Jungle Bay Resort & Spa

The coastline stretching out from the Jungle Bay Resort & Spa, a hilly 55-acre retreat at the forefront of sustainable development in Dominica, is ragged and green. Owner Sam Raphael placed each of the 35 private cottages— staggered along a steep incline facing the Atlantic—far from its neighbors to minimize erosion. He also built some foundations out of rock discarded by local builders. His altruism extends beyond the environment: for construction he hired farmers from the failing banana industry and trained some to craft furniture for the guest rooms. The rough-hewn results make for surroundings that are unrefined, though chicly so: woven-bamboo fans hang over dressers handmade from white cedar, while hammocks in tropical colors sway above balconies, affording views of the hazy jungle or the aquamarine sea.