The well-respected travel experts at Travel + Leisure turned their focus on the evolution of places to enjoy tropical cocktails, recognizing beach bars and swim-up pool bars as excellent variations of the typical bar venue. Now the Caribbean provides the ultimate in tropical drink experiences with the floating bar, and Travel + Leisure offers its recommendations for the Top 5 Floating Bars in the region.

Two of the five best floating bars are found in Jamaica: Tiki Pon Da Sea in Negril and Floyd’s Pelican Bar off the island’s southern coast.

Tiki Pon Da Sea offers visitors to Negril the chance to take a motorized tiki boat on one of several booze-centered cruises. These include the classic Sunset Cruise along the famous Seven Mile Beach; a Breakfast Cruise to neighboring Booby Cay, which features all-you-can-drink mimosas, rum punch, and authentic Blue Mountain coffee; a Coffee Cruise with all the Blue Mountain coffee its fans desire, as well as authentic Jamaican bush tea; and the Mimosa Cruise, which features just what the name says.

The legendary Floyd’s Pelican Bar, which is made of driftwood, sits on stilts just off Parottee Point on Jamaica’s south coast. The bar represents a dream that became a reality. The owner, Floyd Forbes had a dream about a magic bar on stilts located in the ocean, and in 2001, that dream came to fruition when he opened the Pelican Bar. The bar got its name from the many pelicans that perch on a neighboring sandbar. The bar was recently reconstructed after suffering major damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Tourists are encouraged to bring hometown flags or license plates to hang from the bar’s ceiling in celebration of their visit. They should also bring “real money” as Floyd’s is a cash-only establishment.

The other three top floating Caribbean bars listed by Travel + Leisure are Captain Oak’s Tiki Bar in Turks and Caicos, Lime Out in the US Virgin Islands, and Tropical Tiki Tours also in the US Virgin Islands.

Photo – Deposit Photos