Caribbean

Let yourself be conquered by the sounds and colors of a Caribbean vacation. Here you will find a hospitable land where the sympathy, culture, and art of a land of ancient history are mixed with seductive rhythms and tropical breezes. And for a vacation even more exciting, The Arte of Travel offers exclusive discovery tours and cruises.

The islands of the Bahamas are ideal for diving enthusiasts, with the wonders of the reef, and there are hikes in protected natural areas. It’s impossible not to be dazzled by the beautiful islands of the Turks and Caicos, paradise for snorkelers and uncontaminated seas.

The island of Aruba stands out like a jewel opposite the coast of Venezuela. You’ll discover the great natural beauty of the National Park Arikok and the splendor of the beaches of Bucuti and Tara. The sea surrounding this island—turquoise in the distance and transparent near the shore—is ready to welcome you with its colors and the colorful marine life of its waters.

If you are looking for exclusivity, privacy, and the beauty of the Caribbean Islands for your holiday, The Arte of Travel offers you the best of private islands, customized for every taste and every travel need.

Turks and Caicos

Situated southeast of Miami and the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos offers three major pluses for those wanting to get away from it all:  year round sun, 370 kilometers of the best white beaches, and the third largest coral reef system in the world, occupying up several hundred kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean.

If you love underwater sports, you will particularly enjoy the accessibility of the reef, which has earned its place on the world’s top 10 dive list. Or you can charter a boat for some deep-sea fishing, a tour of the 8 inhabited and 20 uninhabited islands and the fascinating cays, or take a relaxing sail in the gentle breeze of the trade winds. If you prefer land-based sports, tennis is also offered at most Turks and Caicos resorts.

Relaxed barefoot luxury is guaranteed. Many of the Turks and Caicos resorts also offer world-class spa facilities that will smooth the most furrowed brows. The excellent cuisine, including locally-sourced shellfish, is also bound to put a smile on the weariest of faces.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The Grenadines comprise 32 islands and cays stretching south from the largest island, St. Vincent.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines hotels are spread across the nine inhabited islands, and the rest are mainly bird sanctuaries or used for hikes and diving.

Bequia Island is one of the biggest in the chain and is known as “The Jewel of the Grenadines”. It is attractively quaint without being twee. Bequia was known in the past for its shipbuilding, whaling, and piracy, but it has become popular with the yachting set and with those seeking escapist holidays and luxury Caribbean vacations.

The tiny island of Mustique, with its safe warm waters, varied terrain, and amazing views, is a private island with a difference. Mustique holidays offer a huge range of private homes and villas for rent, as well as the famous Cotton House Hotel. Mustique is the epitome of laid-back Caribbean chic and famous as the playground of many Royals over the years.

St. Barths

St. Barths is also known as Saint Barthelemy, Saint Barth, or St. Barts, but whatever you prefer to call the island, St. Barths hotels have much to offer in luxury Caribbean vacations.

Situated just below the Tropic of Cancer, St. Barths transports you to a small, rocky island of volcanic origin that is sunny with very little rain. The island comprises lush meadows, pristine beaches, green mountains, beautiful sandy coves, and sparkling clear waters. The capital, Gustavia, offers a harbor that is alive with everything from small boats to luxury yachts.

St. Barths has an elite yet relaxed atmosphere and continues to appeal to travelers who seek an escape that is as refined as it is relaxing and scenic. The island boasts breathtaking views and food and wine that the most discerning Parisians would be proud of. Scattered over the island, travellers can find several antique inns, creating an air of nostalgia for the provincial days of old.

Anguilla

Anguilla holidays, on the most northerly of the Leeward Islands, have the feel of being in a laid-back sleepy backwater but retain their status as a luxury Caribbean vacation spot.

Although famous for its 33 white sand beaches and ecologically important coral reef beaches, Anguilla is surprisingly quiet and unspoilt, even in high season.

Picnics on the water or ashore, sunset cocktail cruises, secluded snorkeling trips, and excursions to cay restaurants are all great ways to have fun while exploring the island of Anguilla. One of the most beautiful bays is Shoal Bay East, while the best diving can be found out at Prickly Pear Cays, an underwater cavern where nurse sharks and barracudas swim through rock formations not far from several sunken shipwrecks.

Barbados

While the rest of the Caribbean was being fought over by Spain, Denmark, France, and other nations, Barbados was too far away for them to bother, meaning that British rule remained unchallenged.  Although it is still known as “Little England”, with cricket matches, English-style churches, and stately homes, the locals have not abandoned their West Indian heritage. Rather, they have selectively borrowed certain English ways and customs that give vacations in Barbados a certain charm.

The southern and western coasts of Barbados offer the calm, light blue Caribbean Sea and fine, white and pinkish sand beaches. On its Atlantic Ocean side, the waves are perfect for surfing: the “Soup Bowl” near Bathsheba is a very popular spot with surfers all year round.

Other attractions include wildlife reserves, helicopter rides, golf, festivals (the largest being the annual Crop Over festival in July and August), cave exploration, a vibrant nightlife, and duty-free shopping.

The Barbados weather is fairly consistent, and the fantastic array of boutique hotels is well equipped to keep guests entertained.

Bahamas

Luxury Caribbean holidays where you can go island-hopping really come into their own in the Bahamas, a chain of 700 islands, uninhabited cays, and large rocks all ready to be explored.

To sample city living, island-style, spend a few days in cosmopolitan Nassau with its duty-free shops, golf, museums, and restaurants. If it is romantic seclusion you are after, lie back and relax on the pristine white sand of Long Island’s deserted beaches. However, if you want adventure or to experience the dive of a lifetime, try exploring wreck sites off the coast of San Salvador, where you can snorkel the clearest waters in the world or take up the local sport of bonefishing. To get closer to nature, hop over to Inagua National Park to witness the unforgettable spectacle of nesting flamingos and other exotic wildlife.

British Virgin Islands

The combination of lush green hills and vegetation, endless white beaches, blue skies, beautiful sunsets, and pure tranquility offered by British Virgin Islands resorts make them the sort of place where you would actually welcome being marooned! The cuisine ranges from local West Indian cooking to fine Continental, French, and Florentine feasts, all of which can be sampled formally or in gourmet picnics on the beach.

The British Virgin Islands are also the number one place to indulge in your favorite water sports or to learn new ones, as it is not only home to the largest fleet of charter yachts in the Caribbean but also offers great facilities for snorkeling, scuba-diving, deep-sea and salt flat fishing, windsurfing and traditional surfing, kayaking, and waterskiing. Crewed yachts are available at several of the British Virgin island resorts.