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Photo by: Gary Bogdon

 He's not much of a bouncer, but at nearly 600 pounds, he doesn't have to do much to make his point: Meet Wilbur, a pony-sized pig and the resident mascot, garbage disposal and sideshow attraction at the laid-back Reggae Beach Bar on St. Kitts' Cockleshell Bay. As the story goes, Wilbur was one of three piglets roaming free on nearby Turtle Beach, and the only one who eluded capture time and again. When owner (and fifth-generation Kittitian) Gary Pereira opened Reggae Beach, Wilbur made himself right at home. After you get an eyeful of this porcine beach bum, who's usually found napping in some shady spot, grab a bite on the restaurant's wood deck adorned with hand-painted signs suggesting that it's "island time; rush slowly." Try the grilled lobster or locally caught, fresh-grilled fish (varies daily) with rice and peas, and wash it down with a divine mango margarita. After dining, make your way to one of the comfortable chaises and bright-yellow umbrellas by the sea. If you're ready to check out the clear blue bay, the bar offers snorkel gear, kayaks and Hobie Cats. Strap on a mask and swim over the sea grass to your left, past the boats moored in the bay, for some great fish-spotting along the rocky coast. If that all seems like too much activity, there's always another mango margarita - and Wilbur - to keep you company on shore.

Reggae Beach Bar
Southeast Peninsula, Cockleshell Bay, St. Kitts
Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Live music Sunday afternoons.
869-762-5050
reggaebeachbar.com