.qxd 7/25/03 9:38 AM Page 5 THE BEST BEACHES 5 0 300 Miles N 0 300 Kilometers NORTH AMERICA CARIBBEAN ATLANTIC SOUTH OCEAN AMERICA TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS L DOMINICAN VIRGIN ISLANDS EEW AR REPUBLIC Tortola Anegada D San Juan IS Virgin Gorda L Anguilla A Santo St. John St. Maarten/ N St. Martin D PUERTO RICO St. Thomas Saba Domingo Barbuda S St. Croix St. Kitts St. Barthélemy Nevis Antigua Montserrat S St. Eustatius L E Guadeloupe A N T I L W I N Dominica D W A S Martinique R E D L I S L St. Lucia L I A N T D St. Vincent S N Barbados A DUTCH LEEWARD ISLANDS The R Grenadines Aruba Curaçao E S S Grenada Bonaire L E Isla de Tobago Margarita Port of Spain Trinidad Caracas VENEZUELA 537385 Ch01.qxd 7/25/03 9:38 AM Page 6 6 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF THE CARIBBEAN better choice than more obvious contains some nudist patches (and more crowded) Magens Bay along with bare-all Booby Cay off- beach on neighboring St. Thomas. shore. See chapter 15. See chapter 8. • Diamond Beach (Martinique): • Seven Mile Beach (Grand Cay- This bright, white sandy beach 1 man, Cayman Islands): It’s really stretches for about 10km (6 ⁄2 1 about 9km (5 ⁄2 miles) long, but miles), much of it undeveloped. It who’s counting? Lined with condos faces a rocky offshore island, Dia- and plush resorts, this beach is mond Rock, which has uninhab- known for its array of watersports ited shores. See chapter 16. and its translucent aquamarine • Luquillo Beach (Puerto Rico): waters. Australian pines dot the This crescent-shaped public beach, background, and the average win- 48km (30 miles) east of San Juan, ter temperature of the water is a is the local favorite. Much pho- perfect 80°F (27°C). See chapter 9. tographed because of its white • The Beaches of the Dominican sands and coconut palms, it also Republic: There are two great has tent sites and picnic facilities. beach options here: the beaches of The often-fierce waters of the resort-riddled Punta Cana at the Atlantic are subdued by the coral easternmost tip of the island or the reefs protecting the crystal-clear beaches at Playa Dorada along lagoon. See chapter 17. the northern coast, which fronts • St-Jean Beach (St. Barthélemy): the Atlantic. Punta Cana is a A somewhat narrow, golden sandy 32km (20-mile) strip of oyster- beach, St. Jean is the gem of the white sands set against a backdrop island, reminiscent of the French of palm trees, and Playa Dorada is Riviera (though you’re supposed filled with beaches of white or to keep your top on). Reefs pro- beige sands. See chapter 12. tect the beach, making it ideal for • Grand Anse Beach (Grenada): swimming. See chapter 19. This 3km (2-mile) beach is reason • The Beaches of St. Maarten/St. enough to go to Grenada. Martin: Take your pick. This Although the island has some 45 island, divided about equally beaches, most with white sand, between France and the Nether- this is the fabled one, and rightly lands, has 36 white sandy beaches. so. There’s enough space and so Our favorites include Dawn few visitors that you’ll probably Beach, Mullet Bay Beach, Maho find a spot just for yourself. The Bay Beach, and Great Bay Beach sugary sands of Grand Anse on the Dutch side. Orient Beach extend into deep waters far off- is another standout—not because shore. Most of the island’s best of its sands but because of the hotels are within walking distance nudists. See chapter 23. of this beach strip. See chapter 13. • Canouan (the Grenadines): Most • Seven Mile Beach (Negril, of the other beaches recom- Jamaica): In the northwestern sec- mended in this section have been tion of the island, this beach discovered and may be crowded in stretches for 11km (7 miles) along winter. But if you’re looking for an the sea, and in the backdrop lie idyllic, secluded stretch of perfect some of the most hedonistic white sand, head for the remote resorts in the Caribbean. Not for and tiny island of Canouan, one the conservative, the beach also of the pearls of the Grenadines, a 537385 Ch01.qxd 7/25/03 9:38 AM Page 7 THE BEST SNORKELING 7 string of islands lying south of its has called this one of the world’s parent, St. Vincent. You’ll have best beaches. It’s such a spectacu- the beaches and the crystal-clear lar setting that increasing numbers waters to yourself, even in winter. of resorts, including Club Med, See chapter 24. have spring up along the shore. A • The Beaches of Tobago (Tobago): couple of miles out from the For your Robinson Crusoe holiday northern shore, the beach is in the southern Caribbean, head fringed by a reef with fabulous for the little island of Tobago. Even snorkeling. Back on land, there Trinidadians fly over here on are plenty of places where you can weekends to enjoy the beach life. It rent watersports equipment. See doesn’t get any better than a long chapter 26. coral beach called Pigeon Point on • Trunk Bay (St. John): Protected the northwestern coast. Other by the U.S. National Park Service, good beaches on Tobago include this beach is one of the Carib- Back Bay (site of an old coconut bean’s most popular. A favorite plantation) and Man-O-War Bay, with cruise-ship passengers, it’s known for its beautiful natural known for its underwater snorkel- harbor and long stretch of sand. ing trail, where markers guide you See chapter 25. along the reef just off the white • Grace Bay Beach (Providenciales, sands; you’re sure to see a gorgeous Turks, and Caicos Islands): these rainbow of tropical fish. See chap- 19km (12 miles) of pale sands are ter 27. the pride of Provo; Condé Nast 2 The Best Snorkeling The Virgin Islands offer some particu- Washington/Slagbaai Park receive larly outstanding sites, but there are especially rave reviews. See chap- many other great places for snorkeling ter 7. in the Caribbean. • Stingray City (Grand Cayman): • Antigua: This is a snorkeler’s Stingray City is an easy 4m (12-ft.) dream. Most of its lovely beaches diving site that can also be seen open onto clear, calm waters pop- while snorkeling.
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