Sands & Sunsets 2010

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Explore the Islands of Turks & Caicos Sands & S unsets Seaside Holiday With a Tropical Twist Winter Escapes in Cabo San Lucas Traveler’s Wish List December 2009 Traveler’s Guide to Beach Vacations & Real Estate

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Transcript of Sands & Sunsets 2010

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Explore the Islands of Turks & Caicos

Sands & Sunsets

Seaside Holiday With a Tropical Twist

Winter Escapes in Cabo San Lucas

Traveler’s Wish List

December 2009

Traveler ’s Guide to Beach Vacations & Real Est ate

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Sands & Sunsets

Cover › stock.xchng ∞ Article Credits › PAGE 5 Islands islands.com ∞ PAGE 6 visitmexico.com

∞ PAGE 7 Caribbean Travel + Life volume 21, number 8 ∞ Photo Credits › stock.xchng

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FeaturesSailor’s Paradise— Found5 Set sail and explore the sailing capital of the Caribbean. In the British Virgin Islands, adventure abounds, and pirates do not.

Explore the Islands of Turks & Caicos7 Beach lovers guide to the islands of Turks & Caicos, beach by beach.

Traveler’s Wish List18 Don’t know what to get for the special traveler on your list? Our Traveler’s Wish List testers have done the shopping for you.

Winter Escapes to Cabo6 This winter, enjoy year round summer weather on one of this year’s best upscale getaways. With your budget in mind, we have chosen three ideal winter retreats where you are sure to find a place to relax this holiday season.

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Contents

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“If my dreams could all come true, paradise would be—in a lit tle bungalow, somewhere by the sea.” D. Morgan

This past Thanksgiving my family and I stayed at a golf and spa resort in North Carolina. This will be my family’s third year to visit this particular resort for Thanksgiving and needless to say, I’m getting a bit restless with this particular location. I began thinking about all the qualities that are important to me when deciding where to stay. Then I started thinking how hard it is to find just the right hotel for an ideal vacation. Aside from travel agencies, there should be an easy way to book reservations at a hotel that best suits the travelers needs.

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure it is important that you stay at a hotel that not only maintains your traveling needs but brings you, the traveler, comfort with your stay. Follow S&S as we take you along on our expeditions to help you plan a trip to your own dream paradise. Travelers are sure to find that ideal vacation in S&S’s Travel Directory complete with a wide range of International hotels and resorts. Find this seasons most affordable winter escapes in the Travel Specials section. With new exotic beaches in each issue, you will find amazing new locations at the tip of your fingers.

For those thinking about buying a beach front home or already own one, S&S’s FAB Finds Guide gives buyers an A to Z directory of current beach properties on the market. Discover paradise by the sea in your beach home and take a look at this months Traveler’s Wish List! S&S provides homeowners with all they need to design the perfect beach home. Look inside other beach houses for insights and inspiration when S&S picks the Beach Home of the Month. Or share your property with us by sending in pictures of your home for your chance to win.

For as long as I can remember I have longed for my own seaside villa to call home. Meanwhile, my goal as Editor-in-Chief of Sands & Sunsets magazine is to present readers with the best deals on beach vacations, while taking you along our own adventures to the best unexplored beaches of the world. S&S makes beach house hunting a breeze with the Real Estate Marketplace to all new beach and ocean front properties.

If you are looking for a tropical vacation or have an interest in beach property, I invite you to dive into S&S’s affordable adventures and extreme escapes.

Until next month,

Katie HopwoodKatie HopwoodEditor-In-Chief

Editor’s Note

Virtual tours of this month’s Beach House and •Seaside Holiday With a Tropical TwistTravel Tips for planning your ideal vacation•Beach House Basics Guide to beach life•Travel Directory for travelers without a destination•

S&S On The Web!To view this month’s issue and what’s coming up next month, visit us @ www.sandsandsunsets.com!

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Departments

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Contents

Trip Savvy

26 Holiday Travel Specials

35 Travel Tips

Beach Life23 Beach House Basics

Destinations

17 Discover Paradise when S&S picks this season’s breath taking remote locations.

31 Soft sandy beaches and a plush view will make anyone Beach Bound.

In Every Issue

3 Editor’s Note

14 Contributors

21 Travel Log

28 S&S Specials

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Constant trade winds fill your mainsail. The Sir Francis Drake Channel stretches out in front of you. These are the British Virgin Islands, and whether you’re a first time sailor or an experienced captain, your first mates will be the endless ocean and an inviting blue sky. The BVI is truly the centre of the sailing world. From the main capital island of Tortola, sailors have an incredible variety of cruising area that is about 32 miles long and 15 miles wide.

Tortola ››› Powdery white-sand beaches, lush green mountains, and a sheltered yacht-filled harbour characterize the island of Tortola.

Virgin Gorda ››› The dramatically shaped island of Virgin Gorda reminded Christopher Columbus of a reclining woman, so he named it Virgin Gorda, the “Fat Virgin.”

Jost Van Dyke ››› Jost Van Dyke has fewer than 200 inhabitants and they are widely known as welcoming people.

Anegada ››› The only coral island in the volcanic BVI chain, Anegada is a world apart. The Spanish named it Anegada, the “Drowned Land.”

Other Islands ››› Scattered in an aquamarine sea, the British Virgin Islands flank the broad Sir Francis Drake Channel, which has beguiled sailors for centuries.

Exploring 60 islands makes for one scenic trip. Crisscross the azure waters aboard a yacht, cruise the long scenic roads by car, and then bike down to shorelines filled with secluded beaches. No matter what mode of transportation you choose, discover the secrets of paradise in the BVI.

British Virgin IslandsEvery Sailor’s Paradise

With consistent winds, clear blue water, sunshine every day and islands close enough to navigate by sight —the BVI is a sailor’s paradise.

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Explore BVI

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Melia Cabo Real Beach & Golf Resort The Melia Cabo Real Resort offers a variety of activities for everyone. Enjoy a wide selection of water sports, or rent a mo-ped and discover the natural beauty of the countryside. Work out in the fitness center, play a round of golf or relax in the spa with a variety of pampering treatments. In the morning, wake up to a champagne breakfast. During the evening, enjoy the breathtaking scenery over a candlelight patio dinner of gourmet Mediterranean cuisine.

Turn your fantasies into a dream getaway in Cabo San Lucas, a thoroughly enchanting destination at the southern tip of Mexico’s one thousand mile scenery with extraordinary resorts and endless adventures.CaboSan Lucas

Royal Solaris Los CabosThis resort is a paradise for nature lovers and those looking for entertainment, excellent food and loads of fun. Every room features spacious, harmonious accommodations and provide a perfect retreat. Play a game of tennis, then relax in the sauna or enjoy a soothing spa treatment. Savor delicious cuisine at the a-la-carte restaurants or enjoy the resort’s spectacular dinner show.

Please visit www.visitmexico.com for more information on Cabo San Lucas getaways.

Royal Presidente Inter Continental ResortDiscover personalized service at the Presidente Inter-Continental. The resort is three minutes from the San Jose Golf Club and within walking distance to San Jose del Cabo, a picturesque Mexican town where you’ll find a variety of nightlife, shops and restaurants. Children will have their own fun with a variety of activities at the Kid’s Club. At night, enjoy several gourmet a-la-carte restaurants serving seafood, steak, Mexican and Italian cuisine.

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¬ Winter Escapes

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Explore the islands of

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&Turks Caicos

On a vacation to these sunny isles just south of the Bahamas, you’re never more than a short hop away from your next adventure, whether it’s fishing, diving or being pampered in a posh private retreat.

Beach by Beach

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ProvidencialesMost international flights arrive on Provo, as the most populous of the islands is known. The 38-square-mile island offers the greatest concentration of resort, restaurants and activities, and is in the midst of a red- hot, real-estate driven growth spurt.

Northwest PointOne of Provo’s hardest-to-reach is also one of its best. Divers have long visited Northwest Point Marine National Park for its coral reefs, but Malcolm’s Road Beach is almost as pretty. Take the normally paved Blue Hills Road through Wheeland and follow signs for the park. Although the entire two-miles beach is open to the public, its southern end is the near exclusive domain of the new Amanyara Resort.

Turtle CoveTurtle Cove sits at the western-most end of Grace Bay Beach, but boat slips give it a more nautical than beachy feel. Follow the road for the Yacht Club to get to the sand. A five minute walk east and you will find Smith’s Reef, the best snorkeling on the entire island. Closer to sunset, stroll the marina and stop by any dockside restaurant for drinks and dinner.

Grace BayThe best known place in the Turks and Caicos is Grace Bay Beach, with 12 uninterrupted miles of picture perfect coastline. The beach is lined with luxury resort condo hotels and there’s no sign of the building boom losing steam.

Leeward AreaLeeward, at Provo’s northeast tip, claims the last stretch of Grace Bay Beach. Without the resorts, you’ll find open expanses of sand and even a few nude sunbathers. To find it, walk east along Grace Bay Beach, or take Sunset Drive or Pelican Road north from Grace Bay Road.

As the name suggests, the Turks and Caicos encompass two island groups. Providenciales and the five Caicos Islands are limestone slabs sitting atop a submerged mountain that rises abruptly from 7,000 feet deep to form the Caicos Bank. Grand Turk and the other Turks Islands sit on a smaller bank on the east side of the Turks Island Passage. It’s every island hopper’s dream, with 230 miles of phenomenally beautiful beaches and, thanks to those subaquatic mountains, an extensive system of fringing reefs and spectacular submarine drop-offs. ¶ The Turks and Caicos lie at the far southeast corner of the Bahamas archipelago, approximately 575 miles from zarea, including eight major islands and numerous uninhabited cays. The Turks Islands include Grand Turk (the capital) and Salt Cay. The Caicos Islands include West Caicos, Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos and South Caicos. ¶ Home to the world’s third largest coral reef system, each of its ten inhabited islands has its own personality worth getting to know; from upscale Providenciales to tranquil Middle Caicos to stately Grand Turk and tiny Salt Cay, home to just two small hotels.

&Turks CaicosBy James Sturz

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Long Bay HillsFor isolation, there’s no better choice on Provo than Long Bay Beach. It doesn’t have the same powdered, porcelain sand of Grace Bay, but there are no hotels, just some private homes and vast stretches of nothing but beach. To reach the three-mile strand, take any of the unmarked turnoffs along Long Bay Beach Drive.

Pine CayJust northeast of Provo lies 800 acre Pine Cay, a private island with the most exquisite beach in all the Turks and Caicos. The mile long stretch along its northwestern shore combines perfectly textured bone-white sand and iridescent turquoise surf. A low key hotel and a few low lying houses back the beach, which rarely holds more than a half-dozen people.

Parrot CayParrot Cay’s mile-long beach is the second most beautiful in the Turks and Caicos. But, unlike Pine Cay, this private 1,000 acre island doesn’t go for an understatement. Guests at the Parrot Cay Resort can rent tiki huts on the beach, where waiters will serve a private lunch. Or rent three bedroom villas on a private beach, with butlers and pools. It’s a 35 minute boat ride to Parrot Cay from Provo’s Leeward Marina.

North CaicosIt’s a five minute boat ride to North Caicos from Parrot Cay, or a 12 minute flight from Provo. The most fertile of the Turks and Caicos, this 41 square mile island grows papayas, bananas, watermelons and tomatoes, among dozens of crops. North Caicos’ 1,500 residents are outnumbered by roseate flamingos.

Whitby AreaWhitby Beach is seven miles long and accessible at multiple points along the

administrative, historic and political center of Turks and Caicos. Its streets are lined with weathered colonial buildings. Queen Street has a narrow beach along most of its length. Additional beaches extend south of Duke Street and north of Front Street. The best of those is Cedar Grove Beach, where a new restaurant and gift shop opened this summer.

Governor’s BeachMile long Governor’s Beach is the island’s second best beach, depending on whether any cruise ships are in port. Twenty minutes south by foot, the Grand Turk Cruise Center opened in February, changing the sleepy feel of Grand Turk forever. Large enough to accommodate two ships, the 13 acre complex includes 45,000 square feet of shopping and the Caribbean’s largest Margaritaville. Just south of the center, around the tip of the island, White Sands Beach is ideal for snorkeling and shelling.

Salt CayEight miles southwest of Grand Turk, Salt Cay exists in a world unto itself. Once the world’s leading salt producer, the island today is a quiescent collection of salt ponds, 19th century stone and stucco buildings, wild donkeys and cows {which have the right of way}, and just 70 residents. From mid-January to early April, the 2.5 square mile island is also a prime spot for watching the migrating North Atlantic herd of 2,500 humpback whales. Excursions leave daily— in Turks and Caicos, captains are allowed to approach the whales, and snorkelers can swim alongside them, but it’s just as popular to watch the passing humpbacks from balconies and the beach.

North BeachThe spectacular North Beach runs from Point Pleasant to North Point, with more than two miles of sweeping white sand and pristine coral heads offshore. Chances are you’ll have most of it to yourself, along with a few whales on the horizon.

Caribbean Travel + Life November 2006

Explore Turks & Caicos

Whitby Highway. Toward the beach’s western end, the Three Mary’s Cays are excellent for snorkeling. At the beach’s midpoint, the stretch by the defunct Prospect of Whitby Hotel is superb for swimming or sunning, especially the lick just west of the hotel’s broken pier, the hotel wreckage and the freighter stuck a mile out in the reef are the stuff to local legend. At the beach’s eastern end, past Pelican Point, Whitby Beach changes its name to Horsetable Beach and becomes truly spectacular. You’ll insist it’s one of the loveliest stretches of sand you’ve ever seen.

Middle CaicosMiddle Caicos is the largest island in the chain, measuring 48 square miles, but it has fewer than 300 residents. Keep an eye out for the pumpkin orange love vine, so named because it grows over everything. Islanders use it to make an aphrodisiac tea.

Mudjin HarbourThe third best beach in Turks and Caicos is half a mile long, Mudjin Harbour, a natural lagoon set in the limestone cliffs of the Conch Bar settlement. Crag-filled Dragon Cay protects it from the surf and makes this spot particularly good for snorkeling. A sandy isthmus from the coast to the cay cleaves the lagoon in two, while a pair of natural caves provide shade and easy entry points. To the west, the five mile Crossing Place Trail passes a dozen beaches that gather a lot of flotsam and jetsam.

Grand TurkThe 22 mile wide Turks Island Passage {locally known as the Columbus Passage} separates the Turks island chain from the Caicos. A monument in Cockburn Town says Grand Turk was Columbus’ first stop in the New World, a claim that’s in dispute. The island’s best beaches are on its western shore, although they’re not as pretty as those in the Caicos chain. Grand Turk’s biggest draw is for divers. The coral reef wall is just 200 yards from its fine white sands.

Cockburn TownFounded by Bermudian salt rakers three centuries ago, Cockburn Town is the

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