As we prepare for a trip to the tropics, we’re seeing alarming reports of a Chickungunya “epidemic” in some areas. Will that prevent us from taking this highly anticipated trek to the islands – even though our next destination is on the CDC list of Caribbean countries that have reported cases of Chickengunya? Heck no. But we certainly are prepared to take steps to prevent being infected with this virus transmitted by mosquitoes.
Currently there are no vaccines to prevent getting Chickungunya, so it’s extremely important to avoid mosquito bites. How?Here are a few suggestions.
1. Wear clothing that covers arms, legs and neck.
2. Use insect repellant and re-apply often. The CDC recommends using products with DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (we’ve loaded up on this product as we like to try the more natural options – Repel 94109 Lemon Eucalyptus Natural Insect Repellent, 4-Ounce Pump Spray) 3. If possible, stay in screened and/or air conditioned rooms or use a bed net.
When you’re headed to the Caribbean for much-needed tropication, it’s always great to get a local’s advice. Before we arrived in Martinique, my journalist friend Pascale told me that some of her island’s most unspoiled beaches – with authentic Martinican flavor — lay in Les Anses d’Arlet. After unpacking our bags, my family couldn’t wait to head there and get some warm sand between our toes.
Swimming at Petite Anse
Les Anses d’Arlet is actually what’s called a commune in French, like a county, on the southwestern coast of Martinique. Known for its rustic fishing villages, this hilly, natural area doesn’t offer big hotels or splashy resorts, but you do find irresistible Caribbean ocean with a seriously laid-back attitude.
View of Petite Anse from the pier
We first explored Petite Anse (meaning “little cove”), a small village with loads of colorfully painted Creole houses, the striking historic church Saint-Henri, and a pier where you can capture unbelievable photographs. A seafront meal at Le Littoral left us happily relaxed. The beach lies right in front of town, which means you can swim in clear-as-glass water, then pop over to the bakery for a treat.
The next day, we headed just a few minutes further north to Grande Anse, a fishing village that is truly tiny by comparison, with a single main street and one souvenir shop, Kay Zaza. But that’s what we loved about it. While the town seems miniature, the cove curves in one long, unending stretch of soft sand. Bright blue and red fishing boats get dragged onto shore after the day’s catch, while sailboats gently rock at anchor in the calm, turquoise sea.
The long Grande Anse Cove
For lunch, we ate at a “lolo” (a Creole beach restaurant) called Bidjoul, where you can sit with your feet literally in the sand. Crayfish in a Creole sauce and whole fried snapper (what they call vivaneau) made for an amazing feast. What a great place to chill out with a crisp, local Lorraine beer.
A Creole Lolo in Grande Anse
Facing the ocean, you’ll need to head right to reach a beautiful stretch of beach that almost feels like your own private paradise. With only a few rental houses set back from the water, the vibe is peaceful and the view perfectly soothing. The lone bar down this side, Ti Sable (or “little sand”) offers comfortable chaises, a cool island soundtrack, and drinks concocted of fabulous Martinican rhum – for some blissful Rum Therapy.
Hanging out by Ti Sable Bar
Another cool find? Just in front of Ti Sable, underwater rocks are home to a host of small tropical fish. Don’t forget the masks and snorkels, or buy goggles at Kay Zaza, to see this delightful micro-reef.
Thanks to my friend Pascale, we didn’t miss out on two of Martinique’s most unforgettable beaches, along with the charming Creole atmosphere of Les Anses d’Arlet.
Guidebook author Laura Albritton and her husband Zickie have just debuted their blog Island Runaways (www.islandrunaways.com).
We recently ran across a post from The Yummy Life that showed a recipe, an easy one at that, for flavored frozen fruity daiquiris. Thinking it would be perfect for an upcoming backyard get-together, we set out to mix up a batch.
Each daiquiri contains a LOT of frozen fruit (guess you could say it’s healthy!) and the taste is simply scrumptious. The best part is, you can mix up a whole bunch of them ahead of time, pour them into 16 oz. mason jars and freeze them until you need them – just leave a little room at the top as they expanded as they freeze! The alcohol keeps them from freezing completely, so just remove them from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, stir slightly and add a garnish!
Make a batch without the rum for the little ones and designated drivers!
Which one looks tastiest to you?
*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!
Each daiquiri contains a LOT of frozen fruit (guess you could say it’s healthy!) and the taste is simply scrumptious.
Course: Drinks
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3-6oz.Frozen Lemonade Concentrate(we used about 4 oz. because we like them a little less tart)
6oz.Light Rum
4c.Frozen Fruit(strawberry, blueberry, mango)
2c.Ice
Sugar(Sweetener is optional and to taste. We didn't need any when we reduced the frozen concentrate)
Fresh Fruit(For Garnish)
Instructions
Blend frozen lemonade concentrate, rum, and frozen fruit (and sweetener if needed ) in a blender until smooth.
Add ice and blend again until thick and frosty.
Pour into a mason jar, garnish and serve, or freeze up to one month in the freezer.
Notes
If you are making these ahead of time, you can pour them into 16 oz. mason jars and freeze them until you need them – just leave a little room at the top as they will expand as they freeze! The alcohol keeps them from freezing completely, so just remove them from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, stir slightly and add a garnish!BONUS: You can also make these with no alcohol for little ones and designated drivers!!
North Sound is an area of water on the northern tip of Virgin Gorda that is edged not only by Virgin Gorda, but by the smaller islands of Moskito, Prickly Pear and Saba Rock. North Sound not only offers protected anchorage, lovely resorts, good dining options and watersports, it is a visual treat with beautiful green hills and colorful villas set against it’s stunning blue waters.
While parts of North Sound, such as Leverick Bay and Gun Creek, are accessible by road, many of the other places shown on the map are accessible only by water. A small ferry carries passengers from Gun Creek to Bitter End and also to Saba Rock for dining. Otherwise, dinghy’s and small motor boats are the transportation of choice to explore as much of the area as you can.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to spend some time in North Sound, here are a few things you might want to check out.
Leverick Bay Resort & Marina
Leverick Bay has accommodations, a small grocery store, a couple of gift shops, two restaurants – Leverick Bay Restaurant and The Cove – and a Bar/Restaurant called Jumbies. Enjoy a rum punch and roti at Jumbies under the shade of a thatched umbrella with your toes in the sand.
During the high season, be sure to check out Michael Bean, the singing pirate, who performs during Happy Arrr Monday through Thursday. On Friday nights, the huge Mocko Jumbies show up for the beach party.
Michael Bean, The Singing Pirate
Dinghy’s can also be rented for the day from Leverick Bay Marina, but be sure to call ahead to see if you can reserve one. Read about our visits to Leverick Bay here: Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda
Fat Virgin’s Cafe
Leaving Leverick Bay and traveling east past Gun Creek, you’ll spot a little dining spot right on the water named Fat Virgin’s Cafe. Stop by and say hi to owner Esther and order some delicious conch fritters and rum punch. Tasty West Indian-cuisine, friendly people, a gift shop, good drinks and a beautiful view make this a place worth stopping.
Behind Fat Virgin’s Cafe lies the luxury resort – Biras Creek. Accessible only by boat or helicopter this gorgeous resort is the ultimate secluded escape. If you want to dress up (check the dress code) for an excellent dinner experience, call for reservations in the main restaurant a Biras Creek. You’ll be treated to spectacular food and views.
Bitter End Yacht Club
Just north of Biras Creek, is yet another amazing resort – The Bitter End Yacht Club. Bitter End offers accommodations, fine and casual dining, a sailing school, and a wide variety of water sports and activities. Rent a Hobie Cat and glide across the turquoise waters of the Sound, then stop by the Crawl Pub for a cold beverage and a game of pool or foosball.
Saba Rock
Saba Rock, a small rock oasis in between Bitter End and Prickly Pear Island, is a popular stop for boaters for it’s great food and lively bar with comfortable seating – all at the waters edge. Saba Rock also offers a boutique hotel, a small marina, a gift shop and a great view of Eustatia Island. Banana Daiquiris are a Saba Rock specialty and the Anegada Lobster Dinner is top notch.
Continuing around the Sound you’ll run into Prickly Pear Island. Vixen Point is one of the best beaches in the area and is also the home of Sandbox Bar & Grill. Play volleyball on the beach, swim in the calm blue water, or just pull up a chair and catch some rays. Lunch, dinner and drinks are available at Sandbox.
Rum Punch on the beach at Sandbox
Take the hiking path from Sandbox to North Beach, another beautiful beach on Prickly Pear Island with good snorkeling and beautiful views of Eustatia and Necker Islands.
View of Moskito Island from the dinghy
To round out your day of exploring, dinghy past Moskito Island. This island was purchased recently by Sir Richard Branson who also owns the nearby Necker Island. He has plans to turn Moskito Island into an eco-resort that will use renewable energy.
Have you had the chance to explore the beautiful North Sound of Virgin Gorda? What were the highlights of your time there?
To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
For those of you that have followed us for a while, you know how much we love to sail in the Caribbean. To us, a sailing vacation is the perfect combination of getting on the water yet still being able to enjoy some relaxing island time. A few years ago we were asked by a friend to create a rum recipe for a sailing trip he was going to photograph, and we were up for the challenge. After a bit of experimenting and mixology, we came up with a tasty concoction we named Wind In Your Sails Punch.
Whether you’re about to sail the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean or just dreaming of being there – enjoy!
*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!
Le Diamant Beach, Martinique – a guest post by author Laura Albritton
“Martinique.” Even this island’s name sounds sexy on the lips – the long drawn out ahhhh, followed by that final, clipped French eeeque. It’s not a place many English-speakers journey to, so maybe it was fate that prodded me to rent a cottage on the southern side of the island in Le Diamant, beside one of the most intoxicating stretches of waterfront I’ve ever experienced.
A view of Le Diamant Beach with the “Sleeping woman” hills in the background
Photo Credit: Zickie Allgrove
Le Diamant Beach looking to the east
Photo Credit: Zickie Allgrove
A little background: As you might guess, “diamant” means diamond in English, and the 2 ½ mile expanse of beach overlooks le Rocher du Diamant, a.k.a. Diamond Rock, with a swashbuckling history. You see, back in 1804 during the Napoleonic Wars, the English decided that this tiny volcanic island held the key to wresting Martinique away from the French. In a move right out of Monty Python, the British dubbed the rock a Royal Naval vessel, the H.M.S. Diamond Rock, and positioned cannon and some 107 soldiers to defend this inhospitable, stony key.
A view of Diamond Rock from the beach
Photo Credit: Zickie Allgrove
As I gazed at the steep face of le Rocher du Diamant, I wondered how in the world anyone could survive a single night out there….much less 17 months, which is how long the British lasted before surrender.
Le Rocher du Diamant, or Diamond Rock, which the British claimed as a naval war ship
Photo Credit: Zickie Allgrove These days you can take a dive boat out to explore the incredible sea life that clusters at its base. Or just remain onshore, amid swaths of sand where coconut palms bend low over the Caribbean. Sometimes you sit and see no one, like you’re on a desert island. The surf grows rambunctious in places, tumbling to shore in a dramatic rush of azure and aqua. Perfect for body surfing.
If you come to watch the spectacular sunrise, you may later need a little sustenance. Just across the road, the village’s Boulangerie du Rocher bakes authentic French croissants, with a hundred flaky layers of buttery goodness. A breakfast of chocolate croissants as you’re lounging in the sand? Yes, please!
Around cocktail hour – to indulge in a little rum therapy — head over to New Cap Bar and Restaurant. Sip a ‘Ti Punch as the sun sets over this hypnotic scenery: the Caribbean ocean punctuated by Diamond Rock, glowing in the half light like a brilliant, faceted gem. As they say in French, “La vie est bon.”
Looking out on Diamond Beach from New Cap restaurant and bar
Laura writes about travel, books, and art for publications like The Miami Herald, Sculpture magazine, Harvard Review, The Florida Keys Weekly, and UncommonCaribbean.com. Check out her new guidebook Miami for Families on her website.
One of the tastiest ingredients used in tropical drinks in my opinion, is pineapple – fresh pineapple if possible! This frosty drink calls for 1 and 1/2 cups of pineapple per drink and for the best taste possible, we used a fresh pineapple cut into chunks. At least half of the pineapple used should be frozen for the creamiest effect.
This drink is considered a daiquiri, which traditionally are not overly sweet and just a bit tart due to the addition of lime juice. If you like a sweet drink, cut back on the amount of lime juice and bump up the amount of simple syrup added. And if you like your drink even tarter, add more lime to taste!
*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!
We awoke to yet another spectacular morning view through our porthole.
Morning view of the water around Anegada
We were reluctant to leave this island with the electric blue water, but were anxious for the adventures ahead.
Leaving Anegada
The sail out of Anegada was nearly as beautiful as the sail in – except for one thing.
We were leaving!
Sailing from Anegada to Virgin Gorda
Before getting back to Virgin Gorda, our captain planned to make a snorkeling stop at The Dogs, a small group of uninhabited islands just off the coast of Virgin Gorda. The four Dogs Islands, called George, Great, West and Seal, have a number of coral ridges that are great for snorkeling and diving.
Sailing Itinerary – Day 6
We stopped at George Dog, anchored, spent some time checking out the coral and fish in the clear blue water, and then found a place to lounge and relax in the sunshine.
Snorkeling at George DogInteresting sea creaturesChillaxin’ on deck
From there we had a short motor over to check out the spectacular Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda.
Little Dix Bay Resort, Virgin GordaHobie Cat in Little Dix Bay
Next stop – The Baths!
Huge boulders of The Baths
Even though we’ve been lucky enough to visit The Baths several times, we were nonetheless excited to explore them again AND show our boatmates this amazing area. The Baths National Park is found on the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda and is comprised of massive granite boulders, white sand beaches and sparkling shallow blue pools which can be explored via a trail that winds through the rocks, sand and pools.
After a great afternoon of exploring, we swam back to our boat, where we were greeted with the drink of the day and a delicious dinner! At this point in the trip, we’d gotten used to such pampering and were trying to figure out how to take our crew home with us…
Drink of the Day – fruity SangriaDelicious dinner on-board
But alas, our sailing trip was nearing the end. That night we anchored in Spanish Town and dinghied in for a drink and the view at CocoMaya.
In the morning, we began the last day of our vacation….. :(
We spent the early hours enjoying Cooper Island and Cooper Island Beach Club.
Cooper Island Beach Club
A short hop over to to Salt Island for a snorkel of the Wreck of the Rhone – and then our final stop of the trip – Peter Island.
After dinner ashore at Deadman’s Beach Bar & Grill (part of the Peter Island Resort) we reflected on the great week we had just experienced. In 7 days we were able to to see so much of the BVI, including visits to the following islands:
Tortola
Norman Island
Sandy Island
Little Jost Van Dyke
Jost Van Dyke
Anegada
Virgin Gorda
Cooper Island
Peter Island
We were also treated to some excellent sailing through the beautiful islands, pampered with great food and drinks, and we got to experience all of this with a wonderful group of friends.
Sun-tanned, relaxed and refreshed, we were completely ready to go again!
Our awesome crew
Thanks to our wonderful crew and the folks at Festiva for another really great sailing vacation!
Looks like it’s time to check out another sailing itinerary! Perhaps the Grenadines again, or St. Maarten/Anguilla/St. Barths? Or maybe Greece?…..
To find out more about a Crewed Charter Sailing Vacation with Festiva including the itineraries they offer, contact them through their website: Festiva Sailing Vacations
Wow – we were already 4 days in to our sailing vacation. How time flies when you’re having so much fun – well, and a little rum!
We woke this morning to this view of Great Harbour from our porthole…
Morning view of Great Harbour from our porthole
After a delicious breakfast of eggs, fresh pastries and fresh fruit prepared by our lovely cook, we dinghied to Great Harbour to explore just a little more. We then set sail for our next destination, Guana Island, and passed stunning Sandy Cay along the way.
Sandy Cay, British Virgin IslandsSailing itinerary Day 4
After Sandy Cay, we enjoyed a very nice sail around Tortola, passing by some of the harder to reach beaches on Tortola’s North side such as Trunk Bay, Josiah’s Bay and Lambert Bay.
Passing beautiful White Bay on Guana Island, we pulled into Monkey Point, where we spent a few hours snorkeling at one of the best spots on the trip. Here we saw very large tarpon (at least 3 ft!) and schools and schools of small brightly colored minnows.
Next stop – North Sound, Virgin Gorda.
Leverick Bay, Resort & Marina
We docked that night at colorful Leverick Bay (see more about Leverick Bay here), which allowed us to easily get off the boat and explore the area.
We’d been to Leverick several times in the past, but were never there to enjoy the “singing pirate”, Michael Bean at Jumbies…that is until this time!
Michael Bean at Happy Arrr!
It was a fun show – lots of singing, pirate shenanigans and rum punch and we enjoyed Jumbies until the sun went down.
We were welcomed back on the boat with a delicious Happy Arrr of our own. Every evening our crew would prepare a delicious round of lite hors d’oeuvres and a “drink of the day”. Tonight’s drink? A strawberry daiquiri with fresh mint…yum…
Drink of the Day
Day 5 we awoke with anticipation of a sail to “the drowned island” – Anegada.
Day 5 itinerary
Lying approximately 15 miles north of Virgin Gorda, this island just doesn’t look like the others in the BVI chain. Only 28 ft at it’s highest point, it’s flat topography is far different from the other islands. Anegada is surrounded by coral reefs and hundreds of shipwrecks and it takes an experienced captain to safely navigate the sail in – and we were very happy to leave this task in our capable captains hands (another benefit of a crewed charter!)
At about 2 hours, the sail to Anegada was the longest of the trip. It was a gorgeous sunny day with enough wind for a decent sail, but smooth enough that we could do this….
Enjoying a relaxing sail to Anegada
And a little more of this…
Making sure the tan is even…
Until we started to get close to Anegada and the water looked like this.
The shallow, blue water around Anegada
Once safely anchored in Setting Point, we dinghied to shore, rented an open cab truck for the day and set off exploring.
If you’ve yet to visit Anegada, let me tell you, it should be called “Ahhh”negada! The beaches, although devoid of a lot of foliage or palm trees, are simply spectacular. It’s almost hard to describe the water color – electric maybe? First stop – the beach north of Pomato Point.
And not another soul around….
Cow Wreck Beach and Beach Bar
We drove on a short way to Cow Wreck Beach and Beach Bar. We could have easily spent a few days here. Great beach – fun beach bar! Find out more about our visit to Cow Wreck here. After an hour or two we pressed on – intent on seeing as much as possible and landed on Loblolly Bay.
Loblolly Bay
Here we enjoyed some good snorkeling and a beverage at the Big Bamboo Beach Bar.
Read more about our visit to Loblolly here.
Totally sun and salt water drenched, we made our way back to Setting Point and then our boat to enjoy our “drink of the day”, while watching yet another amazing sunset.
Sunset from our boat in Setting Point
And to top this excellent day off, we cleaned up and went ashore for a Lobster dinner at Potter’s by the Sea. Man, I could get really used to this!
National Daiquiri Day is celebrated on July 19 and to honor it, we thought we’d try a new recipe from Papa’s Pilar appropriately named the Hemingway Daiquiri.
After all, Papa’s Pilar Rum is inspired by Ernest Hemingway, who certainly enjoyed his tipple, especially in the company of good friends. To find out more about the history of the daiquiri, be sure to read the info below supplied by the good folks at Papa’s Pilar® Rum.
*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!
Hand shake all ingredients with ice. Serve in a chilled glass. Garnish boldly with grapefruit.
History of the Daiquiri
The Daiquiri is named after a small Cuban town of the same name on the southern coast near Santiago. It was invented at the turn of the 20th century reportedly by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox. It’s hard, as with any research into cocktail history to make any definitive claims. After all, the British Royal Navy was mixing Grog (rum, water, lime and sugar) together since Admiral Vernon ordered it in August of 1740. In 1909 Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, who was visiting Cuba enjoyed the drink so much he brought the recipe back to the Army Navy Club in Washington, D.C. Thereafter, the cocktail began wider enjoyment and consumption. The Daiquiri is still served at the club today.
Enter Ernest Hemingway
There are many variations of the Classic Daiquiri. Many began in Havana at the La Floridita Bar. Under the guidance of head bartender Constante, many of the most famous variants emerged. Unfortunately, today many people either do not know, or do not care what the accurate (or as closely as can be researched and deduced) ingredients in these recipes really are. At the center of this daiquiri dilemma is the Hemingway Daiquiri.
A basic Classic Daiquiri is 2 oz white rum, .75 oz fresh lime juice, 1 tsp sugar. Constante, working his own genius, offered the Daiquiri #3 in his 1935 recipe book by adding 1 tsp maraschino and 1 tsp grapefruit: his house daiquiri at the La Floridita. Many people have over time referred to this #3 as the Hemingway Daiquiri or the La Floridita Daiquiri. Constante however never did so. Simply calling it the #3. In 1939, Constante did offer a Floridita Daiquiri. This he called the #4 which left the grapefruit out. He also offered the E. Henmiway [sic] Special. This was the #3 served blended. Ernest loved his Daiquiri frozen. None of these confusing and subtle twists should be confused with the Papa Doble. Often people mention the Papa Doble and the Hemingway Daiquiri interchangeably. Hemingway was diabetic and avoided sugar. In this recipe he asked Constante, working from the Classic Daiquiri with only three ingredients, to double the rum (‘Doble’) and forgo the sugar. Thus 4 oz white rum and .75 oz fresh lime juice. Bold, just like Papa. In the end, what is most important is to enjoy the rum and this special cocktail. We suspect Ernest would be less caught up with exact balances and more concerned with being surrounded by friends and revelry in a grand bar in Key West or Havana.
We recently ran across a post from 
National Daiquiri Day is celebrated on July 19 and to honor it, we thought we’d try a new recipe from 
