Nightlife

Antigua

While the elegant all inclusive resorts and trendy nightclubs provide wild nights of live music and dancing, Antigua is a destination also known for its serene starlit nights.

The best place to be on island on Sunday afternoon is Shirley Heights Lookout at Shirley Heights. From around 4pm, a barbecue is served, followed by a reggae and steel-pan band for dancing later in the evening. Many locals arrive on any late afternoon, grab a sundowner, and head for the patio to watch Antigua's most spectacular sunset. Celebrities have been spotted enjoying the party atmosphere here and stunning sunsets too. English Harbour is where you will find many bars and live music. Admirals Inn is an action packed bar with a local steel band playing Thursday & Saturday evenings. Ask the barman which celebrities he has served!

If a traditional English pub is more your style - try Mainbrace where you can enjoy a game of darts with a plate full of fish and chips! The pub is part of The Copper and Lumber Store Hotel.

18 Carat in St Johns opened in 2002 and rose instantly to the status of most popular and sought-after dance club and night bar on the island. Expect a cover charge, ranging from £2-£4 per person. It has indoor-outdoor format that's open to a view of the night air of downtown St. John's, and a barrage of music that includes lots of reggae and soca. It's open Friday to Sunday 8pm to 1am.

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Bahamas

The Islands of The Bahamas are pulsating with music. For those who want a taste of the islands, almost every hotel offers local island entertainment that involves the guests, where visitors are invited to do the limbo, the dollar dance and the electric slide to the latest island music. Don't leave until you learn the dollar dance!

Gambling is legal in the Bahamas. That is, gambling is legal for everybody except the Bahamians. Bahamians caught gambling are subject to fines of up to $500! The odds are a lot better for visitors and those caught gambling are rewarded with a complimentary drink! The Bahamas sports four large casinos: two on New Providence, one at Cable Beach and the other on Paradise Island, and two on Grand Bahama, one in Freeport and the other in Lucaya.

For those who want a taste of the islands, almost every hotel offers local island entertainment that involves the guests, where visitors are invited to do the limbo, the dollar dance and the electric slide to the latest innovations in island music. Don't leave until you learn the dollar dance.

Paradise Island has the flashiest nightlife in all of The Bahamas. Even the nearby Nassau and Cable Beach can come close and nearly all of the action takes place at the incredible Atlantis Paradise Island Resort & Casino. It's all glitz, glitter and showbiz, with good gambling. For a quieter night, you can find intimate bars, discos, a comedy club, and lots more in this huge Island resort.

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Barbados

St. Lawrence Gap is the main party spot on the island of Barbados and definitely worth a visit. The ‘Gap’ is a place where various cultures merge, a chance to kick back and relax, the chance to party to the best music on the island and to simply make a few new friends.

There are also a few night clubs and hang-out spots, both on the lively south coast, and the trendy west coast. For day and nightime entertainment, you must make a stop in at The Boatyard, a beach club offering water sport activities, restaurant, bar & nightclub. Quite simply, a seriously cool hang out spot!

Another popular night spot is Harbour Lights which is an open-air nightclub with superb beachfront location. Current local and international music is played by the house DJ's, and on Wednesdays and Fridays you enjoy the Open Bar Deals!

A firm favourite is the Oistins Fish Fry on a Friday night - a mecca of street dancing, seafood, beer and true Caribbean atmosphere.

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Jamaica

Although Jamaica is renowned for its sunny beaches and relaxed attitude, at night Jamaica comes alive with wild parties, late night dancing and wonderful live music and entertainment.
Jamaica's nightlife is full of exciting activities showcasing its rich and vibrant native culture flavoured by the international blend of visitors that flock to this beautiful island. Naturally, in a nation that has left its mark on the international music scene with reggae, music is an important part of the nightlife of Jamaica. Island favorites including reggae, ska, calypso and soca can be heard throughout the bars, restaurants and clubs on the island.
The nightlife scene is as varied as the music in Jamaica . In Negril, "announcers" parade up and down Manley Boulevard every day, promoting that night's performances at various beachside dives.

Ocho Rios is also a buzz of nightime activity.  One of the most popular tourist destinations is Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville.  With its beachside location, this high-energy bar & grill, provides all-day family fun and nightime entertainment. Features include a rooftop whirlpool tub, a 100 foot long waterslide that soars above the main bar and plunges into the freshwater pool below and 3 bars, including a swim-up pool bar – what more could you want from a bar? You can enjoy a mix of reggae, rap, R&B and pop music. Wednesday night is beach party night and if you wear swimwear your admission is halved and it’s a free bar! (With restrictions)

You have a plethora of clubs and bars to choose from in Ocho Rios. Montego Bay Nightlife is hopping with DJ’s and live bands and an extraordinary mix of fine dining restaurants too! There are also plenty of restaurants on the Hip Strip in Montego Bay to enjoy.

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St Lucia

Most of the hotels and many restaurants offer entertainment nightly including live shows, steel bands and limbo dancing but if you opt to venture out of an evening – try some of the suggestions below for an all round St Lucia experience!

On Friday nights, the village of Gros Islet hosts a weekly 'jump-up' or local street party. Lasting until the early hours, this is a fun filled carnival of music, dancing in the streets and vendors selling mouthwatering barbecued chicken, fresh conch and the fabulous local rum punch.

The most active place on St Lucia at night is scenic Rodney Bay, set around a man made lagoon on Reduit Beach just north of the Islands capital, Castries. This is now the island's nightlife centre with hotels, restaurants, shops, bars and a handful of nightclubs.
Marigot Bay, famous as the filming location of the 1967 version of Doctor Doolittle starring Rex Harrison. Here you must try Doolittle's, part of the Marigot Beach Club Hotel. The Marigot Bay ferry takes you to the palm-studded peninsula of the resort; ferry tickets cost approx £1 each. Doolittle's offers a lavish seafood and barbeque buffet along with a steel band and this is reported to be THE place to be in St Lucia on a Saturday night. You can enjoy drinks (try the Singapore Slings) or dishes like chunky pumpkin soup, jerk chicken, or lobster and coconut shrimp Creole.

The famous St Lucia Jazz Festival is now ranked as number two in the Caribbean, eclipsed only by Trinidad's Carnival. The festival takes place in May and leading jazz artists from all over the world descend on St. Lucia offering shows that range from new age jazz to rhythm and blues. The tourist office has complete details of the festival, and information is also available online at www.stluciajazz.org. There's a downside to all this: many hotels take advantage of all these arrivals to increase room prices.

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Tobago

Tobago’s nightlife can be surprisingly lively and it sees a good mix of locals and visitors. There are many venues, and they go in and out of vogue, but still, after many years, one of the hottest nights of the week is Sunday, when the popular Sunday School street party takes place in Buccoo.

Nothing religious here – Sunday School is a loud, vibrant street party. It’s the perfect opportunity to sample Tobagonian social life. The party starts at 8pm every Sunday evening when the Buccooneers Steel Band orchestra play pan for a couple of hours. The party then steps up a gear at about 11pm when the main sound system kicks in directly opposite the main beach.

The music features the best soca, hip hop and R&B. Sunday School is a great place for people-watching. It is best to go by taxi and to arrange for the driver to pick you up at a specified time. Don’t take more than the few dollars (beer and rum are cheap and there's only a few barbecue and snack stalls). Like any crowded situation, the event can be a magnet for pickpockets. Sunday School is also a major 'pick-up' event, so don't be surprised if the local gigolos approach the ladies, even when accompanied by their partner! - Just politely say no!

Look out for the various events taking place each year, including the Great Fete Weekend, Angostura Tobago Race Week and the Tobago Annual Great Race, which give the islanders another, barely needed excuse to party!

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