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Around since the 18th century, the Avila Beach Hotel is Curaçao’s longest operating hotel. The property’s signature Pen restaurant got its name from the English and Dutch governors who once used the hotel as a country residence, while its classic Schooner Bar has been a beach fixture since the 1950s. A variety of room types all have bright, modern décor and private balconies or patios. Some even have kitchenettes or fully outfitted apartments, which are perfect for families. For a distinctly Caribbean experience, book one of the Ocean Front Blues rooms, housed in an all-wood building on the pier with unbeatable water views.

The resort features two beaches (one of which is exclusive to guests staying in suites), an infinity pool, and a fitness center with a sauna, steam room, and outdoor Jacuzzi. About a 20-minute walk from Willemstad’s UNESCO World Heritage buildings, it also offers a shuttle to town—a very welcome amenity on hot days. Check the resort schedule for weekly happy hours, live music, classical concerts, and arts events, and be sure to look for the vintage Rolls Royce inside the gift shop.

Built between 1914 and 1916 on an octagonal base, this stone, double-lens lighthouse is Aruba’s marquee landmark. Standing tall at 98 feet, it’s the highest structure on the island and offers the best views in its respective area. It gets its name from the SS California, a British steamship that sank in nearby waters in 1891 and now functions as a fantastic dive site. Adjacent to the lighthouse, visitors will find a beloved Italian restaurant and the California White Sand Dunes, a hot spot for dune surfing.

One of the best spots in the Caribbean for surfing is Barbados. And if you’re not one of the best surfers in the world (like me), one of the best breaks on the island to catch some waves has got to be Freights Bay. The added bonus is that most late afternoon sessions end with a spectacular flourish as the sun sets smack in the middle of the bay.

Many Caribbean islands (Anguilla included) are made primarily of limestone. Over many thousands of years, caves often form in this type of rock speckling the islands with tons of little caves to explore. On Anguilla there are plenty to explore, but the hike to the Iguana Cave is particularly pleasant. It starts on the quiet and isolated sands of Katouche Bay Beach just past the Masara Resort. It’s pretty much due West of the capital of The Valley and very easy to find. The only awkward part is the very steep road that descends the last mile toward the shore. There you should find a gap in the sea grape trees. Staying on this path will take you past a salt pond, through a forest crawling with hermit crabs, up an old stone staircase, through a grove of cactus, past the occasional red-footed tortoise, and finally to the cave. Going at an easy pace, the hike clocks in at around 45 minutes up and 45 minutes back. For the most part, it’s pleasant and I highly recommend it as a way to break up a bounty of beautiful beach days.

Offering a bit of the South Pacific in the Caribbean, the Van der Valk Kontiki Beach Resort features thatched-roof cottages set amid gardens and green, saltwater pools. The deep, wood-paneled rooms have direct paths to the pools as well as the Cabana and Mood Beach clubs. For an extra $20 per night, you can even book a full-service room, which includes a lounging bed at the beach (reserve it a day in advance to ensure you get a spot), a minibar with drinks and snacks, and nightly turndown service. The beach clubs serve the standard international fare and host weekly theme nights like a Friday fresh fish market with live music. A range of additional dining and nightlife options exists along Mambo Beach Boulevard, adjacent to the resort, and the aquarium is a short walk away. While Kontiki does not have a full-service spa, guests can book massages and manicures right on the beach.

Not since the Atlantis Paradise Island opened in 1998 has there been this much hype about a resort in the Bahamas. After years of on-again, off-again setbacks, Baha Mar officially debuted in summer 2017, with the launch of the 1,800-room Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the first of three hotels on the 1,000-acre beachfront development. Accommodations come with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble baths, and balconies overlooking the ocean or lake fountain, but the grounds are the main attraction here. Over-the-top amenities include a gleaming 100,000-square-foot casino, the largest in the Caribbean, as well as six swimming pools (one has a swim-up aquarium “cave”), a Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course, and a guests-only beach club. There’s no shortage of food and beverage options with 18 restaurants and bars, though celeb hotspot Katsuya, designed by Philippe Starck, is the frontrunner. You’ll find even more restaurants and shopping next door at the resort’s sister properties, SLS and Rosewood.

Cayo Espanto is one of those fantasy vacation spots, the kind that one might think exists only in daydreams. But this private island actually is the stuff of dreams, with powdery sand and private beaches lapped by the clear Caribbean waters, doting service, and plenty to do—or not. Cayo Espanto, one of Belize’s hundreds of cays (off-shore islands), sits three miles off the coast of another Belizean island, San Pedro, and can boast what few other properties can: a location right along the second-largest barrier reef in the world.


Each of the seven villas occupies its own private slice of the cay, and an excess of amenities is included: airport pick-up service, boat transfers to and from the island, personal butler service, three customized meals per day, snacks and drinks, and all non-motorized activities, including the use of kayaks and a sailboat. Villas are painted in tropical hues and are exceedingly comfortable, with windows that open right up to ocean views. Some have private infinity-edge plunge pools.

Most of the year, Punta Cana’s white, sandy stretches of sand are blessed with gently lapping surf, which means that night swimming isn’t as dangerous or daunting an exercise as it can be on other Caribbean islands. Slip into the water near the Westin’s covered pier, and have the ocean all to yourself. Under the bright light of a full moon, you might even catch a glimpse of a sea turtle inching its way along the beach.

Negril, or the “Capital of Casual” as it’s known in Jamaica, is everyone’s favorite getaway, from locals to the visitors who return year after year. The buzz of activity on Seven Mile Beach’s powdery white sands is tempered by the breathtaking, serene views of the West End’s cliffs towering over the Caribbean. Lots of bars, hotels, and restaurants line Seven Mile Beach, and local eateries and smaller boutique resorts are perched up on the cliffs. While there’s more hustle and bustle and throngs of tourists on this end of Jamaica, the region still offers many secluded spots and unique experiences.

Saline is the most beautiful and the most famous beach in St. Barths. From the shore, you cannot see any building: no fancy bar, no posh restaurant, nothing. Just the wild beach and you. Saline Beach never really gets crowded, as the island is too small to have actual crowds. But it is a true luxury, early morning, to come there for a nice swim. More than once, I’ve been able to be the only one there. This long, beautiful, renowned beach was just mine! It is okay to do nude sunbathing in Saline, but it’s better if you do it on the far sides of the beach. Indeed, the middle part is where the trail arrives from the parking lot and you do not want to make families feel uncomfortable. Even if nobody really cared. Again, early morning, it is just a couple of people here and nobody minds if you swim naked in this pure Caribbean blue water. Vive la liberté ! My tip: Bring a bottle of water if you are planning on staying for long, as there is no store on the beach. Nothing!

Belize’s liveliest time of the year comes in September, when the entire country celebrates independence for three entire weeks leading up to Sept. 21. The major towns and cities host various events, and a countrywide calendar is published on Sept. 1, allowing you to follow along with the fun wherever you might find yourself in Belize. The most popular events are a steel pan concert called Pan Yaad, held in Belize City, and two full-blown carnival parades. Belize City Carnival, with soca and Caribbean music blaring, is held in mid-September, while Orange Walk Carnival takes place on Independence Day and celebrates Mestizo heritage. Take advantage of low-season fares to get a unique culture-filled experience in Belize in September.

While most of the Grenadines’ most luxurious hotels cater to the one percent, Salt Whistle Bay, on Mayreau, offers a blissfully pared back—though no less exclusive—experience. You’ll feel like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe when holed up in one of the 22-acre property’s eco-friendly bell tents or stone bungalows, each outfitted with colorful rugs, fans, and plush linens, and positioned to capture ocean breezes. By day, swim with sea turtles, sting rays, and tropical fish in the surrounding reef-filled waters—snorkeling masks are free to guests, as are stand-up paddleboards—or try kiteboarding on the resort’s designated beach. By night, share those adventures over a dinner of grilled lobster at the on-site restaurant and bar.

Located on the northwest point of the island, Aruba’s only golf course offers views across the ocean and desert. It’s also independent, meaning guests at any resort can use the championship greens, which were designed by Robert Trent Jones II. Visitors to the course have access to club rentals as well as a putting green, a chipping area, and swing tutorials with a high-tech simulator. Note: Aruba’s constant trade winds present a challenge to even the most experienced golfers, so prepare for a somewhat frustrating game.

Before I went to Belize, anyone I spoke with who had already been told me that I had to have a meal at Elvi’s Kitchen. What started out as a take-out burger window in 1974 eventually became a sit-down restaurant serving lovingly prepared Caribbean dishes such as conch soup and fritters, mojo de ajo, fried green plantains, and street corn. During high season you might have to wait in line to eat dinner at the restaurant, but most of the time, there isn’t much delay. Save room for dessert. Elvi’s Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Bypass the roadside watering holes and take a boat ride to Floyd’s Pelican Bar, instead. This thatched hut stands on stilts out in the water, making it a dreamy spot for an afternoon of swimming and shooting the breeze, solo or with friends. It’s 30 minutes from Treasure Beach (arrange a boat ride through your guesthouse or resort), and you can arrive for lunch and stay until after sundown for the just-caught fish, rum, and chilled Red Stripe on the menu. Inside the tiny shack, the flags of various countries hang and previous customers have left messages scrawled on planks and benches. Sit outside and watch the pelicans flying in formation across the horizon.