Destination Discovery: Caribbean Island-Hopping

Bahamas. Turks and Caicos. Jamaica. St. Lucia and more. Grab your passport and get ready for some island time. Here are some exquisite picks for your dream Caribbean vacation.

Where to Stay

• The award-winning Parrot Cay by COMO sits on its own 1,000-acre private island in Turks and Caicos Islands, which makes it remarkable in its own right. Cap it off with a mile-long beach, holistic spa therapies, yoga, decadent gastronomy, and villas with private pools and direct beach access, and you’ll figure out the true meaning of tropical paradise.
• St. Lucia’s Anse Chastanet is a 600-acre private estate on the shores of two beaches, with views of the Piti and Gros Piton mountains. Its intimate, five-treatment-room spa resides on beach level (yoga is held in a beach gazebo) and the open-air salon and treatment cabana embrace the beauty of the tropical surroundings.
• The revamped Malliouhana, now an Auberge resort, features a chic open-air design aesthetic, fresh “sea-to-table” cuisine, and over a mile of white-sand beach in Meads Bay, Anguilla.
• If you’re traveling with children, Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is a good choice (it’s also home to a Mandara Spa, great for adults!).

Where to Spa

• At present time, Six Senses Spa at Puntacana Resort & Club holds the prestige of being the only spa in the Dominican Republic, and the second in the Caribbean, to be both an AAA Five Diamond facility and a member of the Leading Spas of the World collection.
• Upon stepping foot in Rosalie Bay Resort’s Gló Spa, eco enthusiasts—not to mention spa lovers—will immediately notice the nature-inspired ambience. Design details in this spa in Dominica include native stone, Rosalie River views, a treehouse-style treatment room poised above the water, and products that utilize ingredients found in local plant life.
• A little bit of luxe with a tropical twist—Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, in the Cayman Islands, treats guests to various refreshing hydrotherapy rituals and its exclusive Swiss-based, cellular anti-aging formulas for face and body.
• Rockhouse Spa is what we like to call a mix of daring and laidback serenity that’s pure Jamaica. Perched on Negril’s Pristine Cove, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the spa features cliff-edge spa cabanas, an “energetic temple” amidst gardens, and bathing pavilion with views of the sea.

Where to Snack

• Famous chef Jean-George Vongerichten lends his culinary vision to Fern at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort; this Rio Grande, Puerto Rico-based resort restaurant showcases a variety of the chef’s most eminent dishes from his smattering of restaurants worldwide.
• A dinner with stilt walkers, fire eaters, limbo, and a tuk band? We’re making reservations now. Thursday evenings at Accra Beach Hotel & Spa’s Coco Patch Restaurant, located in Christ Church, Barbados, comprise performances rich in island flair.

Where to Sweat

• There’s no such thing as sweating in the Caribbean—if you get hot, you merely take a dip in the sea. And there are plenty of workouts to try in the turquoise waters. Examples include the private island property of Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, Autograph Collection, in the British Virgin Islands, which has a dive shop and sailing school.
• The Body Holiday LeSPORT is known for creating a customized experience for guests, and this luxury playground in Cariblue Beach, St. Lucia, doesn’t disappoint when it comes to workout options: scuba diving, yoga, windsurfing, archery, fencing, pursuits at the Coubaril Valley Tennis and Golf Academy, and more.

What to See

• El Yunque National Forest in northeastern Puerto Rico is said to be the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Its 28,000 acres house Taino petroglyphs and El Toro, a mountain peak rising nearly 3,500 feet above sea level.
• St. Lucia’s drive-in volcano is enough to make us book our Caribbean trip now (okay, the beautiful spas don’t hurt, either). The popular tourist landmark near Soufriere allows visitors to drive up to the very brink of the sulfur springs.
• Also worth a visit: The Baths on Virgin Gordo, part of the British Virgin Islands.

Are you ready for your Caribbean vacation? We invite you to head to spafinder.com for more destination ideas.