The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has named St. Croix chef Ralph Motta as its newest Culinary Ambassador.

The department announced that the executive chef of Motta Cuisine will represent the U.S. Virgin Islands at various in-market activations and events during the year to promote the territory’s culinary offerings.

This week, Motta appeared on camera preparing a dish for “SoFloTaste” on ABC in Miami, in advance of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean305 culinary celebration, which will take place on Miami’s Jungle Island on June 3.

During the segment, Motta, who appeared with Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty, offered host Hunter Franqui a taste of a modern twist on boiled fish.

He prepared the dish with poached mahi mahi in a butter sauce with a cilantro-lime yucca purée, passionfruit glaze, sauteed broccoli and microgreens.

“We’re honored to have Chef Motta as a Culinary Ambassador,” Nicholson-Doty said. “His incredible dishes speak for themselves, and he embodies what makes St. Croix’s culinary scene so special – fresh farm-to-table and sea-to-plate cuisine, on par with and excelling beyond well-established culinary hot spots around the world.”

The self-trained chef, who earned a BFA in Painting from New York’s Pratt Institute, brings an artistic flair to his cooking, often experimenting with a palette of new culinary techniques, serving up a fusion of American, Caribbean and French cuisines.

He founded Motta Cuisine, a boutique catering company, in 2014.

— Dana Niland, CJ Contributor

The post The USVI Has a New Culinary Ambassador appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

Divided between the territories of St Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south, 32 enchanting islands (only nine of which are inhabited) are strung like pearls in a sapphire sea. These Grenadines, as they’re called, have long attracted sailors, snorkelers anddivers with their fish-filled waters and reefs teeming with sea life, as well as beach bums in search of deserted white-sand stretches to claim as their own. But beyond its abundant natural assets, there’s more to discover in the awesome archipelago. Read on for our seven favorite reasons to visit the Grenadines.

Palm Island Five beaches, three hiking trails and more than 1,800 coconut palms spread over just 135 acres of land make this family-friendly, all-inclusive private-island resort one of our favorites.

The post Seven Reasons to Visit The Grenadines appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

They call it Bahama blue.

But really, is should be Bahama blues, because the sapphire seas that wash this corner of the Caribbean can’t be described in a single word – simply because they aren’t a single color.

In this part of the world, water is turquoise, aquamarine, Wedgewood, cerulean and even Windex blue. And here, at this untamed beach on the Bahamian out island of San Salvador, sometimes it seems a single wave can contain all of those hues, each shimmering under the sun like a Technicolor mosaic.

To witness this marine miracle is to understand, instantly, a crucial part of the archipelago’s appeal. And to understand, equally quickly, why this spectacularly blessed locale is so hard to leave.

The post VIDEO: A Moment on the Beach in San Salvador appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Anguilla’s preeminent hotel, Cap Juluca, is under contract for sale, owners Charles and Linda Hickox announced.

The 95-room property on Maundays Bay is under contract for sale to Belmond, the London-based global hotel and leisure company, with the deal expected to close by the end of the month.

It’s the latest in what’s been a wave of hotel sale activity in the region in the last month, including the sale of Tucker’s Point in Bermuda and the listing of the Condado Plaza Hilton this week.

Belmond will operate the hotel, which will grow its Caribbean portfolio that already includes resorts in St. Martin and the Riviera Maya.

The Hickox family acquired the property in 1984, tapping Los Angeles-based architect Oscar Farmer to design the resort, collaborating on a Greco-Moorish-style property that set the standard of design style for Anguilla hotels.

“We are very proud of what we have accomplished at Cap Juluca,” said Linda Hickox. “Besides being located on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, we have ensured the hotel has always maintained its true sense of place. We have a gracious and warm staff, many of whom have been with us since the hotel opened in 1988. A significant reason for our success is the high level of service and caring attitude which prevails amongst our employees. We are delighted to pass the torch to Belmond, who we feel will do a superlative job in cherishing and nurturing the hotel as we have.”

The hotel has previously been named the top beach resort in the Caribbean and the number one hotel in Anguilla by Caribbean Journal.

— Alexander Britell

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A unique triplex condominium unit has hit the real estate market in San Juan’s Condado neighborhood, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom unit has been listed with Puerto Rico Sotheby’s International Realty for $1.85 million.

The renovated penthouse apartment offers ultra-modern design across 3,093 square feet of living space, with amenities like an office, a glass-enclosed bathroom on the top floor, along with sweeping ocean views and marble floors.

It’s listed with Monica Alvarez and Nacha Zurinaga.

See the full listing hereSee the full listing here.

— CJ

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