The Caribbean's Coolest Beach Towns

around town

Opposite, Clockwise from top left: DeAgostini/Getty Images; James Schnepf; Heeb Christian/age fotostock; Debbie Snow

Clockwise, from top left: One of hundreds of tiny cayes off Placencia, Belize; dining out in Cabarete, Dominican Republic; sandy beaches give way to jagged cliffs in Negril, Jamaica; board shopping in Rincón, Puerto Rico.

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j u n e / j u ly

2009

the caribbean’s coolest beach towns there’s a lot to be said for tranquility, but sometimes you crave a bit of action with your beach getaway. that’s when you follow the cult of the endless summer to outposts like these, where you can make the scene and have the best of both worlds.

C AR I B B EAN T RA V E L M A G . c o m 

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go there Puerto Plata International Airport is 25 minutes’ drive from Cabarete and is served from North America by Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue and WestJet.

cabarete, dominican republic

more info 888-374-6361; godominicanrepublic.com; activecabarete.com

summer breeze

Above: High fliers at the aptly named Kite Beach. Right: An open-air art gallery. Opposite: Chilling at one of Cabarete’s myriad surfer hangouts.

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THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HAS AN ENVIABLE collection of sweeping palmfringed beaches that demand studious contemplation of every bone-white grain from the comfort of a water’s-edge chaise. But if you seek a bit of buzz with your beach time, you’ll love Cabarete, where sun and sea are served with a heaping side of highenergy water sports and rugged adventure. Set against a backdrop of emerald hills, the bohemian north-coast enclave attracts an international contingent of footloose beach athletes to a golden-sand playa that unfurls for three unbroken miles, blessed with some of the world’s best conditions for kiteboarding, surfing and windsurfing. G E T B U S Y Wiry kiteboarders and windsurfers pit their skills against the bay’s yearround eastern trade winds at the breeze-blown Bozo Beach and the aptly named Kite Beach; dreadlocked surfers ride the waves at Encuentro; and neophytes master the basics with morning lessons at one of the dozen schools in the area. But the cosmopolitan oasis offers plenty of active pursuits that don’t involve boards. Fuel up with the $3 Dominican breakfast at local hangout Dick Café House, then mountain-bike along the numerous mule trails that crisscross the hilly interior or brave a breathtaking, almost vertical teleferico (cable car) ride to the 2,500-foot-high summit of Mount Isabel de Torres. Fearless travelers can join outfitter Iguana Mama for a white-knuckle adventure traversing rivers and scaling waterfalls on an excursion to Rio Damajagua. It’s certainly not for the acrophobic, but expert guides lead the way, and the buffet feast at the end of the trip is a welcome reward. TA K E I T EA S Y Cabarete’s half-mile-long Calle Principale is lined with a profusion of small and comfortable hotels, such as Velero Beach Resort, where suites with kitchenettes and spacious living areas face the bay. Tucked in between the hotels are a variety of handicraft and souvenir stores, and worthy mementos can be found at Fred, a tiny boutique with an eclectic assortment of jewelry made from conch shell, turquoise, locally harvested amber and the indigenous aquamarine stone larimar. D I NNER & DAN C I N G The town’s large expat community migrated with its cuisine in tow, and visitors can enjoy a global array of flavors steps from — and directly on — the sand. Try Indian specialties at La Boca, North African favorites at Miró and shrimp at Papi’s, which at more than 20 years of age, is the oldest restaurant on the beach. The curiously named 7:36 p.m. restaurant in the nearby Pro Cab neighborhood opens only on Thursday evenings, and the intimate eatery in the candlelit garden of a vine-covered private home has a uniquely romantic and relaxed ambience. If daytime activities don’t deplete your energy reserves, Cabarete’s happening night life just might. Its epicenter is an atmospheric strip of hip beachfront bars and restaurants lit by the glow of flaming tiki torches and colorful lanterns strung between coconut palms. Much like the town itself, stalwarts such as Lax, Casanova, Bambu and Blu have a casual and worldly ambience that owes as much to the multinational clientele as to the waitstaff, many of whom are smitten adventurers who decided to stay. On any given night, barefoot revelers in the unofficial Cabarete uniform of tank tops and drawstring pants, or bikini tops and flowing skirts, drink and dance till the wee hours with the carefree abandon of those blissfully unfettered by a 9-to-5. It’s a chilled-out beachfront bacchanal, and if only for a brief moment, you’re right in the thick of it. — Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon o ct o b e r

2009

Clockwise from Right: James Schnepf (2); Peter Dennen/aurora

boarding school

stay there Velero Beach Resort Rooms at this 22-suite beachfront condo resort start at $83 in low season ($122 high). 809-571-9727; velerobeach.com

go there Fly American, Continental, Delta or Taca to Belize City, then hop a half-hour flight to Placencia on Tropic Air (tropicair .com) or Maya Island Air (mayaairways.com).

Placencia, Belize

beachfront dive

The SeaHorse Dive Shop offers a variety of snorkel, scuba and fishing tours, including whaleshark excursions and trips to the Great Blue Hole, the world’s biggest oceanic sinkhole.

Clockwise from Left: Jim Klug; Alexander Nesbitt/aurora; Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis

EXPLORERS’ HUb IT’S LATE IN THE AFTERNOON that Placencia Village reveals itself as a frontier beach town, a small, sandy outpost dangling between jungle and deep blue sea at the tip of a 12-mile-long peninsula. Wander down the beach — mainland Belize’s best — to its southernmost point and sip a cold Belikin as the boats return to the town docks after a day of offshore adventures. There you’ll catch a contact high from divers who’ve just explored the hemisphere’s greatest barrier reef or swam with humongous whale sharks. The snorkelers and fishermen in smaller boats were out amid the Belize Cayes — idyllic dollops of sand surrounded by corals and flats — surveying reef creatures or stalking game fish. Later tonight you’ll meet all these sportos reliving it up at Cozy Corner and Barefoot Beach Bar — they’ll be the ones with “raccoon eyes” sunglasses tans. P I ER RE V I EW As the sun falls toward the Maya Mountains, the spot for your next beer is Yoli’s on the pier, a great vantage point for toasting the sunset and meeting cruisers off the sailboats that bob at anchor in the lee of Placencia Caye. Any boat you see still heading in from the west (the mainland side) either spent the day watching black howler monkeys and crocodiles along the serpentine shores of the Monkey River, or it’s a late crossing of the Hokey Pokey, the taxi boat out of Mango Creek that’s ferrying backpackers. Even with new luxe condos and second-home sites putting down roots north of town, Placencia is still a good bet for budgeteers. RU S H H OUR Life in Placencia mainly runs north and south, paralleling the lagoon, the beach and the two main streets — one an actual road; the other the town’s famous sidewalk thoroughfare just behind the beach. Dusk, however, brings crosstown traffic and a flurry of flip-flops as foragers — both temporary townies and guests of the resorts a few miles north on the peninsula — shuffle back and forth trying to choose between the joints lining the main road and those on the sidewalk. For a Central American village of just 800 residents, the dining selection is dizzying. If breakfast was the lobster omelet at Omar’s and lunch Cozy Corner’s lobster burger, should you keep the crayfish theme and see if De’Tatch has lobster as tonight’s seafood special? Or should you try the creole fish at Wendy’s, something fancy at French Connection or maybe just grab a pizza and eat it on the beach? N I G H T FAN TA S T I C After dinner, the choices become easier. First, a beach-town standard with a local twist: genuine Italian gelato in Belizean flavors (pineapple, coconut, banana, etc.) at Tutti Frutti. Then the party hats go on. The Placencia Breeze is the official ear to the ground, but after a couple days, you’ll know the skinny. Barefoot Beach Bar offers live music four nights a week; Sunrise Restaurant and Bar might have the karaoke machine cranked up; and down at the dock, you’ll hear if Tranquilo out on Placencia Caye has a band playing. Late action is at Tipsy Tuna sports bar and D’Eclipse, where bashments break out regularly. By morning, Placencia is once again an adventure base, hawking trips to the rainforest, Maya ruins and Garifuna settlements, along with the siren call of the Cayes. The beach itself seems like a bonus — except after late nights, which is when you really appreciate Placencia’s superlative set of beach-town essentials: breakfast burritos, warm water for a wake-up swim, cool breezes, and long stretches of soft sand just steps away from laid-back beach bars. — Bob Friel C AR I B B EAN T RA V E L M A G . c o m



stay there Seaspray Hotel Rooms with kitchenettes and sea-view porches from $50 in low season ($60 high). 501-523-3148; seasprayhotel.com Inn at Robert’s Grove Beachfront suites from $155 in low season ($189 high). 800-565-9757; robertsgrove.com more info 800-6240686; placencia.com; travelbelize.org

what’s cookin’?

Above: At Omar’s Diner, in the center of the village, find communal tables and great local fare at budget prices. Left: The view from the Rum Point Inn’s breezy restaurant.

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go there Jet into Montego Bay from North America on Air Canada, Air Jamaica, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, Spirit, US Airways or WestJet.

Negril, Jamaica

stay there Idle Awhile Casual-chic beachfront rooms and suites from $130 in low season ($210 high). 877-243-5352; idleawhile.com more info 800-233-4582; visitjamaica.com

high times

Above: A strolling beach troubadour strums up a fitting soundtrack. Right: Couples Swept Away Resort holds a prime spot on the seven-mile beach at Long Bay. Opposite: Negril’s West End cliffs bring out the daredevils.

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FAMOUS FOR ITS FREE-SPIRITED, come-as-you-are attitude and distinctly hedonistic vibe, Negril was “discovered” by American hippies 30 years ago. The rural fishing village that was once the hang-loose, dropout capital of the Caribbean now attracts couples, families, spring breakers and backpackers in search of their place in the sun along its seven-mile, white-sand stretch. Relaxed indulgence is the order of the day on Jamaica’s largest and most famous strand, and if wiling away the day doing nothing more strenuous than sipping a Red Stripe as you take in the colorful cast of characters is your kind of thing, you’ll find a carefree flock of like-minded sun seekers to keep you company. T-shirts, flip-flops and swimsuits are all that you’ll need to enjoy this chilled-out oasis, where the days unfold to a relentless reggae beat and a mellow, live-and-let-live vibe endures. G E T B EA C H ED The intimate, midstrip Idle Awhile is the perfect base camp, with 15 airy and colorful rooms right on the powder-white sand. Its restaurant, Chill Awhile, offers Jamaican fare on a canopied, beachfront deck. Large and luxurious all-inclusive resorts dominate the strip, shoulder-to-shoulder with several small, family-run hotels, humble guesthouses, water-sports concessions, souvenir stalls and restaurants. As dawn breaks, the beach becomes a hub of activity, with vendors strolling the sand, offering everything from morning newspapers and fresh fruit to hair braiding, aloe vera rubdowns and snorkeling excursions. When offered recreational drugs, a firm “no thanks” will suffice. Perhaps the best thing about Negril’s strand is that, in spite of its popularity, it never feels crowded, and you can always find a quiet spot. G E T B U S Y If you decide to stir, there’s no shortage of options. First, get your bearings with a walk along the sand, during which you’ll encounter guitar-strumming reggae singers and at least one party promoter with a megaphone trumpeting the night’s show. Take to the air on a parasail flight, or board a glass-bottom boat for snorkeling and a lobster picnic on the offshore islet Booby Cay — named for the birds that roost there, not the nudists who ferry over to its swimsuit-optional shore. Or break for a casual lunch on a beachfront bench at Cosmo’s (next to Beaches resort), which has been dishing up heaping plates of curried goat and fried conch for more than 30 years. F L A S H ’ N ’ S P L A S H Tear yourself away from the strip for the traditional afternoon pilgrimage to Rick’s Café. Set on the rocky cliffs of neighboring West End, it is the place to witness Negril’s famous sunsets; look out for the legendary and elusive green flash, a phenomenon that sometimes occurs as the sun meets the horizon, and whose sighting supposedly guarantees your return to the island. Rick’s main attractions, however, are the muscled divers who plunge from the 30-foot-high cliffs and even higher pine trees into the turquoise water below. Idle Awhile offers a complimentary taxi for the 10-minute trip, but consider taking the long way ’round on a threehour catamaran cruise aboard Wild Thing, which stops for swimming and snorkeling. Later, head for Pushcart, a new open-air, cliffside eatery that offers local specialties, live music and a flip-flop friendly vibe. Try the friedto-perfection escoveitch fish or spicy pepper-pot soup, washed down with Pushcart’s house cocktail. The blend of pineapple juice, peppery ginger beer and white rum will have you coming back for more — whether or not you saw the green flash. — Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon o ct o b e r

2009

Clockwise from Right: Zach Stovall (2); Lew Robertson/getty images

funky town

rincÓn, Puerto Rico

go there Continental, Delta and JetBlue fly into Aguadilla, just under an hour’s drive from Rincón. Three hours’ drive away, San Juan is served by Air Canada, American, AirTran, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, Northwest, United and US Airways.

Surf’s Up

stay there Villa Cofresí Rooms at this beachfront hotel begin at $125 in low season ($135 high), including breakfast. 787823-2450; villacofresi.com TRES SIRENAS BEACHFRONT INN A four-room, boutique B&B with rooms from $125 in low season ($175 high). 787-823-0558; tressirenas.com

Clockwise from Left: Zach Stovall; Ryan Gamma; Zach stovall; Debbie Snow

more info 800-866-7827; gotopuertorico.com

LAID-BACK AMERICAN SURF CULTURE meets Puerto Rican warmth in easygoing Rincón, on the westernmost tip of the island. The town is set on a lush and mountainous peninsula famed for its spectacular sunsets and bordered by golden-sand beaches and teeming reefs, but what really put the enclave on the map are the huge waves that crash against the northern shore. Back in 1968, Rincón hosted an international surfing competition, and when its few hotels ran out of rooms, residents opened their homes to surfers from all over the world; Rincón has since become an essential stop on the Caribbean surfing safari, and in season, it seems as if almost every car in town has a board or two strapped to the roof. Today Rincón is a bustling town of 15,000 with a relaxed year-round scene. Surfers ride swells as high as 25 feet from November to February; visitors come to observe the humpback whale migration that begins in March; there’s an international film festival every April and a triathlon in June; and in the summer months, the town is a go-to vacation spot for local families. Nevertheless, Rincón has retained its casual, small-town charm. There are no megaresorts, just a small collection of guesthouses and midsize hotels. In the pueblo, Pilates and yoga studios, health food stores and art galleries surround the central plaza; surf shops hang their shingles, as do businesses with names such as Surf’s Up Coffee and Playa Oeste Surf Art Gallery. H AN G T EN The surfing action starts where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean at spots such as Maria’s Beach (look out for the Surfer Crossing street sign); Steps Beach in the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve; and Domes Beach, named for the abandoned nuclear reactor on its shore. While in the wintertime these strands are best suited to strong swimmers, during the summer the waters are calm and the beaches are quiet and ideal for romantic seclusion. Since it’s less than 10 minutes’ drive from one side of the peninsula to the other, visitors can beach-hop until they find the one that suits them best. Even if you’re not a surfer, you can still enjoy the town’s carefree lifestyle and eight miles of sand. Rincón’s main drag, Route 413, winds through the hillsides down to the northern border of the peninsula, where there’s calm water and good snorkeling at Pools Beach, plenty of activity and pickup volleyball at popular Sandy Beach, tranquility and beachcombing for sea glass at Antonio’s Beach, and kidfriendly tidal pools at River Mouth beach. You can also spot turtles and the occasional dolphin in a kayak or on a stand-up paddle board. In the winter, Rincón Lighthouse Park is a perfect vantage point for whale watching. S H ORE L EAV E When it’s time to eat, head back to the sand. You can’t come to Rincón without sampling a pirata at Villa Cofresí Hotel & Restaurant. Rincón’s original hotel is still going strong — just like its signature five-rum cocktail, served beachfront at el Bohio. Make your way to Calypso Café for a fish burrito and a bird’s-eye view of the surfers at Maria’s Beach, and catch the sunset at this popular hangout where reggae bands play on the weekend. Tamboo Seaside Grill at Sandy Beach serves superb food, a great mojito and live Sunday-night Cuban music, while sushi is on the menu at the Pool Bar CT+L overlooking Pools Beach. — Debbie Snow C AR I B B EAN T RA V E L M A G . c o m



board games

Top: Pro surfer Asher Nolan tucks into a Rincón barrel. Above: Slow down and enjoy the ride. Left: Horseback tours are a popular way to explore Rincón’s beaches. Opposite: Sandy Beach near the Casa Isleña hotel.

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