We’ve long extolled the virtues of the rum bar in these pages: that is, bars that go beyond trivial cocktail rum and offer a serious, diverse offering of rums on the menu.

But none of these bars has ever been right on the sand.

Until now.

Thanks to one of the Caribbean’s most creative hospitality minds, Guy Ferdinand, Martinique’s Le Petibonum beach bar has debuted a full-fledged rum bar on the sand in the increasingly cool beach town of Carbet. (Note: Le Petibonum is a two-time winner of CJ’s Caribbean Beach Bar of the Year).

The simply-titled Rum Bar, which is adjacent to the existing Petibonum bar and restaurant, has a strikingly good collection of AOC rums from Martinique — with around 70 in total — a number that is rising quickly.

Chef Guy Ferdinand.

That means everything from a broad array of white rums perfect for a Ti’ Punch (right now the Clement Blue Cane 2016 is drinking especially well in the famous French Caribbean cocktail) to rarer expressions from HSE and Hardy, among others.

And that’s along with some inventive cocktails using Martinique’s spectacular rum, above.

If you’re a lover of rum, particularly rhum agricole, this is a new bucket-list destination. And if you haven’t tried it, it’s a reason to visit Martinique in its own right — because experiencing Martinique and its rum culture is one of the most fascinating things a lover of Caribbean travel can do.

And here, a place that has long redefined what’s possible at a Caribbean beach bar has done it again.

And it’s all right on the beach.

— CJ

The post The Caribbean’s Best Beach Rum Bar appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Bonaire has its first branded hotel

By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

There’s a new resort on Bonaire, and it’s the first branded hotel on the Dutch-Caribbean island.

Marriott’s new Courtyard Bonaire, built in the traditional Dutch Caribbean style, opened on December 2 with 140 rooms and amenities that include an infinity pool, a fitness center and steakhouse BLT Grille.

Designed to appeal to both leisure and business travelers, the hotel offers complimentary WI-FI and three meeting spaces totaling 2,700 square-feet. An on-site dive center is scheduled to debut next year.

“The Courtyard now provides an accommodation option that complements the experience to be found in Bonaire,” said General Manager Koen Hietbrink. “By providing a unique design, and both recreational activities and business capabilities, the Courtyard by Marriott Bonaire is a perfect spot to work and an ideal launch point for play.”

Coleman Partners Architects LLC, who have worked with other Marriott brands including the Ritz Carlton in Aruba and the Renaissance Curacao, designed the hotel, which is five minutes’ drive from downtown Kralendijk and a quarter-mile from Flamingo International Airport.

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Ranging in color from blinding ivory to exotic ebony, beaches are some of the Caribbean’s most valuable stock in trade, drawing sand-and-sea lovers from all over the world. But none are as enchanting as those pink-sand beaches, which practically beg to be immortalized on your social feed. They’re few and far between, but their rarity only adds to their allure. So if you want to park it somewhere pink (and who doesn’t?), check out six of our favorite pink-sand spots — and as you’ll see, there’s a whole spectrum of pink.

Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas

In the Bahamian Out Islands, tiny Harbour Island’s claim to fame is the three-mile swath of pink sand that fringes its eastern coast. Book a room at one of several boutique hotels that are right on the beach (we favor Pinks Sands, the island’s first) and wake up to spectacular sunrises over the crushed-coral strip.

The post Six Pink Sand Beaches in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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There’s a new wave of nonstop flights to the island of Puerto Rico.

US-based Allegiant Air has launched nonstop service to Puerto Rico from three airports: Orlando, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

The flights began operating on Dec. 14.

“Allegiant’s arrival in Puerto Rico continues to strengthen the island’s position as the hub of the Caribbean by increasing flight options and schedules available to those looking for an unforgettable Caribbean vacation,” said Ingrid Rivera Rocafort, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “We are confident that this new alliance with Allegiant Air will continue to stimulate demand for travel to the island and open new markets both in the US and abroad.”

“We are very pleased to begin our first flights to the Caribbean via San Juan from three major cities in the United States,” said Jude Brincket, chief operating officer at Allegiant. “Puerto Rico is a very popular destination among travelers and we anticipate that the new nonstop service will be in high demand.”

The Orlando flights will operate four times a week; Cincinnati and Pittsburgh flights will operate once a week on Saturdays.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

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JetBlue Airways continues to show a surge in traffic, according to the company’a latest numbers.

The New York City-based airline reported 3.64 billion revenue passenger miles in November, up 7.1 percent from the same month in 2015.

Available seat miles also rose 5.2 percent to 4.26 billion, while load factor rose by 1.5 percentage points to 85.4 percent last month.

JetBlue has been the fastest-growing air carrier in the Caribbean region, recently launching new routes to destinations including Providenciales and Barbados, among others.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

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