By Alexander Britell

GUSTAVIA — It’s Monday night and Eddy’s is hopping. Down the corner, the Caribbean’s most creative bar, 25 Quarter, is serving up rare rums from Martinique, and the patio at Le Select is already full.

I’m eating accras de morue and sipping on a ti’ punch vieux. And if not for an extra tarp on a corner of the roof at Eddy’s you’d never even think about someone named Irma.

“St Barth 2.0” has begun, and this remarkably resilient island has already sent a major signal to the world that while it may be in recovery, it is still, very much, St Barth.

25 Quarter.

And St Barth, even at less than full strength, remains one of the world’s great vacation destinations.

While the flagship hotels aren’t open, there are myriad places to stay here, from the beautiful Hotel Le Village (long one of my favorite places to stay on the island) to the beachfront Les Ilets de la Plage to dozens of WIMCO villas.

The restaurants are open, more shops relaunch every day, most supermarkets are open and the beaches are as beautiful as ever.

But something else has happened. As some things have shuttered, other things have opened.

Villa Palm in Grand Cul de Sac.

The loss of certain trees and landscaping has created new views, new ways of looking. Things that were previously hidden are now visible, ready to be tried.

As one local told me, It’s opened up a “new angle of St Barth.” And since it’s still less crowded, it’s a bit of a throwback, too.

It’s put Gustavia into another light, making it the epicenter of the island, drawing new eyes to old bars and eateries. Maybe instead of staying in St jean, now you stay in the capital, walking its old Creole streets and trying early morning croissants at the bakeries.

The view from a room at Hotel Le Village in St Barth.

Of course, you can still have a seafront lobster lunch at La Langouste.

Yes — hotels like Le Gauanahani, Eden Rock and Le Toiny will be sitting this season out, wisely using the time to restore to better than full strength for later on in 2018.

But when you arrive in St Barth on a Tradewind flight, pop into a Mini Cooper convertible and head for St Jean, you’re still enjoying an exclusive, utterly beautiful getaway. You’re still in St Barth. (A side note: Tradewind Aviation is the best way to get to St Barth, thanks to seriously easy connections through the well-functioning airport in San Juan, given the still spotty airlift to St Maarten right now).

Lunch at La Langouste, the best place to eat on the water right now.

And when you’re sitting at your villa’s infinity pool, admiring the seascape in Grand Cul de Sac, or walking the endless sky deck at Villa Utopic In Corossol, you’re still in St Barth.

When you’re sitting on your broad terrace in your suite at Hotel Le Village, overlooking the turquoise water of St Jean, you’re still in St Barth.

The view from the hills of Corossol.

Because St Barth isn’t just lunch at the Eden Rock, or rosé at Tom Beach (which is itself reopening for the holidays)

St Barth is a feeling.

The feeling that you’re in one of the world’s little jewels, a special place that’s a bit harder to reach because it rewards those who make the journey here.

The view of Flamands from La Langouste.

It’s the feeling of being in an exotic corner of France, endlessly Gallic but oh so Caribbean.

It’s the feeling of looking out at green hills and red roofs and eating fresh baguettes.

It’s the playful, quirky, charming thrill of driving those winding roads and watching for hilltop landings.

This is still St Barth. And it’s time to come back.

See more in the latest CJ Video on St Barth, filmed on the island last week.

The post VIDEO: St Barth’s Quick Comeback appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

St. Kitts and Nevis has launched a new strategy aimed at growing the destination’s yachting sector.

The destination has unveiled a new Yachting Strategic and Implementation Plan for 2017-2022, which will guide efforts to diversify the economy and enhance the tourism sector, according to Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant.

“The local yachting sector is a niche market, which is ripe for investment and offers an avenue through which we can promote our federation and attract new business, a new generation of tourists who are looking for something new and somewhere different, people with disposable incomes and who are not shy about spending on the finer things of life,” he said.

Grant added that when the medium- to long- term benefits of the establishment of marinas such as Christophe Harbour, berthing facilities and boat yards are considered, they translate into economic spin-offs that pay dividends for local entrepreneurs and ancillary businesses.

“Considering our natural endowments, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis is equally confident that our nation is naturally positioned to take advantage of this niche market and has identified the yachting sector as a strategic priority area for development,” said the minister.

The potential for exposure of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is enormous,” he said.

“It is indeed a proud moment for me personally as a Kittitian and in my capacity as the Minister of Tourism,” he continued, adding that all stakeholders from the public and private sector invested their time, energy and effort, and generously shared their expertise to reach to this milestone. “I’m equally elated for the strides that we have made over the last two to three years,” said the minister.

Grant said the Caribbean yachting ground “continues to be the second most important in the world after the Mediterranean,” and that St.Kitts and Nevis is strategically located in the center of the “primary yacht cruising grounds” in the Eastern Caribbean which include Antigua, St Martin and St Barth.

“Our proximity to these nearby locations offers us the opportunity to explore strategic alliances to market a range of islands as a single product very much like the cruise lines do,” he said. “After all the reports and observations from the yachting community, it is already becoming clear that St Kitts and Nevis is dressed to impress and is moving forward.”

The post St Kitts and Nevis’ Big Plans for Yachting appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the leading luxury resorts in the Turks and Caicos Islands is planning a reopening in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The Amanyara resort on the far northwestern tip of Providenciales is planning to reopen its doors on Dec. 15, according to the property’s Web site.

“We are well underway in completing the repairs to the minor damage caused to the resort from Hurricanes Irma and Maria,” the property said in a statement.

Amanyara is billing the debut as a “revitalized” resort for the festive season.

“We remain focused on supporting the broader community of the Turks and Caicos as the entire destination and the families who reside there recover from these devastating storms,” the property said.

Amanyara has a mix of “pavilions” and villas with with indoor-outdoor design concepts.

The resort, one of two Aman Resorts properties in the Caribbean (the other is Amanera in the Dominican Republic), has 59 accommodations in total. .

Turks and Caicos has rebounded quickly from this fall’s storms, with the vast majority of resorts already open, from the island’s new flagship hotel, The Shore Club, to The Sands at Grace Bay.

The post Turks and Caicos’ Amanyara to Reopen in December appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

As Richard Branson’s Necker Island and the British Virgin Islands work to recover from Hurricane Irma, the Necker Cup pro-am tennis tournament is being held this week at the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas.

The six-day, five-night Pro-Am Tennis Event pairs ATP/WTA tour players and legends with amateur teams of all levels. It has historically been held on Branson’s Necker Island, which was hit hard by Irma.

The major focus of the event will be on helping to support the BVI.

“Given the widespread devastation, it was tough to even think about the event; however, Sir Richard Branson and our team feel the Necker Cup presents an incredible opportunity to raise much needed awareness and funding for the hurricane victims,” tournament organizers said in a statement. “The outpouring of support from all our guests, pros and celebs has been outstanding, and we sincerely appreciate your kindness. Many of us have shared some everlasting, life changing memories together over the past five years, and we are excited to create more this year.

Organizers said they had explored several venues before settling on the Baha Mar, the new megaresort that opened on New Providence’s Cable Beach earlier this year.

“The team at this stunning property have been amazing to work with and are going above and beyond to accommodate our Necker family with elite access to the suites at the SLS and the invitation only Reserve rooms, as well as exclusive pools, beaches, casino space, and their very own private island,” the statement read.

It’s a boon for the Baha Mar, which has embarked on a massive marketing campaign aimed at turning the property into a full-fledged destination.

The final night gala and auction will send 100 percent of the money raised to support beneficiaries including Virgin Unite’s efforts to help rebuild the British Virgin Islands.

The post Necker Cup Comes to Nassau’s Baha Mar appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The latest Caribbean Home heads to the Turks and Caicos Islands, the setting of a spectacular beachfront estate called Turtle Tail.

The property, listed with Sotheby’s International Realty for $25 million, has a total of seven bedrooms, 12 full bathrooms and 15,000 square feet, all set on a 4.57 acre lot.

The home, which has its own private peninsula, has all the amenities of a luxury resort, from a wrap-around infinity pool with LED lighting to a fire-pit daybed pavilion and even an outdoor pizza oven.

That’s along with amenities like a screening room, a wine cellar and a 90-foot private dock for yacht mooring.

The newly-completed property is truly a one of a kind real estate destination.

Fore more information, visit Sotheby’s International Realty.

The post Caribbean Home: A $25 Million Estate in Turks and Caicos appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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