BACK TO PARADISE

CARIBBEAN | GETAWAYS

Caribbean Comeback

Idyllic island locales welcome tourists with safety in mind

By Melanie Reffes

FTER MONTHS OF

ALOCKDOWNS, curfews and closed borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sunny Caribbean is readying to welcome back tourists. As restrictions, rules and regulations give way to new health and safety protocols, a number of islands are reopening their borders to travel from the U.S., while others are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Many details are still uncertain, but when tourism resumes, social distancing, health screenings and frequent sanitizing will be the new normal. And face masks will likely be as necessary as swimsuits and sunscreen.

“Thus far, the region has effectively minimized the spread of COVID-19,” says Frank Comito, CEO and director general, Caribbean Hotel and

Turks and Caicos Islands

TCI TOURISM

Tourism Association. “Health and safety protocols are being put in place, mirroring the international standards which have been recommended and adding more stringent measures to help build traveler confidence; there’s every reason to believe we will be resilient once again.”

These locales are eager for travelers to return and swap virtual happy hours in your living room for a rum punch by the water’s edge:

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TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS The recipient of numerous best-beach awards, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) reopened to tourists in late July under standard safety and health protocols.

Six islands make up Turks and Caicos, the most developed of which is Providenciales, where flights arrive at Providenciales International Airport. The others are North, Middle and South Caicos, Grand Turk and Salt Cay. A curfew that had been imposed on Providenciales and North Caicos from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. was scheduled to be lifted Aug. 31. Shopping plazas and grocery stores are open, as are restaurants (but only for takeout). Hotels open for business include Palms Turks and Caicos , The Shore Club and Ocean Club Resorts’ Ocean Club and Ocean Club West , all within close proximity to the popular Grace Bay Beach. The Grand Turk Cruise Center remains closed. Entry requirements: Travelers need a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test from an accredited laboratory taken within five days of travel. The test result is a requirement to obtain a TCI Assured Travel Authorization to enter the country.

JAMAICA Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the island would reopen to international travelers June 15. Health screenings will be conducted upon arrival, and face masks will be mandatory at the airport, in taxis and at hotels and resorts.

With stringent safety protocols in place, many hotels are open, including three Sandals Resorts (Montego Bay, Royal Caribbean and Negril) ; Beaches Negril; Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios ; Sunset at the Palms Resort in Negril ; and Couples Tower Isle and Couples Swept Away. Beaches Ocho Rios will reopen Oct. 8 , and the Couples Negril and Sans Souci properties will be closed Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 . Entry requirements: Tourists must complete an online travel authorization form and undergo a health screening, and U.S. citizens 12 years and older must also present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 10 days of arrival in Jamaica.

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CARIBBEAN | GETAWAYS

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PUERTO RICO As part of its four-phase plan, the island reopened for business in late May with face masks mandatory in public and enforced social distancing. According to a travel advisory issued by Discover Puerto Rico , new rules include screening on arrival at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan where passengers who cannot provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test will be asked to selfquarantine for 14 days or until they can provide results, regardless of symptoms. An islandwide curfew is in place from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Restaurants are operating with a maximum capacity of 50 percent and beaches are open Monday through Saturday but only to those doing solo sports or exercise training from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Casinos are closed, but golf courses are open with safety protocols in place. Many of the hotels are open, but pool facilities are closed. Malls and shops are operating at 50 percent capacity. As a U.S. territory, no passports are needed for American citizens arriving from the U.S. mainland. For those who enjoy the path less taken, you’ll have to wait a little longer to visit the islands of Vieques and Culebra; ferry service is currently only available to residents . Entry requirements : All arriving passengers must complete an online travel declaration form from the Puerto Rico Department of Health and show a negative PCR COVID-19 test result taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival. Travelers displaying COVID-19-related symptoms will be tested at the airport by the Puerto Rico National Guard.

SAINT LUCIA Visitors are required to present certified proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of boarding a flight, face masks must be worn upon arrival and safety measures in taxis will separate drivers and passengers. Before resorts and hotels can reopen, they must obtain a COVID-19 certificate from the government that shows they’ve met more than a dozen criteria for sanitization. Jade Mountain and sister resort Anse Chastanet , Ladera Resort and Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort have added enhanced hygiene measures, distanced seating in restaurants and touchless interactions. Hotels scheduled to reopen in October include Windjammer Landing (Oct. 8) and Coconut Bay Beach Resort (Oct. 1, though the luxury, all-inclusive Serenity at Coconut Bay is open) . The Sandals Grande St. Lucian resort is open; the Sandals Regency La Toc is scheduled to reopen Aug. 31 and the Halcyon Beach property has a Nov. 1 reopening date . Entry requirements : All arriving passengers age 3 and older must bring a completed travel registration form and have a negative result from a PCR test taken no more than seven days before arriving in Saint Lucia, the island’s tourism site advises. Hotel guests from areas other than a designated list of low-risk Caribbean islands are required to remain on property for the duration of their stay except to participate in water-based excursions arranged by the hotel.

ARUBA The Dutch island that sits below the hurricane belt reopened in July. Hotels, taxis, restaurants, casinos, stores and tour operators must obtain and display an Aruba Health & Happiness Code certification signifying compliance with a rigorous hygiene program put forward by the Aruba Tourism Authority and the Department of Public Health. At the airport, expect to find temperature checks, and at the hotels and resorts, you’ll find plexiglass barriers, digital keys and contactless check-in. At popular Arikok National Park, virtual guided tours are available. Hotels that are welcoming guests include Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort , Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino , Divi Aruba All Inclusive and Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino . Entry requirements: All visitors must complete a disembarkation card with contact-tracing details such as their date of birth, passport information and the duration of their stay, as well as a health assessment interview. All visitors 15 and older must present a negative PCR test result. Visitors from designated hot-spot areas must complete their test 72 hours before departure or take one test before leaving and a second upon arrival at the airport. Others may opt to be tested upon arrival. The testing fee is $75.

SAN JUAN MARRIOTT RESORT; COCONUT BAY BEACH RESORT SPA; ARUBA TOURISM AUTHORITY

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CALIFORNIA

| GOLF

“The construction of the Journey at Pechanga golf course was controversial. Initially, the golf course builder wanted to clearcut our sacred trees, but we held firm.”

— PAUL MACARRO, cultural coordinator, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

JOHN CAMERON

layout of the track.

From a sustainability standpoint, the golfable areas at Journey at Pechanga cover 40 percent less ground than typical Southern California courses, and therefore require about 40 percent less water to maintain. Precipitation naturally runs from the hills above the course and collects in the lakes on holes 5 and 15. Before anticipated rainfall, groundskeepers use the lake water to irrigate the course and deplete the lakes to the halfway point. This allows rainwater to naturally collect and refill the lakes. In addition, a high-tech irrigation system can identify — to the decimal — if an area of the course has received enough water, and if so, automatically shuts off.

Renowned course designer Arthur Hills carved this championship 18-hole funhouse ride into the foothills of Temecula, routing fairways around the giant oaks, building doglegs that snake along fast-running creeks and featuring steep climbs to cliffside tee boxes.

This is not your average resort course by a long shot; coincidentally, that’s the shot you’ll need to clear hundreds of yards of scrub, rock-guarded waterways, steep fairway and greenside bunkers.

To compensate for its toughness, Journey at Pechanga offers a welldesigned practice area. It’s divided into a separate driving range, putting green and a most-impressive short-game area. It’s complete with sizable sand bunkers and replica rough areas from which careful shots land on slanted greens to help golfers prepare for the challenges ahead.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Journey at Pechanga is currently open, and players must adhere to all Riverside County, Calif., health mandates, including wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and riding one person per golf cart. All golf carts are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each use, and staff are also required to wear protective gloves and face coverings. Golfers can reserve tee times online or via phone before arriving, and only credit or debit cards will be accepted for payment. ▶ Visit pechanga.com/indulge/ journey for more information.

2020 GOLF RATES

Monday through Thursday: $129 per player Friday through Sunday: $159 per player