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THE COTTON HOUSE
Many visitors to
Mustique
, the longtime
hideaway for British
royals and celebrities,
hole up in a villa with
a private chef. But at
the Cotton House hotel
pool, executive chef Elio
Debae ofers Grenadine
specialties such as
chicken roti with mango
chutney. Be sure to try
the “bakes,” savory fried
doughnuts that Debae
stufs with spiced spiny-
lobster salad.
MARIGOT BAY
RESORT & MARINA
Don’t let the yachts in
the marina fool you:
This resort’s little-
known “staf canteen”
is one of the most
authentic, unfussy
options in
St. Lucia
.
Executive chef Billy
Boyle serves whatever
the staf is eating for
lunch, often a mixed
plate of fried local ish,
rice and beans, and
“ground provisions”—
taro, yams, and other
staple root vegetables.
GOLDENEYE
Relaxing by one of
GoldenEye’s pools—
there are two freshwater
ones and a small salt-
water one—you’ll enjoy
lunch menus that relect
the traditional cooking
of
Jamaica
. There’s
aromatic jerk chicken,
vegetable curries, and
salads made with greens
from owner Chris
Blackwell’s Pantrepant
farm. Blackwell also
distills his own Jamaican
dark rum, which adds
a kick to the decadent
baba au rhum cake.
MONTPELIER
PLANTATION
Food is an integral part
of this 19-key boutique
on a former sugar estate
in
Nevis
. That extends
to the mosaic-tiled pool,
where executive chef
Dimitris Zouka makes
Nevisian dishes such as
curried conch stew, corn
dumplings, and grilled
chicken with plantains.
THE PALMS
The shallow reefs
surrounding many
Caribbean atolls are
known for their ample
conch populations. The
menu at Plunge, which
serves the serpentine
ininity pool at the
Palms, on
Turks and
Caicos
’s Grace Bay,
features the delectable
shellish in fritters,
tacos, and sandwiches.
The resort even leads
guests on conch-diving
expeditions, after
which your catch is
cracked and made into
ceviche at the pool bar.
—Adam Erace
TRAVEL
73
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ISLAND OUTPOST
e
A spread at
GoldenEye
in Jamaica
Most people in their stampede to the beach or the pool
overlook the Caribbean’s stunning national parks. But their
historic sites and lush tropical trails ofer rich rewards for
intrepid visitors. We asked Will Shafroth, president and
chief executive oicer of the U.S. National Park Foundation,
and Randy Lavasseur, group superintendent for Caribbean
National Parks, to recommend their favorites.
“The snorkeling is incredible at Princess Bay in
Virgin
Islands National Park, St. John
,” Shafroth says. “I’ve
seen sea turtles, tropical ish in every size and shape, and
even eels hunkered down in mangrove roots.” He also suggests a 10-minute hike
along Leinster Bay Trail to the shallow, less-touristed reefs of Waterlemon Cay.
Afterward, stop at the Tap Room for a refreshing coconut porter ale, brewed
locally in shipping container-size batches.
At
San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico
, the Castle of San Cristóbal’s
chilling, 300-year-old brick dungeon walls bear prisoner-drawn graiti of ships dat-
ing back centuries. “The ships vary based on the era in which they were drawn,”
Lavasseur says. “And the dungeon still has gigantic bars.”
When it comes to
Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix
, he
says, “I’ve never been to a more beautiful place in my life.” This 176-acre atoll
is surrounded by a coral barrier reef shaped like a pair of branching elk horns.
“Snorkeling the underwater trail, there are hundreds of tiny blue ish lying by,
leatherback sea turtles that can weigh anywhere from 600 to 1,100 pounds, and
coral, the lower of the ocean. It’s so epic.”
—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans
T H E
B E S T P O O L S I D E
L U N C H E S
Just say no to Caesar salad!
Your first rosé of the day
deserves better. At these
beach resorts, themiddaymeal
is the amenity to count on
G E T
L O S T I N
T H E S E
P A R K S
BOOK IT
Canouan—the island in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines where the billionaires go to
escape the millionaires—is getting ever-so-
slightly more egalitarian. This summer it welcomes Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Group’s
Pink Sands Club
(
from $1, 00
), where
the 26 opulent suites have dressing rooms, rainfall showers,
and views of Godahl Beach. Guests can also book one of
three fully crewed yachts for private explorations of the
surrounding archipelago.
—Nikki Ekstein