Steps to the Beach - Bonita Beach, FL

This is my favorite beach entrance on Bonita Beach in southwest Florida. The beach dunes have grown up around the stairs. As you're standing at the bottom of the stairs, the dune and the sea oats tower above you. It just frames the water and sand beautifully.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

Big Pine Key, Florida Keys

Sunrise in the Florida Keys. Another day in the American Caribbean, another day of a life lived by the sea. A life filled with the rhythm of the tides and the warmth of the never ending summer. A life that moves at a slower pace and deadlines don't seem so important. A life, or....the life.

(Photo by Floridaimages via Flickr)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Les Saintes, Guadeloupe

15 km south of Guadeloupe, the small archipelago of the Saintes, composed of 9 islands discovered by Christopher Columbus on 4 November 1493, is now known worldwide for the beautiful bay of Anse du Bourg that reminds a little on Rio His Pain de Sucre, considered the third bay in the world for its beauty.

(Photo by RH.P via Flickr)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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St. Kitts Sugar Plantation

Today is National Rum Day. Rum is the life blood of the Caribbean, more so in the past, but the region is still the largest rum producing region in the world. I took this photo of an old sugar mill lying in ruins on the island of St. Kitts. Ruins just like this dotted the landscape all across the tiny island. Just goes to show how important sugar and rum where to the economies of these islands.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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A Face Of The Caribbean

A human face tells a story the same as words in a book. The story pictured above is sure to be a best seller.

What the photographer said about his photo...
This portrait i had to pay for but i didn't mind because this guy is very fascinating, every time we go to St. Maarten he is in the same place, he tries to draw pictures of tourists but he doesn't get many punters, so i helped him out with money to get his portrait. (Photo by Simon Slater via Flickr)

Cheers to the islands and the stories that live there.
RumShopRyan




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Haze of the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys extend past Key West. These distant islands stagger on into the haze of the sea. A lonely beacon warns sailors of a shallow reef and acts as the night watchman. I love the Keys with all my soul, America's Caribbean.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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A Jost Van Dyke Sunset

Jost Van Dyke, a playground that is part of the British Virgin Islands. This photo was taken from Ivan's Beach Bar in White Bay on Jost. The fiery sun is setting over St. Thomas. There is almost no place I'd rather be than the sands of White Bay. You have the chance to see life altering sunsets like this and you're just steps away from some of the most famous beach bars in the Caribbean. Yes, I want to call this place home.

(Photo from OldMango.com)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Donkeys of Bonaire

No this isn't the Gobi Desert or the Sahara, this is the southern Caribbean island of Bonaire. The southern islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao may have beautiful beaches and are surrounded by water, but they are very dry places. These donkeys are castaways from a time gone by and now live the relaxing life, foraging for food in the Caribbean. Not a bad way to live I suppose.

(Photo by Alida's Photos via Flickr)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Vieques, Puerto Rico

The Royal Poinciana tree is one of my favorite trees here in Florida. This tropical show off produces burning red flowers once or twice a year and gives the lush green landscape a burst of color. This one pictured above is doing a great job of framing the Caribbean Sea on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.

Photo by EC via Flickr

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Flamands Beach, St. Barts

The island of St. Barts/St. Barths is about as French as the Caribbean gets. This French island in the Leewards is a hot bed for glitz and glam, fashion and food, and sand and sans bikini tops. Everything about this island screams luxury, from gourmet food and designer shops beach side to expensive beach chair rentals. It is a beautiful island with fantastic vistas like the photo above, just be prepared to spend some bucks.

(Photo from Mike2099 via Flickr)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Man-O-War Cay, Abaco Bahamas

It has a population of about 300 Bahamian residents and about 135 foreign resident families. During the summer some local houses are rented by vacationing families that have a reputation as good house guests (the exclusive nature of the locals leads noisier or more youthful vacationers to other islands). The island is famous for its boat-building history. William H. Albury was famous in the country for his tremendous boat building skills. He built his first schooner at the age of 14. Albury died in 1972, but the boat building on the Cay still lives on. The last big boat built by "Uncle Will" and the Albury Brothers ship yard, as he had come be to known, was the Esperanto. The Esperanto was later renamed The William H. Albury in his honor. (Info from Wikipedia)

Photo from ComeCloser via Flickr

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Flamingos of Elbow Beach, Bermuda

These beautiful Flamingos are enjoying their life on the island of Bermuda. Again, the colors or the Caribbean are vibrant and show up all over the place.

(Photo by Wendy Piersall via Flickr)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Colors of the Caribbean

The Caribbean is awash in color. Most of us think about the amazing blues of the water, the brilliant reds of the setting sun, and the lush green hillsides. True those things are magical, but don't forget about the vibrant colors of the island structures. The friendly Caribbean people use bright colors in just about everything they do, clothing, food, and buildings. Just another reason why the islands are a favorite place of mine.

(Photo from Zé Eduardo... via Flickr)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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The Tobago Cays, Caribbean Paradise Found

Close your eyes and think about the most beautiful place in the world. Is this place awash in unimaginable blues and free of human habitats? Does the land have soft rolling green hills that are covered in tropical palms and fringed by sugar white sands? Does this place give you a feeling as if you're the only person in the world that gets to enjoy this tropical paradise?

I want to tell you that dreams can come true and places like this do exist. The best example might just be the Tobago Cays, located in the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Here is a great story about sailing into the Tabago Cays from our friends at Uncommon Caribbean.

Sailing The Grenadines Part 3: From Bequia to the Turquoise Tobago Cays… And Lobster!

(Photo by MaLcImLaNg via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Pigeon Point, Tobago

The islands of the Caribbean stretch east then curl south towards the equator. At the end of the line sits the small island of Tobago. When you find yourself on the soft sands of this paradise you will truly believe you have found the end of the line. No need to travel any further, thoughts of growing roots and becoming part of the scenery filter through your mind just like the sun filters through the sea grapes.

(Photo from Jacqueline ter Haar via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Swimming with Sea Turtles

People are fascinated with sea turtles. Maybe it's their graceful underwater flight or their calm friendly demeanor. Whatever the reason is, count me as fascinated. I wish I were snorkeling a shallow reef in the Caribbean right now, making friends with the local population of underwater gliders. Both of us simply coasting with the current, studying each other with curious eyes.

(Photo by Steve de Neef via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The sun breaks over the eastern horizon and the first rays of sunlight bathe Punta Cana in their warm embrace. The foot prints of last night's beach party still fresh in the unblown sand. This morning will remain still with nothing but the relentless waves lapping ashore, fore the people who rest in these seaside resorts will be sleeping off a Dominican night.

(Photo by Frank Joswig via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Diamond Rock, Martinique

It looms just off the coast of Le Diamant, on the Caribbean island of Martinique. This uninhabited, unassuming rock looks like little more than a scrap of land that adds beauty to the horizon. Truth be told, Diamond Rock played a major part in a skirmish between the British and the French in 1805. Interesting to think about large masted French warships pounding away with cannon fire at the British positions near the 574 ft. summit. Now it sits quietly, a Caribbean Diamond.

(Photo from Marquot via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Key Largo, Florida - Gateway To The Keys

Key Largo, the gateway to the Florida Keys. Just an hour south, but a million miles away from the craziness of Miami. Time seems to slow down when you're on a sliver of land completely surrounded by water. Schedules and worries seem to fly out the window as you cruise by blue water and pink sunsets like this. The Florida Keys, America's Caribbean.

(Photo by KBC PR & Marketing via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Fort Myers Beach, Florida

The falling sun setting the sky ablaze. I know this isn't the Caribbean, but it's my home and our gulf shores do produce some of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen. Ft. Myers Beach is a great little island town, lots of cool water front restaurants, a slow pace of life and of course magical sunsets. One of my favorite in the world.

(Photo by Steve Sturm)

Cheers,
Ryan

Havana, Cuba

La Habana, a city waiting. Waiting for the hands on the clock to tick just a little faster. Havana is a city that has been held in place as the rest of the world flies by. Not necessarily a bad thing. The largest island in the Caribbean has been closed to US visitors for something like 50 years. This has kept the island in a natural state unaffected by a heavy weight of mass US tourism. Of all the places in the Caribbean, I think Havana and the rest of Cuba would be the most intriguing. Why? Because it is still waiting.

(Photo by K.Hurly via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Utila, Honduras

Part of the Bay Islands of Honduras, Utila is a Caribbean Island perfect for backpackers, off the beaten path vacationers and underwater adventurers. This island gem doesn't see the mass tourism a lot of other Caribbean Islands do, so the waters are clean, calm and full of healthy reefs and undersea life.

(Photo by Alex In Waterland via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

The Emerald Pool, Dominica

They say its mineral rich waters can make you feel ten years younger. That might just be a tale they tell tourists, but it just could be true in a place this beautiful. The Caribbean island of Dominica is a ecological dream. It has volcanoes, a boiling lake, hot springs, jungle covered mountains, and beautiful waterfalls like this one at the Emerald Pool. Exploring an island like this, how could you not feel years younger.

(Photo by Tropical Ties Dominica via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Bimini, Bahamas - Gone Fishin'

Island in the stream, the elegant name given to Bimini by Mr. Ernest Hemingway. Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the United States and sits on the edge of the powerful Gulf Stream current. This makes the waters around Bimini world famous for adventure fishing. That's what brought Hemingway to the Bimini shores and the slow pace of life and the thought inspiring bright blue waters are what kept him there. Don't you feel like being inspired?

(Photo by DaveKresge via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

The world is like a farris wheel spinning round and round. If you ask me it's a great ride, especially when you witness sights like this one from the Turks and Caicos. It happens every day, the sun falls and day transitions to night. Depending on clouds, wind, temperature and other factors I'm clueless about, you might be lucky enough to catch a transition like this one. When you do, the only thing you want to do is hit the pause button and hope the farris wheel stays at this point forever.

(Photo by Matt.hintsa via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Annaberg Sugar Mill, St. John USVI

Annaberg, standing tall through centuries of time. Known as the tallest windmill in the Virgin Islands has looked over Leinster Bay on St. John since 1780. The plantation produced sugar, molasses and rum, but today it acts as park and tourist attraction.

(Photo from Fenstermacher Photography via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Los Roques, Venezuela

The Los Roques archipelago is a Caribbean wonderland that not many people know about. Located about 80 miles off the coast of Venezuela and consisting of about 350 islands and islets, Los Roques is a boaters dream. It's shallow seas make it a great place to slip below the waves and explore the sea life. If you are looking for a truly different Caribbean adventure, give Los Roques a try.

(Photo from caimen.de)

Cheers,
Ryan

Buck Island, St. Croix USVI

How many shades of blue can you count? No matter, because the only thing that does right now is the feeling you have. You're standing on Buck Island, staring at main land St. Croix, while the Caribbean waves give your ankles Eskimo kisses. Pure paradise. The only thing better than this view might be the adventure that awaits below the waves, as Buck Island is famous for its reef and snorkeling trail. Whether you spend your day above or below the water line on Buck one thing is certain, you are never going to want to leave.

(Photo from anjanette_ablis via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Montego Bay, Jamaica

I don't know what it is about Caribben sunsets, but they capture my soul. In this photo the absent sun still throws its rays towards the clouds, burning them gold before the night calls. The adorable spec of land is called Tek it Easy Island, a tiny islet sitting a few yards offshore of the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica. No need for a water taxi or kayak to get to this limin' paradise, the water between the islet and the beach is so shallow and calm that even small kids can walk out to Tek it Easy.

(Photo by SBPR via Flicker)

Cheers,
Ryan

St. Georges, Grenada

One of the most beautiful harbors in all the Caribbean, St. George's is the gateway to Grenada. It has a protected calm harbor and a picture perfect town that is cast into lush green hills. This capital city of Grenada has grown with tourism in the last several years but still preserves its rich history, culture, and natural beauty.

Have you been?
(Photo by Marie "La Mochilera" via Flickr)
Cheers,
Ryan

Sunrise On Ft. Lauderdale Beach

The burning sun slowly begins its climb over the distant horizon. The morning glow illuminating the first stirrings of life on the beach. Seagulls singing, joggers jog and small crabs sift through the tidal pools for food. A towering family of Coconut Palms stand guard and ready to consume the days first rays.

Photo from one of my favorite beach photographers, Andy Royston from FtLauderdaleSun.com.

Cheers,
Ryan

Caye Caulker, Belize

The clouds are thick and gray, the wind is absent and the sea lax. Colors begin to blend and time seems to stand still as you stand in front of a ramshackled dock. You block out the noise of life that is going on behind you because the only thing that matters right now is what isn't happening in front of you.
(Photo by Yan Ladouceur via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Crooked Island, Bahamas

The Bahamas out islands, sparsely populated, fully of natural beauty that is hard to comprehend, what's not to love. This photo was taken on Crooked Island in the Bahamas. There are out islands, then there are out islands, Crooked would to be part of the latter. If you find yourself on a beach on Crooked Island, chances are you'll have the blazing white beach and the azure waters all to yourself. Enjoy.

(Photo from AuthenticBahamas via Flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

Palm Beach, Aruba

You're sitting on the sand of Palm Beach in Aruba, the horizon is beginning to turn gold and the Caribbean Sea is fading black. Your toes dig into the sand as to anchor you in this spot forever, but yet this moment won't last. The plunging sun only last so long as does the ice in your rum punch. Day turns to night and Aruba goes calm. You wake in the morning, dead set on doing it all over again.


(Photo by Digital Gold via flickr)

Cheers,
Ryan

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Maho Bay, St. John USVI

Possibly my favorite beach on my favorite island. Maho Bay on St. John speaks to my salty soul. It's naked green hillsides climb to the blue sky and its white sand beaches are calm and clear. Void of heavy human traffic, Maho Bay is a great place to get away on an island meant for getting away.

Cheers,
Ryan

The Magic of a Negril Sunset

Negril is located on the western coast of Jamaica.That puts it in prime location for some of the best sunsets in the Caribbean. By looking at this amazing photo I would have to agree that Negril boasts some of the best. What's that real estate phrase? Oh yes...location location location.

Photo from galaxyleisuretours.com

Cheers,
Ryan

St. Kitts Timothy Hill Overlook

St. Kitts is old Caribbean. Rugged, lush and largely off the tourist radar. This photo looks south over the southern peninsula from Timothy Hill. On the left you have the Atlantic and on the right you have the Caribbean sea. This overlook is one of the most popular places on all the island to take a photo.

Cheers,
Ryan

Tulum, Mexico - The Riviera Maya

Tulum's greatest attraction is its location. It stands on a bluff facing the rising sun looking out on views of the Caribbean that are nothing less than spectacular.

Cheers!

Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys

Bahia Honda State Park at mile marker 37 in the Florida Keys has become a favorite destination for visitors to our island paradise. The park, encompassing over 500 acres and an offshore island offers some of the best snorkeling and and beachcombing in Florida.

Anegada, BVI - Loblolly Beach

 One of the most beautiful beaches in all the Caribbean. Gorgeous colors, beautiful reefs, endless empty beaches, welcome to Loblolly Beach on the forgotten British Virgin Island of Anagada.