Wednesday, July 27, 2011

WINDWARD ISLANDS - CARIBBEAN

(does not include Grenada or St. Lucia)

BARBADOS

Beaches
Bathsheba Beach – popular with surfers.
Crane Beach – pink sand beach; consistently voted among world’s top 10 beaches.

Dives
SS Stavronikita – in 127'; Greek freighter, purpose-sunk in 1978; crystal clear visibility.

Bars & Nightclubs
Cliff Beach Club – Derricks (St. James); 011-246-432-0797; thecliffbeachclub.com; vertiginous sister to Barbados stalwart, Cliff; carved into craggy rock face set within cove on west coast; stunning.

Hotels
Bougainvillea Beach Resort – Maxwell Coast Road (Christ Church); 011-246-418-0900 or 800-495-1858; bougainvillearesort.com.
Crane Residential Resort – Crane Beach (Bridgetown); 011-246-423-6220; thecrane.com; perched on southeast coast cliffs; established in 1887, thus island’s oldest operating hotel; ultra-spacious, fully appointed ocean-view 1-2 bedroom suites and 3 bedroom penthouses, many with private plunge-pool; 3 restaurants; on Crane Beach.
Little Good Harbour – Shermans (St. Lucy); 011-246-439-3000; littlegoodharbourbarbados.com; casual, intimate, and lovely.
Lone Star – Mount Steadfast (St. James); 011-246-419-0599; thelonestar.com; boutique-y.
Lush Life Nature Resort – St. Joseph; 011-246-433-1300; lushlife.bb; 10 cottages (housing 13 1-2 bedroom units) in highlands, looking out over ocean below; all have kitchens, sea-views, and swimming pool access; 5 minute drive to Bathsheba Beach; hiking.
One Sandy Lane – Paynes Bay (St. James); 011-246-620-400; onesandylane.com; legendary; 8 9K' Palladian-style villas.
Sandpiper – Holetown (St. James); 011-246-422-2251; sandpiperbarbados.com; subtly elegant; might be 1st choice on island.
Treasure Beach Hotel – Paynes Bay (St. James); 011-246-419-4200; treasurebeachhotel.com.

Restaurants
L’Azure Restaurant – Crane Beach (Bridgetown, at Crane Residential Resort); 011-246-423-6220; thecrane.com.
Cin Cin by Bay – Prospect (St. James); 011-246-424-4557; cincinbarbados.com; fine restaurant with alarmingly ambitious menu: bouillabaisses, ragus, and roulades; food well-executed; try jerk pork with gnocchi in creamy sweet pea purée.
Cliff Restaurant – Derricks (St. James); 011-246-432-1922; thecliffbarbados.com; old favorite; a little formal.
Cliff Beach Club – Derricks (St. James); 011-246-432-0797; thecliffbeachclub.com; vertiginous sister to Barbados stalwart, Cliff; carved into craggy rock face set within cove on west coast; stunning.
Cuz Fish Shack – Hastings (Carlisle Bay); marlin sandwiches (cutters).
D’Onofrio’s Italian Restaurant – Crane Beach (Bridgetown, at Crane Residential Resort); 011-246-423-6220; thecrane.com.
Fish Pot Restaurant – Shermans (St. Lucy, at Little Good Harbour); 011-246-439-3000; littlegoodharbourbarbados.com; seafood.
Josef’s – St. Lawrence Gap; 011-246-420-7638; josefsinbarbados.com; formal but beautiful.
Lone Star – Mount Steadfast (St. James); 011-246-419-0599; thelonestar.com.
Naniki – St. Joseph (at Lush Life Nature Resort); 011-246-433-1300; lushlife.bb; wonderful place to spend Sunday afternoon; traditional Barbadian and Trinidadian buffet is excellent; staff is efficient and friendly; live Jazz is fun but not intrusive; views are spectacular; garden romantic.
Scarlet – at Payne’s Bay (St. James); 011-246-432-3663; doors open at 5 p.m. and no set closing time; Thai and Asian food.
Scotch Bonnet Restaurant & Pastry Shop – Green Hill (St. Michael); 011-246-421-3465; healthy versions of local food.
Zen Restaurant – Crane Beach (Bridgetown, at Crane Residential Resort); 011-246-423-6220; thecrane.com; Japanese and Thai cuisine.

Sights & Sites
Tropical Blooms Flower Farm – St. Joseph (at Lush Life Nature Resort); 011-246-433-1300; lushlife.bb; lovely, with emphasis on anthuria.



MARTINIQUE
Hotels
Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa – La Prairie (Le Francais); 011-596-596-548-080; capest.com; 50 suites in creole-style pavilions scattered through landscaped park; teak furniture and plasma televisions; several have outdoor showers and plunge pools; poor quality beach; among best restaurants on island.

Restaurants
La Belle Epoque – 97 Route de Didier (Fort-de-France); 011-596-596-644-119; turn-of-20th-Century house; elegant, haute French cuisine; dining room is filled with crystal, silver, white linens, and beautiful tiles; room opening onto terrace with garden view; superbly prepared cuisine, particularly fish dishes, among island’s finest.
Entrée Nous – Bois Neuf (Gondeau); 011-596-9622-5144; restaurant-entrenous.fr; seafood in elegant and lush surroundings.

Shopping
Frères Lauzéa – Chocolate Club Lamentin (Lamentin, Imm. Wood Quarré, Quarter Mangot Vulcin); 011-596-569-883; frereslauzea.com; handmade chocolates.

Sights & Sites
Depaz – Plantation de la Montagne Pelee (St.-Pierre); 011-596-596-781-314; rum distillery; on volcanic Mount Pelee’s slopes; Martinique rum unique in that distilled from sugarcane juice, not molasses.
JM Crassous de Medeuil – Fonds-Preville (Basse-Pointe); 596-596-789-255; gorgeous location on cliff overlooking sea.
St. James – Le Bourg (Ste.-Maire); 011-596-596-693-002; contains rum museum.



ST. VINCENT & GRENADINES (Bequia, Canouan, Grenadines, Mayreau, Mustique, Petit St. Vincent, St. Vincent & Tobago Cays)
Bequia
Dives
Stratmann – rests on keel at 60'; purpose-sunk tug.
Hotels
Bequia Beachfront Villas – La Pompe (Friendship Bay Beach); 011-284-495-4467, 011-284-495-4354, or 800-367-8455; fortrecoverybequia.com; clean, comfortable apartments, from 1-4 bedrooms.
Firefly Plantation Hotel – Spring Bay; 011-784-458-3414; fireflybequia.com; 6 rooms, at least 4 facing ocean; lovely.
Restaurants
L’Auberge des Grenadines – Hamilton (Admiralty Bay); 011-784-458-3201; caribrestaurant.co; good wine list and lobster tank.
De Reef – beach; 011-784-458-3958; lunch fare.
Fig Tree – Belmont Walkway; 011-784-457-3008; harborside bistro; great grilled lobster.
Jack’s – Princess Margaret Beach (near Port Elizabeth); 011-784-457-3762; only establishment on sandy, secluded beach; sunset cocktails and good food.
Mac’s – Boardwalk (Port Elizabeth, off Belmont Walkway); 011-784-458-3474; lobster pizza is must; restaurant is island institution.
Services
Bequia Villa Rentals – 011-784-458-3393.
Boat Rental – 011-784-458-3884; to rent Passion, 60-foot catamaran.
Sights & Sites
Mayreau – island accessible from Bequia by ferry; some of Grenadines’ longest, prettiest beaches; hire water-taxi to see Saltwhistle Bay, horse-shoe cave with 2 beach bars at 1 end palm tree isthmus at other; see also Saline Bay.
Mustique – island accessible from Bequia by ferry; although island private, beaches public; visit Basil’s Bar and have drink and sandwich.
Tobago Cays – tobagocays.org; islands accessible from Bequia by ferry; marine park; Petit Tabac is essentially sandbar with few palm trees; Baradal is sea turtle haven.

Canouan
Dives
Steps – cooling lava forms rampart of continuous geometric steps, spilling into sandy flats at 75'.
Hotels
Tamarind Beach Hotel – Tamarind Beach; 785-458-8044; tamarindbeachhotel.com.

Grenadines
Dives
Sail Rock – pinnacle that attracts pelagic fish.

Mayreau
Dives
Mayreau Coral Gardens – off east coast (mid-way between Mayreau & nearby Tobago Cays); popular snorkeling & dive sites; coral reef formation; grouper, nurse shark and sponges.

Mustique
Hotels
Cotton House – 800-223-1108 or 877-240-9945; cottonhouse.net; 20-room hotel on private island; surprisingly reasonably priced; always booked with boldface names, yet retains refreshingly laid-back vibe; casual elegance reigns; interior filled with loads of comfortable white-upholstered furniture, dark woods, and flowing curtains; originally 18th Century coral warehouse and sugar mill; sits between 2 beaches; recently upgraded; most suites with private plunge pools; 2-bedroom hilltop house with dedicated staff and own pool, with views to the sea.
Petit St. Vincent
Hotels
Petit St. Vincent Resort – 011-954-963-7401 or 800-654-9326; psvresort.com; perfect location on private island 50 miles south of St. Vincent; local produce and fish.
Toucan Hill – 011-784-459-4621 or 800-747-9214; mustique-island.com.
Services
Jean-Michel Cousteau Caribbean Dive Center – petitstvincent.com or oceanfutures.org.

Restaurants
Basil’s Bar – beach; 011-784-488-8350; basilsmustique.com; world famous.
Shopping
Lotty B – Pink House; 011-784-488-8379; lottyb.com; hand-painted or silk-screened silk sarongs and scarves.

St. Vincent
Dives
Anchor Reef – stunning wall dive, with black coral and swim-throughs; also, 18th Century anchor embedded in wall.
Bat Cave – cliff-side cave with swooping bats drops into dark, underwater slot that quickly exits into sunlight at 40' followed by several swim-throughs.
Hotels
Buccament Bay Resort – Buccament Bay; 011-784-457-4100; buccamentbay.net; has private charter access to some of Grenadines’ most remote beaches, including Tobago Cays’ coral reef, where you can swim with sea turtles.
Services
Dive St. Vincent – Young Island Dock; 011-784-457-4948; divestvincent.com; try to book “black-sand muck dive,” to see frogfish, black brotulas, and long-armed octopi.
Sights & Sites
Botanic Gardens – Kingstown; 011-809-457-1003; bgci.org/garden.php?id=314.
La Soufriere Volcano – Rabacca Dry River (Rabacca); towering volcano, last erupting in 1979; 4K' high; covers virtually entire northern third of island; eastern trail to crater rim (2-hour ascent) begins at Rabacca Dry River.

Tobago Cays
Beaches
Petit Tabac – sugar sand beach where 1st Pirates of Caribbean movie scenes shot.
Dives
Disneyland – 60' drift dive over sloping reef; large corals and sponges; hawksbill turtles, sharks, and southern rays.
Horseshoe Reef.



TURKS & CAICOS & PROVIDENCIALES
Bars & Nightclubs
Anacaona – Grace Bay Road (at Grace Bay Club); 011-649-946-5050; gracebayclub.com; infinity bar is 90' black granite oblong slab stretching to water.
Gansevoort – Grace Bay Beach (Providenciales, at Ganzevoort Hotel); 011-649-941-7555; gansevoortturksandcaicos.com; try “Paddy Got Sunburn” (Stout, Canton ginger liqueur, ginger beer, and lemon juice).
Porter’s Island Thyme Bar – 134 Honeheka, North District (Salt Cay); 649-946-6977; islandthyme.tc; potent alcoholic creations.

Beaches
Grace Bay – excellent beach; not overwhelmingly developed.
Water Cay – home to stunning Half Moon Bay, whose crescent of power white sand is framed by limestone cliffs.

Dives
Amphitheater.
Boat Cove – off West Caicos’ west coast; goliath grouper.
Crack – giant swim-through draped in sea whips and wire corals leads to wall that plummets 6K'.
Driveway – along West Caicos; eels, nurse sharks, and turtles’ nests.
HMS Endymion.
French Cay.
Rolling Hills – where nurse shark and stingrays are common.
West Caicos Wall.

Hotels
Amanyara – Northwest Point (Providenciales); 011-649-941-8133 or 866-941-8133; amanresorts.com; set in scrubby landscape in island’s Northwest Point Marine National Park; soaring main Indonesian wood pavilions surround reflecting pool; gazebos flank infinity pool; 40 ocean-and pond-facing guest pavilions feel utterly private despite 3 windowed walls that slide open onto terraces and daybeds and sunken dining area; open bathroom has deep tub; early spring is less windy; Ocean Pavilions 104, 105, 107 & 108 are closer to resort facilities.
Gansevoort Hotel – Grace Bay Beach (Providenciales); 011-649-941-7555 or 877-774-3253; gansevoortturksandcaicos.com.
Grace Bay Club – Grace Bay Road (Providenciales); 011-649-946-5050 or 800-946-5757; gracebayresorts.com/gracebayclub.
Nikki Beach Resort – Providenciales; 011-649-941-3747; nikkibeachhotels.com.
Parrot Cay – Parrot Cay (Providenciales); 011-649-946-7788 or 877-754-0726; como.bz.
Point Grace – Grace Bay (Providenciales); 011-649-946-5096 or 866-924-7223; pointgrace.com; British colonial beachfront property; spa and restaurant.
Sands at Grace Bay – Grace Bay (Providenciales); 011-649-946-5199 or 877-777-2637; thesandsresort.com.
Regent Palms – Grace Bay (Providenciales); 011-649-946-8666 or 866-877-7256; regenthotels.com/thepalms; on Turks and Caicos’ celebrated Grace Bay Beach; infinity pool and 15K sq ft spa; 72 suites with vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and Roman baths, overlooking ocean and come with terraces where couples can dine alfresco before slipping past railing and testing waters; 3-bedroom penthouse suites accessible only by private elevator and come with butler.
Villas of Salt Cay – Victoria Street (Salt Cay); 011-772-713-9502; villasofsaltcay.com.
La Vista Azul – Turtle Cove (Providenciales); 011-649-946-8522 or 866-519-9618; lavistaazulresort.com.

Restaurants
Anacaona – Grace Bay Road (at Grace Bay Club); 011-649-946-5050; gracebayclub.com; excellent desserts.
Coco Bistro – Grace Bay Road; 011-649-946-5369; among prettiest places away from water; outdoor restaurant under palms; prime rib and rack of lamb.
Da Conch Shack – Blue Hills Road (Provo); 011-649-946-8877; conchshack.tc; beautiful and low key; excellent ceviche and conch fritters.
Horse-Eye Jack’s Bar & Grill – at Blue Hills beach (Providenciales); 011-649-941-4955; horse-eyejacks.com; simple fare and full calendar of events, including full moon parties.
Porter’s Island Thyme Bar – 134 Honeheka, North District (Salt Cay); 649-946-6977; islandthyme.tc; fairly sophisticated international and local cuisine; try steamed, freshly caught snapper in pepper-wine sauce or “Porter” house steak.

Services
Oasis Divers Grand Turk – Grand Turk; 011-649-946-1128 or 800-892-3995; oasisdivers.com; between January and March (with March being best month), humpback whales calve and mate in Silver Bank, Atlantic Ocean region between Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos; Oasis Divers offers diving and snorkeling trips.
Silverdeep – Leeward Highway; 011-649-946-5612; silverdeep.com; offers 3-hour excursions that include rum punch.
Turks & Caicos Aggressor II – 209 Hudson Trace (Augusta, Georgia); 706-993-2531 or 800-348-2628; aggressor.com/turkscaicos.php; live-aboard dive accommodations that are luxurious and perfect for dive vacations.

Sights & Sites
Humpback Whales – from Grand Turk to Salt Cay; from December through April, they migrate here.
Lake Catherine – West Catherine; notable for flamingos.
Iguana Island – nature preserve.

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