9.2
Miami and the Caribbean · €€€€€
COMO Parrot Cay
A private island reached by boat, with four miles of sand and a serious spa
Own transferBeachfrontSpa and wellnessFamily hotelsPrivate poolSustainable
USA and Caribbean · 2 hotels
Miami and the Caribbean
Where the beach is the amenity and the pool is the show
Best months
SeasonThe dry season from December to April brings the best weather to Miami and the islands, while summer is hot and humid and the hurricane season runs from June to November.
AirportsMiami International is the main gateway, with Fort Lauderdale close by, while San Juan, Punta Cana, Montego Bay and Bridgetown receive direct long haul flights to the islands.
Miami sets the tone for the region: Art Deco houses along Ocean Drive, mid century towers in Mid Beach with pools designed for being seen, and newer hotels in Brickell that treat the city as a base rather than a beach. Across the water, Barbados and Antigua keep the old plantation house tradition, St Barths runs small and discreet, and the Dominican Republic and Jamaica supply the large estates with their own transfer from the airport.
Beachfront is the default, so the questions worth asking are which side of the island faces the calm water, whether the house collects you at the airport, and how many rooms sit between you and the sand. Families do well in Punta Cana and on Grand Cayman; adults only houses cluster in Jamaica. The dry season runs from December to April. Insiders arrive in early December, before the holiday crowds, and ask for the Caribbean side of any island with an Atlantic coast.
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