Couple, family or golden girls? Party hardy or peace and quiet? Eat your calories or drink them? No matter your type, the Caribbean has a pool that's perfect for your getaway. From Anguilla to Zoetry, these 10 tropical hotel pools are the best in the Caribbean. You're only one swim away from nirvana.
Not one, not two, but seven pools meander through the grounds of Excellence Playa Mujeres, an adults-only all-inclusive resort just 25 minutes north of Cancun. Admire the view from a pair of palapa-shaded loungers or a double hammock swaying idly over the water. Upgrade to an Excellence Club Junior Swim-Up Suite for direct swimming access, as well as entrée to two private pools exclusive to club guests.
With just 31 "adult-oriented" villas accessible by water taxi, Matachica embodies peace and quiet. The resort's infinity pool is HQ for reading, napping and taking a leisurely dip — or multitasking from one of the lounge chairs placed directly in the water. If you catch a few too many rays, the Jade Spa has your back (literally) with its cooling, soothing Aloe Sun Lover's Treatment.
El Conquistador Resort flaunts seven pools, but families flock to the property's 2.4-acre Coqui Water Park, open only to registered resort guests. After setting up home base at the expansive main pool, plunge down high-speed water slides or drift along the lazy river. Another day, drop the kiddos off at Camp Coqui for a nature hunt or sand-sculpting workshop while you gaze at the Atlantic from your poolside perch.
If you don't spot any A-listers while you're at Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, point your camera toward the photogenic twin Piton mountains, which rise dramatically on either side of the resort's huge, gleaming infinity pool. But the odds of spying a VIP are pretty good: In addition to welcoming stars like Minnie Driver, Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Brand, the resort hosted Matt Damon's 2013 vow renewal, with a celeb-peppered guest list (yes, best friend Ben Affleck was there).
If a reunion with your best ladies is long overdue, Zoetry Agua Punta Cana is the ideal spot to catch up. The all-inclusive boutique's uncrowded pool twists and turns through the property, creating multiple nooks for gabfests. Toast to your years of friendship at the swim-up bar, and take advantage of the Girlfriends Getaway package, which includes mani-pedis, mimosas, a keepsake group photo and more.
Pools don't get more Old Caribbean than at Montpelier Plantation, an 18th-century sugar estate cum luxury resort. The 60-foot mosaic pool has a front-seat view of the 300-year-old sugar mill, whose hand-cut round stonewall is still completely intact. After admiring the mill's exterior from the comfort of a lounge chair, spend an evening dining inside it: Mill Privée serves a gourmet five-course tasting menu.
What do you get when you mix a tiered infinity pool, a white-sand beach, an executive chef trained by Eric Ripert, and the first resort hydroponic farm in the Caribbean? CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, the Caribbean's premier epicurean retreat. You have to see — or, preferably, get in — the infinity pool to appreciate its impressive length. Then amble to Café Mediterraneo for a poolside lunch of spiny-lobster salad with today-picked arugula, shaved radishes and cherry tomatoes.
The largest freshwater pool in Grand Cayman is also an island hot spot, thanks to The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort's daily happy hour. Belly up to the swim-up bar to enjoy discounts on draft beer and cocktails like Cayman Lemonades, mudslides and Cayman Coladas. As the sun sets, unwind in one of the two hot tubs while live Caribbean-influenced music gets guests in a convivial mood.
The Somerset's 138-foot lap pool is the longest in TCI — and, equipped with a reverse current and underwater sound system, it's not for the faint of heart. If that's not intense enough, the resort also offers a fitness center and classes like SUP yoga and poolside Pilates. With your workout complete, relax at the hotel's other pool: a zero-entry oasis overlooking Grace Bay Beach.
For adults-only revelry, book the Heaven side of Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive that takes its rock 'n' roll vibe seriously. The swim-up bar at the main pool is a daily gathering spot, but things really get loco when the "animation team" rolls out the twice-weekly foam party. Pumping music, balloon animals, pool floaties and, of course, billows of foam combine with merry guests taking full advantage of the resort's free-flowing drinks.
