Vieques: Roam Free

Vieques: Roam Free
MAUI
OFFSHORE PUERTO RICO
HAWAII
San Juan
PUERTO RICO
•
Fajardo
WORLD AWAY: I always notice the
LANAI
OFFSHORE MAUI
WORLD AWAY: The roads
leading to the beaches are
unpaved and orange (page 74).
One fence keeps horses from
roaming. All told, the former
pineapple island is a giant
rock-and-sand playground.
ESCAPE PLAN: The ferry from
Maui’s Lahaina Harbor takes
45 minutes. Stay at the Four
Seasons’ Lodge at Koele or
Manele Bay, the only resorts
on Lanai. $300+, fourseasons​
.c​om — ZACH STOVALL
FROM LEFT: JAD DAVENPORT/NGS; ZACH STOVALL (2); OPPOSITE: ZACH STOVALL
ANDROS
OFFSHORE NASSAU
WORLD AWAY: Hop
over from Nassau, step
off the seaplane and
breathe. Pine forests.
Blue holes. Space. Lots
of space. Andros and
its wilderness actually
dwarf Grand Bahama
and Nassau. In fact, it’s
larger than all the other
Bahamian islands combined, yet has a scant
population of just 6,000.
Outside of scuba and
fishing circles, Andros
is still a big overlooked
blob on the map. I once
came here to find the
Fountain of Youth. Don’t
think I found it, if my
hairline is any indication.
(Its sibling island, Bimini,
stakes the same youthful claim on page 21).
ESCAPE PLAN: Fly to
Nassau from more than
20 U.S. airports. Then
you barely have time
to turn off your phone
for the 10-minute seaplane flight to Andros.
Kamalame Private
Island and Residences
has an overwater spa
and 19 suites on 3
miles of empty beach.
$407+, kamalame​.com
— JAD DAVENPORT
FLA.
THE
BAHAMAS
Nassau
Andros
smiles on Vieques. And the beaches —
they’re as white as the teeth. ∏he place is so laid-back that even
the Paso Fino horses wander freely near the surf and around
villa lawns. Night life? It’s kayaking in the bioluminescent bay
and then walking into the ∏in Box for a watermelon margarita
that tastes like it was picked today — because it was.
ESCAPE PLAN: Go cheap (75 minutes by ferry from Fajardo, $4)
or quick (25 minutes by air from San Juan, $200). Rent a Jeep
and head to the National Wildlife Refuge beaches. Book a villa through flipkey.com, or stay at the W. $350+, wvieques.com — zs
LONG CAYE
OFFSHORE BELIZE
WORLD AWAY: Hammocks,
yes. Noise, no. I call it my
Robinson Crusoe experience
— small island, lonely beach
and cabins on stilts. $200,
offthewallbelize.com
ESCAPE PLAN: Take your
Dramamine for the bumpy
90-minute boat journey from
Dangriga. I’ve seen hard-core
sailors turn green. — JD
TIKEHAU
OFFSHORE TAHITI
COOPER ISLAND
OFFSHORE TORTOLA
WORLD AWAY: This is why
being deserted is thought to
be dreamy, not nightmarish.
The atoll claims 400 residents,
hundreds of coconut palms
and one spectacular lagoon.
ESCAPE PLAN: The flight from
Tahiti takes 55 minutes. Stay
in a bungalow on the beach
or overwater at Pearl Beach
Resort. $723, spmhotels.com
WORLD AWAY: The 5-mile
width of Sir Francis Drake
Channel separates one popular
British Virgin Island from its
forgotten sibling, where solar
power and rainwater rule.
ESCAPE PLAN: Go old-school
Caribbean and take a supply
boat (free) from Tortola to Cooper Island Beach Club. $210+,
cooperislandbeachclub.com
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