Island Insiders: The Caribbean as a Yachting Destination

As one of the most popular yachting destinations in the world, the Caribbean has seemingly endless options of tropical paradises. More than 7,000 islands make up the Caribbean region, and while it’s impossible to cover each one, Triton asked different yacht industry professionals to give their top pick in the Caribbean.

Saint Thomas

Saint Thomas is well-known for its beautiful beaches and snorkeling spots, but its history as a colonial Danish territory influences the island as well. Remnants from its Danish past can be seen at historic sites like Fort Christian and Blackbeard’s Castle.

The island offers numerous beach options depending on your activity of choice. Brewers Bay’s crystal-clear waters not only make it a favorite for locals, but also a popular snorkeling area where green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles are often found.

Capt. Spencer Reilly chose St. Thomas as his favorite Caribbean destination, saying it’s the place to be when marinas are full. Reilly recommends Bernie’s Bar & Grill, Bluebeard’s Castle and The Westin Beach Resort & Spa as perfect hangout and relaxation sports for captains and crew.

Although the island is one of the busiest in the Caribbean, Reilly finds that that makes it one of the reasons it’s his favorite, too.

“It’s kind of the hub for the Caribbean,” Reilly said. “You’re going to meet someone from every island living, working or passing through.”

Two marinas on St. Thomas are American Yacht Harbor and Yacht Haven Grande. Yacht Haven Grande offers 46 megayacht berths with a max length of 200 meters and a max draft of 7.6 meters. The full-service marina also includes amenities like a crew lounge, on-site customs and immigration, shopping and dining. American Yacht Harbor has 123 total berths, with four mega yacht berths. The marina offers provisioning services, a sport fishing return station and vessel maintenance.

The Bahamas

Around 700 islands make up the Bahamas, offering plenty of options for each visitor. Its proximity to Florida makes it one of the most popular locations in the Caribbean. It’s easy to have fun in tourist attractions like Atlantis, but if something more out of the way and secluded is your preference, the Bahamas offers private islands and protected areas like the Lucayan National Park.

Capt. Herbert Magney loves the natural beauty of the waters and the beaches of the Bahamas, but also finds that the ease of flying to and from Europe makes it a great spot in the Caribbean. He most enjoys the quieter side of the islands – although that’s not always every client’s favorite.

“It would be the outer southern islands of the Bahamas because of the natural beauty and remoteness and serenity that it offers,” Magney said. “But that’s only for clientele that want to get away from it all, and want beautiful beaches, and don’t want to see another boat for a weekend and want to scuba dive or snorkel in crystal clear water that they can only find in the South Pacific.”

The Bahamas has many marinas to choose from, but the Nassau Yacht Haven can accommodate vessels up to 250 feet in length and drafts of up to 18 feet. The marina’s location also puts it at a short distance away from shops, businesses and restaurants. Owners, guests and crew can also take advantage of its state-of-the-art gym.

Saint Barthélemy

The 11-mile-long island known as St. Barts isn’t big, but its pristine beaches and luxury hotels and restaurants make it feel larger than it is. Although the island is a part of the Caribbean, visitors can often feel like they’re in a French village instead, due to it being a semi-autonomous overseas collectivity of France. Euros are the currency on the island, and while the official language of St. Barts is French, most speak English too.

Capt. Scott Miller is an avid surfer, and when he is visiting the Caribbean and has some time to catch some waves St. Barts is his choice. Miller’s routine when visiting St. Barts is having lunch at Hotel Christopher, then heading down to Toiny Beach to surf. Toiny Beach also offers a secluded beach shack that offers amazing food, according to Miller. However, the passage to get down to the beach is a bit tricky.

“You actually go down to the beach in a Defender Jeep because you can’t walk down there,” Miller said. “You jump in the back of the Defender and wind yourself down the mountain – it’s good fun.”

St. Barts is home to Port De Gustavia. The marina offers mega yacht slips along with diesel, a dive shop, a salon and spa, and medical facilities close by. All yachts must contact the Port Captain’s office and obtain “express authorization” before entering or maneuvering within the port.

Saint Lucia

Like many islands in the Caribbean, Saint Lucia boasts beautiful beaches and a tropical climate, but what makes the island stand out from the rest of the region are its two mountainous volcanic spires known as the Pitons. Gros Piton and Petit Piton are covered in lush rainforest, making the island a hiker’s paradise when visiting the Caribbean. Gros Piton is recommended to most visitors, as the more difficult Petit Piton is rarely climbed. The Pitons and green landscapes are part of the reason St. Lucia is Chef Christian Russo’s favorite place in the Caribbean.

“It’s not as developed as other places, so there’s lots of rainforest and waterfalls, and all sorts of outdoor adventure-y things you can do,” Russo said. “Of course, it has some tourist traps which is also kind of fun too.”

Although Russo is constantly creating five-star dishes, he prefers to find the best local spots when looking for a bite to eat. He recommends Spice of India as a “great hole in the wall” experience.

“Anybody can go to a Michelin star or something like that, I like finding the little hidden gems,” Russo said.

St. Lucia’s two marinas are in Marigot Bay and Rodney Bay. The Marigot Bay Yacht Haven can accommodate the biggest superyachts cruising the southern Caribbean, offering a full-service marina to visitors. The marina is recognized as one of the region’s most secure anchoring spots, dubbed “Hurricane Hole” due to its surrounding mountains and minimal tidal changes. All marina guests can also take advantage of The Marigot Bay Resort’s facilities, which include four bars, a fitness center and a spa. Rodney Bay can accommodate up to 32 megayachts and is surrounded by some of the island’s best hotels and restaurants.