SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — According to a 44-page report released on Thursday by a 17-member commission sponsored by the government of Puerto Rico, much of the territory’s debt may have been issued illegally and requires further investigation, subject to official funding.

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We all travel to the Caribbean for different reasons. Often, it’s for a certain hotel, or a certain island, or a certain kind of getaway. But why not make your next decision based on a beach? We’ve made no secret of our love for the region’s beautiful stretches of sand, but there is always another great beach to try. Here are five beaches worth flying to right now.

The turquoise seas of Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique are eminently alluring.

Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique

Okay, so this isn’t just one beach. It’s a stretch of coastline on a peninsula on Martinique’s Caribbean side. But each beach has its own perks and charms, from world-class beach bars like Ti’ Sable on Grand Anse d’Arlet to the foodie-friendly beach shacks in the main town. If you’re heading here, book a room at the Hotel Bakoua in nearby Trois-Ilets, and make sure you get one of the property’s toes-in-the-sand rooms.

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By Alexander Britell

Barbados continues to see strong tourism growth, according to the latest numbers released by Barbados Tourism Marketing.

The island reported 184,177 visitors in the first quarter of 2016, up 7.4 percent compared to the first three months of 2015.

The island has been focusing on drawing more US tourists, an effort that seems to be paying off, with a 13 percent increase in American travelers to Barbados in the same period.

That represented a total of 42,383 visitors.

“Our team has been placing considerable emphasis on business-to-business (B2B) relationships through training for travel agents and participation in trade shows to update these key partners on the latest product developments taking place on the island,” said William Griffith, CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing.

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By Amy Land-de Wilde
CJ Contributor

St. Croix has long been a destination not only for vacationers, but for retirees alike.

Their interest is sparked during a first visit, and is renewed by subsequent trips to America’s Paradise.

For those lucky enough to be able to retire on this tropical haven, there is much to choose from.

There are neighborhoods like Buccaneer Bay Estates on St. Croix’s east end characterized by upscale homes in an established community with gated entry and paved roads. The gorgeous crescent-shaped beach fringing the neighborhood is energetic walk for those whose properties sit off the coastline.

All of the amenities of the famed Buccaneer Hotel are nearby for tennis and golf activities as well as restaurants, a spa, palm-lined beaches and other social activities like live music and wine tastings.

Christiansted town, schools and shopping are all nearby as well making this a very convenient location.

Christiansted, St Croix’s historic capital

Home prices range from $595,000-$8.6 million for three bedrooms or more and homesites start at $90,000.

St. Croix is not an island of gated neighborhoods, but there are a couple of more.

Carambola is located northwest in the lushest part of the island on a Robert Trent Jones designed golf course.  The homes, condos and homesites are scattered throughout the luxuriant course a few moments’ drive from several gorgeous beaches and with views of the verdant hills and valley.

Carambola

At this time, all are valued at a steep discount to their replacement cost, making this such a buyer-friendly market.

Carden Beach is a gated waterfront condo community in the northeast of the island.

This is St. Croix’s newest condo product, with gorgeous views of the reef beyond and Buck Island, a protected island with a spectacular underwater national park. Coastal Living has crowned Buck Island one of the top 10 places to snorkel in the Caribbean.  Prices start under $500,000 for a 3-bedroom condo.

Visitors to St. Croix can thoroughly justify why they’ve chosen their special location.

Above: an old sugar mill in the North Shore

The North Shore is one such place very popular with retirees and second-home buyers because of its lushness, varied topography, access to stunning beaches with diving, kayaking and snorkeling, sweeping views, and nearby to a number of fun and diverse restaurants.  There are options of single family homes and estates, condos and vacant homesites.

The more adventurous have fallen in love with St. Croix’s west end—more adventurous because it is the least developed part of the island and a tad farther away from other conveniences.

Of course, St. Croix is only 27 miles long and 7 miles wide, so nothing is that far away.  It is the lushest part, has stunning beaches, gorgeous sunset views and lots of undeveloped rolling hills.

There are a couple of condo developments and lone units are occasionally resold.  Also available are homes and homesites, both waterfront and in the hills.

Any new visitor to St. Croix will have many more neighborhoods to discover and those lucky enough to retire on the island have many good choices.

Amy Land-de Wilde, Owner/Broker of Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty has enjoyed traveling all over the world, but there is no place like her favorite place, St. Croix, Amy’s home for 37 years. Originally from New York, and a graduate of Northwestern University, Amy has lived all over the U.S before moving to St. Croix in 1979. She began her real estate career on St. Croix in 1986, and through thousands of real estate transactions, has helped people from all over the world to find their perfect island property.

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Southwest Airlines has officially filed applications with the US Department of Transportation for new nonstop flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Cancun.

The proposed flights would operate twice-daily between Los Angeles and Cancun.

The company also filed applications for twice-daily flights from LA to San Jose del Cabo and once-daily service to Puerto Vallarta.

The service is slated to begin Nov. 6, contingent on approval by the end of this month.

“We’ve committed aircraft resources to serve these important trans-border routes at the start of the winter season and are asking that Southwest be allowed to add its low-fare, bags fly free, no change fee* competition and legendary Customer Service to benefit consumers in the U.S. and México,” said Gary Kelly, Chairman, President & CEO of Southwest Airlines.

Southwest already flies daily between LAX and Liberia Costa Rica.

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