Amanera

Arriving at Amanera is a moment to remember. You first walk into the building through the back – a series of stepping-stone paths over water, with multiple levels and wall-less rooms that make the building (despite its concrete construction) seem like it’s floating.

As you walk through the main building you’re greeted with the most incredible view, which is when Amanera really feels like it is suspended above the ocean. The detail isn’t just in the building, though: staff whisk bags away without you even noticing, and you’re handed a delicious drink (I am still thinking about it now) as you’re given a short tour around the building.

From there a little golf buggy takes you to your casita. Each one is set back from the main path, with views of the sea and your own private seating area (in some cases a swimming pool). Your tour continues to point out all the fancy tech – who knew a light switch could do so much? – and all the amenities you could ever need. It’s definitely a place to stay if, like me, you have a tendency to forget things when packing – they’ll have whatever it is you need. The villas are modern but not sterile; light and airy but still cosy and homely. You really could just spend the entire stay here…but I don’t recommend you do.

Firstly, you must visit the beach. It’s everything you could dream of from the Caribbean: white sands framed by luscious greenery and a (choppy) blue sea. There is a shoreside restaurant where we ate lunch daily – and I’ve missed sipping on a mojito with that sea view every day since.

There’s a second restaurant in the main building, alongside the incredible sea-view lounge bar that became my favourite area. Perhaps the only shortcoming of Amanera was the service speed in the restaurants and bars. Whether it be at the beach, the main restaurant, or room service, the wait for food and drinks was always a little on the longer side. That being said, this is the Caribbean – and the food was great. From meat dishes, seafood, tapas-style sharing options, the menu had a great selection to satisfy whatever mood you might be in.

Aside from the must-see beach, there are a series of excursions you can take: dinners for two on the beach; hikes; horse rides… We opted for an hour in the saddle, riding along Playa Grande. It rained sideways for a good portion of it and yet it was still a truly incredible experience. The two guides we had were amazing, both speaking perfect English and teaching us about the island and its nature as we went. Despite not having been on a horse in several years, there wasn’t a moment I felt unsafe or worried about riding again. I highly recommend you do this.  

After a morning on horseback and an afternoon by the gorgeous pool, a good night’s sleep was on the agenda. The turndown service in the room also goes the extra mile – more than a chocolate on the pillow; on our second night we were left with a pestle and mortar along with a little note explaining its crafting, the relevance of its materials to the area and the history behind it. It was such a lovely little touch to find in to the room, and is completely representative of the lengths Amanera went to to make our stay there so memorable.

Even the spa shuns the ‘normal’ and instead incorporates ancient ‘smudging’ traditions where guests are fanned with sacred wood smoke, to mark their new beginning here.

Also, make sure to look up on the evenings, I have never seen a night sky like it in my life. It, like most other things here, was completely awe-inspiring.