Canouan + Barbados
For a destination off the typical tourist track, look no further than St. Vincent & the Grenadines, a haven for yachters, divers, and privacy seekers. On the island of Canouan, the secluded Pink Sands Club features 26 marble-clad suites and amenities like two sheltered beaches and overwater spa-treatment bungalows.
The resort includes complimentary air transfers from Barbados with stays of four nights or longer — so why not spend a few nights on “Bim” for a nightlife and food fix? In St. Lawrence Gap, Cocktail Kitchen draws a stylish crowd with its small bites and drink pairings (have your pina colada with pappadums). And later this year, Nikki Beach will debut in the north-coast development of Port Ferdinand. Base yourself at the reimagined Waves Hotel & Spa, a sophisticated all-inclusive that offers as many as four spa treatments per stay.
Grand Cayman + Cayman Brac
Most travelers to the Cayman lslands go straight to Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, and this year, the strip added its most contemporary property to date: the new Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa. Local art is incorporated into each of the 266 modem rooms, and guests can even become certified spearfishers and turn their catch into lunch.
Those who are willing to go a bit farther (and when we say farther, we mean a 3S-minute flight) to the island of Cayman Brac will get a totally different but equally rewarding experience. In this community of fewer than 2,000 people, life proceeds at the same languorous pace it has for years, and you’ll spend your days diving, exploring caves, and hiking nature trails. Le Soleil d’Or, a boutique hotel with a bougainvillea- wrapped main house and four self-contained villas, is bringing farm-to-table to the forefront.
Le Soleil’s own 20-acre farm provides produce and eggs for dishes like vegetable curry with callaloo, cauliflower, and sweet peppers.
St. Kitts + Nevis
People often visit one and overlook the other. Here’s the case for doing both: these sister islands are just 4s minutes a part by ferry, and you’ll get two distinct slices of the Caribbean. St. Kitts was late to the tourism game, but is quickly gaining ground with upscale developments like Banana Bay’s Christophe Harbour, which is home to a marina, chic restaurants like Salt Plage and, as of this spring, the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, a resort that offers a refreshing, contemporary take on colonial decor in its 126 rooms.
On Nevis, the past is shaping the present. Alexander Hamilton was born and raised here, and the destination is now reaping the benefits of the namesake Broadway musical’s success. Visitors can explore the ruins of Hamilton Estate, the sugar plantation once owned by the founding father’s family, on a 4×4 excursion with Funky Monkey Tours. The Hermitage resort plans to host historian Richard Brookhiser, who’ll discuss Hamilton during two events this spring.
