What's New

Anguilla

This tiny island continues to blossom with first-rate restaurants, and it is quickly becoming one of the gourmet spots of the Caribbean. Sublime international dishes and harmonious flavors are found at the Veya Restaurant, Sandy Ground (tel. 264/498-8392), where diners will enjoy a top-rated cuisine by romantic candlelight on an open-air veranda as live music fills the air.

Antigua

The best restaurant on island, The Pavilion, 7 Pavilion Dr., Coolidge (tel. 268/480-6800), is surprisingly located in the dreary airport area. This is the domain of Antigua's most talented chef, Andrew Knoll, who serves an imaginative cuisine using quality ingredients. The setting is elegant and the dishes are market fresh, backed up with more than 8,000 bottles in the wine cellar.

Aruba

Aruba is a veritable mecca of fine dining in the Caribbean, and one of the island's best restaurateurs has opened a new venue. If the idea of fine dining while luxuriating on white beds or at intimate tables shrouded in gauzy drapes sounds romantic, make a pilgrimage to Screaming Eagle Restaurant-Lounge (tel. 297/587-8021). For some late-night revelry favored by hip Dutch and Aruban locals, the newest hot spot is Café Rembrant, South Beach Center Palm Beach 55 (tel. 297/586-4747; www.rembrandtaruba.com).

Barbados

An affordable option, Sea Foam Haciendas, Worthing, Christ Church (tel. 246/435-7380), has opened on a stretch of white sand on the South Coast of this island. The suites here have balconies, ocean views, and well-equipped kitchens. A maximum of six persons are permitted in each suite, which makes this a family favorite in the making.

Bequia (St. Vincent)

Firefly Hotel Bequia, at Spring Bay (tel. 784/458-3414; www.fireflybequia.com), rests on a 12-hectare (30-acre) 18th-century sugar plantation. It lies 3km (1 3/4 miles) from Port Elizabeth, the small capital, in a lush setting of fruit trees and bananas. Rooms are constructed on a hillside and are beautifully furnished in colonial-plantation style.

Bonaire

On the outskirts of Rincón, a large white building marks the spot of a new and not-to-be-missed highlight of any island tour: Magazina di Rei (tel. 599/786-2101), or the "King's Warehouse," was once used to store provisions for slaves. It has been restored and transformed into a small museum and cultural center that preserves and depicts the culture, history, architecture, and traditions of early Bonaire.

Curaçao

The historic Rif Fort at the mouth of the harbor in Wilemstad has long awaited the opening of the Renaissance Curacao Resort and Casino (tel. 800/114-8079 or 599/9-435-5000; www.renaissancecuracao.com). The rainbow-hued lobby and adjacent casino complement the host of new shops and restaurants in the fort and liven up this otherwise sleepy part of town. The innovative infinity beach perfectly softens the urban setting and effectively creates the illusion that you could swim out into the Caribbean sea just beyond the edge of the fort.

Dominica

About an hour's drive northeast of Roseau, Calibishie Lodges, Calibishie Main Road, Calibishie (tel. 767/445-8537), is one of this lush island's latest retreats. Units are in small lodges opening onto a hillside and panoramic views, and each is well furnished and a self-contained apartment. Everyone from honeymooners to divers, even bird-watchers, will be lured to this isolated, tranquil choice.

Grand Cayman

The privately owned oceanfront condos at the Aqua Bay Club (tel. 800/825-8703) lie at the far end of the fabled Seven Mile Beach and have been recently restored. Short-term rentals can be arranged, and most of the well-furnished accommodations come with two bathrooms and two bedrooms. Each unit also has a well-equipped kitchen, and guests can also cook and barbecue on grills overlooking the beach and the coconut palms.

Grenada

An eco-friendly retreat, Paradise Bay Villa Resort (tel. 473/405-8888), has opened at Paradise Bay on 3.2 lush hectares (8 acres), with forest trails branching off in all directions. It's an all-inclusive place with fine island cooking based roughly on French recipes. Bedrooms are simply but comfortably furnished with mosquito netting draped over the beds.

Guadeloupe

At Anse-Bertrand, close to the northernmost point of the island, Les Tables d'Hotel au Jardin de l'Eden, Rue Toussain Louverture (tel. 590/22-16-66), serves top-rate French and Caribbean cuisine on a big terrace in a landscaped garden. The catch of the day is one of the most reliable items on the ever-changing menu. The inn also rents a small number of simply furnished bedrooms that are among the least expensive on island.

Jost Van Dyke (B.V.I.)

More and more divers are discovering the underwater wonder world of this remote island. The big attraction is on the north coast of Little Jost Van Dyke, with its much-photographed Twin Towers, a pair of towering rock formations. A dive operator, Jost Van Dyke Scuba & B.V.I. Eco-Tours, Great Harbour (tel. 284/495-0271), is now operating to meet this new demand. They have a complete selection of scuba gear for rent and also offer all sorts of watersports and fishing equipment.

Martinique

Serious foodies are making their way to Le Brédas, Entrée Presqu'ile, Rivière Blanche, Saint Joseph (tel. 596/57-65-52), on the outskirts of Fort-de-France, the capital. Some of the island's best French and Martiniquais cuisine is offered here in this somewhat remote setting, a white-walled Créole house surrounded by verdant growth. Ever had foie gras with green bananas? Unusual and market-fresh dishes await you, and the drive to reach the place is scenic as well.

In another development, an isolated retreat has opened at Habitation Anse Couleuvre, Anse Couleuvre, Prêcheur (tel. 596/52-97-74), a small-scale manor house on the site of a former cocoa plantation. It's perfect for getting a view of what life was like in Martinique's agrarian and colonial past.

Ocho Rios (Jamaica)

Tower Isle, Route A3 (tel. 800/268-7537 or 876/975-4271), built in the 1950s, was Jamaica's first year-round resort. It quickly became a celebrity favorite before going into a decline. In 2008, after a $25-million renovation, it has made a spectacular comeback, with deluxe oceanfront accommodations and five gourmet restaurants. Suites and doubles at this couples-only resort are spacious and romantically decorated. A launch takes you over to the resort's private island, where you can bask in the buff.

Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)

The biggest news coming out of the entire Caribbean Basin is the development of Cap Cana (www.capcana.com), a luxurious compound of condos, villas, a casino, polo grounds, three Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, and several hotels, including a Trump Organization property and a Ritz-Carlton.

Bill and Hillary Clinton -- or so it is rumored -- are said to have recently purchased property here. The entire community, amazingly, will cover an area the size of Manhattan, opening onto 4.8km (3 miles) of beachfront.

The first of the Cap Cana resorts to open is Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa (tel. 888/999-6461), a five-star resort constructed in a Spanish-colonial style. The facilities include 176 luxurious suites, as well as Punta Espada (a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course), a private beach, and a luxurious spa, plus 8 theme restaurants and 11 bars.

A new luxury resort, Aqua Resort & Spa, has opened at Uvero Alto (tel. 866/757-AQUA [757-2782]; www.aquaresort.com), 24 miles from Punta Cana. Already a family favorite, it offers junior suites along with two- or three-bedroom units. Some villas, for example, can house as many as four adults and three children comfortably, or else six adults. The least expensive rental, a junior suite, has such extras as a deep soaking tub and a spacious walk-in closet, plus 24-hour room service and twice-daily maid service.

Saba

Reached along a rough, twisting mountain road, Rainforest Restaurant, in the Ecolodge Rendez-vous, Crispeen Track Windwardside (tel. 599/416-3888), serves some of the freshest produce on the island, with outdoor seating in an almost junglelike setting. From the curry coconut shrimp to the almond-crusted snapper, the cook prepares imaginative West Indian-style delicacies using plenty of fresh fruit.

St. Barthélemy

Le Sereno, Grand Cul-de-Sac (tel. 888/LESERENO [537-3736] or 590/29-83-00), has blossomed into an intimate, all-suite hotel and a celebrity favorite. The look comes from the famed Parisian designer Christian Liaigre, who has brought a super-chic taste to the place -- luxurious living where style and serenity combine.

St. Croix (U.S.V.I.)

On 2.8 hectares (7 acres) of beachfront, The Palms at Pelican Cove, 4126 La Grande Princesse (tel. 800/548-4460), is the latest reincarnation of the various resorts that have stood at this spot 5km (3 miles) northwest of Christiansted. With its inviting Caribbean-style decor, it's a first-class retreat, with private balconies opening onto ocean views. Scuba lessons are also available.

St. Eustatius

Ten exotic wooden bungalows now house guests at Statia Lodge, White Wall, Oranjestad (tel. 599/318-1900), near the capital town of Oranjestad. The views here are among the most panoramic on island. Cottages are cozy and attractively furnished with teakwood pieces and tiles, and each comes with a patio. There's also an outdoor freshwater pool, and a scooter is included in double rentals, a car for three or four guests sharing a bungalow.

St. John (U.S.V.I.)

Much of the U.S. Virgin Islands have been a bit sleepy in development because of bad economic times. However, some new eateries have opened on the smallest Virgin. These include Rhumb Lines, Meada's Plaza, Cruz Bay (tel. 340/776-0303), serving a fusion of Caribbean and Pacific Rim cuisine. In the heart of Cruz Bay, the restaurant serves some of the more tantalizing dishes on the island, including such specialties as mahimahi in a banana leaf with a gingered banana beurre blanc.

In another development, Sweet Plantains Restaurant & Rum Bar has opened at 16118 Little Plantation at Coral Bay (tel. 340/777-1653). Its combined Caribbean and Créole cuisine is served alfresco in a tropical ambience in a sea-bordering courtyard. Fresh fruits often go into the sauces and dishes, including sweet mango purée or a guava-based barbecue sauce.

St. Kitts

The old Jack Tar Village lives again as the Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino at Frigate Bay (tel. 866/607-6242). Massively overhauled, this 282-room kid-friendly property is very sports and fitness oriented. It lies in the southeast peninsula near beaches that front both the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea.

St. Lucia

Fully restored and better than ever, Body Holiday at LeSPORT has opened at Cap Estate, Gros Isleet, outside Castries (tel. 758/450-8551). If you want a spa holiday, there is no better address in the southern Caribbean. A first-rate beach resort, this is an adults-only retreat in a tropical setting. Greens fees are free at an adjacent golf club.

Turks & Caicos

Hurricane Ike mowed through Grand Turk in early September 2008, destroying or damaging 95% of the buildings on the island. (It also made a mess of South Caicos.) Rebuilding efforts were in full swing in the winter 2009 season, with most resorts up and running and the Grand Turk Cruise Center back in business after losing much of its landscaping and beach cabanas to the storm. One of Grand Turk's most passionate supporters, Colin Brooker, owner of the Island House inn, died just days after the storm passed.

On Providenciales, Hurricane Ike caused minimal damage to most of the island, but the legendary Conch Farm was hit hard and has closed until further notice. On the development side, several new resorts opened for business on or around Grace Bay, among them the Regent Grand, the West Bay Club, Windsong, and Grace Bay Suites.