Suggestions from readers? We have yet to go, but may spend a week after Christmas without toddler in tow, either the Caribbean or Florida Keys. As quiet and non-resort as possible.
Presentation to the Joint Chiefs Operations Directorate
November 11, 2022
17 Responses
Ayiti Cheri se yon bel peyi. Come to Haiti. There are some nice enough beach places that don’t have the resort feel, but will take care of your needs and give you a place to relax. Try Moulin Sur Mer… it’s an old plantation, complete with an adjacent museum… has pools and a small but nice beach. Or if you aren’t looking for beach, stay in Port Au Prince at a guest house or one of the nicer hotels. I live in Port Au Prince and can make recommendations if you are interested. Jacmel, btw, is the most overrated place in Haiti. You’d be better off heading towards St. Mark or Cap Haitian if you are looking for a beach.
So, door number 3 is in Florida but a hidden gem: Anna Maria Island (West Coast near Tampa). Our family goes every winter. No resorts, only houses to rent (or small hotel rooms). Quiet, family oriented, gorgeous beaches. Close enough to Tampa/St.Pete/Sarasota for good fun, occasional outings, but very low-key on its own. Not to stalk you, but I was also in Asheville this summer about the same time as you. My guess is that our preferences are somewhat aligned.
Go to Cuba and overthrow the dictatorship.
Abaco, Bahamas! Quite and great sandy beaches. Easy to get around with a kid and a cheap flight from Miami. Don’t know if they have hotels, but many places rent apartments for a week or so.
http://www.coquishideaway.com/ in Puerto Rico is fantastic. A reasonably priced vacation rental on the edge of the rain forest, 30 minutes from San Juan and near the beach. You get a private pool, fantastic views and a nine acre property with tropical flowers and fruit you can pick straight from the tree. We spent a week there last January and cannot recommend it enough.
Check out Jake’s Hotel in Jamaica. Quiet and funky.
http://www.jakeshotel.com/
Dominica – gorgeous, small, eco-tourism, lovely people, beautiful island
Western and southern Puerto Rico is beautiful. You can fly to the Aguadilla airport, and rent a car there. Beautiful and lonely beaches in the west side, and the world capital of salsa in the south. Have fun!
Virgin Islands (Culebra or Saint Thomas) pretty cosy and beautiful, or San Blas in front of Panama must be extraordinary, probably easier to get to are Los Roches, Venezuela. Cheers!
Harbour Island
@cblatts falling off the map: http://t.co/V7CuQZ29
More comfort zone: http://t.co/jiuVGbN2
If I remember right, I’ve heard good things about this place from people who have been there:
http://www.maho.org/maho.cfm
I would recommend the town of Jacmel in South East Haiti, it’s quiet and has some kind of a bohemian vibe. For many, it is the cultural capital of Haiti with well known painters, writers and even a film school. Here’s a brief presentation of the town from the film school website: http://www.cineinstitute.com/jakmel/
If you’re not up for Haiti, Curacao is a much-underrated destination. Or Bocas del Toro island in Panama.
@cblatts St John is mostly national park and easy to get to.
“Quiet and non-resort” is exactly what my wife and I were looking for on our honeymoon, and we found it in Nevis. There’s one big self-contained resort, but the rest of the island is pretty much a real place going about its business. It’s also considerably cheaper to get to than some of the other quiet out-of-the-way islands, on account of rather-less-quiet St Kitts being just a brief ferry ride away.
Caribbean bleg http://t.co/M83YZAqe