3 Quick and Easy Caribbean Escapes for Your Next Winter Getaway

Caerula Mar Club — Canadian HGTV stars Bryan and Sarah Baeumler renovated this boutique resort on South Andros for their show Island of Bryan. The secluded collection of 18 suites and six villas, which landed a spot on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2020 Hot List, includes dedicated yoga and meditation areas to complement the get–away–from–it–all island vibe. Kayaks, stand–up paddleboards and bicycles let you explore on your own, while local Caribbean ingredients mix with international flavours at the three on–site restaurants, culminating in dishes like red–curry conch soup and fresh–caught hogfish.

Seafood lovers, rejoice: The so–called “Land of Crabs” doesn’t disappoint. The Great House at Kamalame Cay offers Asian–influenced Bahamian dishes like Andros stone crab with wasabi mayo, or try the fresh conch at F&H Takeaway on the Lowe Sound waterfront.

Start with a meditative hike through Rockland Pine Forest for a chance to spot the migratory Kirtland’s warbler mingling with various tropical birds, or shop for souvenirs in Andros Town, where local artisans sell the island’s namesake Androsia batik fabric. Snorkellers, swimmers and divers will revel in the 305–kilometre–long barrier reef – part of the third–largest reef system in the world (behind only Australia and Belize); shipwrecks and reef sharks are common sightings. The season for bonefish (a catch–and–release sport fish) runs from October through February, while mahi mahi, grouper and snapper are among the catches most favoured by fishermen and diners alike.

Geejam — For music lovers, the splashy Geejam resort recently unveiled a dozen new 550–square–foot rooms called Rhumba Studios – each one with sweeping views of the rainforest and the sea. Guests (keep an eye open for Drake or Gwen Stefani) have access to the on–site recording studio.

Goldeneye — Ian Fleming wrote more than a dozen novels on the island, and his estate (you can sleep in his villa, where his writing desk remains) is part of this resort of the same name. A collection of elegant villas, cottages and beach huts are set far enough apart in the jungle to offer privacy for outdoor showers and evening dips in the lagoon.

Authentic Jamaican cuisine is easy to find on the streets of Port Antonio. Anthony Bourdain raved about the oxtail and curry goat at the roadside Chris’s Cook Shop, but any local can point you to a spot best suited to whatever you’re craving, whether it’s a Steel Bottom cocktail of beer and rum at Dr. Hoe Rum Bar or jerk chicken at Piggy’s Jerk Center.

This region’s mix of mountain scenery, lush junglescape and emerald waters has plenty to offer outdoor explorers. At Reach Falls, swim in a natural pool under a waterfall or jump through the “Rabbit Hole” into the scenic swimming hole below. Historic Folly Ruins is Instagram perfection, and reclining on a river raft as a local guide transports you along the Rio Grande remains a grand outing.

Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski — Go soon and you’ll likely be among the first to enjoy the five–star luxury resort property, which opened its doors in March only to close them again when the pandemic took hold. Now set to reopen this month, expect a serene hideaway on the edge of the cay that’ll make you feel like you’re standing on the edge of the world. The property’s more than 200 rooms include everything from adjoining family–room options to six overwater, panoramic–view villas (each with a private pool).

Search out the ranchons (beach bars and grills) scattered across Cayo Guillermo and neighbouring Cayo Coco: Ranchon Cuba Libre is renowned for its lobster dinners. Need a nightcap? The Hemingway Cigar Bar & Lounge pairs two famous Cuban exports (rum and cigars) with one of its famous residents (Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is set here).

Cayo Guillermo’s best feature is its beaches. Activity–seekers can choose from kitesurfing, stand–up paddleboarding and snorkelling, while divers will delight in exploring the miles of vibrant coral reef just offshore. The beaches, especially Playa Pilar at the cay’s northwestern end, are a paradise of shallow, warm waters, soft sand and rentable umbrellas – the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon.