Looking for your place in
the sun? Find it in our guide to some of the top spots for honeymooners.
By Patricia Canole
TURKS & CAICOS
Parrot Cay |
ITINERARY Just over an hour’s flight from Miami is a
cluster of islands known as Turks & Caicos. Eight major islands and dozens
of tiny ones give you that priceless honeymoon commodity: quiet. The long
stretch of Grace Bay on the main island, Providenciales (Provo), is abuzz with
activity and lots to do. BEST FOR Exploring! It doesn’t get much more romantic
than chartering a private yacht to a virtually deserted island for the day.
Make a stop at Little Water Cay. Here, there’ll be just a few like-minded
day-trippers sharing the sand—oh, yes, and quite a few of the creatures that
give the islet its local name: Iguana Island. WHERE TO STAY This posh private-island Parrot Cay
(parrotcay.com) resort sits on a thousand-acre paradise northeast of Provo.
Beach villas feature plunge pools, airy wooden decks and elegant whitewashed
rooms. Enjoy lobster dinners (and other seafood specialties) on the deck of the
Terrace restaurant, or grab a sundowner from the bar and stroll down to the
talcum-powder-soft beach that stretches more than a mile. HONEYMOON HIGHLIGHT Kayaking to the conch-shell-strewn islands, snaking in and out of
mangrove-lined coves along the way (keep your eyes peeled for little nurse
sharks and other eye-catching marine life).
JAMAICA
ITINERARY There’s just no better place for a laid-back honeymoon, where you’ll listen to hip-swaying music at every turn, than Jamaica—the birthplace of reggae. Of course, you’ll spend countless hours sunning on a dreamy beach. Good choice. But don’t forget to enjoy the country’s many cultural gifts as well. Jamaican artistry runs wild. Look for creations ranging from large canvases in ritzy Montego Bay galleries to silkscreened T-shirts from funky art studios. BEST FOR Those who love music! Take a Chukka Caribbean Adventure (chukkacaribbean.com) bus tour of St. Ann, where you will see—and hear—everything that is Bob Marley. WHERE TO STAY At Round Hill Hotel and Villas (roundhill.com) you’ll feel more like royalty than a guest. The resort occupies a breathtaking location on a Caribbean-lapped promontory just eight miles west of Montego Bay. Flowers bloom everywhere on the estate, a rainbow palette of hibiscus, bougainvillea and jasmine. Honeymoon in the Pineapple House which overlooks the Caribbean Sea. Rooms feature mahogany furnishings and terra-cotta floors. HONEYMOON HIGHLIGHT Spend an afternoon at the Martha Brae River, where according to legend, an Arawak Indian killed herself before ever revealing the whereabouts of a gold mine to the Spanish. The river now bears her name and is believed that her ghost stands guard at the mine’s entrance. Rafting down the river is a popular—and relaxing—pastime.RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO
Banyan Tree |