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… O R J U S T C R U I S E
You can now sail to the region’s most
exclusive and untouched islands on
yachtlike ships featuring free-lowing
Champagne and ive-star suites. Butler
service is one calling card of the
62-passenger
Crystal Esprit
, operated
by Crystal Cruises. Another is the
ship’s two-passenger submarine,
which you can use for private
explorations near Saba or St. Kitts.
The French line Ponant, owned by
François Pinault’s Groupe Artemis,
ofers voyages on a glamorous sailboat
that visits bucket-list destinations
like Havana. (For Americans, it’s the
easiest way to get there.) This winter
it opens access to less-trod islands
such as the Tobago Cays via the
184-passenger
Le Champlain
, complete
with a glassed-in, underwater lounge
where you can drink like a ish while
looking one directly in the eye. Suites
on Ponant and Crystal ships start at
about $6,000 per person per week.
Still prefer old-fashioned sailing? For a
starting price of $14,000 per week, the
Moorings will rent you and your pals a
private six-person yacht, crew and chef
included.
—Fran Golden
75
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELE FALZONE/ALAMY
TRAVEL
May 14, 2018
BIKE …
Mountain cyclists may
think it’s a yawn, but
Grand Cayman
’s lat
topography and net-
work of smoothly paved
bike lanes are prime for
road riders. Skip the
busy downtown during
rush hour and hit the
9.5-mile West Bay Loop
coastal bike trail, which
runs along the pris-
tine beaches of Barkers
National Park, past the
Cayman Turtle Centre,
and straight toward a
handful of pretty water-
front bars.
BOAT…
The 32-island
archipelago of
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines
is one of the
Caribbean’s less-traveled
areas and one of the few
served by ferries. Most of
its nine inhabited islands
are accessible this way,
including exclusive
Mustique and low-key
Bequia. Even better,
charter your own boat
and set of for beaches
where tourist footprints
are more scarce. Steady
winds, an abundance
of anchorages, and the
close proximity of the
islands make the region
a sailor’s dream.
SCOOT …
Wheels are essential
if you want to hit
the out-of-the-way
eateries and hidden
coves of
St. Barts
.
kily, scooters are
tiful—and an
way to avoid the
king headaches
t plague the
and during peak
son. An added
it: There’s noth-
g tween you and the
view as you descend to
the stunning crescent
of Gouverneur Beach.
On these well-paved but
winding roads, helmets
aren’t optional.
WALK …
In
Puerto Rico
, colonial
Old San Juan rewards
an afternoon’s stroll. In
just a few square miles,
it’s illed with tradi-
tional restaurants, bou-
tiques, and centuries-old
churches, including the
tiny Capilla del Santo
Cristo. And the best way
to see El Morro Fort is on
foot via Paseo del Morro,
a three-quarter-mile trail
along the shore. Later,
amble the art-illed
streets of Santurce, the
city’s largest and most
populated district, and
stop at Lote 23, a new
open-air food court,
for Puerto Rican sea
bass
bao
.
DRIVE …
Four-wheel vehicles put
the diverse attractions
of
Guadeloupe
within
reach. The French
island is home to rum
distilleries, lighthouses,
the rain forest-blanketed
La Grande Soufrière
volcano, and the
black-sand beach of
Malendure, where you
can swim with turtles.
Habitation La Grivelière,
a preserved plantation,
is at the end of a narrow,
twisting route. Like
most of the roads on
this butterly-shaped
island, it’s scenic and
well-maintained.
—Sara Clemence
H O W D O Y O U
Sure, some Caribbean resorts aremade for
staying put. But these islands aremeant to be explored, be it
by boat,motor scooter, or your own two feet
Castle of San Cristóbal
in Old San Juan,
Puerto Rico
Luc
plen
easy
par
tha
isl
sea
bene
in be