ISLANDS Magazine Readers’ Choice: Best of the Caribbean

Best Caribbean Golf

Let's pretend you have unlimited funds, unlimited vacation time and you want the make the Caribbean your oyster. Your goal is to do the best and see the best the islands have to offer. Well the people of ISLANDS Magazine have put together a Reader's Choice list giving you the "Best of " Caribbean. Over 17,000 seasoned Caribbean travelers weighed in on the best the islands have to offer. Best … [Read more...]

Jamaica Road Trip: The Pirate Route

Jamaica Pirate Road Trip

Jamaica is best known for its all-inclusive resorts, snow white beaches and I hear the make some pretty good rum. A Caribbean paradise for sure. But 300 years ago Jamaica was very different. It was a haven for pirates. Jamaica was strategically located between Central America with all it's Aztec gold and deep water leeward island passages that lead back to Europe. The perfect place to set up shop … [Read more...]

5 Caribbean Sunsets That Will Set Your Island Soulshine Ablaze

Bonaire Sunset

Caribbean sunset photos are no stranger to this website. There's just something about them that touches the sensitive side of me. Erin would argue that that part doesn't even exist in me, but it does, it just picks certain times to reveal itself. As I was picking out the sunset photos to include in this post a fitting song started playing on No Shoes Radio, Soulshine by Gov't Mule. How perfect … [Read more...]

A Jamaica North Shore Beachcam From The Grand Palladium Resort

Jamaica, one of the Caribbean's top destinations. It has a little bit of everything, stunning waterfalls, blue Caribbean waters, fantastic rum, friendly people and of course jerk chicken. One could go on and on about this ire island in the sun, but today we're going to take an actual look at one of its north shore beaches. The days when we post Caribbean Webcams are always some of my favorite, … [Read more...]

Sunday Serenity – Sunset in Negril, Jamaica

Negril Jamaica is famous for it beaches and it's awe inspiring sunsets. Here is a time-lapsed video of the setting sun slowly sinking into the warm waters of the Caribbean. What better way to wrap up the weekend. I hope all you Castaways enjoyed your weekend with a few cold Boat Drinks and an eye towards the ocean. Cheers, RumShopRyan Please subscribe and Follow on Facebook and … [Read more...]

The Jamaicanite, An Appleton Rum Boat Drink Recipe

After one sip, you'll be dodging canon ball fire. What's not to like about Jamaica, it has beautiful world famous beaches, all-inclusive resorts, Red Stripe beer, Dunns River Falls, a rich history and is the birth place of reggae music. Check, check and check. Oh yeah, then there's also the road side jerk chicken stands...big check. Another thing Jamaica is known for is being the home of … [Read more...]

Pelican Bar – Most Unique Beach Bar in the Caribbean?

Pelican Bar

If you're looking for the perfect "get away from it all" experience then look no further than the Pelican Bar in Jamaica. A "I can't believe this is standing" wooden bar built on a sand bank a quarter of a mile out to sea, off of Treasure Beach. The Pelican Bar is the perfect place to lose yourself and doing nothing but, sunbath, drink beer, swim in the shallow waters, drink beer, eat fresh fried … [Read more...]

Rick’s Cafe, Jamaica – Caribbean Beach Bars

Rick's Cafe Sunset

Rick's Cafe in beautiful Negril is one of the most popular places to dine and party in all of Jamaica if not the Caribbean. Not really a beach bar, but more of a cliff top playground for those looking for a little escape. Rick's story begins with the opening by its founder, Richard Hershman, in April 1974. At the time, Negril was a sleepy fishing village with little development, it lacked many … [Read more...]

Toots and the Maytals – Jamaica Reggae at its Finest

Music Monday here on the Coconut Connection is happening a day late due to the face that yesterday was National Rum Day and needed to be celebrated. Now let's get our reggae groove on. Toots and the Maytals are a band I heard on No Shoes Radio. Their song "Pressure Drop" hooked me and have been exploring their music for awhile now. Their reggae music was born in Kingston, Jamaica and has since … [Read more...]

Jamaica Mistaica – Boat Drinks

After one sip you'll be dodging cannon ball fire. They say every drink has a story. This one is no different. How many of you know the story behind the Jimmy Buffett song, Jamaica Mistaica? In January 1996 Buffett's Grumman HU-16 airplane nicknamed "Hemisphere Dancer" was shot at by Jamaican police who believed the craft to be smuggling marijuana. The aircraft sustained minimal damage. On … [Read more...]

Who is Yellowman? Jamaican Raggae God

Are you a fan of reggae? Have you heard of Yellowman? If you are a true raggae fan than you better have. JC Perez brought up Yellowman's name in a conversation we were having about life in the real Caribbean, away from all the resorts and tourist hot spots. I started digging into yellowman a bit and listening to a few of his laid back Jamaican tracks. I found out that Yellowman's scope of … [Read more...]