Best pools in the Caribbean, 2018 edition

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Anguilla          

The first five-star to reopen after last year’s storms, Zemi Beach House Hotel Spa is back in business. On Shoal Bay Beach, the 65-key hotel sports two restaurants, four bars and the 300-year-old Thai House Spa that was brought to the island in the 1980s. The eye-catching family pool, one of four at the hotel, is the trophy spot with an infinity-edge and underwater window that looks out at the beach. You’ll also find a 60-foot lap pool, a vitality pool in the spa with gentle jets that are set to body temperature, and plunge pools in the beachfront suites and penthouses. Going the distance, fruit skewers, sunscreen, juices and water are delivered poolside.    

Turks Caicos Islands  

A quartet of cool pools is the star attraction at the Shore Club on Long Bay Beach, the quieter alternative to the more crowded Grace Bay in Providenciales. Colonnade Pool clocks in at 15,000 square feet and is accessorized with 16 cabanas including 10 poolside and plenty of couches and comfy cushions. For frosty mugs of Turks Head beer and the resort’s signature big burger, the Rope Bar at the pool is pure island chill. For those who like a sea view from their perch in the pool, there are the adults-only and family-friendly pools that look out at the beach. In front of the yoga pavilion, a 75-foot-long lap pool is reserved for those whose idea of exercise goes beyond a stroll on the beach. And for those in one of the swanky new multi-bedroom villas, the private pools  may keep you soaking all day.

Nevis   

Beachfront posh with suites, villas and foodie fabulous restaurants, Four Seasons Resort Nevis is also where you’ll find a trio of pedigree pools. On the sombrero-shaped isle across the channel from St. Kitts, the pools at the AAA Five Diamond include the Garden infinity-edge with a hot tub. Next to the Caribbean Sea, Ocean Pool is a family pool with an 83-foot-long swimming lane ideal for burning off dessert calories. Deliveries to the sun loungers include sips, snacks, scented towels and sunscreen. Reflection Pool is surrounded by a heart-shaped teak deck and framed by the meditative Nevis Peak and views of the sea. Next to the Kastawey Beach Bar, there are plenty of tasty bites and crafty cocktails served to a chaise lounge by the infinity edge.

Aruba   

With umpteen awards like TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice for Romance, Bucuti Tara Beach Resort graces Eagle Beach on the western shore of the island. Adults-only, the resort hits it out of the park with an edge-less pool, sundeck, umbrella tables and spa tub. To keep hunger and thirst at bay, raise the red flag perched on your sun lounger and servers deliver. Measuring 26 by 49 feet with the deep end coming in at 6 feet, the pool is lit for night swims and is steps from the Sand Bar that hosts the Caribbean’s only “Healthy Hour,” where you’ll find bartenders pouring nutrient-packed fruity mocktails. Bordering the pool, Elements opens early with a Dutch Caribbean breakfast buffet and stays open late for dinner.  

Antigua  

On Old Road on the southern coast where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, the spa pool at the all-inclusive Curtain Bluff Resort is perched on the edge of a rock for uninterrupted views of the neighboring islands of Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis. It’s a stunner at sunset. A shady retreat from the high noon sun, the resort’s main pool is surrounded by traveler palms and tall coconut trees. A few sandy steps from the beach, the pool’s free-form design is one-stop-shopping for an aquatic class at one end, lap swim in the middle and splashing around in the shallow end. For those who covet personal pool time, the high-end suites with balcony pools fit the bill, especially the stunning Terrace Suite at the top of the bluff.

St. Lucia  

On the south coast of the island, Serenity at Coconut Bay is all about the pools. The first one you’ll see is the stunning 3,000-square-footer with a 1,000-square-foot lap pool at its center and a whirlpool at its south end. The two-tier design is clever with 24 in-water ledge loungers and out-of-the-water relaxation options like aqua circle beds, shaded chaises and private cabanas for candlelit dinners at sunset. Butlers deliver chilled towels, craft cocktails and light bites to the pool deck that is shaded by coconut palms and serenaded by local musicians twice weekly.

Dramatically illuminated at night with fountains in a rainbow of colors, the pool is a tropical backdrop for s’mores at the fire pits and dinner on the Greathouse restaurant verandah. For those who need to stretch their legs, Pool Bar is steps away with large-screen TVs and for couples on a romance mission, there is a plunge pool in each of the 36 butler suites.     

Curacao    

Built on a 16th-century Dutch fort on picturesque Piscadera Bay, the showpiece at the Hilton Curacao is a sprawling freshwater pool complex that comes with one main pool and one infinity pool connected by a waterfall. At the main pool, water is 3 feet deep at the kids’ entrance and 5 feet deep in the middle. Dotted with thatched palapas and coconut palms, there are plenty of blue-on-blue loungers and umbrellas for a nap after a lap. With unbarred views of the sea, the infinity pool also clocks in at 5 feet deep, shallow enough to stand and perfect for those not wanting to get their hair wet. Open until 8 p.m., the pool is a beehive of activity with fitness classes and bartenders pouring samples of new cocktails to poolside taste-testers. Nearby Captain Bligh’s is open for shots of the island’s Blue Curacao liqueur and at the Celeste Beach Bar you’ll find a menu of Dutch Caribbean nibbles.   

Jamaica 

Many make the trek up the Blue Mountains to the Strawberry Hill Hotel for the sumptuous Sunday brunch, while others come for the views of Kingston 3,000 feet below. True pool connoisseurs come for a dip in the spectacular infinity-edge built into the hilltop. With panoramic vistas from every angle, the 79-square-foot mountaintop pool sits in front of the bar and dining verandah. The coffee plantation-turned-resort is owned by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and is the spot Bob Marley visited for a natural high, musical inspiration and as the story goes, a romantic tryst or two.

Trinidad 

You can lounge all day on the roof at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, where views from the mirror-smooth infinity pool are mesmerizing. Overlooking the Gulf of Paria and a steady parade of clunky oil barges making their way to Venezuela, the pool is a watery world away from the busy capital city of Port-of-Spain, just a short walk from the high-rise hotel. Not just great for a cool dip, the pool is one-stop-shopping with a sun deck that hosts chaises draped with extra-large wrap-around towels and Hyatt’s Infinity Pool Bar with a menu of local snacks and rummy drinks. 

British Virgin Islands  

It is a trifecta of pool pleasure at Oil Nut Bay on the eastern tip of Virgin Gorda, third-largest of the British Virgins after Tortola and Anegada. Eco-hip, the pools at the Beach Club are made of recycled glass and divided for multi-generations of swimmers; one pool for children, one for teenagers and one with a swim-up bar for those old enough to order a cocktail. Flowing into each other with views open to the bay, pool pleasures include walk-ins to the beach and a deck with oversize loungers, as well as a waterfall and grotto leading to the upper pool where you’ll find a bar with in-water seating. Pool access is gratis for boaters who dock at Oil Nut Bay’s Marina Village and foodies dining at the Beach Club Restaurant.