Are there any "Gay Friendly" Caribbean Islands?

[anonymus]

My partner and I would like to visit the Caribbean next month and would like advice as to where to go that is gay friendly. We are both 40 and love snorkling, hiking, mtn. biking and the beach. We live on the West Coast and go to Hawaii and Mexico for vacations but would like to venture to the Caribbean. Your friendly advice is apprecaited. Please no gay bashing, just move on if you are so inclined.

[anonymus]

I would describe Puerto Rico as a gay-friendly destination. The Condado, Ocean Park, and Isla Verde beach areas in San Juan have several gay-owned and many gay-friendly inns, including L'Habitation Guesthouse, Casa de Playa. Atlantic Beach Hotel has a popular beach front bar, but from what I've heard the hotel rooms are not well kept. There's also some popular mostly-gay bars and dance clubs, if you're into that. You won't find any "hetero" only hotel policies in PR, like there are in some other Caribbean islands.

[anonymus]

Me again. Here's a couple of web pages for more info:
http://www.prhtasmallhotels.com/markets/GLBT.htm
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n12/DiftIsles-en.shtml

[anonymus]

You may want to try St Martin.
http://www.advocate.com//travel/travel_detail.asp?ID=6025

[Carryrapp]

St. Bart's is also a good recommendation. Great beaches, night life and restaurants. Pricey though.

[anonymus]

Just got back from st. Croix. Their is a hotel there that has a large number of gay and lesbian guests - Sand Castles By The Ocean

[anonymus]

It's Sand Castle One The Beach in St. Croix. The web site is sandcastleonthebeach.com.

[anonymus]

The following link might also be helpful for your travel planning.
http://gayjourney.com/hotels/caribbean.htm

[MsMercury]

I'm straight, but have considered this, as I have a lot of gay family members. in my experience, you have to be careful. I know for a fact some of my family wouldn't be welcome where I go in the BVI.

if I were you, I'd stick to the gay-friendly resorts on the bigger islands. (once you leave the U.S., the Carib islands for sure are NOT like Hawaii.) btw, if you hear terms like "anti-man", you know you're not welcome. as a culture, I'd say the Caribbean is not very tolerant to alternative lifestyles, overall. good luck!

[Jetsetter James]

I've been researching this very issue myself. I was surprised to find out that the tiny, little island of Saba--off the coast of St Martin--is apparently well known for being gay friendly.

However, as I've discovered, there are no REAL beaches there. It is a diver's paradise, and a hiker's paradise, and there is NO crime. (Apparently the hotel rooms don't have locks, or some such thing)

It's also ridiculously clean.

BUT!

Don't expect the Hilton. Or the Sheraton. Or the Westin. Or the Radisson.

They're only 1400 people living happily in a paradise that NO ONE knows about.

This IS the place to "get away from it all".

Basically it's a 5 mile mountain top poking through the ocean. But it's green and lush, and you've got to see the pictures of the villages.

(I guess I should be working for saba tourism. Hee hee.)

Check out www.sabatourism.com
and www.sabagatehouse.com

That'll get you started.

I've put Saba near the top of my list of soon-to-go-to places.

Enjoy!

[1994nyr]

There is no more welcoming island than St. John!! My wife and I have met many gay couples while vacationing there who swear by it. It's the place where you can be yourself!!

[lpruss]

Look up the South Shore Villa of St John (www.stjohnrental.com).

The villa is located within the US Virgin Island's National Park boundaries and perched high a top a mountain overlooking the azure waters of the Caribbean.

The South Shore Villa is centrally air-conditioned and features four well-appointed bedrooms (all with private bathrooms), a luxurious custom kitchen with restaurant quality stainless steel appliances, a dining room, and a large living room all with panoramic views of the ocean. The villa also features beautiful handmade furniture, art, and high-end electronics (including high definition LCD flat-screen TVs in all of the bedrooms and a premium sound system).

Of additional interest is the spectacular infinity edge swimming pool with fountains, a large travertine patio, covered veranda, and a stainless steel barbeque for entertaining.

The island of St John and the South Shore Villa is a magical place where you can enjoy your days sitting around the pool, snorkeling at the beach, or hiking in the National Park and your nights viewing the stars while surrounded by the fragrances of jasmine and orchids.

Have a nice trip.

[chrissxm]

You can definitely try St Martin, from where you can go for one day to Saba and also to St Barth, all gay friendly.
In St Martin, you have gay beaches (Cupecoy), gay bars (Eros) or very gay friendly bars (David's Bar), gay guesthouse on French side (Villa Rainbow - Pic Paradis), gay hotel on Dutch side (Delfina).
I run the villa Rainbow (http:www.villarainbow.fr)

St Martin has excellent restaurants, duty free shopping, great beaches!

Hope this helps to make a good choice! :)