By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
We love trawling craft markets and buying cute little tchotchkes as much as any Caribbean shopper, but sometimes we’re prepared to invest a little more in a pricey designer bauble or high-end must-have. So where do we go when we want to splurge on a tropical memento? Straight to these islands, the best places for luxury shopping in the Caribbean.
Barbados In Holetown on the island’s west coast, Limegrove “lifestyle centre” has everything you’ll need for the luxe life, with a big-name lineup of boutiques, including Breitling, Cartier, and Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Anguilla While you won’t find large malls or a string of international designer stores on this barefoot-casual yet high-end hotspot, you will find the chic-est of resort wear and accessories (think James Perse, Vilbrequin, Mara Hoffman) in hotel boutiques. Our go-tos: the stores at Four Seasons Anguilla; CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, Zemi Beach House Resort & Spa; and The Reef By Cuisinart.
Bahamas On New Providence, Bay Street is the place to browse (and buy!) at a string of duty-free stores that sell luxury goods by international designers. And across the bridge on neighboring Paradise Island, the Crystal Court Shops at Atlantis resort feature brands such as Gucci, Versace and Tory Burch.
Another favorite: the Coat of Arms boutique in Gustavia.
St Barth Indulge a craving for the finer things (the likes of Hermes, Longchamp and Louis Vuitton, to name a few) with a short stroll along Gustavia’s Rue De La Republique, where you’ll find these designer boutiques and more on the less-than-a mile-long waterfront stretch.
Camana Bay.
Grand Cayman This paradise offers plenty of places to spend your savings in boutiques along George Town’s main street; in shops at Seven Mile Beach resorts; and at Camana Bay, an outdoor emporium that features upmarket resort brands (Lily Pulitzer and Island Company among them) in a lovely waterfront setting.
Puerto Rico Max out your credit card in the San Juan neighborhood of Condado, where Ashford Avenue is home to Cartier, Gucci and Ferragamo. Then, at the nearby Mall of San Juan, shop ‘til you drop at Jimmy Choo, Versace, and the Caribbean’s only Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom department stores.
St. Thomas The Caribbean’s most popular shopping destination comes by the title honestly, with luxury shopping portside at Havensight Mall and Yacht Haven Grande, and in the capital of Charlotte Amalie on the boutique-lined main street, Droningens Gade.