Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas
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The 58th Annually updated edition. The original, most widely read cruising guide to the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the Dominican Republic. 480 pages crammed full of timely, useful, straight forward, cruising information, sketch charts, color aerial and on the ground photos as well as useful hints for the Bahamas traveler from folks who are there 24/7 reporting up to date facts and details for our yearly updates. Including invaluable information for the first time Bahamas traveler and seasoned skipper alike and referred to as THE premier Bahamas cruising guide. If you are planning a future trip or are in Island and considering where to head next this is the guide you don't want to leave home without.

Spiral-bound
Publisher: Tropical Island Publishers; #58 edition (May 21, 2008)
Language: English

List Price: $44.95 (free shipping)

Place your order today...don't leave town without it!

Did You Catch the Travel Channel Today?

Did You Catch the Travel Channel Today? Three slots in a row showed fun places to be:

1) Owned Islands 2) Outrageous Beach Homes 3) Top Ten Caribbean Beaches

(Wouldn't you like to be lounging on that beach right now???)

What a great time to daydream of being at one of these places! Owned Islands was especially fun to watch, there was even an island to own for only $35,000. Now who would think you could even own an island for the price of an upperly priced new car? If you don't know and you need to know how to either buy or rent an island, here is the information:

Meet Farhad Vladi...for Vladi, islands are more than just a job. They are an obsession that keeps him scouting the world. His Web site, www.private-islands.com, lists more than 100 islands currently for sale. And he has sold over 1500 already. According to The Travel Channel: “What I really like to see,”Vladi said, “ are people who are willing to put in the time, the effort and the due diligence to transform an island into a home. I tell people that buying an island has nothing to do with investment and everything to do with lifestyle. Once an island becomes a family member, that's it! You never sell.”

Stay tuned for more to come!

Acuarium Suite Resort

What an awesome view from the top!

Acuarium Suite Resort is a small resort located in a non-tourist area near Santo Domingo. This quiet and peaceful resort provides exciting activities and diverse tours for those who love adventure. The resort is located one block from the ocean (but not on the beach).

Acuarium Suite Resort is on the sea front, and two steps away from the historical capital city center. The Acuarium Suite Resort apartments have been designed to fully satisfy the most diverse kinds of requests: there are two-roomed apartments for four people, and up to a three-roomed apartments for six people. The apartments are luxuriously fitted with all comforts including satellite TV, telephone, air conditioning, and fully equipped kitchen. The terrace-veranda faces the internal tropical garden. Each detail of the internal design has been carefully studied to give maximum comfort with elegance. The choice of colours and coordinates offer a mixture of style and quality that is unrivalled. The daily cleaning and upkeep of the apartment is taken care of by a qualified team of personnel.

Alcázar de Colón

Built in the early 1500's by Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus, the castle of Alcazar de Colon has 40-inch-thick coral-limestone walls. The Italian Renaissance-style structure, with its balustrade and double row of arches, has strong Moorish, Gothic, and Isabelline influences. The 22 rooms are furnished in a style to which the viceroy of the island would have been accustomed.

The castle stands as a tribute to explorers and nations who helped settle the New World. Diego Columbus was not only the first resident, but also the city's first governor. After him, the castle went on to greet other famous explorers: Ponce de Leon and Balboa among them. Today, the palace welcomes modern explorers with an array of period artifacts and artwork from the era of Spanish Colonialism. The castle comprises of two rectangular floors, two wings joined by a central corridor and two galleries. In 1770 the building was abandoned. Attempts were made to turn it into a prison, but none were successful. In 1809 and 1835 major landslides collapsed parts of the building, but in 1957, it was restored by stonemasons to its present condition. It is open to the public for tours while there on vacation. Check ahead for pricing. For more information (in Spanish) and photos, click here.

Meliá Santo Domingo Hotel

Sol Meliá is the Spanish hotel and resort chain founded by Gabriel Escarrer Juliá in 1956 in Palma on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca in Spain. It is the leading Spanish hotel chain in both the city and resort markets, the third largest hotel chain in Europe, and the twelfth largest hotel chain in the world. Sol Meliá is also the world leader in resort hotels and number one in the ranking in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Meliá Santo Domingo hotel was designed with the needs of business and leisure travelers in mind. Located in the heart of Santo Domingo and with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea, the hotel has become a popular destination for business people, leisure travelers and even the local residents.

Santa Domingo, a Caribbean Hotspot

Santo Domingo is one of the Caribbean's most vibrant cities, with a 12-block Colonial Zone to rival that of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Come here to walk in the footsteps of Cortés, Ponce de León, and, of course, Columbus himself. Allow at least a day to capture some of the highlights of the old city such as its Alcazar and its Catedral Santa Maria la Menor.
Santo Domingo is also one of the grand shopping bazaars of the Caribbean, with such "hot" items as hand-wrapped cigars for sale virtually everywhere, along with local handicrafts. Jewelry made of larimar or amber is also much sought after.

A Bit of History:
Bartholomeo Columbus, brother of Christopher, founded the city of New Isabella (later renamed Santo Domingo) on the southeastern Caribbean coast in 1496. It's the oldest city in the New World and the capital of the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo has had a long, sometimes glorious, more often sad, history. At the peak of its power, Diego de Velázquez sailed from here to settle Cuba, Ponce de León went forth to conquer and settle Puerto Rico and Florida, and Cortés set out for Mexico. The city today still reflects its long history -- French, Haitian, and especially Spanish.