10/19/2026
Day 3 at Sandals Dunn’s River 🇯🇲☀️
Golf, a little beach time, a couples massage, and TWO dinner stops… we really made the most of this one!
⛳️ Golf for Ray, a slow morning for me
Ray headed out early to golf at Upton Estate with Dennis, my favorite caddie who I met in September! I told him he owed Dennis an apology on my behalf for my golf game. 🤣 The shuttle arrived right on time at 6:45 a.m., so be aware it’s NOT on “island time”.
Meanwhile, I caught up on emails from our SkyPool terrace before breakfast arrived at 8:30. Working with this view is something I will never complain about!
🍳 Jamaican breakfast with a new favorite
I love trying local food when I travel, so I ordered ackee and saltfish with fried plantains. Actually, I just asked our Butler team for a Jamaican breakfast, and they understood the assignment!! My new favorite… The June plum juice! Sweet, tart, and SO good. Now I need to figure out how to get this at home 😅
🌊 Beach time
Our butler Shawne had our chairs ready, and Ray was back from golf and joined me on the beach by about 10:40!
We had a green flag and beautiful turquoise water. There are some rocky spots when you first walk in, so watch your footing, but we could see where we were stepping. A few fish swam by, and we spent a couple of hours enjoying that gorgeous water before heading to the spa.
My recommendation: If you’re only spending part of the day at the beach, reserved chairs may be all you need. We skipped the cabana this time since we had our massage scheduled and wouldn’t be on the beach very long to enjoy it.
💆🏼♀️ Couples massage over the water
We chose a massage out on the pier, and hearing the waves underneath us was amazing. Both massages were exactly what we needed, and soooo good. This might be the best massage I personally have ever had - Antoinette was my masseuse and the pressure was perfect.
One honest note: You could also hear music from the neighboring resort. Ray would choose an indoor treatment next time for a quieter experience… although he still fell asleep, so clearly he managed to relax. 😂😅
We also spent time enjoying the spa’s pool, hot tub, and cold plunge. Ray did the cold plunge for about 5 mins…. I went to Jamaica to be WARM, so that was a hard pass for me, I will pay to avoid the cold 😅
I also appreciated that our therapists asked whether we wanted to hear about products before discussing them. There was no pushy sales pitch for products, which made the whole experience even better. I wanted to hear about them though, and ended up with a few!
🍹 Pool time
After the spa, we met up with friends we’d made the day before and stayed at the pool until the bar closed and the rain started for a quick 15 mins.
Why do we all get out of the pool when it rains? We’re already wet. And yet… there the whole pool went. 🤷🏼♀️🤣
🍣 Sushi AND Zuka
We went back to Hanami for that Philadelphia roll because once was definitely not enough! Service was much quicker this visit, and we were in and out in under an hour. Ray ranked this as the best sushi he’s ever had.
Then we headed to Zuka for dinner. I had the surf and turf with flank steak, red snapper and lobster tail, and Ray had the Feijoada short rib and pork belly dish. We both really enjoyed our meals here. Everything arrived hot, and the steak was cooked just as requested, which I think is important to note!
☕️ Coffee, fire pits, and Dunn’s Rum Club
After dinner, we stopped at BLŪM because I needed a little help staying awake if we were making it to the Rum Club late. The coffee here is SO good, and the outdoor seating is a lovely spot to sit and talk at night, even if you’re not having caffeine at 8pm
Then we spent some time by the fire outside Dunn’s Rum Club. Between the fire and water features in the water fountains here, I could have sat there staring at it for hours. It’s so incredibly relaxing. Really this whole resort is!!
We stopped inside, too, but didn’t quite make it to the late-night party! Earlier in the evening, it had a relaxed atmosphere that was perfect for an after-dinner drink. Next time, I may need a nap so I can hang for the DJ. 😂
💛 My biggest takeaway?
Give yourself more time here if you can. We knew 3 days wouldn’t be “enough” but we work with what we can with 4 littles at home!!
We’re heading home today, and we’re already talking about coming back. Three nights gave us a wonderful little getaway, but next time I’d love at least 5 nights to enjoy more of the resort without trying to fit everything in.
And… we’re considering a couples trip here in 2028 with an optional golf component! You wouldn’t have to golf, and you could spend as much or as little time with the group as you wanted. Your vacation, your room choice, your pace - with some fun people along for the trip. 😉
Interested in joining us, or planning your own Sandals Dunn’s River getaway? Send me a message! 🌴