Fortune Once the star island of the sugar trade, the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis now produces something even sweeter: an overwhelming surplus of mangoes. Branches hang heavy with them over the narrow roads that wind around the island; fallen fruit stays only a few minutes on the ground before the wild donkeys and monkeys that roam the island snatch it up. Something about the island’s climate and soil has led it to play host to thousands upon thousands of mango trees, sporting the indigenous Nano variety—fibrous and complex, with undertones of papaya—the much-coveted Amory Polly, favoured by Nevisians for its sweetness, or some 42 other kinds of mango.
Forbes, I have been a long time vacation homeowner on Aruba, the tiny Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. Only 20 miles long and 6 miles across, the cactus-filled, dry island features my favorite beach in the entire world. Endless days spent on the famed Eagle Beach floating in crystal clear, aquamarine warm waters is why massive throngs of tourists return annually to this island paradise.