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Visit Big Spring Heritage Site and Fountain Cavern National Park to see the marks left by the earliest residents — more than 100 petroglyphs dating back to AD 600. For a glimpse into the island’s Colonial heritage, venture inland to The Valley, Anguilla’s capital, where the privately owned Wallblake House is a careful restoration of a plantation house built in 1787.
Anguilla is a secret my mother would have kept so she could feel like it was her own private paradise. Then again, this small island, just 16 miles long and three and a half miles wide, inspires most people to feel that way. From the sparkling, turquoise waters of Rendezvous Bay and the Caribbean Sea to powder-soft white sand beaches and a landscape of vibrant flowers, this piece of paradise is simply enchanting.
With a population of just 14,000 locals, tourists and Anguillans frequently mingle. Restaurants are local and authentic and the vibe is relaxed and unhurried. Try Sharky’s in West End Village, where a popular go-to order is the lobster risotto with a star ingredient that is, of course, caught fresh that morning.
My beautiful, practical mother treated us to just one vacation every year. “Everyone deserves to splurge and feel special,” she would say, and every year we would head somewhere new that felt like magic. She floated into each place like a queen, radiating an inner glow, while the rest of us followed in awe. With a mission to experience my mother’s “taste of the good stuff,” I took seven of the Caribbean’s most compelling islands by storm, exploring their cuisine, culture, and vibe.
Beyond their astonishing beauty, the islands of the Bahamas are known for their spectacular white-sand beaches, clear turquoise water, popular diving destinations, and legendary Bahamian hospitality.
There are endless opportunities for adventure across the archipelago. Bonefishing in Andros? Visiting Pig Beach on Big Major Cay? Snorkeling the world’s third-largest barrier reef? Exploring underwater sculptures at Clifton Heritage National Park? Check, check, check, and check.
Nassau is a fusion of cultures and the culinary scene is an amalgamation of African, European, American, and Indigenous influences. Family recipes are used to trace West African lineage — from Mali to Ghana — and preserved today in tribute to Afro-Bahamian heritage. People-to-People pairs visitors with volunteers who share their love of the islands on tours combining cultural attractions and local food such as rum cake, conch fritters, and Johnny Cake (fried bread served warm and slathered with butter and mango jam). Some guides lead visitors to their favorite restaurants, others invite them into their homes to prepare and share a traditional meal with them.
Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club’s stunning beachfront location. Image credit: Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club
Image credit: Caroline Klein
ANGUILLA’S SECLUDED SERENITY
From Day To Night
Anguilla’s 30 beaches are often lauded as the most glorious in the region. Whether you’re looking for company or privacy, there is a beach to suit your mood. Sandy Island, a 15-minute journey by boat, is a sliver of white beach just 820 feet long and hosts its own beach bar and restaurant that serves specialties such as shrimp sautéed with coconut cream and rum, meatballs infused with mango and Thai chili, and fresh mahi mahi salad.
Dog Island, Scrub Island, and Sombrero Island are all spectacular for birding, while tiny Anguillita draws divers and snorkelers in search of barracudas, rays, and turtles. For lunch or a sundowner, head to Prickly Pear Cay and order a rum punch from the thatch-roofed bar.
Most Anguilla visitors arrive by ferry — just another part of its allure. If you’re staying at Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, the staff will happily arrange a private charter. If my mother came here, she would arrive by ferry, pat her sea-strewn hair, deeply inhale the salt air, and order pink Champagne to celebrate her arrival. You can, too.
Explore Grand Turk on a leisurely stroll shaded by brilliant bougainvillea and yellow elder along charming Duke, Queen, and Front Streets, admiring the restored 18th- and 19thcentury Bermudian architecture. Don’t miss Guanahani Beach, the site of the monumental first landfall of Christopher Columbus during his voyage to the New World in 1492.
Local cuisine is heavily influenced by the native Taíno people, with contributions from the Lucayan, African, Jamaican, Hispaniolan, and Bahamian cultures, which means you can expect a flavor-filled experience. The Caribbean Food and Wine Festival brings together chefs from around the world for a weekend of amazing food, drinks, and cooking demonstrations. Festival events will be hosted October 11–15, 2023 at some of the islands’ most stunning locations.
Only my mother could’ve got me to leave my sunny spot on Grace Bay Beach at the beautiful West Bay Club, but with her voice in my head and some recommendations from my personal concierge, it was easy to join a kayak tour through uninhabited cays scattered in the bay. The barrier reef that shields Grace Bay Beach from large waves keeps the waters calm and crystal clear. Plenty can be seen from a kayak, but snorkeling the gentle, shallow waters — the ocean is only about 15–20 feet deep at the Bight Reef’s farthest expanse — opens up a technicolor menagerie of turtles, coral formations, starfish, and eagle rays.
Turks and Caicos is actually 40 different islands and cays, and only nine are inhabited. Each offers a different experience and a unique character, from Providenciales, where Grace Bay Beach is located, to rustic and charming Grand Turk, where John Glenn splashed down in 1962 after becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.
Splashing Down in Turks and Caicos
An overwater palapa looks out to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Image credit: Shutterstock
Make time to visit the “family islands,” each has a distinct ambiance. Harbour Island’s pink sands and charming pastel beach houses have led some to label it the Nantucket of the Caribbean, while Bimini, a diver’s paradise at the very west of the chain, was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite haunts. Among the Bahamas’ 700 islands, 365 are mostly unpopulated, including Great Exuma, Little Exuma, and the Exuma Cays. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park covers more than 100,000 acres of land and sea. In these crystal-clear waters that are only 82 feet deep, you can snorkel with rays, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, and thousands of vibrant tropical fish.
While in the Exumas, visit Thunderball Grotto, named for the James Bond movie filmed there. Swim in at low tide through a small, almost hidden entrance into a complex series of sea caves to reach a magnificent light-filled cavern. Back on land, stop at nearby Staniel Cay for a drink at the yacht club’s bar, where Sean Connery spent many nights on location.
Image credit: Shutterstock. Colorful textiles for sale at a Jaipur market
From the illustrious Seven Mile Beach in Negril and James Bond Beach (Bond, again!) near Ocho Rios to secluded blue lagoons, majestic waterfalls, lush walking trails on the Blue Mountains north of Kingston, and music that sweeps all your cares away, the diversions here are boundless.
Honeymooners and romantics gravitate to Montego Bay and the storied — and fabulously dreamy — Half Moon. This iconic beach resort, where Jackie and John F. Kennedy spent a month in a cottage before he began his presidency, has been beloved by generations of visitors. The warm and welcoming staff greets your family like family, and you’ll wonder how they learned your name (and favorite drink) so quickly.
Certainly, Jamaica offers plenty of things to do, but what is exceptional is how it makes you feel. People here have a natural glow. It reminds me of those family trips, seeing Mom shine from the inside out. That happens here: your body’s rhythm aligns with the island’s, and “laid-back” doesn’t do it justice — this is how happy
should feel.
Its status as the birthplace of Reggae and Rastafarianism is a point of pride, and Jamaica’s “everything is alright” vibe is an essential part of its endless charm, and yet it is so much more. It is a place of incredible natural beauty, culture, heritage, and locals who welcome even first-time visitors like treasured friends.
Prepare your taste buds for smoky, spicy jerk chicken and the national dish ackee (a fruit that, when cooked, resembles scrambled eggs) and salt fish. Order Jamaican patties, golden-yellow pastries traditionally filled with warm and delicious spiced ground beef, in Trenchtown, home of reggae and rocksteady music.
Jamaica’s size accounts for its diversity of landscapes. Unlike some of its smaller neighbors, there’s as much verdant, mountainous inland to explore here as there are picturesque beaches. At Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, visitors wear swimsuits when they hike up the underwater rocks, pausing every so often for a dip in one of the clear pools.
Image credit: Shutterstock. Beautiful buildings on Lake Pichola, a large, fresh water man-made lake in Udaipur
The Delights of Delhi
Image credit: Shutterstock. Assorted sides with dahl makhani
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Treasures of the Caribbean
Destination: Caribbean
With independent boutiques, hip hangouts for cocktails, and dreamy waterside cafés, Glockenbachviertel is one of Munich’s prettiest districts
Image credit: Shutterstock. Castillo San Felipe del Morro was designed to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay
Visit Big Spring Heritage Site and Fountain Cavern National Park to see the marks left by the earliest residents — more than 100 petroglyphs dating back to AD 600. For a glimpse into the island’s Colonial heritage, venture inland to The Valley, Anguilla’s capital, where the privately owned Wallblake House is a careful restoration of a plantation house built in 1787.
Anguilla’s 30 beaches are often lauded as the most glorious in the region. Whether you’re looking for company or privacy, there is a beach to suit your mood. Sandy Island, a 15-minute journey by boat, is a sliver of white beach just 820 feet long and hosts its own beach bar and restaurant that serves specialties such as shrimp sautéed with coconut cream and rum, meatballs infused with mango and Thai chili, and fresh mahi mahi salad.
Seaside relaxation at the resort. Image credit: Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club
Certainly, Jamaica offers plenty of things to do, but what is exceptional is how it makes you feel. People here have a natural glow. It reminds me of those family trips, seeing Mom shine from the inside out. That happens here: your body’s rhythm aligns with the island’s, and “laid-back” doesn’t do it justice — this is how happy should feel.
From the illustrious Seven Mile Beach in Negril and James Bond Beach (Bond, again!) near Ocho Rios to secluded blue lagoons, majestic waterfalls, lush walking trails on the Blue Mountains north of Kingston, and music that sweeps all your cares away, the diversions here are boundless.
Honeymooners and romantics gravitate to Montego Bay and the storied — and fabulously dreamy — Half Moon. This iconic beach resort, where Jackie and John F. Kennedy spent a month in a cottage before he began his presidency, has been beloved by generations of visitors. The warm and welcoming staff greets your family like family, and you’ll wonder how they learned your name (and favorite drink) so quickly.
Its status as the birthplace of Reggae and Rastafarianism is a point of pride, and Jamaica’s “everything is alright” vibe is an essential part of its endless charm, and yet it is so much more. It is a place of incredible natural beauty, culture, heritage, and locals who welcome even first-time visitors like treasured friends.
Prepare your taste buds for smoky, spicy jerk chicken and the national dish ackee (a fruit that, when cooked, resembles scrambled eggs) and salt fish. Order Jamaican patties, golden-yellow pastries traditionally filled with warm and delicious spiced ground beef, in Trenchtown, home of reggae and rocksteady music.
Jamaica’s size accounts for its diversity of landscapes. Unlike some of its smaller neighbors, there’s as much verdant, mountainous inland to explore here as there are picturesque beaches. At Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, visitors wear swimsuits when they hike up the underwater rocks, pausing every so often for a dip in one of the clear pools.
Half Moon at Montego Bay, Jamaica, has two miles of beachfront. Image credit: Half Moon
JAMAICA’S RHYTHMS
Music punctuates everyday activities in Saint Lucia. Like other nations in this region, songs brought here by West African slaves influence traditional music. Artists here play in any number of styles, from calypso to hip hop in bars and nightclubs.
Zip-lining at Morne Coubaril Historical Adventure Park is perfect for adrenaline junkies, and hiking in the Pitons is a must. Take one of several trails of varying lengths and challenges around Gros Piton and Petit Piton, or head a little inland to the Tet Paul Nature Trail for a moderate 45-minute hike with astonishing views. For a less strenuous excursion, visit the world’s only drive-in volcano, Sulphur Springs in Soufriere, and marvel at the otherworldly landscape, a barren wasteland with tawny rocks and thick bubbling mud with steam hovering ominously above.
Paddleboarding, windsurfing, and fishing charters are also popular, along with whale-watching cruises. Cap Maison Resort & Spa guests can hire one of the resort’s Carriacou sloops for sunset cruises or day trips, or take a Catamaran that’s perfect for a family day out, stopping at coves to snorkel and swim.
Wherever you venture on the island, especially if you’re in the mountains, prepare for an afternoon rain shower. It comes in with little warning, leaving just as abruptly. Yes, even the rain is lovely in Saint Lucia.
Boats dot the Bay of Soufrire on the lush shoreline of Saint Lucia. Image credit: Shutterstock
Known for its luxurious accommodations, year-round sunshine, translucent seas, and a charmingly chill nonchalance, Saint Lucia has a breathtaking tropical landscape with jungles and volcanic valleys, lush rainforests, and staggering twin mountains jutting boldly out of the sea. I was instantly smitten, even before I found out it is the chocolate capital of the Caribbean. Join chocolate-related tours, cookery classes, or visit a chocolate plantation (my idea of heaven) and savor rich, delicious samples.
Saint Lucia's soil and climate are ideal for cultivating cocoa to produce high-quality chocolates. Image credit: Shutterstock
Love and Chocolate
on Saint Lucia
There is plenty to discover in Puerto Rico’s variety of natural habitats. Explore El Yunque National Forest, the only rainforest within the U.S. National Forest System. It is home to 26 species of animals unique to Puerto Rico, and has 24 miles of hiking trails, including the Caimitillo Trail. It is the easiest — every inch of it is paved — and offers a short half-mile walk for anyone who wants to enjoy the rainforest without the challenge of a hike.
Off the coast, the island of Vieques is known for stunning Mosquito Bay, the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.
For a more under-the-radar experience, visit the uninhabited island of Cayo Icacos just off the coast of Fajardo where waters are ideal for snorkeling.
Gallery-hop along Calle San Sebastian and flock to the Santurce neighborhood and its Calle Cerra, the birthplace of street art in Puerto Rico. “What began as a beautification of old buildings has turned Santurce into Puerto Rico’s version of the Wynwood Arts District in Miami,” says Paola Sáez of Puerto Rico’s The Condado Collection, which includes the historic Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. Here, socially conscious Michelin Star-rated chef Juan José Cuevas delivers contemporary, farm-to-table cuisine at 1919 that would leave an impression on Miguel Pou. I’m name-dropping one of Puerto Rico’s great masters — you can find his work at Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
Puerto Rico offers a dazzling array of gorgeous scenery, delicious food, tropical drinks, and a tapestry of historic and modern culture mixing Indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions. The people are buena gente (Boricua lingo for kind and friendly) and a vibrant, and celebratory spirit fills the air.
Get up early in Old San Juan to see a sunrise you’ll remember for the rest of your life: the Castillo San Felipe del Morro aglow and soft light reflecting on the momentarily empty cobblestone street and the brilliant ocean beyond. This historic city is equally captivating in broad daylight when the galleries, boutiques, and cafés are buzzing. And while Puerto Rico is famous for its sparkling white sand and nearly 300 sun-kissed beaches along 270 miles of coastline, there’s far more to do on this island than sunbathe.
Old San Juan dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and Puerto Rico’s history is told through the Spanish Colonial architecture along the city’s cobblestone streets. Visit Catedral de San Juan Bautista, the second-oldest church in the Americas, Museo Casa Blanca, the oldest residence in San Juan, and El Morro, a 16th-century Spanish military fort and iconic landmark.
One of four pools at Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Image credit: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
PUERTO RICO’S HISTORIC CHARM
There is a street festival or local celebration almost every weekend, with live bands, rides, and parades that capture the celebratory spirit of the island. Sáez recommended weekly bomba nights at La Vergüenza (Old San Juan), La Terraza de Bonanza (Santurce), or Café Borikén (Rio Piedras). I started the night at Celeste in Puerta de Tierra, a neighborhood seafood and wine bar, with seasonal crudo and mofongo — a must-try traditional dish made by mashing deep-fried green plantains with garlic and either salt-cured pork, butter, or oil.
A cobblestone street in Old San Juan. Image credit: Shutterstock
Pristine beaches, picturesque villages, quaint streets, lush landscape, prestigious boutiques and galleries, and a laissez-faire attitude blend graciously with Caribbean tranquility and European elegance. The island is almost 10 square miles — big enough for an array of adventures yet small enough to enjoy many of them without feeling overwhelmed.
Unless you are chartering a yacht or a plane, getting to Saint Barths can be an enterprise, but that’s just part of the island’s exclusive charm. If it was easy, everyone would be there, dahling.
While other Caribbean islands boast a “barefoot beach” vibe, in Saint Barthélemy refined attire is de rigueur for Champagne-fueled evenings. This is unapologetically a destination to see and be seen. You don’t go to Saint Barths to get away from it all — you go to Saint Barths to signify you’ve arrived.
One of the mega-yacht capitals, this sparkling jewel in the French West Indies bears similarities to the South of France, coincidentally where those yachts sail in the off-season. It is elegant and decadent in equal measure, and the social calendar follows certain traditions. Wednesday nights are for dinner at La Guérite, while Thursdays are for beachside chic La Petite Plage, sister restaurant to the Saint-Tropez institution of the same name. Shellona, inspired by the easygoing lifestyle of Ibiza and Mykonos, is the scene for Friday lunch, while the weekend brunch hotspot is beside the beach at the Sand Bar in Eden Rock or Nikki Beach, the iconic luxury beach club. These meals are often such productions that some people have a name for dining out twice in one afternoon: two-a-days.
Scenic views of Gustavia Harbor on Saint Barths. Image credit: Shutterstock
Two-a-Days In Saint Barths
Make time to visit the “family islands,” each has a distinct ambiance. Harbour Island’s pink sands and charming pastel beach houses have led some to label it the Nantucket of the Caribbean, while Bimini, a diver’s paradise at the very west of the chain, was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite haunts. Among the Bahamas’ 700 islands, 365 are mostly unpopulated, including Great Exuma, Little Exuma, and the Exuma Cays. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park covers more than 100,000 acres of land and sea. In these crystal-clear waters that are only 82 feet deep, you can snorkel with rays, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, and thousands of vibrant tropical fish.
While in the Exumas, visit Thunderball Grotto, named for the James Bond movie filmed there. Swim in at low tide through a small, almost hidden entrance into a complex series of sea caves to reach a magnificent light-filled cavern. Back on land, stop at nearby Staniel Cay for a drink at the yacht club’s bar, where Sean Connery spent many nights on location.
Beyond their astonishing beauty, the islands of the Bahamas are known for their spectacular white-sand beaches, clear turquoise water, popular diving destinations, and legendary Bahamian hospitality.
There are endless opportunities for adventure across the archipelago. Bonefishing in Andros? Visiting Pig Beach on Big Major Cay? Snorkeling the world’s third-largest barrier reef? Exploring underwater sculptures at Clifton Heritage National Park? Check, check, check, and check.
Nassau is a fusion of cultures and the culinary scene is an amalgamation of African, European, American, and Indigenous influences. Family recipes are used to trace West African lineage — from Mali to Ghana — and preserved today in tribute to Afro-Bahamian heritage. People-to-People pairs visitors with volunteers who share their love of the islands on tours combining cultural attractions and local food such as rum cake, conch fritters, and Johnny Cake (fried bread served warm and slathered with butter and mango jam). Some guides lead visitors to their favorite restaurants, others invite them into their homes to prepare and share a traditional meal with them.
Caribbean reef shark in the Bahamas. Image credit: Shutterstock
Island Hopping in The Bahamas
A green sea turtle on Smith’s Reef off the island of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. Image credit: Shutterstock
Most Anguilla visitors arrive by ferry — just another part of its allure. If you’re staying at Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, the staff will happily arrange a private charter. If my mother came here, she would arrive by ferry, pat her sea-strewn hair, deeply inhale the salt air, and order pink Champagne to celebrate her arrival. You can, too.
Other homegrown products delivering peak happiness include fresh papayas and mangoes — there are more than 60 types of mango trees in Saint Lucia.
Try popular local dishes such as green figs and salt fish, curried lambi (conch), and stewed meats. Enjoy the local beer, Piton Lager, with the island’s best burger at Rabot.
Image credit: Shutterstock. Saint Lucia's soil and climate are ideal for cultivating cocoa to produce high-quality chocolates
Image credit: Shutterstock. Saint Lucia's soil and climate are ideal for cultivating cocoa to produce high-quality chocolates
Love and Chocolate
on Saint Lucia
Puerto Rico offers a dazzling array of gorgeous scenery, delicious food, tropical drinks, and a tapestry of historic and modern culture mixing Indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions. The people are buena gente (Boricua lingo for kind and friendly) and a vibrant, and celebratory spirit fills the air.
Get up early in Old San Juan to see a sunrise you’ll remember for the rest of your life: the Castillo San Felipe del Morro aglow and soft light reflecting on the momentarily empty cobblestone street and the brilliant ocean beyond. This historic city is equally captivating in broad daylight when the galleries, boutiques, and cafés are buzzing. And while Puerto Rico is famous for its sparkling white sand and nearly 300 sun-kissed beaches along 270 miles of coastline, there’s far more to do on this island than sunbathe.
Old San Juan dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and Puerto Rico’s history is told through the Spanish Colonial architecture along the city’s cobblestone streets. Visit Catedral de San Juan Bautista, the second-oldest church in the Americas, Museo Casa Blanca, the oldest residence in San Juan, and El Morro, a 16th-century Spanish military fort and iconic landmark.
Image credit: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. One of four pools at Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Gallery-hop along Calle San Sebastian and flock to the Santurce neighborhood and its Calle Cerra, the birthplace of street art in Puerto Rico. “What began as a beautification of old buildings has turned Santurce into Puerto Rico’s version of the Wynwood Arts District in Miami,” says Paola Sáez of Puerto Rico’s The Condado Collection, which includes the historic Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. Here, socially conscious Michelin Star-rated chef Juan José Cuevas delivers contemporary, farm-to-table cuisine at 1919 that would leave an impression on Miguel Pou. I’m name-dropping one of Puerto Rico’s great masters — you can find his work at Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
Image credit: Shutterstock. A cobblestone street in Old San Juan
PUERTO RICO’S
HISTORIC CHARM
There is plenty to discover in Puerto Rico’s variety of natural habitats. Explore El Yunque National Forest, the only rainforest within the U.S. National Forest System. It is home to 26 species of animals unique to Puerto Rico, and has 24 miles of hiking trails, including the Caimitillo Trail. It is the easiest — every inch of it is paved — and offers a short half-mile walk for anyone who wants to enjoy the rainforest without the challenge of a hike.
Off the coast, the island of Vieques is known for stunning Mosquito Bay, the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.
For a more under-the-radar experience, visit the uninhabited island of Cayo Icacos just off the coast of Fajardo where waters are ideal for snorkeling.
There is a street festival or local celebration almost every weekend, with live bands, rides, and parades that capture the celebratory spirit of the island. Sáez recommended weekly bomba nights at La Vergüenza (Old San Juan), La Terraza de Bonanza (Santurce), or Café Borikén (Rio Piedras). I started the night at Celeste in Puerta de Tierra, a neighborhood seafood and wine bar, with seasonal crudo and mofongo — a must-try traditional dish made by mashing deep-fried green plantains with garlic and either salt-cured pork, butter, or oil.
Image credit: Shutterstock. Scenic views of Gustavia Harbor on Saint Barths
Two-A-Days
In Saint Barths
While other Caribbean islands boast a “barefoot beach” vibe, in Saint Barthélemy refined attire is de rigueur for Champagne-fueled evenings. This is unapologetically a destination to see and be seen. You don’t go to Saint Barths to get away from it all — you go to Saint Barths to signify you’ve arrived.
One of the mega-yacht capitals, this sparkling jewel in the French West Indies bears similarities to the South of France, coincidentally where those yachts sail in the off-season. It is elegant and decadent in equal measure, and the social calendar follows certain traditions. Wednesday nights are for dinner at La Guérite, while Thursdays are for beachside chic La Petite Plage, sister restaurant to the Saint-Tropez institution of the same name. Shellona, inspired by the easygoing lifestyle of Ibiza and Mykonos, is the scene for Friday lunch, while the weekend brunch hotspot is beside the beach at the Sand Bar in Eden Rock or Nikki Beach, the iconic luxury beach club. These meals are often such productions that some people have a name for dining out twice in one afternoon: two-a-days.
Pristine beaches, picturesque villages, quaint streets, lush landscape, prestigious boutiques and galleries, and a laissez-faire attitude blend graciously with Caribbean tranquility and European elegance. The island is almost 10 square miles — big enough for an array of adventures yet small enough to enjoy many of them without feeling overwhelmed.
Unless you are chartering a yacht or a plane, getting to Saint Barths can be an enterprise, but that’s just part of the island’s exclusive charm. If it was easy, everyone would be there, dahling.
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Inspired by her mother’s advice, “Life is short. Go for the good stuff,” writer Andrea Goss Knaub shares her experiences exploring these vibrant islands.
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Preferred Meetings & Events
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Travel Professionals
Become a Member Hotel
Become an Alliance Partner
PreferredNet
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I Prefer Gift Cards
* Actual rate may vary based on date, room type, and availability. Enter dates to determine more accurate rates for your search.
Copyright © 2025 Preferred Travel Group
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#ThePreferredLife