What takes a perfect beach day to the next level? The perfect beach read. No matter your pleasure — romance, memoir, thriller — these favorite books are worth the space in your beach bag during your next Caribbean vacation.
The Beach by Alex Garland
A thriller about a young traveler’s journey to a legendary, desolate beach.
Why We Picked It: The book has all the ups and downs to keep you hooked to the last page — a mythical, tropical lagoon; a secret treasure map; and a few insane twists.
In Between Chapters: Enjoy the mystery? Try exploring a shipwreck Snuba in Grand Cayman, available on select Western Caribbean itineraries.
Chocolat by JoAnne Harris
A delicious love story about a young single mother who arrives in a small French village and opens a chocolaterie.
Why We Picked It: Chocolate. Love story. Need we say more?
In Between Chapters: Where better to take in a romance than beachside in the Bahamas? You can even learn the art of making chocolate alongside your partner at Graycliff Chocolatier.
A Year In the World by Frances Mayes
A classic travel memoir by the woman behind Under the Tuscan Sun.
Why We Picked It: Mayes’ passion for travel and sense of quest will awaken you own adventurous spirit.
In Between Chapters: Saddle up and hop in for an adventurous 4X4 tour of the rugged Barbados countryside. You might even spot an elusive green monkey.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
A captivating story of Stella Payne, a divorced, high-powered investment analyst who heads to Jamaica and falls for a man half her age.
Why We Picked It: The scintillating tropical romance between the two leads will hook you; their bittersweet return to the “real world” will keep you reading.
In Between Chapters: Want to experience your own romantic getaway in a luscious Jamaican setting? Board the 30-foot bamboo rafts that offer romantic and adventurous rides on the Martha Brae River.
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
The generation-spanning story of the Buendia family, whose loves and misfortunes unfold over the years in a fictional Latin American town.
Why We Picked It: This Nobel-prize-winning classic might feel like a lot to handle in your daily life — but a few uninterrupted reading hours on the beach, and you’ll be hooked.
In Between Chapters: While reading, you might feel completely ensconced within the Buendia family’s world in Latin America. Keep it going with a San Juan City tour by bike, where you can explore the old city walls and ruins of Fortin de San Geronimo.
