Beach Bars Archives | Rum Therapy

December 23, 2016July 26, 2019

Antigua and Barbuda Beach Bar Trail

Well this could come in handy!

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority has released a Beach Bar Trail Map which highlights some of the best beaches and hotels on Antigua and it’s sister island Barbuda, AND beach bars – some of them well known and some local favorites.

Beach Bar Trail Map by Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority
Click here for an expandable version

Some of these scenic bars are also a great place to sample authentic local cuisine and experience Antiguan culture. The inclusion of the hotels on the map makes it easy to see what beaches – and beach bars are in close proximity to where you will be staying.

Rum Punch at Dennis Cocktail Bar & Restaurant overlooking Ffryes Beach

How many of the beaches and bars on the map have you had a chance to visit? Tell us about it!

For more information on Antigua and other island destinations, be sure to check out our Island Blog Directory

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

July 19, 2016June 6, 2019

7 Things to Do on Providenciales

Providenciales, the most developed and populated island in chain of islands called the Turks & Caicos, is home to some luxurious hotels and resorts and is fringed by some of the prettiest beaches in the world. Are you planning a trip to Provo? This list of 7 Things To Do on Providenciales might give you some ideas of what to do during your time there!

Beach
Boasting some of the prettiest beaches in the world, including the highly ranked Grace Bay Beach, spending some time on one of Provo’s gorgeous beaches is the top thing to do on our list. See photos of a few of our favorites and read more in our post “The Stunning Beaches of Providenciales“.

Pelican Beach at (part of Leeward Beach)

Eat
Whether looking for fine or casual dining on Provo, you’ll find a variety of restaurants and bars to suit your taste. Conch and seafood, in all manner of preparation, is served at many different establishments. One of our favorites? A restaurant called Mr. Grouper’s. The Coconut Crusted Grouper and Blackened Grouper were recommended by a friend and after ordering both, we decided to go back again later in the week for another go-round. Delicious!

Coconut Crusted Grouper at Mr. Grouper’s

Drink
With a plethora of gorgeous beaches, you’d certainly guess there are great beach bars to be found on Provo and you’d be right. Da Conch Shack & RumBar, Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl, Kalooki’s Beach Restaurant and Bar and Somewhere Café & Lounge are great selections – each on a beautiful beach, but there are others bars to check out as well, such as the 90 ft long Infiniti Bar at Grace Bay Club – touted as the longest bar in the Caribbean and Jimmy’s Dive Bar in Ports of Call. Be sure to sample the local made Turks Head Beer and Bambarra Rum.

Rum Drinks at Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl

Golf
Hit the links at the Provo Golf Club and enjoy a round of golf on an 18 hole championship golf course that is voted consistently within the top ten Caribbean golf courses.

Provo Golf Club

Shop
There are some very nice shops in and around Ports of Call and Grace Bay offering a variety of gift, art, locally made and luxury items. Our favorite place to pick up souvenirs for friends & family at home? Mama’s Gift Shop in Ports of Call. Run by two sisters from North Caicos, you are sure to get good service and a friendly chat from Mama #1 or Mama #2 while shopping!

Mama #2 at Mama’s Gift Shop

Explore
Other things to explore on Provo?
1. The Caicos Conch Farm where you can take a 30 minute tour that will teach you about the life cycle of the conch and where you can se many thousands of Caribbean Queen Conch growing the facilities ponds.
2. Chalk Sound – take a scenic drive around the amazing turquoise water of Chalk Sound National Park.
3. Snorkel at the Bight Reef or Smith’s Reef, or snorkel on a boat excursion – the underwater life is beautiful!
4. Take an excursion to neighboring cays such as Little Water Cay and Half Moon Bay

Caicos Conch Farm

Experience
There are so many more things to experience during your vacation in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, but we’ll leave you with two more. The Thursday Fish Fry, held at the Bight Park from 5:30-9:30 is an excellent place to enjoy food and drink from several local restaurants, local arts & crafts and live music & entertainment.
One last thing to experience on Providenciales? A sunset. Sunsets from many areas on the north part of the island are simply spectacular and the perfect way to cap a perfect day on the island.

Sunset at Pelican Reef

Have you been to Providenciales? Tell us about it!

Find many of these attractions on our Turks & Caicos Map

To see more posts on Turks & Caicos 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

June 5, 2016May 29, 2019

Best Beach Bar Signs & Décor

Beach bar signs & décor – sometimes tacky, sometimes chic, but usually we love it all. Here’s just a sample of some of the most entertaining beach bar signage that we’ve enjoyed during our visits so far…

Beach Bar at St. James’s Club, Antigua

A sign – and a clock found at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, Exuma Cays, Bahamas

Just one of the many entertaining signs found at Jimmy’s Dive Bar, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

We stop at 3 Painkillers for obvious reasons…Soggy Dollar Bay, Jost Van Dyke

Two signs found at Cow Wreck Beach Bar, Anegada – one in the parking lot and one in the bar!

Guess we’ll have to ask Alex about this one…

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar and it’s cool shell art

Great concept for shopping women and their men at Rum Island Pub in Charlotte Amalie, St.Thomas

Fitting for the infamous Willy T in the Bight at Norman Island, BVI

One of many fun signs at Al’s Mar Azul in Vieques

Um…wet? Floyd’s Pelican Bar, Jamaica

And last, but certainly not least, a sign at Snappas Grill & Chill, Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Know of other fun beach bar signs? Tell us about them!

To see more posts island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

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

May 6, 2016May 29, 2019

10 Beach Bars with a Unique Caribbean Style

Beach bars. Love ’em. Love the fancy ones, love the new ones, love the old ones, but the ones we love the most are the ones that are built with a unique Caribbean style.

The following are bars we’ve had the pleasure of spending time at, of wandering through while sipping a rum drink and marveling at the structure and “decorations”. Many have been built by the loving hands of their owners with the help of their friends and family. Some look like they would blow down in a stiff wind and at least one was and was erected again. But all have that laid back, relaxed, Caribbean character. Have you visited any of these unique bars?

As unique as the man who owns it, the Bomba Shack on the West end of Tortola is an eclectic mixture of materials donated by friends and found by Bomba himself. If you stop by during the day, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Capoon Bay and Jost Van Dyke. If you’re looking for a party, be sure to stop by and sample one of the legendary full moon parties!
See more photos of the Bomba Shack here

We stumbled across this one while exploring the beaches on the West side of Antigua. OJ’s Beach Bar & Restaurant is located on a beautiful beach in Crabb Hill and is a virtual explosion of shells, netting and other sea adornments. We didn’t have the chance to sample a beverage here that day, but can imagine we would have enjoyed sipping rum while taking in the décor! We’ll be posting more photos of this one soon.

It’s hard to know what to look at first when you walk into Foxy’s, located in Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke. This very popular bar is decked out with flags, shirts, stickers and a host of other memorabilia left by those lucky enough to have enjoyed time here. Live music, drinks made with Foxy’s Firewater Rum and the ultimate entertainer himself, Foxy Callwood, make this bar a must experience.
Read more about Foxy’s here

Buy an old bus, stick it on a beautiful beach and turn it into a bar? What a great idea! That’s exactly what the owners of Karacter Beach Bar on Simpson Bay in St. Maarten did. What a great place to hang out too! Karacter has picnic tables, beach chairs and umbrellas, delicious drinks (the Ti Punch and Rum Punch are tasty) and a prime spot on the beach. Great place to hang out for a sunny afternoon.
Check out our post on Karacter here

Simply fascinating. Jante Ramage, the owner and creator of Happy Island created, over a period of years, his own island out of conch shells in a shallow bay just off of Union Island. Accessible by small boat, you can visit Happy Island and enjoy a Rum Punch while gazing off into the clear blue water. Janti was more than happy to give us a tour of his entire compound which includes living quarters, kitchen and bathroom in addition to tables and chairs on the deck for his customers. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch an exciting kite surfer zooming right over your head!
Read more about Happy Island here

Tucked away on the far side of Long Bay Beach in Tortola, there’s a little establishment called Nature Boy Beach Bar. If it weren’t for the signs announcing it’s presence, it might be hard to see as it blends right into the foliage. The hours aren’t exactly set in stone, but it’s a small business and we were thrilled to pass by while Winston, the owner was behind the bar. We ordered two beers, sat in the blue chairs in front of the bar and chatted with Winston a while, while gazing at the beautiful beach Nature Boy Beach Bar sits on.
Read more about our visit to Nature Boy Beach Bar here

While strolling down Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla on our way to experience musician Bankie Banx’s bar, Dune Preserve, we spotted a small, extremely colorful shack. Originally we wondered if it were a lemonade or ice cream stand, but upon closer inspection, we learned it was a beach bar called Sunshine Shack. The name fit. Painted in bright Caribbean colors and murals and placed right smack in the middle of one of the prettiest beaches in Anguilla, we felt like we were basking in sunshine. We ordered a tasty Rum Punch and chatted with the very friendly owner, Garvey. Couldn’t stay long during that visit, but we’ll certainly spend more time at the Sunshine Shack on our next visit!

Located on the west side of beautiful White Bay, this fun and funky beach bar adorned with a variety of tee-shirts, buoys and other fun junk is a great place to hang out and enjoy a Bushwaker and Lobster Quesadillas. If owner Seddy is in the house – ask to see some of his magic tricks. It’s usually quieter on busy afternoons than bars farther down the beach making it a good place to catch a few moments of beach peace…

And last, but certainly not least, Floyd’s Pelican Bar in Jamaica. What would a list such as this one be without this ultra-cool bar, located 3/4’s of a mile out to sea on the SW side of Jamaica. Accessible only by boat (duh!), it is a marvel to behold and leaves one wondering how it stands during a storm. The planks of wood are carved with the names of those fortunate enough to make the trek out to the bar in the sea to enjoy a Red Stripe with a view like non other.
Read about our trip to Floyd’s here

Have you visited any of these beach bars? Tell us about it!

To see more island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

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

November 8, 2015September 25, 2019

New Bar on the Block, White Bay, JVD

Thanks to FB friend Amber for an update on the new bar on White Bay. The name is apparently Hendo’s Hideout and on their new website, they say “While White Bay is world-renowned for its casual beachside charm and party atmosphere, Hendo’s seeks to bring something a little different to the beach. COMING SOON…January 2016. Come see what the buzz is all about!” They have a new Facebook page too, although there’s not much on it yet. If you happen to be in White Bay in January, give us an update!

A few days ago while enjoying another beautiful day on Jost Van Dyke, we made the trek over the hill from Ivan’s to the beach (and bars!) on the other side of White Bay. As we approached Soggy Dollar, something immediately caught our eye.

There’s a new bar being built on White Bay.

The new building sits very close to Soggy Dollar and is fenced off now during construction.

We were unable to glean any info on the name or type of bar it will be, just that it is a new bar, but it sits right on a prime piece of beautiful White Bay, just like the other great bars on the beach on this island filled with legendary beach bars.

Do you know anything about the new bar? If so, let us know!

How do you feel about another bar on White Bay?

Find White Bay on our Jost Van Dyke Map

To see more island posts, 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

September 26, 2015June 5, 2019

Beach Bar Bums – A Beach, A Bar and A Dream

About a decade ago, Tom Westerhof was sitting at Buho’s Beach Bar on Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres, a small island just off the coast of Cancun, when he said to himself, “I could sit here all day and be perfectly content”.

It actually took a second trip back to St. Kitts three years ago for him to finally do something about it. He kept researching destinations and basing his decisions on the number of beach bars and their proximity to the resort. He knew he couldn’t be the only person out there who loved beach bars and that’s when it all began in earnest. In 2012, the company Beach Bar Bums was born.

Smokey’s at the Cove, Anguilla
photo: Beach Bar Bums

Do you love beach bars as much as we do? Then you really should be following Tom’s company, Beach Bar Bums. Not only does Tom give us the scoop on beach bars everywhere, he also now also focuses on ancillary businesses that support beach bars and the destinations that call them home. He’s written about resorts, restaurants, spirits (the liquid kind), cocktails, music, events, travel, people involved in the business and so forth. It’s kind of morphed into a travel/lifestyle blog for people who love the beach .. and a rum cocktail or two. Um, no wonder we’re fans!

Tom, his wife and daughter with Bankie Banx at Dune Preserve
photo: Beach Bar Bums

Have you ever thought about owning your own beach bar? Well, Beach Bar Bums is about to launch a new feature on their website called a “listings page” where individuals will be able to list basic info on businesses they have for sale at no cost to them. This is a development that Tom is very excited about. He’s partnering with a company out of Europe and in the role as “finders,” he will be trying to find sellers of beach bars the right buyers and vice versa. A lot of business owners don’t want to advertise that they’re for sale out of fear that it might impact their business – they’d rather put “feelers” out and see if there’s someone out there interested. That’s where Beach Bar Bums come in – they offer bar owners a chance to “feel out” the market confidentially, only offering as much information as they choose to share. Tom’s already building up a database of potential buyers. Apparently, there are a lot of people out there looking to buy a beach bar!

Another new venture for Beach Bar Bums is a partnership that they recently entered into with Clear Vision Media to offer photography services not just of beach bars but of any travel, tourism and hospitality-related business, with a concentration on beach destinations. They offer the full portfolio of photography and video services including aerial (drone) photography and video along with HDR 360 degree virtual tours. The virtual tour they produced for Caddy’s on the Beach in Treasure Island, Florida is amazing – it’s almost like you’re there! They’re a full service media production company so being able to partner with them was something Tom couldn’t pass up.

We asked Tom if he had a favorite Caribbean beach bar and he replied, “That’s a hard question but I would probably have to say it’s the Sunshine Shack in Anguilla. For me, it’s the quintessential Caribbean beach bar. It’s basically a shack on the beach where the sand is the floor and there are no navigable roads leading to it. Rendezvous Bay, where it’s located, is gorgeous and Garvey, the owner, is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Every visit to the Sunshine Shack will leave you with a smile, either from the rum, hanging out with Garvey or a combination of the two”.

We asked Tom if he had a Bucket List of beach bars and if so, if he would share a few on that list. He told us The Rock Bar at the Ayana Resort in Bali, Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke and pretty much anywhere in Maldives are some of the locations at the top of his list.

Sunset at the Sunset Bar & Grill, St. Maarten
photo: Beach Bar Bums

Tom’s eventual goal and dream is to someday own his own beach bar. Not a shock. We asked if he had a location in mind and what some of the features of his beach bar would be. He said, “If I had to pick one destination under threat of never being able to drink vodka tonics again, I would have to pick St. Maarten. Some of the cool aspects of our bar would be the drink and food menu. The bar would feature original craft cocktails and tapas style small plates to pair with them, offering customers a unique dining experience in a laid back beach atmosphere. I would want people to feel like they were walking into their neighborhood bar and there would be a free round of shots for everyone with an open tab at sunset. Granted, it might be the cheap stuff but it’ll be free”.

Are you already following Beach Bar Bums? If not, you should! Find them here:

Beach Bar Bums Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

You Tube

August 19, 2015June 6, 2019

Best of USVI Survey Results

Thanks to all who took our survey on the “Best-Of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix”. We hope the results of our Readers Choice survey will give people planning to visit one of these beautiful islands in the near future some ideas of what to do during that well deserved vacation. The results below are simply a compilation of the answers given by our readers based on what they’ve enjoyed while vacationing in the USVI and we do not endorse, nor discount any of the properties, restaurants, shops or attractions listed or not listed. We encourage you to continue to do your own research prior to your trip.

Some of the answers were eye-opening to us and after reading this, we’ve added a few things to our list to see and do during our next visit! Enjoy!

St. Thomas

Best Beach on St. Thomas:
1. Magens Bay
2. Sapphire Beach
3. Coki Point
4. Bolongo Bay

Best Beach Bar/Island Bar on St. John:
1. Duffy’s Love Shack
2. Iggies
3. Big Kahuna Rum Shack
4. Island Time Pub

Best Rum Drink on St. Thomas:
1. Painkiller
2. Bushwacker
3. Banana Daiquiri
4. VooDoo Juice

Best Restaurant on St. Thomas:
1. Sunset Grille
2. Fish Tails
3. Banana Tree Grille
4. Mafolie

Best Hotel/Resort on St. Thomas:
1. Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
2. Marriot’s Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort
3. The Ritz-Carlton
4. Dreams Sugar Bay
Write ins with multiple votes: Mafolie Hotel, Bluebeards Castle

Best Villa/Condo Rental in St. Thomas:
1. Slice of Heaven, Magens Bay
2. Sapphire Beach Condos – write ins
3. Point Pleasant – write ins
4. Brigadoon – Red Hook

Best Shop or Boutique on St. Thomas:
1. Pirates in Paradise
2. Bones Rum
3. Native Arts & Crafts Cooperative
Write ins with multiple votes: Fish Face, Caribbean Surf Co.

Best Souvenir to bring home from St. Thomas:
1. Bones Rum
2. Larimar Jewelry
Write ins with multiple votes: Hook Bracelet, Cruzan Rum

Best attraction to experience in St. Thomas:
1. Coral World Ocean Park & Undersea Observatory
2. Skyride to Paradise Point
3. Mountain Top
4. Tree Limin’ Extreme
Write ins with multiple votes: Great House Botanical Gardens, Drake’s Seat, Magens Bay

St. John

Best Beach on St. John:
1. Trunk Bay
2. Cinnamon Bay
3. Maho Bay
4. Salomon and Honeymoon
Write in with multiple votes: Gibney

Best Beach Bar/Island Bar on St. John:
1. The Beach Bar
2. Skinny Legs
3. Woody’s
4. Joe’s Rum Hut

Best Rum Drink on St. John:
1. Painkiller
2. Bushwhacker
3. Rum Punch
Write ins with multiple votes: Mojito and Island Girl from Joe’s Rum Hut, Lime in de Coconut

Best Restaurant on St. John:
1. The Lime Inn
2. Cruz Bay Landing
3. The Banana Deck
4. The Terrace Restaurant
Write in with multiple votes: The Fish Trap

Best Place to Stay on St. John:
1. Private Villa: There were more write ins on this one than votes on the entries posted. Most of the write ins were for private villas with no specific name mentioned with the exception of Villa Mar de Amores and Villa St. John.
2. Westin St. John Resort & Villas
3. Caneel Bay Resort
4. Gallow’s Point Resort

Best Shop or Boutique on St. John:
1. St. John Spice
2. Bougainvillea
3. Coconut Coast Studios
Write ins with multiple votes: Sloop Jones, Caravan, Freebird, Bamboo Studio

Best Souvenir to bring home from St. John:
1. St. John Hook Bracelet
2. Cruz Bay Grill Rub from St. John Spice
3. A Hand Painted Shirt from Sloop Jones
Write ins with multiple votes: T-shirt from The Beach Bar, Larimar Jewelry, rum, a good suntan

Best Attraction to Experience on St. John:
1. Snorkeling the trail at Trunk Bay
2. Snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay
3. Hiking anywhere in the VI National Park
Write ins with multiple votes: Drunk Bay, Exploring the town of Cruz Bay

St Croix

Best Beach on St. Croix:
1. Sandy Point Beach
2. Rainbow Beach
3. Cane Bay Beach
4. Sandcastle Beach
Write ins with multiple votes: Buck Island Beach

Best Beach Bar/Island Bar on St. Croix:
1. Rhythms at Rainbow Beach
2. Rum Runners
3. eat @ cane bay
4. Off the Wall
Write ins with multiple votes: Beachside Café

Best Rum Drink on St. Croix
1. Painkiller
2. Cruzan Confusion
3. Green Flash
Write ins with multiple votes: Lime in de Coconut

Best restaurant on St Croix:
1. Polly’s On the Pier
2. Rowdy Joes
3. The Waves at Cane Bay
4. Galangal
Write ins with multiple votes: Duggans Reef, Rum Runners, LeReine Chicken Shack, eat @ cane bay

Best place to stay on St. Croix:
1. TIE: Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa and Sand Castle on the Beach
2. The Buccaneer
3. Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort
Write ins with multiple votes: Cottages by the Sea, Condo Rental

Best shop or boutique on St. Croix:
1. Sonya Ltd
2. Purple Papaya
3. ib designs
4. From the Gecko Boutique
Write ins with multiple votes: Franklins on the Waterfront

Best Souvenir to bring home from St. Croix:
1. St. Croix Hook Bracelet
2. Cruzan Rum
3. Chaney Jewelry

Best attraction to experience on St. Croix:
1. Catamaran Sail to Buck Island
2. Kayaking at night in a bioluminescent bay
3. Point Udall
4. Beer drinking pigs at Montpellier Domino Club
5. Cruzan Rum Factory Tour
Write ins with multiple votes: dive the wall, dive or snorkel the pier, Jump Up Festival, St. George Village Botanical Gardens

To read more about these and other islands, be sure to check our Blog Directory by Island

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

May 27, 2014June 6, 2019

What to See and Do in Cruz Bay, St. John

Cruz Bay is the active, yet laid back main town and port of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Here you will find most of the islands stores and restaurants and visitor services such as taxis and car rentals.

copyright Rum Therapy — Ferry Dock in Cruz Bay, St. John

Passenger ferries from either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook on St. Thomas arrive and depart from the dock in Cruz Bay, bringing many people to the island throughout the day. See ferry schedules here. Many people head directly for one of St. John’s gorgeous beaches and spend very little time in Cruz Bay, but if you have the time, there are many great things to experience right here.

We’ve had the pleasure of visiting Cruz Bay quite a few times, and although we’ve yet to experience all that this fun & funky town has to offer, we’ve listed a few of our favorite attractions to date. Feel free to leave a comment below with some of your favorite things to see and do while visiting Cruz Bay, St. John.

We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite stops (so far) on the map above.

Upon arrival at the ferry dock, we usually head straight for the wonderful smelling St. John Spice, which can be found on the second floor of the building just to the right as you leave the dock.

Here you can find all sorts of spices, Cruz Bay Grill Rub, coffee, local cookbooks, island gifts, and island wear. St. John Spice also has a webcam that gives a real time view of the ferry dock and beautiful Cruz Bay. Tell your family and friends to watch for you as you enjoy yourself in paradise!

If you’ve worked up a thirst (or appetite) already, there are three great beach bar/restaurants right at the waters edge. High Tide, Joe’s Rum Hut and The Beach Bar all offer slightly different menus and drinks and all are great places to hang out, chat with locals and visitors, listen to some live music and admire the scenery.

From there we always try to make a stop at the Pink Papaya, a Caribbean Style Gallery that specializes in unique and unusual Caribbean style gifts including fine painting and jewelry from local artists.

A little more walking and we’re usually ready for a Love City Smoothie from Our Market Smoothies.
Cognac, Passionfruit, Strawberry and Rum – cold and delicious!

Want information on St. John National Parks? After all, much of this beautiful island has been designated as a National Park. Find out how to explore it at the National Park Service Visitor Center.

More shopping? No problem! Mongoose Junction on north side of Cruz Bay is a beautiful complex of intimate shops, restaurants and services. A few of our favorites here are:

Bajo el SolArt Gallery – featuring the works of several local artists.

The Tap Room – have you heard of St. John Brewers? Check out some of the tasty local beer crafted by Kevin and Cheech at this Island Microbrewery & Brew Pub.

Sun Dog Cafe – casual dining and a really good Sunday Brunch

Arawak Expeditions – looking for adventure? Check out their kayak, paddleboard, fly fish and snorkel expeditions!

Still have more time to explore? Here are a few more places that are on our Cruz Bay to-do list:

The Elaine Ione Sprauve Library & Museum – Find a great deal of information on St. John, the other American and British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean in general.

Quiet Mon’ Pub – the best Island Irish Pub around!

Woody’s Seafood Saloon – good food and a great place to hang out!

Whew. There you have it. Just a few ideas of what to see and do in Cruz Bay, St. John to help you plan for your next visit.

Tell us – What are some of your favorite Cruz Bay attractions?

To see more posts on St. John and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

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

January 11, 2014May 29, 2019

Floyd’s Pelican Bar, Jamaica

Floyd’s Pelican Bar was at the top of our must see list during our recent trip to Jamaica and we’re SO glad that we got to experience it.

This seriously cool bar sits on wooden stilts about 3/4’s of a mile from shore in Parottee Bay on the SW side of Jamaica. Built by local fisherman Floyd Forbes who apparently dreamed of building a bar out to sea on stilts – his dream bar first opened in 2001. Floyd named his bar “Pelican Bar” because of the many pelicans that hang out on the reef around the bar.

Our trip to Floyd’s was part of a great day of touring that we set up with Carlton of Turner Taxis and Tours. It was our last stop of the day after playing at YS Falls and touring the Appleton Rum Factory.

Carlton brought us down to Basil’s Bar in Parottee where we caught a ride on a fishing boat to Floyd’s. From here you can just barely see Floyd’s in the distance.

Our ride to Floyd’s

The ride from Basil’s took about 15 minutes and the water was calm and beautiful. The fee was $15 roundtrip per person.

Pulling up to Floyd’s we were amazed at the construction. It truly was built from planks of wood and stilts placed in the shallow water and it looked as if it would blow over in a rainstorm, but it was just one of the most interesting places you’d ever imagine seeing – especially that far out to sea.

Our boat dropped us off at the front steps and told us they’d be back to pick us up later…

What’s so special about Floyd’s Pelican Bar? We’ll try to show you through pics. Floyd’s is not large, but it seems every square inch has something interesting or unusual to check out. People from all over the world have left their mark or a memento during their visit.

The Pelican Bar was destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan and although Floyd didn’t carry insurance to re-build, other area businesses helped out with donations of wood and labor.

Out of the back of the main bar, Floyd has added an addition – a sun deck of sorts. Great place to enjoy a cold Red Stripe or some rum, and chat with the locals and others that have made their way to the Pelican Bar.

The water around Floyd’s is only a few feet deep and a great place to float, snorkel or ease your way in after enjoying a few beers (there’s no restroom at Floyd’s!) If it’s too busy to find a seat inside or on the sun deck, you can just lounge in the water with your beverages!

Apparently the lobster and fresh fish dinner’s are very tasty and if you’d like to dine while there, ask your driver to call ahead.

Be sure to bring a memento such as a t-shirt, flag, cap, etc. to leave marking your visit, or ask Floyd if he can help you find a place to carve your names and the date visited. We left a Rum Bum Cap and also gave Floyd a Rum Therapy decal. He promptly stuck it to a wooden plaque behind the bar, shook our hands and said “respect”.

The Rum Therapy Decal proudly sits behind the bar!

We grabbed another Red Stripe and sat down on the “front porch” to take in the surroundings before our boat arrived to take us back.

As we got in the boat and looked back at The Pelican Bar, we turned to each other and said, “That was just cool”. Don’t know what it is. The vibe, the attitude or the fact that someone had a dream to build a bar out to sea and saw it through. Yep, it certainly was cool. Thanks Floyd.

To see more posts on Jamaica 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.

November 26, 2013May 29, 2019

Rick’s Cafe, Negril, Jamaica

One of the best known bars in Jamaica, Rick’s Cafe, is known for it’s fantastic Jamaican sunsets as well as the very brave young men that dive from great heights into the clear, blue water below.

Apparently visitors can also hurtle themselves off of the cliffs if they wish, and this resulted in numerous belly and back-flops, swimsuit malfunctions and awkward flailing mid-air while we were there. Thankfully, to jump, you must pass the guard at the top of the visitor jumping area and while we were there, he appeared to be screening people and allowing only those that didn’t appear too intoxicated or frightened to make the long jump.

Despite the screening, I have heard that there have been some serious injuries to visitors, making us quite content to watch the show and not jump ourselves!

As the sun began to set and the diving waned, people began making their way to the bar and the outdoor stage.

We found a table at the edge of the cliff and ordered a Red Stripe.

As the band played, we enjoyed yet another beautiful Jamaican sunset…

To find out more, visit Rick’s Cafe website, and find Rick’s on our Jamaica Map

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

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