There’s no better way to appreciate the Caribbean than by actually getting out onto it. So if you’re sailing to the islands by boat (or planning to charter a craft when you get there), you’ll need to know where you can park your boat – and that’s often at a marina hotel. Fortunately, we’ve rounded up a bounty of resorts where you can do just that. Here is a broad look at the Caribbean’s marina hotel offering — although they’re of course equally enjoyable if you simply want a great place to stay that’s right on the water.
Staniel Cay Yacht Club When you’re in the Bahamas’ Exuma Cays it’s all about getting out on the water. And we can’t think of a better launch pad than this homey clutch of water’s edge bungalows, which have direct access to an 18-slip marina. If there’s a marina hotel Mecca in the Caribbean, it’s this, a pilgrimage destination for boaters everywhere.
Hilton at Resorts World Bimini
Hilton at Resorts World Bimini If you live in South Florida, you’re around 50 nautical miles from Bimini and this terrific beachfront hotel and the Bahamas’ largest marina complex, which has two marinas (Fisherman’s Village with 136 slips and the 94-slip Mega Yacht Marina) that can accommodate vessels up to 180 feet long.
Big Game Club Resort & Marina You can’t go wrong at this venerable Bimini fishing resort which has been welcoming sailors and sport fishermen since the 1930s. It’s 75-slip marina, however, is as modern as they come.
Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour Marina Spend the day exploring the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands by boat and at sunset come home to this cozy beachfront Marsh Harbour roost, where a 198-slip marina that can accommodate craft up to 200 feet-long awaits.
Capella Marigot Bay Resort and Marina The St. Lucian “hurricane hole” at Marigot Bay has long offered sailors safe anchorage for their craft. But you don’t have to wait for high seas to enjoy the marina village here, complete with 42 berths and 20 mooring buoys.
El Conquistador, a Waldorf-Astoria Resort Given the plethora of amenities at this Puerto Rico playground (seven pools, a water park and a private island among them) it’s no surprise that there’s also a 35-slip marina.
Harbour Village Since Bonaire is beyond the hurricane belt, you’ll find few Caribbean anchorages as protected as this this one, which has 60 slips for yachts up to 150 feet long and one for 240-foot mega yachts. Bonus: Sailors score temporary membership at Harbour Village Beach Club, complete with its own resort and beach.
South Point Antigua is one of the Caribbean’s sailing capitals, and this Falmouth Harbour resort is one of its gems, offering a handful of sleek suites and a 8-slip marina to boaters with a taste for the finer things (and the resort restaurant’s scrumptious fare.)
Bitter End Yacht Club The sailing instruction at this classic British Virgin Islands resort is second to none, and the same can be said for its facilities for boaters, which include the state-of-the-art Quarterdeck Marina, with 35 boat slips.
Valentines Resort and Marina The charming Bahamian outpost of Harbour Island is where you’ll find this marina (the island’s largest), with 51 slips that accommodate anglers and sport fishermen from around the world.
Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina In the British Virgin Islands, this private-island resort seven minutes’ boat ride from Tortola’s Trellis Bay offers 52 plush suites and 55 deep-water slips for long- and short-term docking. It’s in many ways the flagship marina hotel in the whole archipelago.
Nanny Cay This Tortola, BVI complex has it all: a resort with 40 comfortable rooms; a boatyard with travel lifts and a trailer; and a sheltered marina with berths for more than 200 yachts.
Port Ferdinand On Barbados’ west coast, this new resort boasts palatial villas and harborfront residences; a full-service spa; waterfront dining and a private marina with 120 berths and is the signature marina hotel in Barbados.
Casa De Campo Resort & Villas The marina at this posh Dominican Republic spread is as well-equipped as you’d expect, with a ship chandler; a shipyard for repairs; and 370 yacht berths, each complete with water, electricity and cable TV hookups. It’s easily the best marina hotel in the Dominican Republic.
