New hotels, new villas, new dining hotspots. It may be the quietest time of year in the Caribbean, but the region is as hot as ever – and an October vacation in the Caribbean means you’ll often feel like you have the whole island to yourself. The latest edition of Places to Visit takes you from a new hotspot in The Bahamas to the delights of pure serenity on a small island in the Eastern Caribbean.
Dominica The island of Dominica is about to get on the map in major way in the middle of this month (Oct. 14, to be exact), Kempinski debuts its highly-anticipated Cabrits Resort and Spa in the north of the island. The spectacular new 151-room luxury beach resort, the product of Range Developments (the company behind the celebrated Park Hyatt St Kitts), is a major addition to the island’s mostly boutique hotel product. And it will serve as yet another reminder for travelers to visit Dominica, which is the most naturally beautiful destination in all of the Caribbean.
Cat Island, Bahamas Long one of the best-kept secrets in The Bahamas, Cat Island has been seeing a spike in interest in recent years, as more and more travelers discover its jaw-droppingly beautiful beaches, its lovely small hotels and the unique culture and music (like the famous rake-and-scrape, which was born on Cat Island). Whether you’re at the timeless Fernandez Bay Village, the rustic Greenwood Beach Resort or Shannas Cove and its unmatched views, you’ll discover a completely different, wonderful side of The Bahamas.
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia has quietly become a full-fledged year-round destination, as travelers have begun to realize that they can enjoy even more of the island’s beauty in the slower seasons. What hasn’t changed, though, is the impressively diverse hotel product in Saint Lucia, one that ranges from the luxe Cap Maison to the north to the adults-only Serenity at Coconut Bay to the south — and a culinary scene that is hotter than ever with the debut of the new Orlando’s in Rodney Bay, helmed by Saint Lucia’s leading chef, Orlando Satchell.
Barbuda The castaway fantasy is alive and well in Barbuda, the beachy sister island of Antigua that is in the midst of a rebirth. While Barbuda has certainly changed since the storms of 2017, the immense, striking white and pink sand beaches have not — and these sprawling, almost-always-empty beaches will instantly captivate you. The best place to stay? It’s the Barbuda Belle, the eco-chic bungalow-style hotel set on the far northwestern coast of the island.
Nevis The easy charm of Nevis is a rare pleasure in the Caribbean, a tiny island that somehow manages to slow down time for its visitors. And while it’s small, it’s meant to be explored, from the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton to the hot springs set at what was the first hotel ever built in the Caribbean (now a government building) to the inviting hikes up Nevis Peak. And while there are a host of great little boutique stays to try like Hermitage and Montpelier, it’s still the Four Seasons Nevis that remains the island’s true destination resort. And now the Four Seasons is upping its game, with a new program of weekly stays at the resort’s enviable collection of private villas. It’s called Private Retreats, and it’s a new way to enjoy the splendor of the resort’s famous villas.
— CJ