Splish-splash: Best Caribbean pools
With the lapis blue Caribbean Sea beckoning, often just a few yards away, why do we love pools so much? There’s something about lounging poolside, baking in the sun, drinking fruity concoctions and occasionally slipping into just-cool-enough fresh water that’s supremely satisfying. Throw in a swim-up bar and some architectural detailing and you have the makings of a very lazy day.
Jade Mountain, St. Lucia
There aren’t enough adjectives to properly describe the pools at this resort. One look and you’ll understand that owner Nick Troubetzkoy is an architect, and a good one. Jade Mountain is just up the hill from the acclaimed Anse Chastanet, another Troubetzkoy property, overlooking the Caribbean and St. Lucia’s iconic Pitons from a height of 600 feet. Each suite at Jade Mountain has its own infinity pool and private terrace. Each features a unique design and color scheme that matches the suite. Not only will you wake up to the sound of water softly flowing over the edge of the infinity pool, you’ll never have to fight for a lounge chair either. jademountain.com
Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Most Caribbean pools are seaside, but this is one that’s above the rest — way above — on the roof of the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain. With views that stretch all the way to Venezuela on a clear day, the rooftop pool also has a nice restaurant, so you can snack on jerk chicken wings and Carib beer while you watch the ships move in and out of port. trinidad.hyatt.com
Dreams Punta Cana Resort Spa, Dominican Republic
Have you ever dreamed of swimming from reception to your room, and then on to the beach? The enormous free-form pool here is one of the largest in the region: It stretches from the lobby down to the beach. Along the way, it meanders under bridges and past small islands; some ground-floor rooms have terraces right next to the pool, and resort guests float gently downstream toward the big thatched swim-up bar at the beach end. In places, there are shallow shelves along the sides with enough room to park a lounge chair in ankle-deep water and watch the world (or at least your fellow guests) go by. dreamsresorts.com/punta-cana
Pool life isn’t just about stunning architecture and landscaping; sometimes it’s who’s poolside that counts. Rick’s Cafe in Negril makes the list based on both clientele and atmosphere. Since 1974, it’s been a favorite hangout of the famous and nearly-famous; add in the food and entertainment and it’s unique in the region. The pool is situated atop Negril’s west end cliffs, and throughout the day, cafe patrons and semi-professionals compete by diving off the cliffs for encouragement, tips and drinks. Great jerk dishes come out of the kitchen, the sunsets are legendary and after dark, live reggae takes over the scene. rickscafejamaica.com
Atlantis, Nassau, The Bahamas
As with most things, Atlantis is always in the running when the conversation is about stunning pools. There are 11 on the property, but the centerpiece is the 20-million-gallon Aquaventure water park. The most iconic of its features is the Mayan pyramid; after climbing up you have the option of a slide that drops 60 feet into the main lagoon, or taking a corkscrew slide through the center of the pyramid that ends in an acrylic tube running under a lagoon filled with sharks. There’s also a side-by-side racing slide, an inner tube ride with a 120-foot drop and a long lazy river. atlantis.com
El Conquistador, Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Now part of the Waldorf Astoria family, the venerable El Conquistador still has one of the most scenic pools in the Caribbean. The resort is set on a cliff overlooking a gorgeous marina and the ocean. The main pool shares the view, which stretches all the way to Vieques, a few miles south. There are eight Doric columns at the head of the pool — an elegant classical touch in an otherwise casual atmosphere. elconresort.com
One Only Ocean Club, Nassau, The Bahamas
Cheek by jowl with mega-resort Atlantis, the Ocean Club is the antithesis of Atlantis: it’s small, intimate and exclusive. The Ocean Club was the first resort on Paradise Island — across the lagoon from downtown Nassau — and was built by AP supermarkets heir Huntington Hartford. This is a man who never aimed low: he built a golf course and hired Gary Player as the course pro, then hired Pancho Gonzales as the tennis pro. He also acquired the cloisters of a Medieval French Augustinian monastery that had been moved to the Bahamas by William Randolph Hearst. The cloisters were rebuilt in the 1960s and a series of terraces now lead from them down to the resort’s Versailles Pool. Many pools have classical architectural accents, but this is the only one in the region with authentic classical architecture. islandinns.com/oceanclub.html
Amorosa Villa, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Most of St. John is a U.S. National Park, donated by the Rockefeller family. However, there are still private homes on the island, some of them spectacular, including Amorosa Villa. Located on the north shore, about halfway up the island from Cruz Bay, Amorosa overlooks Cinnamon Cay, Whistling Cay and Thatch Island, and there’s a view of Jost Van Dyke in the distance. In other words, jaw-dropping. The terrace faces over Peter Bay and has a shady colonnaded lanai, a spot to sun next to the cliff and a rock-walled, infinity-edge pool. Oh yeah.
Regent Palms, Providenciales, Turks Caicos
With Provo’s Grace Bay as a background, how can you go wrong? The Regent Palms actually manages to improve the view with its meandering free-form pool, which has one of the region’s nicer swim-up bar/restaurants, The Plunge. Guests can towel off and sit on a stool or stay in the water and relax on a submerged banquette, all while taking in several thousand acres of turquoise water across the Bay. regenthotels.com/EN/Palms
MORE: Sexiest swim-up bars in the Caribbean
Ritz Carlton, San Juan, Puerto Rico
The elegant trefoil design used for several Ritz Carlton pools is evident at the chain’s San Juan property as well. Large stone lions discharge streams of water from their mouths, while cool white and blue tiles echo the colors of sea and sky, sand and clouds. The landscaping is exquisite, with tropical plantings coming right to the edge of the pool in places and a backdrop of palms to screen the pool deck from prying eyes on the beach just beyond. ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/SanJuan/Information/Default.htm
Roaring Pavilion, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
This 8,000-square-foot villa not only comes with a full-time staff and spa, it also has a gorgeous saltwater pool. The deck extends out from the main house toward a dropoff overlooking the beach, so you’re treated to a vista of sea and sand framed perfectly by tall palms. The villa and pool recently underwent a $5 million renovation, raising the bar even higher for the villa’s erstwhile imitators.
Cap Juluca, Anguilla
Situated along a private strip of beach in Maundays Bay on the southwest coast of Anguilla, Cap Juluca has long been a hideout for celebrities seeking a palm-shaded beach and some privacy. A hybrid of resort and villa, the property’s Jonquil Suite has its own infinity edge pool, complete with fountain, that looks out over the bay. Most days, you’ll get a view of St. Martin, about seven miles away. Every day you’ll get your fill of quiet, private poolside relaxation. capjuluca.com
Steve Blount is the former editor of Caribbean Travel Life, Florida Travel Life and Adventure Travel.
For help planning a Caribbean trip, contact a travel agent specialist at Tripology.com.
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