Trailblazing in the Caribbean

Have a favorite hiking trail in the Caribbean? Let us know, then check out this theGuardian.com article on hiking in Antigua and Montserrat.

Rendezvous Bay is billed as Montserrat’s only white-sand beach; all the others are volcanic black. When we reached it, the secluded cove was deserted. We followed huge, tractor-like tracks left in the sand by green turtles, and floated in the warm, crystal-clear water as pelicans dived for sprats overhead. Then we dried off – and pulled on our walking boots. This beach doesn’t get crowded because it can only be reached after a stiff hour’s hike.

The Caribbean is not an obvious hiking destination but one company is trying to change that. Hike Caribbean launched last September to offer “holidays with hikes” to people who don’t want to just laze on a beach all day. It is not a full-on hiking trip: most walks take a maximum of half a day, so there is still plenty of time to relax with a rum punch. And there is no roughing it with a backpack and a tent – the accommodation is luxurious by the standards of most hiking holidays. Our hotel in Antigua, Sugar Ridge, had three pools, two restaurants, a spa and free shuttles to the beach.

Continue reading the rest at theguardian.com.