Caribean Islands Guide 1 (from Washington Post)

And the Winners Are . . .

Sunday, March 4, 2007; P10

What a generous group of readers. For weeks we've been soliciting, on our weekly chat and our daily blog, their opinions on Caribbean islands, and only one expressed a selfish secrecy.

"I don't want to add my [favorite] island to the list because I'm afraid people will start going there, and I like it isolated," wrote Arlene, whose last name is unknown, though someone out there might recognize her.

Well, her reluctance is understandable. But thanks to the sharers among us, we have a few new tips. Though we do not suggest this is by any means a scientific sampling, we found the comments enlightening.

* Most popular island: St. John. Judging from the number of times this U.S. Virgin Island was mentioned, it's clear that making two-thirds of an island a protected national park is a popular idea. It has the added advantage of being a U.S. territory -- no passport needed.

Readers say it's a great place for beachgoing, water sports, families and just getting away from it all. Two recommend renting a private home as a pricey but great option, and if that's not appealing, try the Caneel Bay resort (equally posh).

"I have to agree with the nomination of St. John for nature," chimed in one reader. "We had a fabulous time hiking the trails, many of which lead to world-class beaches." On the bargain side, others said that the Cinnamon Bay campground on St. John, where tents are erected on platforms, "is one of the best deals in the Caribbean."

Yet another reader, who loves the "beautiful, quiet beaches all around the island" and the stunning views around most turns, warned that "you should watch out for chickens, donkeys, cows and goats."

Though no one urges you go to St. John for gourmet fare, two people mentioned the great burgers at a restaurant called Skinny Legs. One had a great meal at Asolare, but wasn't sure if it was the food or the view that made the experience great. Yet another recommended Tage for "an incredible meal, wonderful wine list, great atmosphere."

? Easiest island: Puerto Rico. Also within the no-passport-needed zone for Americans, this U.S. commonwealth got quite a few thumbs up, and only partly because of how "easy and relatively inexpensive it is to fly there."

"It's never the same vacation twice," wrote a repeat visitor, who touts "the beaches, the rain forest, the people, the variety of restaurants." You can get by with only English, but if you're going to drink a lot of cerveza, the reader warns, the word "ba?o" (bathroom) comes in handy.

"The beaches are amazing, the rain forest is incredible, and the waterfall is a perfect way to cap off a day of hiking," another reader wrote. "Especially grand is the little hut halfway up the mountain [in the rain forest El Yunque] that serves delicious fresh fruit juices and seafood patties."

Although another reader criticized the lack of public facilities at the beaches in Puerto Rico, he extolled its natural beauty, booming night life, great shopping, well-preserved historical sites and "delicious big and small restaurants everywhere."

Other readers provided some specifics on the Puerto Rican food scene. Try Ajili Mojili for "upscale down-home cooking, with charming service and a lovely setting. (Pricey, but we had fun and the mojitos were perfect.)" The same reader loves the Spot at the Black Eagle for great food, first-class service and spectacular sunsets. "Spend some time with Jim at the bar," the reader added. "He knows all there is to know about Rincon."

Another reader agreed that Ajili Mojili is fun and good, but he wishes the food had been served hotter, and he recommends Tuscany and Augusto's in San Juan, the Metropole for Cuban food in Isla Verde, Che's for Argentine and Atlantico for seafood in Ocean Park, which is between Condado and Isla Verde. This reader added: "The list goes on and on. You can have a great meal every night for a month and never hit the same place twice."

One more reader chimed in with a restaurant recommendation: Aquaviva for seafood in Old San Juan.

? Beachiest islands: Grand Cayman and Turks and Caicos. One reader loves the choices of lodging on Grand Cayman, from the brand-name resorts along Seven Mile Beach to the apartment and bed-and-breakfast-type places on the south coast. This reader rightly focused on the feeling of safety anywhere you go, adding, "the people are unfailingly polite, and Stingray City (a sandbar where stingrays come to be fed from your hand) is about the neatest thing I've ever encountered."

Another reader who loves Grand Cayman for the superb water sports and diving also noted that the island "is incredibly safe, friendly and accessible. Sure, the golf is limited and the shopping ain't Bermuda, but it's a lovely retreat." While you're there, another says, eat at the Almond Tree.

"If you want silky sand beaches with the clearest water you've ever seen and the friendliest folks ever, head to Turks and Caicos," wrote one enthusiastic reader, who also loved the scuba diving on the island and the spa at the Palms. Another who loves Turks and Caicos added that Anguilla competes for best beaches.

? Best for natural beauty: St. Lucia, Dominica and St. Eustacia. All three got reader nods for their natural attractions and off-the-beaten-path character, even though Dominica's beaches "are nothing to write home about."

"Amazing snorkeling and diving, plus a rain forest, lush tropical vegetation, hot springs and volcanoes to hike," one reader wrote of St. Lucia. Taxi drivers are required to take classes in local history, "so you pretty much get a tour of wherever you're passing through in a taxi," the reader added.

Another suggested that while you're there, you try Tao at Le Sport for Asian/French/Caribbean fusion. "The vanilla chicken is sinfully good. I'm not sure if it's open to guests from off property, but the restaurant alone is worth a stay."

? Best all-around: Aruba and Barbados. The Dutch-flavored island of Aruba is "solid all around," offering decent prices, widespread acceptance of U.S. dollars, freedom from hurricanes, prevalence of English speakers and a general absence of poverty and crime, one reader wrote. Another who loves Aruba recommended eating at Iguana Joe's in Oranjestad's downtown, La Trattoria El Faro Blanco at the northern tip of the island and Simply Fish on the beach. Yet another said, apparently from experience, that "Aruba is the best place to spend a rainy day shopping for jewelry. They have absolutely everything at very reasonable prices."

The British-influenced Barbados won points for its golf courses, for beaches large and small and calm and crashing, for interior farmland that reminded one family of Scotland, for a dense jungle and for "a fair amount of high ground, so it's not just a tabletop with sand." This reader added, "We drove all over the island and never felt insecure."

? Best French islands: Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Martin. All rated thumbs up and were praised among other things for their restaurants and for "seeming solidly middle class and in much better economic condition than many islands in the Caribbean." We must add that one reader who otherwise liked St. Martin noted, we hope sarcastically, that "the hookers on the Dutch side are very international and professional."

The best foie gras one reader ever ate came from the kitchen of the hotel restaurant at Le Domaine de Lonvilliers in St. Martin, by the way.

Other reader favorites:

? Nevis. One reader loved his stay at Nisbet Plantation and noted that as a former British colony, the island still knows how to serve a proper tea.

? Grenada. The small Gem Holiday Beach Hotel was recommended by one reader as "the place to stay."

? Curacao. Montserrat used to be one reader's favorite destination, but the volcanic eruption destroyed so much that he has switched loyalties to Curacao. "This Dutch island is large enough to support both a good-sized city and lots of wild countryside and sparsely populated beaches. There's a range of lodging for every style . . . the beaches are clean and beautiful; there is access to all the resort beaches. Most, if not all, the public and resort beaches have great facilities such as bathrooms, showers, snack bars, beach gear."

Many beaches on the leeward side of the island gradually descend, so they're great for kids, but a deep-drop shelf makes for great diving, and the island has a distinctly European feel, the writer added.

-- Cindy Loose