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We believe the simple joys of the Caribbean remind us of the true essence of life and the Caribbean is more than just a destination—it’s the best place on earth. At Sandals and Beaches, we bring travelers from around the world together to experience its vibrant culture, warm-hearted people, and unforgettable atmosphere. From discovering the best scuba spots, chasing sunsets, and perfecting beach-side cocktails, to finding that perfect balance of spice for your jerk sauce—we know the ins and outs of island life. But beyond that, we understand the importance of giving back, extending a hand to our neighbors and friends, and protecting our oceans and breathtaking natural landscapes.

That’s why every day during a Sandals or Beaches vacation offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the Caribbean region. With the help of the Sandals Foundation, you can support local communities and create core memories that truly matter. Here’s how you can enrich your next escape, foster genuine Caribbean connections, and spread love throughout the region:

Forging New Friendships On a Reading Roadtrip

In 2011, the Sandals Foundation launched “Reading Roadtrips” across all Sandals and Beaches Resorts. These one-of-a-kind tours take guests to nearby partner schools to not only share the love of literature with students across the region but also to share cultures and provide students and visitors like you an opportunity to connect with the destination in a whole new way. Upon arriving, guests become classroom teachers for the day, exchanging stories, laughing, and learning from and with students.

The costs of Reading Roadtrip excursions directly benefit the schools involved in the program and more across the Caribbean. So much so that in 2023, when the Sandals Foundation established a focus on food security, they implemented school gardens to help teach local youth the importance of eating clean from-the-earth foods. Visitors on Reading Roadtrips can also help spread this message by helping classes tend to their gardens and read books that focus on healthy eating, taking care of the planet, and the link that the two share. These tours can be booked directly through Sandals and Beaches sister brand and tour provider Island Routes, online or through an on-resort Island Routes desk.

Preserve the Magic of Coral Reefs in Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia may be known for its cloud-kissing pitons, but the island’s real magic can be found below sea level in its rich community of fish and sea life that call coral reefs home. As a guest at Sandals, you have the opportunity to be a part of preserving that magic through coral restoration dives.

Each Sandals Resort in Saint Lucia, Sandals Grande Saint Lucian, Sandals Regency La Toc, and Sandals Halcyon offer PADI Coral Restoration Courses through their on-resort dive shops. Once certified, Sandals Watersports team members will take you to the nearby coral nursery, where you can help the Sandals Foundation and CLEAR Caribbean propagate coral fragments that will be used to help grow and preserve delicate underwater ecosystems.

Support Rural Female Farmers in Grenada

A special project in Grenada is supporting a network of women in the ‘Spice Island’, and now you can too with a visit to their farm. GRENROP, which stands for Grenada Network of Rural Women Producers, is a project at the heart of agriculture and financial freedom and empowers over 75 female farmers and business owners through training in leadership, business management, irrigation, packaging, and value-added product development.

This year, the Sandals Foundation and Island Routes, have launched a farm-to-table excursion in which guests of Sandals Grenada can visit T’s Ecogardenfarm, a farm in the GRENROP network, for an exlusive taste of Grenada. Guests will be able to taste the island’s national dish, ‘Pack the Pot,’ cooked over an open fire fueled by aromatic coconut shells and explore the area with a guided tour of the farm’s abundant crops, discover innovative crop rotation, and have a firsthand experience of the farm’s self-sustaining water and advanced irrigation system, funded by the Sandals Foundation.

Give What’s Needed by Packing for a Purpose™

If your joy comes from giving, then Packing for a Purpose™ is the perfect way to make a difference while traveling. Extra space and small pockets in your luggage can now be filled with useful items for Caribbean communities. Pack for a Purpose™, has outlined the specific needs of countries and regions around the world so you can pack items that will truly benefit the destination and will be genuinely valued by the communities receiving them. Once you’re settled in at your Sandals or Beaches, you can drop off your donation items at front desk lobbies, and our team members and Sandals Foundation volunteers will bring them to the nearby schools and community centers that need them most. Through Pack for a Purpose™, since 2011, guests have donated — among other items — nearly 300,000 books.

Bring Balance Through Invasive Species Management

Across the Caribbean region, invasive lionfish have quickly multiplied, affecting the balance and harmony of underwater ecosystems. For a more hands-on approach to giving back, you can help restore a balanced coral reef community by removing these quickly reproducing fish. Sandals and Beaches resort dive shops across the Caribbean region offer the PADI Invasive Lionfish Tracker course so you can learn step-by-step the actions needed to control lionfish populations and the practical ways to safely and humanely remove them from the Caribbean Sea. During two scuba dives, your Sandals or Beaches PADI-certified Dive Master will show you just what it takes to be a true ocean warrior and help you catch your first lionfish before your flight home.

Help Baby Sea Turtles Find Their Way Home in Ocho Rios

Through the protection of sea turtle nests on sandy shores, the Sandals Foundation supports safe birthing experiences for mother and baby sea turtles throughout the hatching season. Annually, between July and November, guests staying at select Sandals and Beaches in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, can help guide newborn sea turtles to their ocean homes by booking a turtle-hatching excursion through Island Routes. While this rare conservation experience falls on Mother Nature’s schedule, on-resort Island Routes Tour desks share live updates so guests can stay abreast on upcoming tours. Since 2009 the Sandals Foundation and Sandals and Beaches guests have helped over 215,000 sea turtles safely transfer from their on-shore nests into the Caribbean Sea.

Support Local Artisans and Celebrate Caribbean Culture

No vacation is complete without a souvenir to help keep your memories close. Sandals and Beaches on-resort gift shops have made it easy to bring even more meaning to your take-home treasures through purchasable hand-made goods from local artisans and craftsmen. From woodwork to soaps, candles, ceramics, jewelry and more, each artist brings forward a unique interpretation of their island’s culture through the design and materials used in their products.

Together with the Sandals Foundation, these craftsmen are supported through donated tools and resources and marketing and branding workshops that help them grow and expand their businesses. The purchasing of these gifts from on-resort shops goes directly to supporting the Sandals Foundation’s artisan program further establishing a link between visitors and these small businesses that form the colorful fabric of the Caribbean. In addition to on-resort gift shops, select resorts host weekly makers’ markets where artisans host pop-up shops and sell their crafts directly to guests.