Mojito, an adult hawksbill sea turtle, was just spotted off the southeastern coast of Martinique. 

Hawksbills are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; they’re a marvelous, mysterious species notable for often returning to the same places where they were born to nest. 

That’s how Mojito was outfitted with a GPS tracker back in 2017 on Lovers Beach in Nevis, thanks to the efforts of the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the Nevis Turtle Group and the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, which have for years held a unique event in the Caribbean: the Sea Turtle Conservation Weekend, which runs later this month from July 23-25, 2022.

Mojito is one of dozens of turtles who have been tagged for all-important tracking thanks to the efforts of the STC and Four Seasons — and now the event is back again for its 2022 edition. 

In four years, Mojito has traveled almost 3,120 miles since she was first tagged in Nevis. 

And this year’s event is all about sea turtles, with a packed agenda of education events, a kids camp, Night Walks and sea turtle releases. 

The Night Walks, held after dark at beaches in Nevis, see guests join STC team members on a search for nesting sea turtles, with the hope of tagging and releasing them to learn more about their movements and to help protect them. 

If a turtle is spotted and tagged, it’s then released the following morning right on Pinneys Beach at the Four Seasons Nevis. 

It’s a rare, rich event in the Caribbean, one that marries the magnificent hospitality of the Four Seasons with an authentic, on-the-ground conservation experience. 

“For more than 15 years, Four Seasons Resort Nevis has been dedicated to the conservation of sea turtles that inhabit the waters of Nevis and nest on its beaches. Our partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Nevis Turtle Group has aimed to educate and create awareness about the protection of these beautiful sea creatures through a joint program that helps researchers study the migration patterns of the endangered species that nest on our shores.”

For those who can’t attend the Turtle Week, the Four Seasons is also holding a summer-long program called the Sea Turtle Summer Camp Package, aimed at guests who stay for seven nights or more, featuring a Sea Turtle Adoption Kit, family-friendly activities, daily classes and arts experiences, guided nature walks, beach clean ups and even eco-bio golf. For more, visit the Sea Turtle Summer Camp. 

To learn more, visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Caribbean Journal is proud to be a media partner for this year’s event. 

The post At the Four Seasons Nevis, Saving Caribbean Sea Turtles appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Fresh off its celebrated debut in Curacao, Sandals has launched reservations for its next all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean:: Sandals Dunn’s River.

The new all-inclusive resort is slated to open its doors on May 24, 2023, according to Sandals Resorts International.

It’s a complete transformation of the former Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort and Spa in Ocho Rios, which was acquired by Sandals in 2020.

The all-new, 260-room resort is in the midst of a “thoughtful, top-to-bottom restoration,” one that’s “designed to embrace the essence of Jamaica, its curving rivers, lush forests, and majestic banyan trees – with amenities, accommodations and culinary concepts brought forward by the brand’s uncompromising quest for innovation,” according to a statement from Sandals.

Sandals began accepting reservations on July 6, marking the birthday of the company’s late founder, Gordon “Butch” Stewart.

It’s “just a small homage to him that we know will make him smile,” said his son, Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International.

“This was an extraordinary project and the last I worked on with him as his final masterpiece,” Stewart said. “He handpicked this location more than three decades ago for its white-sand coastline, cool breeze, azure waters and its close proximity to the destination’s archetypical falls. It will not only serve to breathe new excitement into a corner of Jamaica loved and cherished by so many, but it will set a new standard of luxury for tourism right here in our backyard with a next-generation resort worthy of its nostalgic past.”

As is the case with every Sandals opening, the new property will boast a series of firsts for the brand.

This time, that will include new Tufa SkyPool Butler Suites, which will include pools stretching the length of their balconies, with glass panels spanning the length of oceanfront balconies, for a “cascading infinity effect.”

That’s along with Coyaba Swim-Up Rondoval Butler Suites with Private Pools, and Mammee Bay Beachfront Butler Suites with direct ocean-view balconies.

The resort will have 12 restaurants including another first, a Greek eatery called Edessa, along with an Asian-fusion restaurant called Banyu.

The South American-focused Zuka, which first debuted at the Sandals Royal Curacao, will also be featured at Dunn’s River, along with favorites like the Jerk Shack.

In a nod to the growing (and welcome) focus on rum at Caribbean resorts, it will include Dunn’s Rum Club, which will feature Jamaican cocktails and a curated list of rums (and even domino tables).

Sandals will also be opening its first rooftop bar in Jamaica, Ocarina, among other additions.

“Ocho Rios is the place where my father grew up, where he first learned to fish and felt the breeze blow along the West-facing beach and where he first saw the pure joy of the island on the faces of visitors,” said Stewart. “Here along Jamaica’s North Coast, he witnessed a blossoming tourism industry and became aware of how to please and serve a new Caribbean customer. Every touchpoint at the new Sandals Dunn’s River is designed to do that and more.”

For more, visit Sandals Dunn’s River.

The post Sandals Launches Reservations for New Jamaica All-Inclusive appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand is opening another new all-inclusive in the Caribbean. 

And this time it will be just for adults. 

Margaritaville and Karisma Hotels and Resorts are collaborating on the new Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya, slated to open in 2023 as the brand’s first adults-only resort. 

The property will feature 355 suites in 13 categories, along with nine food and beverage concepts, three swimming pools, two pickle ball courts, a St. Somewhere Spa and the first Landshark Brewery in Mexico. 

That’s along with 13 different room types, from King Paradise Suites to Beachfront Honeymoon Suites and the Coral Reefer Signature Suite, which includes its own oversized infinity pool, an outdoor pool table and a custom-built gaucho-style grill, among other touches. 

It will be the third Margaritaville Island Reserve in the wider Caribbean, joining existing properties in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic and the Riviera Cancun. 

The company has already launched reservations for the resort, which is slated to open in early 2023. 

As our third property to open under the Island Reserve brand, we wanted to create a new experience for our guests that is different from the others, which is why Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya is our first adults-only destination,” said Mario Mathieu, SVP Business Development, Design and Construction of Karisma Hotels and Resorts.

The property will feature all of the Margaritaville signatures, from the JWB Steakhouse to Italian trattoria Frank & Lola’s and the Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar & Swim-Up Bar. 

“Guests will be transported to an upscale coastal retreat where every room offers a view due to its crescent moon shape,” Mathieu said. “With an unmatched all-inclusive experience filled with gourmet and immersive culinary experiences, unique beverage options, exceptional personalized service, and the first LandShark Brewery in Mexico, guests will have ample opportunity to mix and mingle with other guests with the resort’s highly social ambiance.”

That’s along with other concepts like Salted Rim, an “agave-inspired mixology bar” and Far Side of the World, featuring the food of the Pacific Rim. 

In another first for the Island Reserve brand, the resort will have almost 5,000 square feet of meeting space, with capacity for up to 400 people. 

It’s yet another new development to add to what is a blazing hotel pipeline on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

For more, visit Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya. 

The post Margaritaville to Open New Caribbean Adults-Only All-Inclusive  appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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