It’s always fun for us to look back on the year and see which posts were visited most by our wonderful readers. We always try to make out own predictions on which posts were the most popular, but there are always some surprises. This year was no different as posts on the Virgin Islands made up 8 of the top ten!
Sometimes the best thing about a beach bar is not the beach, or the food, or even the drinks, and even though the beach is beautiful and the drinks are good, there is something even better about Als’ Mar Azul in Vieques. (Update – now called Saint Voodoo’s Mar Azul)
Al’s Mar Azul, Vieques
After spending a day exploring the beaches and sights on Vieques, we stopped at Al’s Mar Azul to enjoy a little grub and few drinks before catching the ferry back to Puerto Rico.
Al’s Mar Azul BarWarning sign at Al’s Mar Azul. Use of Rum and Tequila Authorized.
We were waterlogged, hungry and thirsty as we walked in to Mar Azul and were cheerfully greeted by the staff.
Al’s Bar
We made our way to the back of the bar and requested a table on the open aired deck that overlooks the ocean and the ferry dock – and wow, were we glad we did.
View to the back deck at Al’s Mar Azul
We ordered some sliders, a chicken wrap, a rum punch and a Mar Azul Special (a tasty green drink with rum in it) and settled in to watch the sun set from our choice seats on the deck.
Mar Azul Special on the deckView of Vieques Ferry Dock from the deck
A Rum Punch and the sunset at Al’s Mar AzulAmazing sunset from the deck
We sat there until we saw the ferry arriving from Puerto Rico (white light in the middle of the picture), reluctantly said goodbye and walked back to the ferry dock for our ride back to PR.
Ferry making it’s way back to Vieques
Whether vacationing on Vieques or just spending the day there, we’d say it’s definitely worth enjoying a beverage and taking in a sunset at Al’s Mar Azul, Vieques.
All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit. Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC
Do you have someone on your list that loves the tropics (may even have a Tropical Obsession), craves a vacation in the islands, lives to put their toes in the sand, and wants to do it all with a umbrella drink in hand?They may LOVE a Rum Therapy gift this year!
We ship our gifts in the US with USPS Priority which usually takes 2-3 days once shipped. Order any of these gifts by Thursday, December 18, and you should get your package by the 24th.
So….grab your favorite rum drink (check out our recipe for Creamy Candy Cane Rum) , put your feet up and check out some of theseisland inspired Rum Therapy gifts.Oh – and Happy Holidays to you all!
Rum Therapy Holiday Pro Packs for Men & Women Like beautiful sandy beaches, palm trees, sunshine and rum drinks? Well then you just might be a Rum Therapy Pro! This Holiday Gift Pack covers all those things and more!
We started a new line of island inspired jewelry this year and we are so pleased with the response! Here are some of the best sellers that you might consider for your Holiday purchase!
Women’s Tropical Anklets! Starfish Anklet, Sunshine Anklet, Dolphin & Opal Anklet, Dreaming of the Sea Anklet and Beach Charm Anklet. These have been popular since we announced them about a month ago! Check them out here: Rum Therapy Anklets
All of our new necklaces have sold well this year, but this one has been the most popular so far! Check out all of our Rum Therapy Necklaces here: Necklaces
Guys – we’ve got some great new designs for you too! Check out our Smooth Sail Leather Wristband and the other great men’s designs here: Men’s Wristbands
A distinctive texture and superior Coolon moisture-wicking technology make this quick-drying, light and breezy, breathable cap an excellent choice for your next tropical vacation! In Lime, White and Aqua.
We’re hoping to re-stock our popular Tropical Bracelet & Earring Sets this weekend. We’ll let you know as soon as their back on the website.
Be sure to check our SHOP for even more ideas! Let us know if you have an idea of items we should carry!
Flamenco Beach, in a protected cove on Culebra’s north shore, is consistently ranked in top beach lists. During a recent stay in Puerto Rico, we decided to take a day trip to Culebra to spend some time on Flamenco and check another top 10 beach off of our list.
We were a little worried that because of all the hype, Flamenco would be packed, but the moment we spotted the path to the beach and the ultra blue water of Flamenco – we didn’t care!
As we got to the end of the path, the sheer beauty of Flamenco took our breath away. To the right was a very long, very wide arc of creamy, white sand. To the left the beach was not as wide, but it was fringed with lovely palm trees.
Walking one end of the beach to the other may take a while, but is well worth it. On the right side – the beach is very wide with very little shade.
There were a few umbrellas and beach chairs to rent. Continuing to the right, at the very end of the beach you’ll find some very good snorkeling.
On the left side, the beach narrows and is fringed by some beautiful palm trees. There are some great sandy areas with shade on this side.
Walk all the way to the end of the beach on the left and you’ll come across an old rusted tank – a reminder of a time when Culebra was used for military exercises by the US Navy.
After all that walking, you can quench your thirst with the local Puerto Rican beer, Medalla, and a yummy Pincho at one of the kiosks behind the beach.
With its calm, blue water, long expanse of soft sand and plenty of room to relax – it’s easy to see why Flamenco Beach is one of the top rated beaches in the world.It’s one of the top on my list now too!
We were almost embarrassed to admit that we had yet to taste any of the Cockspur Rums – a family of premium rums from the beautiful island of Barbados – but that changed the other night. We received a bottle each of their Cockspur 12, Old Gold, Fine Rum, Spiced and 130 and set out to do a bit of sampling.
Now we are certainly not rum experts – but we certainly do enjoy rum, so we’ll just share with you our Cockspur Rum Tasting experience, how we enjoyed sampling each rum, and where the rums are available.
Before tasting the rums, we went to the Cockspur website to get some background information on their rums. The website tells how Cockspur got its start in 1884, when a Danish seaman named Valdemar Hanschell settled on the island of Barbados.
Cockspur is now made at the West Indies Rum Distillery, established by the Stade Brothers. The distillery is located on the beach – Brighton Beach, north of Bridgetown, and uses coral filtered water from a nearby aquifer. The rum is then aged under warm Caribbean sunshine and fresh ocean breezes at our beach-side distillery. Sounds like our kind of rum!
The Cockspur 12 was enjoyed neat. We loved the color – a rich mahogany hue, and the flavor was full and velvety. The aroma was wonderful – a sweet buttery scent that made us want to drink it immediately. This is one we’d love to keep in stock for sipping. Available in the US, Caribbean, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, and The Netherlands.
The Cockspur Old Gold was enjoyed over a single cube of ice. Again, the Old Gold was full of flavor and had a lovely aroma. It would probably mix well with cola, but we preferred savoring it on its own. This is another we’d love to keep in stock for sipping, but it’s not available in the US, so we’ll have to pick up more on our next trip to the tropics. Available in the Caribbean and Bermuda.
Cockspur Fine Rum does not have the deep mahogany color of the 12 or Old Gold and we initially thought this would be a great gold rum for mixing – which it is. We used it to concoct a recipe found on the Cockspur Recipe page – a great drink for the holidays called the Cockspur-N-Cream (find the recipe here), but, it not only performed well as a mixer – we enjoyed it on the rocks as well. Yet another Cockspur Rum we’d like to keep in our stock! Available in the Caribbean, US, Canada, UK, Bermuda, Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, and The Netherlands.
Results of our Cockspur Rum Tasting so far – 3 for 3! We loved them all.
Watch for upcoming info on our Cockspur Spiced Rum and the Cockspur Overproof tasting experience.
Find out more about Cockspur Rum and recipe ideas on their website
and follow them on their Facebook page!
Last week, on our way to visit a beach that is consistently listed as one of the best in the world, we wondered how a beach is chosen as a top beach – in the world – and how would we choose our “perfect beach”.
Visions of other beautiful beaches we’ve had the chance to visit wandered through our brain as we anticipated our afternoon in the sun and sand. What makes a beach one of the top in the world? Accessibility, size, amenities, lack of amenities, is it good for swimming, is the sand super soft, is it fringed with palm trees, good memories of your time there and the people you were with?
As you can see, this top listed beauty did not disappoint! We’ll be posting more info and pictures soon, but in the mean time, what makes a beach perfect to you? Let us know!
San Juan, Puerto Rico is known not only for its rich history and historical buildings and forts, but also for a delectable array of food offerings and restaurants.
During our recent visit to Puerto Rico, we jumped at the chance to take a culinary walking tour of Old San Juan with Flavors of San Juan Food & Culture Tours. This tour was to be a 3 hour walking tour through Old San Juan which included tastings at different interesting restaurants as well as the chance to learn more about the architecture and history of Puerto Rico’s oldest city.
We were asked to meet our guide at the corner of San Justo and Rcinto Sur Streets and were told that we would know the right location when we spotted the sculpture of a cat/giraffe in front of Banco Popular.
We met at the sculpture of a cat/giraffe in front of Banco Popular
It was there we met our tour guide Luli and where our group of ten embarked on a journey full of sensuous treats for our pallets and eyes.
Luli – our tour guide
Luli explained that “Barriguita llena, corazón contento” or “Full belly, happy heart” was a popular Puerto Rican saying and that she hoped we would experience this on our journey today. We began walking towards the first stop of the tour – Aromas Coffeehouse.
Aromas Coffeehouse
At Aromas we were treated to a warm and creamy cup of Puerto Rican coffee and Mallorca with guava jelly – a delicious local sweet bread.
A latte made with Puerto Rican coffeeMallorca with guava jelly
Onward we slowly wound our way through the magnificent buildings and blue cobblestone of Old San Juan with our knowledgeable guide highlighting many points of interest.
Original blue cobblestone streets dating back to the 1700’s
Next stop – Café El Punto, featuring fresh, authentic Puerto Rican cuisine with bright and lively, locally made masks and atrwork adorning the walls.
Here we savored the tastiest ceviche, and an alcapurria – a light and flaky pastry filled with ground beef but can also be filled with vegetables, shrimp or jueyes (a local crab). We washed it down with a frosty piña colada.
Fresh CevicheAlcapurria
Next stop – a beautiful little restaurant close to Cathedral of San Juan Bautista called Rosa de Triana.
Rosa de Triana
Here we got to mash our own plantains and experience Puerto Rico’s signature dish – Mofongo.
Cooked plantains ready for mashing
We then filled our“plantain bowl” with a delicious mixture of chicken and spices anddevoured our scrumptious Mofongo with a glass of sangria.
Mashing the plantains
Full, but totally ready to sample the fare at our last stop, we leisurely made our way through Plaza de Armas,
Child feeding pigeons in Plaza de Armas
and into Casa Cortés for….chocolate….
Casa Cortés
The Casa Cortés slogan is “Where two great passions meet: Art and Chocolate”. The ChocoBar is downstairs, and upstairs in the recently refurbished building, there are two floors of beautiful paintings and artwork from Caribbean and Latin American artists.
Chocolate delights at Casa Cortés
Several chocolate squares with cheese to dip in a warm cup of creamy hot chocolate and a churro later, we definitely had a full belly and a happy heart.
Luli passing around Casa Cortes treats
We said goodbye to some new friends we made on the tour and our lovely tour guide, Luli, and headed back out on the streets of Old San Juan – full of excellent food and history of this vibrant city.
The Old San Juan Food Tour is offered several times a day (except on Monday)and at the time of this writing, the cost for the tour is $69.99 per adult.There is some moderate walking involved. Included in the price: All food/drink tastings plus historical, cultural & architectural information and a savings guide for discounts at local businesses.
All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit. Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC
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).
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
