Archive-name: nude-faq/beaches/Caribbean
Last-modified: Fri Sep  6 1996
Posting-Frequency: monthly

  This is one of seven volumes of the "REC.NUDE FAQ: Naturist Site Reports".
  These are posted on the first of each month.

  This volume covers the Caribbean and Bahamas.

  This FAQ answers one question which has an infinite number of variations:
  Where is a nude or clothing-optional beach/resort/campground/B&B/etc.
  near where I am or where I will be?  To answer that, this FAQ lists
  some brief information on some nude or clothing-optional sites that are
  frequently mentioned on rec.nude.  General information on family-oriented
  nude recreation can be found at either of
    ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/nude-faq
    http://www.oxy.edu/~mop/recnude.faqs.html
  Also check out these Naturist home pages:
    http://www.webcom.com/~rngerber/naturist/naturist.html
    http://www.realtime.net:80/~kr4ah/
+ And please read the Free Beach Etiquette page:
+   http://www.sss.org/naturist/misc/Etiquette.html

  This FAQ can't be a replacement for a more thorough source such as
  the World Guide or others listed in the general FAQ mentioned above.
  If you don't see any CO sites on this list which are near you or want
  more information about those listed here, feel free to ask on rec.nude
  (the FAQ maintainer is not a very good source for such information).
  The maintainer of this FAQ takes no responsibility for the accuracy
  of the information contained herein.  Updates to these entries are
  greatly appreciated; this FAQ is only as good as you make it.

  The latest copy of this FAQ may be found at any of:
   ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/nude-faq/beaches (North America)
   ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/usenet/news.answers/nude-faq/beaches (Eupope)
   http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/nude-faq/beaches/top.html
  Archives may also be retrieved by sending e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
  with a body that only contains one or both of the following lines:
send usenet/news.answers/nude-faq/beaches/*
send usenet/news.answers/nude-faq/beaches/North-America/*

  + - and | in the 1st column mark additions/deletions/changes from last month.

  (c) Copyright 1995 Richard M. Mathews.  Copyrights for contributions
  to this document may be retained by their authors who may or may not
  be named below.  Permission is granted to freely distribute this in
  whole or in part provided that it is without profit or service fees
  and that this notice remains attached.

  In this issue:
  	BAHAMAS
  	JAMAICA
  	DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
  	PUERTO RICO
  	VIRGIN ISLANDS
  	ST MARTIN
  	BONAIRE

----------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: BAHAMAS

  Cutlass Bay Club (weekly all-inclusive rates starting at $2240 per
  couple; summer 1994 prices) is an adult-only CO resort with 350 acres,
  18 rooms, 5 beaches, pool, and nature trails.  The size, cleanliness,
  and desirability of the various beaches varies with the time of year
  and the weather.  Excellent diving/snorkeling is available.  The food
  is excellent.  The only organized activities are meals.  Don't expect
  luxury; it is comfortable, wild, and rustic.  There are comfortable,
  king-size beds, but other furniture is minimal.  It is clothing-optional
  everywhere except the dining area and bar, though people usually wear
  clothes around the main building.  There are no shops; so bring all
  your own toiletries (other than soap), lots of sunscreen, and beach
  shoes.  Unlike Club Orient, there are no gawkers, no crowds, no
  cruise ships, no tacky shops.  You are made to feel as though you
  are staying with friends.  Call (800) 723-5688 or (813) 269-0153.
  E-mail cutlass-bay@the-solution.com, or check out their Web page at
    http://www.cutlass-bay.com/

  An alternate view from a different visitor to Cutlass Bay:  It's
  completely run down.  The rooms are little more than summer camp
  rooms:  All brick, virtually no furnishings, peeling paint, dirty,
  bugs everywhere.  The pool is old and looks like it's going to crumble
  any time.  The lights were out when I was there and the owner was in
  no hurry to fix them.  The food was terrible, the same thing (chicken
  or lobster), burned and tasteless every time.  The "5 beaches" range
  from so poor that nobody uses them to so tiny only one person can lie
  down.

  Other than Cutlass Bay, CO opportunities in the Bahamas are hard to
  find.  The Bahamas are generally conservative, and nudity is frowned
  upon.  Some have reported success in finding isolated beaches.  Legal
  status is uncertain.
  	[Original from Tim Zickus <zickus@ssnet.com>]

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: JAMAICA

  There are a number of resorts in Jamaica which have CO portions.  On
  the western end of the island, at Negril, are Grand Lido, Hedonism II,
  and Firefly.  Near the center of the north coast are Breezes Runaway Bay,
  Club Caribbean (both at Runaway Bay), and Couples (at Ocho Rios).  The
  Negril area is reported to be more lush, cooler, and less windy than
  the Runaway Bay / Ocho Rios area.  Sandals (both in Montego Bay and
  Negril) has CO bathing on offshore isles, but it is generally not
  supportive of nudism.

  Grand Lido Negril (weekly all-inclusive rates starting at $3120 per
  couple; summer 1994 prices) is described as elegant, comfortable,
  romantic, and spectacular.  It is more expensive than the other
  Jamaican resorts listed here, but it offers more.  There are TVs in
  every room, 3 very fine restaurants, and a yacht for cruises (including
  a nude cruise).  There is a nude beach (with soft sand you may sink
  into almost to your knees), nude bar, nude pool, and nude hot tub.
  In general, the resort caters to the CO guests over the textiles.  The
  resort is also very "newbie" friendly and all-around laid-back (isn't
  that redundant in Jamaica:-).  Contact SuperClubs at (800) 859-SUPER
  or try http://www.intnet.net/SuperClubs .

  Across the street, Hedonism II (weekly all-inclusive rates starting
  at $2280 per couple; summer 1994 prices) is described as active,
  exciting, decadent, and a giant frat party.  It's an atmosphere of
  complete freedom; freedom to be kinky; freedom not to.  Everybody gets
  along.  Guests must be at least 18 years old.  The food was fantastic;
  the booze was premium brands; the activities were varied and fun.  The
  nude beach was great, as was the nude hot tub.  The food, scuba, and
  beach are not as nice as Grand Lido's, though.  The swimming area
  has a rocky bottom, so it can be good to bring an inflatable raft.
  As with Grand Lido, the CO guests seem to be the preferred guests.
  The nude side includes beach, bar, grill, pool, hot tub, aviary, and
  half of the rooms.  The prude side includes beach, pool, restaurant,
  most activities, and half the rooms.  Topfree is allowed on the prude
  side.  You will not be guaranteed a room on the nude side (this may be
  changing).  They are more popular than the prude side.  If you get a
  room by the nude section, you can walk around sans clothing in that half
  of the resort.  Pay extra for nothing but side trips, such as the nude
  cruise... which is worth every penny of the $30 (1995 price).  Contact
  SuperClubs at (800) 859-SUPER or try http://www.intnet.net/SuperClubs

  Firefly is smaller and more rustic than the all-inclusive resorts
  listed here.  Summer rates run $35-$45 per person, double occupancy
  (1995 prices).  The staff is very friendly, and the rooms and grounds
  are well maintained.  It has only about 50 feet of nude beach, and it
  is visible to passerby.  They do have at least one room which is right
  on the nude beach.  You must dress to get to the more inland rooms.
  Their ads claim they are for "naturists and their children."  Contact
  them at (809) 957-4358.

  Breezes Runaway Bay (formerly Jamaica-Jamaica; weekly all-inclusive
  rates starting at $2350 per couple; summer 1994 prices) is clearly not
  as fancy as Grand Lido, but there isn't much at Grand Lido that you
  can't find at Breezes.  There is an excellent Italian restaurant, and
  the daily buffet compares well to Grand Lido's weekly one.  Breezes
  is more sports-oriented than the others.  Guests must be at least 16
  years old.  Nudity is definitely not the main thrust of the resort, and
  the resort may not be as friendly to newbies as at some of the other
  resorts.  The nude beach is not as private as Grand Lido's.  There is
  no rest room at the nude beach.  Topfree is allowed on the prude side,
  but it is not commonly seen.  There are rooms, though, that directly
  join to the nude area.  The beach is soft, densely packed sand (so
  you don't sink in as at Grand Lido); and the nude section is more
  sheltered from the wind than the prude side.  Contact SuperClubs at
  (800) 859-SUPER or try http://www.intnet.net/SuperClubs .

  Club Caribbean (weekly all-inclusive rates starting at $1740 for a
  double; summer 1994 prices) has 128 rooms, 10 of which are on a small
  nude beach.  You can contact them at (800) 223-9815.

  Couples (weekly all-inclusive rates starting at $2420 per couple;
  summer 1994 prices) aims for being romantic.  It has a nude beach on
  a small offshore island that is recommended for newbies.  Day passes
  are available (about $50 per person?).  Contact SuperClubs at
  (800) 859-SUPER.

  Jamaicans are generally conservative, and nudity is frowned upon
  outside of those resorts.  Some have reported success in finding
  isolated beaches.  One possibility is Bloody Bay, which is a large,
  undeveloped CO beach.  Right before you get into Negril, you will see
  Negril Cabins on the left and a couple of jeep tracks on the right.  The
  tracks lead to Bloody Bay.  The only annoyance was that this beach was
  used as a horse trail by the all-inclusive types.  The only unnerving
  part about that was the occasional video camera-equipped rider :-).
  Bloody Bay was very nice for swimming (like a big pool) and virtually
  deserted in the off- season.  Negril Cabins + rental car + Bloody Bay
  gives a very nice cheap vacation for non-all-inclusive types.
  	[Original from too many people to list]

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

  Eden Bay (formerly Paradise Beach) Resort is no longer a clothing-optional
  resort.  As of May 1, 1996, nudity is be banned there.  Topfree will
  still be allowed.  The remainder of this article is left here for
  historical reasons only.

  Eden Bay opened in 1994 and reopened under new management in September,
  1995.  It is located one hour east of Puerto Plata International Airport.
  Facilities on the 50 acres include private beach, swim up bar, three
  pools (one for water volleyball), 2 hot tubs, sand volleyball, tennis,
  beach-front snack bar, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, beach
  bar, sun deck, dining and lounge area, game room, exercise room, and
  disco.

  Both positive and negative reports have been posted on rec.nude.  Richard
  Kenner (owner of one of the cottages) has reported very bad personal
  experiences and has passed on information indicating a poor level of
  satisfaction among other guests there.  To avoid disappointment and
  potential problems on your visit, you should also be aware this is NOT
  a beach resort (access to the ocean is poor) and that, unlike much of
  the rest of the Caribbean, most people in the Dominican Republic do
  not speak English (Spanish is the native tongue).

  The beach is not as nice as Club Orient's, as Eden Bay has small beaches
  and less calm ocean.  Beach shoes are a must at Eden Bay.

  1-800-769-5707
  FAX: 305-895-0323

  	[Original from Richard Kenner <kenner@lab.ultra.nyu.edu>]
  	and Anthony132 <anthony132@aol.com>]

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: PUERTO RICO

  Nudity is possible at isolated beaches.  Legal status is unknown.  Most
  of the coastline is inaccessible, rocky, or if it is a beach, it's a
  public beach with lots of folks and no chance for suntanning nude.
  Some beaches that have been recommended are Punta Picua and Bahia las
  Cabezas.  These are just west and just east of Luquillo, respectively.
  Also check out the small islands just to the east of the main island.
  Look for Flamenco Beach on the north side of Culebra Island and Red
  Beach at Camp Garcia on the south side of Vieques Island.  Finally,
  if you stay at El Conquistador, the have a very nice nude beach on
  Palomino Island, the resort's private island.
  	[Original from "unknown"]

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: VIRGIN ISLANDS

  There is a small nude beach St. Thomas on the left (facing the ocean)
  side of Magens Bay.  It can be reached by either wading along the shore
  or by the road above.

  On the Island of St John, a worthwhile 20 min. ferry trip from Red
  Hook, is the beautiful Soloman Beach.  It is about 80 yards long and
  strewn with palm trees.  At the extreme ends of most of the beaches of
  St John, it is usually acceptable to do nude.  I spent the winter of '93
  (7 mths) in the VI and had plenty of nude sunbathing opportunities.

  Anegada, in the British Virgins, is reported to have miles of remote
  beaches with soft coral sand where you can go CO.  On Virgin Gorda,
  there is Savana Bay and Pond Bay.
  	[Original from Dan Grassi <DGrassi@aol.com>
  	and Jason]

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: ST MARTIN

| HURRICANE NEWS (as of 8/21/96):

| Hurricane Luis hit St. Martin hard on September 5, 1995.  Club Orient
  was especially hard hit.  The chalets are mostly trashed; the mini-suites
  are mostly repairable; the studios came through with little more than
  superficial damage.  Many common buildings survived, but Papagayo
  and the back part of the front office building were heavily damaged.
  Between the hurricane and disease, most of the vegetation is gone.
  New palm trees will be planted, but they will be just 7 feet tall
  (plus 3 feet per year).

| Club Orient is scheduled to reopen partially on November 1, 1996.
| Just studios and mini-suites will probably be open at that time.
| Many November/December dates are already sold out.  Chalets should
| be done around December or January.  An attempt is being made to
| complete construction in the middle of the resort first.  By limiting
| construction to the extreme ends of the resort, disturbances will be
| minimized.  Note that the studios and mini-suites will be repaired and
| reinforced, and the chalets will be entirely rebuilt.

  An excellent article on the status of Club Orient and St. Martin can
  be found at
| http://www.best.com/~paradise/orient/updates.htm

  A side effect of the hurricane is that Orient beach is now much wider
  than before (a report says 150 feet at Papagayo's and 250 at chalet
  #54).

  Other resorts on the island did not do so badly.  Esmeralda, for
  example, had moderate damage to four of the villas, mostly roof and
  water damage; and was able to reopen quickly.  A number of beach-front
  restaurants and bars such as Bikini and Bou Bou Jam are open, but
  Pedro's restaurant and mall are gone.  There are indications that the
  mall will never be rebuilt due to both building code issues and the
  fact that the shops there were "squatters".  The whitfield brothers
  no longer run the watersports concessions.  Guillaume now operates
| the nude cruise, and it is identical to the old one.  He has a new
  catamaran, the "Tiko-Tiko".  The north end of the beach has completely
  recovered from the storm.  The Kon-Tiki has reopened and expanded, and
  is busier than ever.  Mt. Vernon is still closed, though.

  Both the French and Dutch governments expected most things to be
  functioning near normally by the start of the winter season last
  month; however, some Dutch-side hotels will be closed for 9-12 months.
  Progress seems faster on the French side.

  The remainder of this St. Martin article reflects the status before
  the hurricane.

  Orient Beach is, quite simply, one of the nicest beachs in the Caribean.
  The south end of the beach is the best and also the most nude part of
  the beach overall.  Club Orient is the naturist resort that occupies
  that part of the beach, though nudity is allowed on almost the entire
  beach (there have been attempts to restrict nudity to Club Orient's
  stretch of the beach, but it looks safe for now).  Textiles are also
  free to wander onto Club Orient's beach, though they are trying to see
  what they can do to reduce the number of gawkers.  There are many other
  (non-naturist) resorts within a short walk or drive of the beach.

  The units at Club Orient all have patios with benches and tables and
  two beach loungers.  All units have an outside shower for rinsing
  down after being at the beach.  All units are knotty pine thoughout.
  You really never have any need to leave the Orient beach area.  The
  resort has a little store for anything you could possibly need.  The
  restaurant, Papaguyos, serves three meals a day; and they are all good.
  I always eat there nude.  The resort is totally self sustaining in
  electrical generation and desalination of ocean water. One of things
  that struck us is that all of the people we talked to at Club Orient
  had been there before,  usually more than once a year over a period
  of 7 or 8 years.  You can't get better recommendations than that!

  The accommodations at Club Orient are quite nice, though the ones at
  the Esmeralda are "fancier".  Also, there are TVs and phones at the
  Esmeralda but not Club Orient.  Some consider this an advantage of
  Club Orient, though.  It is often easier to get reservations at the
  Esmeralda.  They are not friendly to nude guests.  Esmeralda has posted
  a "no nudity" sign at their beach bar.  They don't seem to enforce this
  for people walking through or sunbathing a bit away from the villas and
  restaurant.

  Green Cay Villas is a resort in the area that has U-shaped villas
  with 3 bedrooms, but you can have the entire villa just by renting
  one or two bedrooms. The elevated pool areas are screened from view
  by dark tinted glass and unless someone was in the villa with you, no
  one would know you are laying by the pool nude, unless you walked to
  the edge.

  St Martin has several other nice CO beaches.  One is Baie Rouge.  This
  is a nice quiet beach located between Maho and Marigot.  The CO section
  of the beach is located to the left when you arrive via the path.  The
  beach gets a little rocky (not little pebbles but big rocks), but there
  is plenty of sand in between the rocks.  If you want quiet and not to
  many voyeurs, then this is the beach.

  Another fine beach is Cupecoy.  This is a gorgeous little stretch of
  sand.  It is located close to Maho on the way to Marigot.  The only
  drawbacks are that the water tends to be a little rougher here than
  at Baie Rouge or Orient and that muggings have been increasing in the
  area.

  Plum Bay (Baie aux Prunes) is between Cupecoy and Baie Rouge.  It's a
  beautiful crescent beach, rocks and either end and sand in the middle.
  'Boat People' don't go there.  It's mostly locals and people in the
  know.  Usually it's mostly G-strings with nude folk scattered here
  and there.  No toilets, no drinks, no hassles.  I did see a guy there
  once wearing a pair of 'jams' that were so big I was sure he was going
  to drown but he only got his ankles wet.  He was an exception.
  	[Original from too many people to list]

------------------------------
From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)
Subject: BONAIRE

  You might consider Sorobon Resort in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles.
  They have perhaps the best scuba in the world.  It is totally clothing
  optional, and it has a private beach.  All units have kitchenettes.
  Phone: (800) 432-3471 or 011-599-7-8080.
  	[Original from John M Hendry <hendry@acme.etsu.edu>]

End of nude-faq/beaches/Caribbean Digest
****************************************

Richard M. Mathews	| On the fourth day of telecommuting, I realized
richard@west.sun.com	| that clothes are totally unnecessary.  -- Dilbert
