Ivan’s Stress- Free Bar, Jost Van Dyke
Ivan’s
Stress- Free Bar
Imagine a front- porch hootenanny on a
slice of sand: that is happy hour at Ivan’s. Run by seventh- generation Jost
Van Dyte resident Ivan Chinnery; this beachfront empire consists of an open-
air shack, a few cabins and some tents. What it lacks in vreature comforts, it
makes up for in conviviality: if you are lucky, you may find guitarist Ivan
playing along with visiting talent- say, Keith Richards. Sample the house rum
punch (it includes guava) and the shrimp sauteed in lemon- garlic butter. And
if the festivities run too late for you to take a water taxi back to your
boat, there’s always a tent, a cabin or a hamock to curl up in. 00 1 284 495 9358;
mains from US$18
Pirates Bight, Norman Island
Pirates
Bight, Norman Island
In the 1700s, the crew of a Spanish galleon
buried 55 chest of silver here (and it is said that some of the treasure
remains). A century later, the island inpired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure
Island. People are still coming, but these days it is for the Bushwacker laced
with alcohol). Occupying a stretch of shoreline on a uninhabited, 610- acre
private island, Pirates Bight attracts quets from 100- plus boát moored ofshore
(yachties radio in on Channel 16 to book a table), then serenades them with
live bands on Friday and Sunday. For extra credit, hike the trail up Spyglass
Hill for a view taking in the sweep of the British Virgin Islands. 00 1 284 496
7827; mains from US$20
The william Thornton Floating Bar & Restaurant, Norman
Island
The
william Thornton Floating Bar & Restaurant
Anchored 200ft offshore (accessible by
dinghy or your own flailing arms), the ‘Willy- T’ is an anything- goes sort of
bar, with multiple decks for eating and drinking, and on any given day a pod of
leatherback turtles might drift by pr a naked crew member from a passing sloop
climb aboard. Order classic Caribbean fare to soak up the classic Caribbean
drinks. 00 1 284 496 8603; mains from US$9
Bohio Bar, Puerto Rico
The Bohio sits between the rooms and the
pool at Rincon’s Villa Cfresi hotel. This is convenient for guest who put away
a few tpp many Pirate Specials, a delightfully kitsch (they are served in
coconuts) homage to Roberto Cofresi, a pirate rumoured to have hidden treasure
in local caves. Pinchos are the big draw on the menu: this Puerto Rican street-
food standard is essentially a plate of grilled, marinated chiken or shrimp on
a shewer, with hunks of bread. 00 1 787 823 2450; mains from US$5
Calypso café, Puerto Rico
Calypso
café
Rincon- and specifically Maria’s Beach,
which has long been home to the Calypso Café- is known as the Caribbean
Pipeline for its unparalleled waves. In fact, a lunch pit- stop might coincide
with a surfing competition (in winter, swells can reach 25ft) or breaching
humplack whales (from January ro March). The food- from grilled tuna teriyaki
to carb- loaded rice- and- bean burrito- does not vie for attention with the
green flash at sunset, a spectcular natural phenomenon that surfers, locals and
tourists alike huddle at the bar to see. The wait is made easier by a medley of
strong punches and frozen cockyails. 00 1 787 823 1626; mains from US$9
La Parrilla, Puerto Rico
From outside, there is nothing to
distinguish this humble cinder- block establishment from its similarly clad
neighbours along the beach in the north- eastern town of Luquillo. But inside,
the friendly proprietor, Ricardo Alvaro, delivers some of the island’s most
inventive cuisine. Red snapper is stuffed with seafood paella and then steamed
in butter, coriander and lime; pineapple is diced, grilled and served with
shrimp, rice and a seasoning of curry powder and Pina Colada mix, an improbable
combination that is sweet, spicy and salty all at once. 00 1 787 347 3865;
mains from US$8
