Antigua Archives | Rum Therapy

November 1, 2017May 29, 2019

Destination: Antigua

Destination Antigua! Do you like beautiful beaches?

Are you looking for your next island getaway? Here are a few things to know about Antigua:
~ Antigua, along with Barbuda, is an independent Commonwealth nation that lies in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Leeward Island chain. Other islands close by are Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis.
~ The beautiful island of Antigua is approximately 108 sq. miles , has a population of about 80,000 and is fringed by gorgeous beaches. 365 of them to be exact. One for each day of the year!

What to do on Antigua:
~ Enjoy a beach or two!
~ Take in the stunning view from the Shirley Heights overlook. If you visit Shirley Heights on a Sunday afternoon, you will be treated to the weekly Sunday BBQ with live music and a party that goes on into the evening!
~ Spend a day hiking and exploring the historic forts of Nelson’t Dockyard. Enjoy the views over lunch of the scenic harbor and beautiful boats!
~ Stop at a fruit stand in the southern part of the island and try an Antigua Black Pineapple – so sweet and delicious, or other locally grown produce!
~ Go shopping in St. John’s at the Public Market and the Arts & Craft Market for Antiguan products made by local artists.
~ Sample some delicious English Harbour Rum!

Some of the Best Beaches & Beach Bars:
~ Jolly Beach (west) Beach Bar: Castaways
~ Dickenson Bay/Runaway Bay (northwest) Beach Bar: Anna’s on the Beach
~ Pigeon Point Beach (south) Beach Bar: Bumpkins
~ Ffrye’s Beach (west) Beach Bar: Dennis Cocktail Bar
~ Turner’s Beach (west) Beach Bar: Turner’s Beach Restaurant
~ Half Moon Bay (east) Beach Bar: Harry’s Bar
~ Long Bay Beach (east) Beach Bar: Barrow’s Chill-Out Bar

There are many ways to experience the beauty of Antigua, but here are a few featured properties and cruises. Rum Therapy Vacations would love to help you plan and book your Antigua vacation! Ready to start planning? Email [email protected] for more information on any of these hotels, resorts or cruises, or to find one that would suit your needs even better!

Hotels:
Curtain Bluff Resort – 72 rooms on a dramatic bluff, this resort is surrounded by tropical gardens and two sandy beaches.
Carlisle Bay – this 5 star resort with a private beach is near St. John’s and will absolutely pamper you in tropical luxury.

All-Inclusive Resorts:
Jumby Bay Resort – this private island all-inclusive resort features two beaches, Jumby Bay Beach with pristine, white sand, and Pasture Bay Beach, an untouched wild beach set aside as a protected nesting site for the Hawksbill Turtle.

Hermitage Bay – surround yourself in all-inclusive luxury! With tropical gardens and a white-sand beach, this intimate hotel is located on Antigua’s west coast.

Galley Bay Resort & Spa – this adult only all-inclusive faces a secluded, long, tranquil beach, and offers peaceful holidays for adults in West Indian-style beachfront rooms and Tahitian-style lagoonside cottages.

Cruise Vacations that make a stop in Antigua:
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, MSC, Disney, Crystal, Windstar

Are you ready to see Antigua? Email me at [email protected] to start planning your next vacation!

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

April 5, 2016May 29, 2019

Homemade Ginger Beer at Cloggy’s, Antigua

Recently, while in Antigua, we found ourselves exploring the dock, shops, amazing boats and sailing vessels around Falmouth Harbour in the Antigua Yacht Club Marina, and came across this sign.

Homemade Ginger Beer? Yes, please. We entered the second floor waterside establishment that also had an incredible view of the harbor, mega-yachts, sailing vessels and racing boats. The bar/restaurant’s name was Cloggy’s, and we were determined to sample the homemade ginger beer, even though it was only 10:00 in the morning.

We pulled up a stool at the bar and began chatting with the bartender, who was a bit distracted, trying to set up for the day, but pleasant and informative. We asked about the Homemade Ginger Beer and she mentioned that it was best sampled in a Dark ‘N Stormy. We agreed and ordered two.

We asked for a seat on the deck so we could check out the view of the harbour, but without a lunch reservation we were our of luck! So – they sent us to a small lounge on the deck where we could enjoy our beverage while checking out the…yachts.

How was the homemade ginger beer? Excellent! Such a strong gingery flavor and so different than the canned version we were used to. Reluctantly we paid our tab and moved on, determined to make a reservation to sample a meal at this on-the-water establishment the next time around. If you’re in the area – we recommend you at least sample the homemade ginger beer at Cloggy’s and check out the view of the mega-yachts and imagine racing on a boat like this…

Have you ever tried Homemade Ginger Beer? Have you ever been to Cloggy’s? Tell us about it!

Find Cloggy’s on our Antigua Map

To see more posts on Antigua and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

March 4, 2016May 29, 2019

9 Highlights of our Stay at St. James’s Club, Antigua

As soon as we were welcomed through the gates at the private, all-inclusive tropical hideaway, St. James’s Club on Mamora Bay, we knew we were going to enjoy our time at this charming Antiguan property.

We’d spent our first few days on Antigua relaxing in the tropical tranquility of the Verandah Resort & Spa – another Elite Island Resort and we had heard that St. James’s Club was equally as impressive, although each with their own appeal and personality.

In short – we had a wonderful, relaxing stay. There’s so much we could share (and hundreds of photos!) from our time there, but we’ll touch on some of our favorite memories of the resort through our list of “9 Highlights of our Stay at St. James’s Club, Antigua.”

1. Location.
St. James’s Club is located on the south end of Antigua and sits on a large peninsula between the ocean and Mamora Bay. Because of it’s location, it’s very private, there’s little traffic and the beaches are uncrowded.

2. The Royal Suites.
The St. James’s Club offers a variety of accommodations from regular guest rooms to 3 bedroom villas. Our accommodations during our stay? A Royal Suite, which featured a beautiful overlook of Mamora Bay, a private balcony, a large, well appointed room and a bottle of chilled bubbly to enjoy upon arrival. Cheers to that!

3. It’s All-Inclusive.
The all-inclusive plan allowed us to relax and enjoy all of the amenities (including non-motorized watersport equipment and lessons!), and all of the food and drinks we wanted without carrying around cash or worrying about the cost.

4. The Grounds.
The lush grounds are meticulously landscaped, tropical and great to wander through.

5. The Pools.
Although we normally gravitate to beaches, we found ourselves spending more time than usual soaking up the sunshine in and around one of the 6 beautiful pools on property.

Reef Deck Pool

Coco’s Pool

Tiered Pool

6. Dining Options
There are 4 restaurants on site – Rainbow Garden, Coco Beach Restaurant & Bar, The Docksider Grill and Piccolo Mondo, where you can enjoy an evening of fine dining overlooking Mamora Bay (there’s a surcharge per person for dinner at Piccolo Mondo). Between the 4, we had no problem finding a variety of cuisines and settings and some delicious options. In addition, there are 5 lounges and bars – AND a beach cart that drives around serving up beverages to those so relaxed and sun-kissed that they can’t make it to the nearest bar!

Dinner by the water at The Docksider Grill

Steak Salad for lunch at Coco Beach Restaurant & Bar

Rainbow Garden

7. The Resort Was Not Crowded
Even though we visited during high season and the large resort was fairly full according to staff, it never felt crowded. We appreciated the opportunity to find quiet spaces to relax and unwind, the restaurants were never overly noisy and we never had to wait long to use the watersport equipment. The only time it seemed busy was at night in the lounges when there was live music playing – and that’s when we appreciate a lively crowd!

Beach chairs on a dock overlooking Mamora Bay

Plenty of space to play – or just relax

Coco Beach

Watersports Equipment on Mamora Bay

8. The Staff
We had the chance to meet St. James’s Club General Manager Antoine Brown, an engaging man that has assembled a great staff that genuinely seems to care about making guests stay something special – and in our experience, the staff can make a huge difference in how you feel about your stay at a resort. Antoine sat with us and chatted about the history of the resort, the continued upgrades being made, amenities being added (a new 3,000 sq. ft. Fitness Center has opened since our visit) and an additional Antiguan resort that Elite Island Resorts has just taken over and are in the process of refurbishing! We saw Mr. Brown frequently during our visit, always greeting guests and staff and making sure everyone was satisfied.

9. Great Base
Although you never really need to leave St. James’s Club during your stay in Antigua because you literally have everything needed on property for a great and relaxing stay, the location is a great base for those, like us, who like to experience some of the island outside of the gates. You can rent a car at the resort for a day (or more) of exploration and we did just that, checking out the yachts in Great Harbour and Falmouth Harbour, sampling Antigua Black Pineapple at a roadside fruit stand and seeing some of the gorgeous beaches, such as Turner’s Beach, on the west side of the island.

Antigua Black Pineapple

There you have it – just a taste of the time we enjoyed at St. James’s Club on beautiful Antigua. Have you stayed at St. James’s Club or another Elite Island Resort? Tell us about it!

To find out more about St. James’s Club:

Visit their website: St. James’s Club
Find them on Facebook
Check out their tweets on Twitter
And see more photos on Instagram

Find St. James’s Club on our Antigua Map

To see more posts on Antigua and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

February 16, 2016May 29, 2019

Antigua Black Pineapple

Not long after we arrived in Antigua, we overheard a couple chatting about a species of pineapple grown on the island called the Antigua Black Pineapple.

We weren’t surprised that pineapple grew on Antigua – with it’s beautiful green, rolling hills, it appeared to be quite fertile. What surprised us was that we’d never heard of this species of pineapple that was said to be renowned for its crisp texture, low acid and high sugar content. In fact those that grow the Black Pineapple variety are said to choose quality over quantity to retain the extremely sweet taste in the golden yellow fruit. Touted, in fact, as the sweetest pineapple in the world! We wondered what it might taste like in a Frozen Pineapple Daiquiri, or perhaps a Pineapple Rum Punch? Anyway, we decided we had to try to find one and sample it.

Our journey to find this Antiguan delight took us to the south end of the island to an area called Old Road – apparently known as the fruit basket of Antigua.

We’d been told to keep our eyes open for fruit stands on the side of the road and sure enough we found several – all prominently displaying their stock of the local delicacy.

We stopped at a stand called Clemie’s and made a bee-line to the pineapple, but were suddenly sidetracked by a luscious array of fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas and mangos – all grown in the nearby the fields.

After chatting with a group of women sitting on the side of the fruit stand about how to choose a ripe Black Pineapple, we looked through the stock on hand and picked a good one – we hoped.

Since we wanted to sample the pineapple immediately, we said yes when asked if we would like it prepared.

We were handed a Styrofoam container with several toothpicks poked in the top to give us quick access to the delicious looking fruit. We popped a piece in our mouths and savored it. How was it? SO sweet and delicious! But you should really try one yourself – just to make sure you agree.

Want to find out more? Claremont Farms also offers a tour of their Antigua Black Pineapple fields that we unfortunately learned of after our return. Find out about it here.

Have you tried Antigua Black Pineapple? Tell us about it!

Find Old Road on our Antigua Map

To see more posts on Antigua and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

February 7, 2016May 29, 2019

Enjoying the Tropical Tranquility of The Verandah Resort & Spa, Antigua

Imagine sitting on your private verandah enjoying the sight of a beautiful blue bay and the ocean beyond, while listening to waves gently lap the shore with bananquits cheerfully chirping. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? Oh, it was.

This was just a part of what we experienced at The Verandah Resort & Spa during our recent visit to Antigua.

The Verandah Resort & Spa is an all-inclusive resort located on 30 lush acres on the eastern coast of Antigua. Comprised of private cottages and villas nestled in verdant landscaping, the surroundings create the feel of escaping to an oasis of tropical tranquility. Not pretentious at all, the resort has a Caribbean casual feel – with class.

Front entrance

From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed. We were presented with a glass of cold rum punch and a lavender scented towel for refreshment and after checking in, we were whisked away to our waterfront cottage to begin our stay.

Lobby

We loved the look and the relaxed vibe of the resort. There are walking trails interspersed between the lovely cottages and villas – all with their own private verandah and many overlooking the bay and ocean beyond.

The cottages are set apart from each other for privacy

Beautiful walking paths

One of the cottages

Our suite overlooked a beautiful blue bay and we absolutely loved sipping a cup of coffee every morning while enjoying this view…

The view from our “verandah”

There are two beaches on property – one that offers a variety of watersport equipment such as kayaks, SUP boards and Hobie Cats.

Watersports on the main beach

The other, referenced as “the quiet beach” by other guests we met, offers lounges interspersed in the palm trees, a sand volleyball court and a beach bar & grill called the Rasta Bar.

The “quiet beach”

In addition to the two beaches on property, there is another beautiful Antiguan beach within walking distance outside of the resort called Long Bay.

Long Bay

We appreciated the additional beach option and enjoyed looking through the small kiosks with local vendors behind the beach.

Not that you ever need to leave the resort. The all-inclusive package includes your meals and drinks,

non-motorized watersports, beach lounge chairs and umbrellas, pools and fitness room, tennis, mini-golf, shuffleboard, ping-pong and more.

18 hole miniature golf course

We especially enjoyed the evening entertainment at the main bar where guests would congregate to enjoy live music, drinks, and the company of other guests in the warm tropical breeze.

Enjoying the evening entertainment

And speaking of pools. Although we usually can’t be torn away from the beach, the Verandah had some lovely pools – a total of three, I believe, and the main one is huge and a beautiful focal point in the center of the resort.

Main pool

Adult only pool

The adult only pool was a nice touch we thought, for those not vacationing with children.

The highlights of the resort for us:

1. The suites. We loved the look and feel of the spacious individual cottages, each with a private verandah.
2. The resort doesn’t feel crowded. Although it was high season and the staff told us they were quite full, none of the amenities ever felt crowded. There were always available chairs on the beach and at the pool and the dining areas were fairly quiet – even though there were a good number of families with small children vacationing while we were there.
3. The walking paths. We love to explore and take in the surroundings and at The Verandah there are plenty of beautiful paths to walk. And, if you end up getting tired while walking or are in a particular hurry to get somewhere, wait at one of the golf cart stops and someone will be by to pick you up.

4. The grounds. The tropical grounds are beautifully landscaped.

5. The staff. Overall, The Verandah has assembled a top-notch staff that seems to truly care about their guests – and we truly appreciated their efforts.

A few tips if you decide to book a vacation at The Verandah Resort & Spa:

1. Consider booking a waterfront suite. We found it very relaxing to look at the water from our balcony everyday.

2. If you are traveling with a family or a small group, be sure to look into the 2 bedroom villa options.

3. Include a transfer to and from the airport in your travel arrangements if this is your first stay on Antigua. There are very few road signs on Antigua and if you have not visited before, it can be a challenge to find the resort – especially at night. The Verandah does, however, offer daily car rentals if you want to explore the island for a day.

4. Get dinner reservations for the Buccaneer and Nicole’s (extra surcharge) as soon as you can so you don’t miss out. We were only at The Verandah for 3 days and unfortunately missed out on experiencing The Buccaneer and Nicole’s because we didn’t plan ahead.

4. Consult the Tour & Excursion desk to find out what they offer. Although we’d rented a car for the week, we went through the Tour & Excursion desk to book a shuttle to Shirley Heights on Sunday afternoon for the BBQ and sunset party. It was a great way to experience Shirley Heights. We were able to enjoy the party, a few rum drinks and the company of other Verandah guests but didn’t have to worry about getting ourselves back to the resort.

5. Check out the other attractions nearby. Take the short hike to Devil’s Bridge, interact with stingrays on an excursion to Stingray City and explore Betty’s Hope Sugar Plantation to learn about sugar production and it’s role in Antiguan history.

We had such a good time at The Verandah Resort & Spa that we were almost reluctant to leave and head to the next resort, but were we glad we did! Stay tuned to find out about our visit to St. James’s Club, another wonderful Elite Island Resort, located on the southern tip of the island!

To find out more about The Verandah Resort & Spa:

Visit their website: The Verandah Resort & Spa
Find them on Facebook
Check out their tweets on Twitter
And see more photos on Instagram

To see more posts on Antigua and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

February 3, 2016May 29, 2019

Turner’s Beach, Antigua

Turner’s Beach, also known as Crab Hill Beach, is located on the sunny southwestern side of Antigua in a village by the name of Crab Hill.

It’s easy to find Turner’s while traveling south about 10.5 miles on the main road from St. John’s, and once there, you’ll most likely want to stay awhile.

Our first glimpse of Turner’s Beach took our breath away. Those beautiful shades of blue… The water was calm that day and warm and we spent a good part of a beautiful day walking the soft sand and floating in the water.

To the left (looking at the beach) there is a small path up a hill that you can take that gives you a great view of the entire beach. On a clear day, you can faintly see Montserrat in the distance.

There are umbrellas to rent if you wish, and an open air beach bar appropriately called Turner’s where you can leisurely enjoy a drink or a bite to eat with a view of the stunning beach

Turner’s beach can get crowded when there are a lot of cruise ships in port, so if you want to explore it on a quieter day, be sure to check the cruise ship schedule. We found one here (look for the click here prompt).

With 365 beaches to choose from, Antigua is certainly a beach lovers paradise and from the ones we’ve gotten to visit so far, we’d have to Turner’s Beach on our list of one of Antigua’s best beaches.

Have you been to Turner’s Beach in Antigua? Tell us about it!

Find Turner’s Beach on our Antigua Map

To see more posts on Antigua and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

March 11, 2014December 18, 2019

Which Island Should I Choose for My Vacation?

We love to talk tropical travel and we love that you ask our opinion! But, the hardest question for us to answer is actually the one we get asked the most, “Which Island Should I Choose For My Vacation?”

Why is that a tough question? Although we’ve yet to meet an island we don’t like for some reason or another, everyone has such different vacation tastes. Some want the best beaches, others want shopping or luxurious accommodations or absolute solitude. The best fishing, snorkeling, rum, diving, sailing, hiking, historical sites, foliage….the list goes on and on. We’ve been trying to come up with a method to help people select destinations based on different criteria, but decided the best thing to do is what we already do – show you the islands through our photos and let you know what we’ve enjoyed – then you can see what areas you might be interested in visiting!

Below we’ve listed many of the islands we’ve recently been to and just a few key words of what we’ve really enjoyed about that island. Some are links to articles we’ve written on that destination with additional pictures. There are many additional GREAT things about each of these islands, but here are a few tips to start with.

Ready for a little tropiciation? Let’s go to the islands!

Some of the attractions/hotels/features on islands affected by Hurricanes Irma and Marie in the Fall of 2017 may have changed from when we initially wrote about them. If you have questions on their current condition, please contact us.

Shoal Bay, Anguilla

Anguilla
(see map)
Stunning, white sand beaches, Shoal Bay, Rendezvous Bay, Dune Preserve, excellent dining, great beach bars (see several in Sandy Ground), Gwen’s Reggae Grill, live music, luxurious accommodations, easy to explore on your own

Antigua
Many (365 they say!) gorgeous beaches, Half Moon Bay, Dickenson Bay, Shirley Heights, Antiguan Smile Rum Drink, English Harbour Rum

Bahamas
Find a place to get “off the grid” in one of many out islands, beautiful white and pink sand beaches, bonefishing and other fishing, snorkeling, peace and quiet, conch, variety of accommodations, swimming with the pigs, swimming with nurse sharks

Champer’s Restaurant

Barbados
Excellent dining, Superb beaches, Crane Beach, Mount Gay & other Rum Factory Tours

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands
(for individual maps of the British Virgin Islands, use the drop-down on the Island Map feature on our home page)

Fantastic sailing destination, secluded and beautiful beaches, Anegada Lobster Dinner on the beach, fantastic beach bars, Jost Van Dyke, White Bay, Willy T, Virgin Gorda, The Baths, Smuggler’s Cove, roti, easy to explore on your own, Sandy Spit, sunsets, Painkillers, Bubbly Pool, snorkeling, floating, Cane Garden Bay, full moon parties, crystal clear water, driving on Tortola, North Sound Virgin Gorda

Corales Golf Course

Dominican Republic
(see map)
Excellent golf, reasonably priced all-inclusive resorts, Mamajuana, Coco Loco, long stretches of pretty beaches,
The 3 B’s – Bermudez, Brugal and Barcelo Rums

Jewel Runaway Bay Resort

Jamaica
(see map)
All-Inclusive Resorts, Jerk Seasoning, 7 mile Beach, Floyd’s Pelican Bar, Blue Mountain Coffee, Waterfalls, Appleton Rum and Rum Factory Tour, Bob Marley Nine Mile Tour, Jamaican Smile, red snapper, Dirty Banana

Gustavia Harbour

St. Barthelemy
(see map)
Great place to yacht watch, high end shopping, excellent dining, beautiful beaches, homemade vanilla infused rhums, overlook of Gustavia Harbour, watching planes land on the very short runway!

Orient Beach, St. Martin

St. Maarten/St. Martin
(see map)
Gorgeous beaches on both the Dutch and French sides, clothing optional on some French side beaches, nightlife, great beach bars, watch planes land over your head at Sunset Beach Bar, Karakter Beach Bar, Marigot Market, Sarafina’s Bakery, street festivals in Grand Case, duty free shopping, we found it easy to explore on our own, wide range of accommodations, excellent dining options – especially in Grand Case, busy cruise ship stop – but because of that, there are many activities to choose from

Saltwhistle Bay, Mayreau

St. Vincent and the Grenadines
(see map)
Excellent sailing destination, beautiful remote islands, gorgeous quiet beaches, filming location for some parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean, Sunset Very Strong Rum, Tobago Cays, excellent snorkeling, turtles, clear turquoise blue water, Happy Island, Mopion, a few exquisite resorts, not busy, Petit Tabac

Pumpkin Bluff Beach, North Caicos

Turks and Caicos
(see map)
Spectacular white sand beaches, quiet and remote, great snorkeling, variety of accommodations, long beach walks, conch shells, sand dollars, cave exploring, Bambarra Rum, da Conch Shack, bonefishing, conch stew, fried conch, exploring secluded cays

Hawksnest-1-(600) Hawksnest Bay, St. John

US Virgin Islands
No passport needed for US citizens going to St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas – each island has it’s own personality and they’re easy to explore on your own

St. Croix (see map)
Buck Island, Cruzan Rum Factory Tour, Cruzan Rum,
Sandy Point Beach and Wildlife Preserve, Cruzan Confusion, Mt. Pellier Domino Club, seaplane from St. Croix to St. Thomas

St. John (see map)
Every beach on St. John, cheeseburgers at Skinny Legs, hiking, snorkeling, exploring the shops, restaurants and bars in Cruz Bay

St. Thomas (see map)
Megans Bay, the view and banana daiquiris at Mountain Top, Paradise Point Skyride, Bushwackers at the top, Duffy’s Love Shack, Lindquist Beach at Smith Bay, variety of accommodations, Bones Rum

Banana-Daiquiri.-Ojpg View of Magens Bay (and a Banana Daiquiri) at Mountaintop, St. Thomas

So – any ideas on where YOU would like to go next?

For even more island posts, be sure to check out our Blog Directory by Island!

August 7, 2013June 6, 2019

Top Things To See & Do in the Caribbean Before You Get Too Old To Travel

WOW! We thought it would be fun to put together a list entitled “Top Things To See & Do in the Caribbean (and Bahamas) Before You Get Too Old To Travel” based on our wonderful readers suggestions and you once again came through! Just as you did with the Ultimate Rum Therapy Beach Playlist, you sent in a LOT of excellent submissions and we’ve compiled these in a list by island. If we have already written a blog post on this adventure or location, we included a link for more info and pictures. I’m sure there are many more things worthy of a mention here, so if you see something you think should absolutely be on the list, comment below and we’ll update the list from time to time.

So, sit back, prepare yourself for a little Tropication and see how many of these things you’ve already experienced or which ones you want to put on your own tropical “to do” list!

Anegada
Walk, swim and snorkel Loblolly Bay
Enjoy a rum beverage at Cow Wreck Beach Bar
Linger over a lobster dinner while barefoot on the beach

Anguilla
Walk Shoal Bay from one end to the other
Treat yourself to a stay at beautiful Cap Juluca on Maunday’s Bay
Enjoy the food at the restaurants of Sandy Ground, Anguilla – especially the Lobster Creole
Take a catamaran ride out to Prickly Pear Cay for the day

Antigua
Enjoy an amazing sunset from Shirley Heights
Take the Xtreme Circumnav Tour
Check out the parties and fun during Antigua Sailing Week
Spend the winter in Antigua, lying in hammock at Curtain Bluff or the beach at Pigeon Point

Bahamas
Experience the party at the Independence Day Celebration in Freeport, Grand Bahamas
Climb the Elbow Reef Lighthouse in Hope Town, Abaco to check out the view
Check out the amazing beauty of Treasure Cay Beach on Abaco
Enjoy an original Goombay Smash (or two!) at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar on Green Turtle Cay
Swim with the pigs on Big Major Cay, Exuma Cays
Swim with the nurse sharks on Compass Cay

Barbados
Take the Mount Gay Rum Factory Tour

Bequia
Visit the Moonhole – or at least sail by it and take lots of pictures
Enjoy a Lobster Pizza at Mac’s
Visit the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary

Belize
Ambergris Caye – Swim with sharks at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Spend a day line fishing, spear fishing, and snorkeling with manatee. Bring your catch to a private island where it’s cooked on the grill while you relax on hammocks or snorkel the mangroves looking at seahorses. Take a day trip to the mainland jungle to spot wildlife (including monkeys) and check out Mayan ruins.

Bonaire
Go diving – it’s beautiful!

Cayman Islands
Swim with the stingrays at Stingray City
Visit Rum Point, Grand Cayman
Watch the sunset on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman

Culebra
Walk Flamenco Beach

Diving & Snorkeling
The Wall, St. Croix
Underwater snorkel trail at Buck Island, St. Croix and Trunk Bay, St. John
Dive Speyside Tobago
The Rhone, Salt Island
The Indians, BVI
Snorkel The Caves, Norman Island

Dominica
Hike to some of the spectacular waterfalls in the ultra-lush rainforest
Buy tasty fresh locally grown fruit and spices at some of the roadside stands

Guadeloupe
Snorkel or dive at the Jacques Cousteau Underwater Reserve
Take the rum factory tour on Marie-Galante (just south of Guadeloupe)

Grand Camanoe
Snorkel Diamond Reef

Grenada
Shop at the Spice Market and bring home some fresh spices

Happy Island
Order rum punches and visit with owner Janti

Jamaica
Ziplining
Take the Appleton Rum Factory Tour
Watch the sunrise from Blue Mountain Peak in Jamaica
Order Jerk Chicken, Pork or Fish at Scotchies
Climb Dunn River Falls or visit YS Falls
Horseback ride & swim at Chukka Cove
Spend a day at Floyd’s Pelican Bar, a bar 1/2 mile from shore
Jump off the cliffs at Rick’s Cafe, Negril

Jost Van Dyke
Have a Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar Bar
Enjoy some “stress free” time at Ivan’s
Enjoy a BBC at Gertrude’s
Go to the Bubbly Pool on JVD and then hit up Foxy’s Taboo after for a drink or two
Attend a Halloween, New Year’s Eve or Full Moon Party at Foxy’s and party ’till dawn
Bring home a bottle of Foxy’s Firewater Rum
Check out EVERY beach bar on JVD
Explore Diamond Cay

Mexico
Swim with the Whale Sharks in Cancun
Ride a golf cart and enjoy some authentic Mexican food on the island of Holbox, Mexico
Explore, snorkel or dive some of the cenotes in the Yucatan Penninsula of Mexico
Explore the Tulum and Chichen Itza ruins
Zipline and snorkel (not at the same time!) in Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Monserrat
View the Soufrière Hills Volcano and be awed at the forces of nature

Mustique
See the mansions of the rich and famous
Go to Basil’s Beach Bar for the Mustique Blues Festival

Nevis
Visit Old Bath House Ruins and The Nisbet Plantation
Have lunch at the Montpelier Plantation and Beach
Just GO to Nevis!

Norman Island
Experience the Shot-Ski at Willy T’s
Snorkel The Caves
Take the plunge at the Willy T’s
Snorkel or dive The Indians (close to Norman Island)

Petit Tabac
Explore the island and imagine finding Jack Sparrow’s hidden stash of rum

Puerto Rico
Explore El Yunque
Walk the cobblestone streets of Old Town Puerto Rico
Tour the 400 year old Fort El Morro

Saba
Hike Mt. Scenery

Sailing
Sail the British Virgin Islands and The Grenadines

Salt Island
Dive the Rhone

St. Barths
Enjoy a Cheeseburger at Le Select
Find the rhum at R. St. Barths and the infused rhum’s at M’Bolo

St. Croix
Bioluminescent Tour in a Glass Bottomed Kayak
Visit St George Village Botanical Gardens
Lyming by Sandy Point and Rainbow Beach on a Sunday
Take the Cruzan Rum Factory Tour and enjoy a delicious Cruzan Rum cocktail at the end
Spend a day on beautiful Cane Bay Beach
Be the first person in the U.S. to see the sunrise at Point Udall
Watch the sunset from Coconuts on the Beach
MontPellier Domino Club to see the drinking pigs and enjoy some Mamma Wanna and the best bushwacker on island
Snorkel the underwater trail at Buck Island
Dive the Wall by Cane Bay Beach and dive the Frederiksted Pier
Find seahorses at Frederiksted Pier
Check out the grounds at Mount Washington Plantation
Sail to Buck Island and explore for the day

St. John
Take pictures at the picturesque overlook of Trunk Bay
Snorkel the underwater trail at Trunk Bay
Kayak with a friend to a secret pocket beach
Try to see every beautiful beach on St. John
Enjoy some Key Lime Pie

St. Kitts
Explore Brimstone Hill
Explore Plantation Homes
Hit the Shiggidy Shack and Reggae Beach Bar & Grill for sun, fun and rum!

St. Lucia
Eat lunch between the Pitons at Hotel Chocolate
Stay at Jade Mountain Resort and stare at the Pitons in the comfort of your own in room pool
Snorkel/Scuba between the Pitons

St. Maarten/St. Martin
Watch the planes land right over your head while enjoying a rum punch at Sunset Bar & Grill, Maho Bay
Enjoy a drink while watching the bridge go up and the yachts go through at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club
Go shopping in Marigot at the outdoor market and in Philipsburg for watches, diamonds and Guavaberry Rum
Eat fanstastic French pastries at Sarafina’s Bakery
Walk Orient Beach from one end to the other
Drive, then hike to the top of Pic Paradis

St. Thomas
Spend the day at Magens Bay
Take the skyride up and enjoy the view of Charlotte Amalie and a Bushwacker

St. Vincent
Visit Wallilabou and visit the filming site of Pirates of the Caribbean

Tobago Cays
Snorkel with the turtles at the Tobago Cay Turtle Sanctuary

Tortola
Visit with Winston at the Nature Boy Beach Bar on Long Bay Beach
Float in the Limin’ House pool while sipping Sebastian’s Rum and stare at the view
Go to a Full Moon Party at the Bomba Shack AND Trellis Bay
Visit the Callwood Rum Distillery in Cane Garden Bay
Watch the sunset from BananaKeet Cafe

Turks and Caicos
Have a few drinks at Jack’s Shack, Grand Turk
Boogaloo’s Conch Shack, Providenciales
Go Bone Fishing

Vieques
Kayak the Bioluminescent Bay

Virgin Gorda
Spend lots of time exploring The Baths

Check out our Blog Directory by Island for even more pictures and island adventures!