Caribbean

Caribbean

Navigating the Caribbean as a vegan can seem daunting. There are so many islands and island groups with more than 50 recognizable choices it can be hard to choose where to go to get your pirate on.

Caribbean islands are popular honeymoon, spring break, and winter get-a-way destinations. The average traveler arrives via a cruise ship and vomits into the ports tasting just a pitiful fraction of what salesmen offer a tourist. Another breed of travelers land and are whisked away to full service resorts where they never leave and remain captive their entire stay.

The following selection of islands will give you a taste of what is possible for cuisine, accommodations, attractions, culture and relaxation for the adventurous traveler who wants to truly experience the Caribbean”s very diverse islands and cultures.

 


Using Liat Airlines you can start in Curacao (via American Airlines) and island hop all the way to Puerto Rico if you plan on doing a whirlwind tour of the Islands.

Curacao - truly a credit card swiping splotch of an island mainly known for its UNESCO World Heritage port of Willemstad is a great start for getting your feet wet to the Caribbean reality. There is a Subway Sandwich (veggie delight, no cheese) in Willemstad and the restaurants at http://www.kurahulanda.com/ hotel will make custom vegan meals on the spot. The museum of Slavery, curacao liquor factory and the port are interesting in town destinations. The large floating bridge is fun to watch open and close, especially when people are running not to miss it! Touring out into the island you will find a few beaches and plenty of snorkeling. Watch who you give your Credit Card to and don”t take your eyes off it for one moment! If anyone tries to walk away with it, insist you accompany them to their back office, better to pay cash. Also, don”t fall for the rental car places at the airport charging for free maps!

Barbados is a island packed with day trips. It seems the Barbados way of life is to take little jaunts up to flower forests, caves, plantations, etc. There is a natural grocery store with a deli. Also, a handful of vegan and vegetarian restaurants. The St James is a great self service apartment rental on the beach with amazing sunsets. Friendly owners and close access to a well stocked grocery store make it ideal for the vegan travel. Our favorite adventure out in Barbados is historicSt. Nicholas Abbey which is also a rum distillery with free samples! Make sure to watch the movie of early England to Barbados crossings.

Saint Martin / Saint Marrteen is another lovely island, though a bit touristy. There are vegan friendly restaurants and best of all a European organic grocery store! Orient Bay, the nudist area has the best beach, you can pay for a towel and join the nudists or camp out to the North and watch the line between the nude and nonnude. The port area can be a bit of a rat race. Our favorite restaurant was Top Carrot, who made us custom sandwiches and plates that were divine along with their amazing juices. Another highlight of Saint Martin is the Sunset Bar and Grill situated at the edge of the runway where 747s scream by to loud cheers and photo ops. Saint Martin also has a downside with high crime and run down areas.

St. Barts - The most exclusive destination in all of the islands. No cruise ships, stereotypical tourists, mostly topless/nude beaches, St. Barts represents the dreams of what glamorous island life can be. A high end shopping promenade, multi million $ yachts, and lovely beaches are St. Barts calling cards. Its quite a plane ride from Saint Martin to St. Barts with a near beach landing. Rent a car to make laps around the island and into town. There is a gourmet grocery store in the port with many hard to get items. The sushi restaurant at the port is your best bet for dinner, they make very good veggie sushi. There is also a nice French fusion restaurant that makes great salads with boiled potatoes called L Entre Act, but it fills up fast with locals, so get there early. A hotel with a kitchenette or renting a villa is the way to go, Emerau De Plage is a good choice and right on the best beach where you can watch the planes land. American Gourmet a Yacht provisioning store in Gustavia has a fantastic selection of products and given a heads up will likely get what ever you need.

Puerto Rico - One of our favorite islands for adventure. With a rental car you can drive into the rain forests, bioluminescant bays, giant radio telescope, Rinncon & hop a ferry to Culebra. There are plenty of vegan friendly restaurants and health food stores along with great beaches and amazing activities. Cafe Berlin in old San Juan is great for local flavors. If you are driving to the Radio Telescope and don”t mind a few more hours in the car you might want to make it out to Natural High Cafe, Puerto Rico”s best vegan food.

There are so many other great islands to explore. We hope this taste of a vegan Caribbean adventure will better prepare you for your own!

February 20th, 2010

Filed under: Caribbean , Destinations

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