Caribbean

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Introduction

Luxuary on the Carribean

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If you would like to travel between the islands, one of the great ways to travel around the Caribbean is by ferry or boat. For more information please read the article: Caribbean ferries.

An interactive map of the Caribbean with information on each of the countries including population, capital, language spoken and website for the local tourist association can be found in the Caribbean Travel section of the Toronto Star website.

Geography

The Caribbean is the area which includes the Caribbean Sea, which is located to the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico, and to the north of South America. Many of the over 7.000 islands form a huge arch around the Caribbean Sea, making it a natural borderline. North of the this line, the Bahamas are also regarded as part of the Caribbean. In the north of the Caribbean you can find the bigger islands, like Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. A string of smaller islands runs from Puerto Rico to the mainland of Venezuela. Many of the countries surrounding the Caribbean Sea also have islands in front of their coast. At the center of the sea, you will find only a couple of remote islands.

Subregions

• Antilles, subdivided in:
• Great Antilles and
• Lesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles are again subdivided into:

• Leeward Islands
• Windward Islands
• Leeward Antilles

Bahamas

Countries

Sights and Activities

Major Cities

Although to most other regions/continents in the world there are almost no real big cities, several are worth a visit of their own, most notably Havana. Others are mentioned because of the fact that they (can) act as a gateway to the Caribbean, more than other places.

• Fort-de-France, Martinique
• Havana, Cuba
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
• Nassau, Bahamas
• Playa Blanca, Colombia
• Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe
• Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
• Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Landmarks

See also: Famous Landmarks

• Montserrat is not your typical Caribbean destination, but for the adventurous types who would like to experience something different. During an eruption of the Soufriere Volcano in 1995 and another one in 1997 almost half of the island was destroyed, including the capital Plymouth.
• Trinidad is one of the best preserved historical cities in Cuba.

Other

• With beautiful warm water and generally fantastic visibility, Caribbean Scuba Diving and Snorkelling is an experience you don't want to miss.

Learning Caribbean Languages

These language phrasebooks were created by Travellerspoint members to help travellers pick up some basic phrases, grammar and pronunciation skills before their trip:

• Dutch phrasebook
• Spanish phrasebook

Find out about contributing to or starting a new phrasebook on our project page: Project:Language phrasebooks.

Getting Around

By Boat

Caribbean cruises. Most of the cruises leave from Miami and take around seven days, though there is a large variety of other US ports one can take a cruise from. This popular zone is divided into three areas, Western Caribbean including Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, South Florida and the Keys, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. The Eastern Caribbean compromise Puerto Rico, Leeward and the Virgin islands. And finally the Southern Caribbean which covers Martinique, Saint Lucia, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also passing by Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and Curacao.
It's more a relaxed way of getting around if you like spending some time on the islands as well as having everything arranged for you, including transport and full board. You can also travel around yourself on some of the Caribbean Ferries.