Visitors to the Dutch-Caribbean territories of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Maarten typically go for the cosmopolitan culture and inviting beaches. And they can go all-inclusive, too, at these resorts we’ve picked that offer variety and value along with sun, sea and sand. CJ Travel Editor Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon brings you the 10 best all-inclusives in the Dutch Caribbean.

Sonesta Ocean Point A new kind of resort for the Dutch Caribbean, this is as hip and sleek as it gets, with high design, beautiful guest rooms (including Molton Brown toiletries) and a spectacular cliffside infinity pool overlooking Maho Bay. Click to Book Sonesta Ocean Point.

The post The 10 Best All-Inclusives in the Dutch Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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A major new beach resort is opening its doors this week: the Naïa Resort and Spa.

The property, which opens Jan. 7, is set within a 200-acre private reserve in southern Belize on the Placencia peninsula.

“The concept for Naïa emerged from the Belizean experience and is reflected in every aspect of the resort,” said Stewart Krohn, lead partner for the resort. “We started with an unbelievably beautiful site and our guiding principle was to enhance that natural environment without overwhelming it. I am confident that we have succeeded in turning that vision into reality.”

It includes 35 individual beach houses, each designed as a “private sanctuary” overlooking the Caribbean sea, with a mix of one, two- and three-bedroom options.

Each room features deep soaking tubs, a private outdoor shower, AC and a wet bar, with larger beach houses offering full kitchens and seafront pool decks.

Inside a room at the Naia Resort and Spa in Belize.

There are three restaurants, including The Beach Bar & Grill, the Lagoon Spa Cafe and the resort’s signature waterfront restaurant, 1981, named after the year Belize gained independence.

The property is located in Placencia, a long, thin beach-filled peninsula that has retained a laid-back, untouched feel though popular with Caribbean travelers in the know.

Naïa Resort and Spa also includes a 7,000-square-foot spa with six treatment rooms with private decks extending over lily-covered lagoons.

The resort also has a fitness center and a yoga movement studio as part of its wellness offerings, with both studios overlooking a lagoon with floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

Rates start at $295 per night.

To book a stay at Naia Resort and Spa, click here.

The post Naïa Resort and Spa: A New Beach Resort in Belize appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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What’s the best beach resort in the Caribbean?

According to Caribbean Journal readers, it’s the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, which has taken home the 2016 crown as the Best Beach Resort in the Caribbean in our annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Thousands of CJ readers voted for a total of 25 nominated resorts (along with a write-in option), and the famous resort on Nevis’ Pinneys Beach took home the top spot.

The Four Seasons Resort Nevis.

Standouts at the resort include a world-class spa, a Robert Trent Jones II golf course and its 101 Rums bar, among other features.

To book at stay at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, click here.

See the top five vote-getters below.

Best Beach Resort in the Caribbean: Readers’ Choice Awards 2016

#1 Four Seasons Resort Nevis (Book Here)

#2 Zemi Beach Resort, Anguilla (Book Here)

#3 Grand Case Beach Club, St. Martin (Book Here)

#4 Cap Juluca, Anguilla (Book Here)

#5 Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya, Mexico (Book Here)

— CJ

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It’s one of the best-kept secrets in Grand Cayman— beautiful West Bay Beach, just down the road from Seven Mile Beach and a sparklingly clear stretch of water and soft sand. This is what it’s like to be there.

The post VIDEO: A Moment on West Bay Beach, Grand Cayman appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism boom is continuing, thanks to record-breaking numbers from the United States.

The twin-island destination welcomed its 100,000th visitors from the U.S. in 2016, the first time in record arrivals history for Antigua and Barbuda.

Indeed, arrivals from the U.S. grew 18.35 percent year over year through November, according to the country’s tourism board.

Overall, stayover tourist arrivals to Antigua and Barbuda were up 7.4 percent year-over-year through the end of November, with a predicted total of more than 250,000 visitors in 2016.

That makes the country among the fastest-growing destinations in the Caribbean region.

“Despite trends across the region showing a decrease in visitor arrivals and spend, our twin-isle nation is defying the odds and showing significant growth in both, including double-digit growth from the US market,” said Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister Asot Michael. “Antigua and Barbuda is asserting itself as the new leader in the Caribbean, from new properties, to a growing cruise market, to increased airlift, and we predict 2017 will be an even stronger year in tourism.”

Antigua was named Caribbean Destination of the Year in the 2016 Caribbean Travel Awards.

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