My favorite Caribbean beach bars!

We just had our first snow fall in Boston which made me yearn for warm island sun.  With my January trip to Virgin Gorda booked, I am consumed with researching the island in search of cool spots to grab a cold drink and enjoy a fabulous view.

Here are a couple spots I have enjoyed over the years.  What's your favorite beach bar?

Kali's Beach Bar, Friar's Bay Beach, St. Martin
Grab a palm-covered "booth" on the sand and a cold drink and enjoy!

Sunset Bar & Grill, St. Maarten
Watch planes taking off and landing from the airport while enjoying an ice-cold beer.  Great vibe!

Mr. Busby's Beach Bar, Dawn Beach, St. Maarten
Ice-cold Caribs are delivered to you on the beach, for cheap! Great food too.

Yellow Beach Restaurant, Pinel Island, St. Martin
Pinel Island, a 10-minute boat ride from Cul-de-Sac.  Click here to learn more.  Pina coladas, mmhmm!

Pirate's Bight, Norman Island, British Virgin Islands
Also known as Treasure Island and famous for its Bushwackers!

Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Home of the Painkiller, on a most amazing beach!  No dock here, so you must swim to shore, hence the soggy dollar.

Mr. Delicious Snack Bar, Miami Beach, Barbados
 Not exactly a "bar", but good food & cold drinks while you're lounging.  Try a roti and a Banks beer!

A Collection of Tiny Beach Bars on Accra Beach, Barbados
Colorful beach bars, located on Accra Beach, at the end of the Hastings boardwalk.  Delicious rum punches served!

Sun Beach, Negril, Jamaica
How can you not love these swinging plastic chairs, accompanied by a cold Red Stripe???

Rick's Cafe, Negril, Jamaica
Watch folks diving off the cliffs while enjoying drinks, food and live music.  A perfect spot to watch the sunset!

Bar at White Sands Hotel, Negril, Jamaica
Amazing drink specials every day, friendly people!  Grab a bar stool or a lounge chair and try the Dirty Banana!

Tony's Hut Bar at Gatehouse Villa, Negril, Jamaica
Swings, hammocks, Connect Four at the bar and friendly service! 

La Playa at Xpu-Ha Beach, Mexico
Located between Akumal and Puerto Aventuras.  Guacamole, salsa, hammocks...need I say more??

The Beach Bar, Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI
(Photo courtesy of reefmadnessvilla.com. Amazing villa, check it out!)
Live music, tasty drinks, great food, much fun!

Thanks for reading!  And don't forget to tell me your favorite beach bar in the comments section below!  And any tips on great spots on Virgin Gorda will be appreciated too!

Don’t Miss Pinel Island off St. Martin!

If you find yourself on St. Martin, I highly recommend an excursion to Pinel Island on St. Martin’s east end.  Very small, very laid back and very pretty! Pinel Island is called Isle Pinel, or in French Ilet Pinel or Ile de Pinel. 

We parked our jeep in the village of Cul-de-Sac, located just past the spectacular Orient Bay, and mingled with the friendly wild donkeys roaming around in the parking lot.  

We caught the small boat to the island around noon – I wish we had caught the first boat so we could have spent a full day!  The shuttle boat leaves every 30 minutes from 10am to 5pm and the ride costs $7. The ride takes about five minutes and the water is very calm. 

Once on the island, paradise!  We checked out our surroundings on this tiny little island lined with sandy beaches; the calm, crystal clear, sparking water was absolutely stunning!  

The view of St. Martin in the distance, with its hills, was just amazing.   

 We brought our own snorkel gear and explored the reefs along the snorkel trail.

We found a trail and took a small hike to the other side of Pinel Island, which offered sea grape trees and a completed deserted beach and enjoyed the tranquil silence and scenery.

The island offers three little restaurants, Le Karabuni, the Yellow Beach restaurant and Up on the Key, as well as a small gift shop.  Since we had already had lunch, we didn’t try any food but Pinel Island sparked my never-ending love for pina coladas.

We bought a couple rounds and drank them on the beach, savoring the tasty treats topped with just enough delicious ground nutmeg.  After a couple drinks, we relaxed in the shade of some umbrellas on the beach. To this day, I have never tasted a pina colada as tasty as the ones I drank on Pinel Island. 

Around 5pm, we reluctantly caught the last boat back to the mainland with the rest of the stragglers on the island.  Seems we were not the only folks who wanted to spend more time there – the boat back to St. Martin was packed!  

 

To learn more about Pinel Island, click here.  A few more pictures - enjoy!