Shopping: Cozumel. There’s great shopping right at the pier,
or you can grab a cab into town for a mind-numbing selection of more of the same.
Colorful ceramics; onyx chess sets and figurines; silver jewelry with gems and
without; and inexpensive knickknacks from maracas to magnets makes shopping a
blast. You’ll find consumables there, too. Read more at Chocolate, Rum and Spice: Food Souvenirs of the
Caribbean.
Best
beach: private islands. These are, simply
put, paradise. Carnival’s Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras; Princess Cays in
the Bahamas; and Royal Caribbean’s Labadee on
Haiti offer the quintessential Caribbean beach day. They’ve got powdery sands
and calm blue waters perfect for swimming and water sports; palms and hibiscus
and bougainvillea to feast the eyes; and lounge chairs everywhere, along with
plenty of shops and ways to soothe a parched throat.
Lined up and ready to go at Princess Cays. |
Biggest
variety: St. Maarten. A beach right in town,
cheap chair-umbrella-beer packages, surfside seafood shacks, water sports, great
shopping, gambling and even a blast from the past—an automat—selling local
foods like the Dutch kroket. This
lively place of merriment is constantly changing—for the better. There’s more
at “How to Spend Your Cruise Day in St. Maarten.”
Prettiest
harbor: Dominica, Bonaire. This one’s a tie.
Dominica has perhaps the most compact port, with
its location at the foot of surrounding velvety green hills. Be prepared to
invest some leg muscle if you walk around town, where you can visit a farmers
market or grab some free wi-fi at the local library. Or, shop the stalls at the
pier, where you can get locally woven baskets and other souvenirs.
Then there’s the transparent waters of Bonaire, where a stroll along the waterside promenade is like a visit to an aquarium. Vibrant-colored fish swish by underfoot, and the sea around you is a painter’s pallet of shades of azure. Read more at Knowing Your ABCs.
A walk along the promenade in Bonaire is like a visit to an aquarium. |
Most
European-ish: St. Barts. Part Riviera, part
Caribbean, totally French, St. Barts is remarkable for many reasons. You won’t
find any bargains here, but you’ll marvel at the mega yachts parked in town,
the hilly and winding streets that force cars and all manner of local vehicles
to part halfway on the sidewalk. You can sip café au lait at a seaside café, nibble on quiche from the local patisserie, marvel at the wines lining
the walls at the supermarche´ or
browse the fashionable shops. St. Barts is off course and worth it.
Paris? Mais non, the patisserie of St. Barts. |
Time
travel: San Juan. With two well-preserved,
exhibit-laden forts, a dramatic fountain honoring the island’s birth, blue
cobblestone streets, mosaic stairwells, and even shops selling Spanish hand fans
and the short jackets of the matadors, the old town of Puerto Rico’s capital
takes the cruiser back in time. No DeLorean needed here—just a little bit of
pedestrian power.
The ancient wall today protects San Juan from sailboats. |
Memorable
feature: Curaçao. This Southern Caribbean Leeward
island off the Venezuelan coast has several oddities—a floating bridge that
takes you to the colorful Punda District when it’s not stepping aside to let
boats through, and a fruit and veggies market where vendors sell their stuff
out of wooden boats tied up to the dock. And if that’s not enough, how about
liquor that’s made from oranges but is blue in hue?
So, that’s my “best of list.” What’s yours?
Musing’s Top Tip: Did you
miss Some of the Best in Cruising Part 1? Then check it out here, for
ship life highlights—from what’s on your plate to what’s on the stage.
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