Magical Journeys to the Caribbean

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Bavaro Beach (Playa Bavaro)

The unrivaled beaches of Punta Cana focus on Bavaro, the home of resort vacations in the Dominican Republic. Most of Punta Cana’s resort hotels cluster around the long stretch of white sand Bavaro Beach (or Playa Bavaro) and its small collection of shopping plazas.

The Natural Pool is a tucked away basin formed by rock and volcanic stone circles that fills with ocean water. The pool is also known locally as "Conchi" or "Cura di Tortuga," because it is said that the pool was once used to hold sea turtles before they were sold (tortuga means turtle in Papiamento, the official language of the Caribbean).

Bob Marley Experience

If you’re visiting Jamaica, chances are you’re a fan of Bob Marley. What better way to celebrate the King of Reggae’s life and music than a tour of his birthplace, house, and mausoleum? When you visit the Bob Marley Museum, you get a sense of his daily life, as it is located in his boyhood home in Nine Mile.

Nine Mile is synonymous with one of Jamaica’s most famous sons, the late great master of reggae Bob Marley. Thanks to guided tours led by Rastafarian guides, you can visit the former home of Bob Marley, as well as the musician’s beloved Mt. Zion Rock and his mausoleum. Many of the guides are Bob’s fellow musicians, relatives, and friends.

The sandy beaches of Saona island are a highlight of a visit to Parque Nacional del Este, along with the tropical moist forest and limestone karst landscape of the mainland.

Dunn's River Falls is a spectacular waterfall near Ocho Rios, where cold mountain water cascades 1,000 feet (300 meters) down naturally terraced steps. Visitors can climb the falls alone or in a guided "human chain," but there's also plenty of swimming, sunbathing and sightseeing to do as well.

El Yunque Rainforest is the only tropical rainforest under the protection of the US Forest Service and also the largest nature reserve in densely-populated Puerto Rico. It is situated in the mist-wreathed Luquillo Mountains where year-round precipitation ensures lush, green landscapes and a healthy diversity of animal life. This includes mongooses, non-venomous snakes, the rare Puerto Rican Parrot and the Coqui frog whose distinctive croak provides El Yunque’s soundtrack.

Affectionately titled “Love City,” Cruz Bay is always the first stop on a visit to St John. The town’s laid-back, carefree vibe, centered on a lively town square and an equally lively beach, draws visitors of all types from around the world.

Providenciales’ cotton plantation past is revealed at Cheshire Hall. The plantation is now in ruins, but more than 200 years ago it was a thriving complex of buildings and cultivated land. The property dates back to around 1790 and the ensuing years when Loyalist brothers Wade and Thomas Stubbs worked the cotton plantation, named for their English home county of Cheshire.

Perched on St John’s northern shore, Maho Bay draws families and snorkelers to its calm, shallow waters. It’s easily accessible, as you can drive right up to the beach and park on the side of a road lined with groves of coconut palms.

On the island of Providenciales, Grace Bay Beach is the Turks’ sandy gem, voted best beach by beach-lovers the world over. The white sand here is stunning, offset by gently lapping turquoise waters. Taking advantage of those sunset and ocean views, it’s here that you’ll find the majority of Providenciales’ upmarket resorts.

Home to the most famous view in all of Antigua, as well as the island's residential party place, no trip is complete without a visit to Shirley Heights. Overlooking English and Falmouth Harbours, the panoramic view from Shirley Heights takes in the neighboring islands of Guadalupe and Montserrat, the latter of which is home to an active volcano. While the views are spectacular any time of day, nothing can beat a night time visit where you can watch the sun set over the Caribbean.

One of the most beautiful and most convenient beaches on St John, Hawksnest Bay is a favorite for families with children and visitors coming from the ferry docks at Cruz Bay. Swaying palm trees line the narrow beach, which has restrooms, grills, and a shaded picnic area.

Caneel Bay is one of the first beaches you come to as you drive up North Shore Road out of St John’s main port, Cruz Bay. Much of the coastline here is monopolized by an extensive resort, but they guarantee access to Caneel Bay and their restaurants adjacent to the beach are accessible also.

The majority of St. John is covered by the Virgin Islands National Park, a stretch of preserved wilderness all the more remarkable when you consider how much of the island was once cleared for sugar plantations.

No, it's not a theme park; Stingray City is a world-famous natural wonder offering intrepid wildlife-lovers the chance to dive with stingrays. Touching and feeding stingrays underwater is a unique experience, combined with diving and snorkeling coral reefs surrounded by tropical fish.

Rodney Bay, on Saint Lucia’s west coast, is almost completely enclosed but for a narrow channel leading out to sea. An ideal spot for mooring, in other words, and indeed this protected anchorage is Saint Lucia’s foremost marina. Consequently nearby Reduit Beach, a stunning white-sand stretch facing the Caribbean, is a noted hangout of the rich and famous.

Tiny Grand Case consists of little more than a couple of streets and a seafront, but it draws people from all over the island. From here you can get stunning views of neighboring Anguilla and admire the whimsical pastel-colored houses adorned with elaborate fretwork known as “gingerbread houses”.

The expansive arc of Simpson Bay Beach, St Maarten’s longest, has everything you’d expect from a Caribbean beach: squeaky white sands, clear, lapping waters and gently waving palms. While it backs on to Princess Juliana Airport, you shouldn’t be unduly disturbed by noise, and the space and relative lack of other visitors will make you feel like you’ve found your private tropical paradise.

Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad & Tobago

In the field of eco-tourism, the Asa Wright Nature Centre was well ahead of the curve, having been a sanctuary for wildlife since 1967. It is famous the world over for the staggering variety of birds which pass through, often on their way to or from nearby continental South America.

From Ornate Hawk-eagles to the nocturnal Oilbird and the psychedelic plumage of dozens of tropical species, there is enough here to make a birdwatcher of any skeptic.

The center was once a coffee and cocoa plantation, and you can still enjoy lunch or high tea on the broad shady veranda of its old colonial house. Get the most out of your visit by taking a tour; expert guides will be able to point out not just birds but also the huge range of butterflies as well as lizards and other fauna.

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Magical Journeys to the Caribbean