The Caribbean
Introduction
Year-round sunshine and refreshing trade winds make the Caribbean arguably the
most temperate place in the world, and certainly, its sugar-white sand beaches
are the perfect place for such as debate.
The allure of the Caribbean is rooted in the unending miles of sun-drenched
beaches and electric blue coastal waters that line its landscape. Many Caribbean
islands exude the charms of their Spanish, British, Dutch or French heritage,
and their contemporary cultures revere the past and simultaneously bank on the
future of tourism.
The smooth, enlivening rhythms and harmonies of the steel drum lure vacationers
in search of both relaxation and adventure, and the environment offers
opportunities for both. Naturalists can tour lagoons and rainforests. Sports
enthusiasts can climb volcanoes and dive in aquatic caves. Plus, with duty-free
shopping and some of the oldest historic sites in the world, shoppers and
sightseers are equally gratified.
Getting Around
The Caribbean is a wonderful vacation destination because so much of its appeal
lies in self-discovery. You don't need a guide to tell you that the talc-smooth
shores of the beaches are local hotspots, and a simple walk through the streets
is an instant introduction to some of the greatest shopping in the world. You
will also discover that visits to historic sights can be accomplished without a
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Cruise Tip
Large ships (accommodating over 1,000 passengers)
cater to travelers who crave a variety of entertainment options, high-tech
facilities and plenty of new friends.
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Tips |
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Cultural Attractions
- Dance to traditional artistic performances like
the classical Mariachi and the upbeat Marimba.
- Journey to Pirates of Nassau Museum and hear
legendary tales of Blackbeard, explore the caverns of a pirate ship and come
face to face with women pirates.
- Tour St. Maarten studios and meet prominent
French artists while viewing exquisite oil paintings, watercolors, pastels,
charcoals and engravings.
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Shopping Districts
- Browse the colorful, Dominican Mercado Modelo in
Santo Domingo for traditional handicrafts, rum and cigars.
- Shop the world-famous straw market in Nassau.
- Search for treasures in the Dutch-influenced
outdoor markets of St. Lucia.
If you are looking for an all-encompassing tour
of the island or city, a guide might make your trek a little easier - especially
if your trip takes you into rugged terrain. However, armed with just a map and
some advice from the locals socializing in the cantina, you might find your
shore excursion more rewarding.
Examples of shore excursion opportunities in the
Caribbean include:
Sports Excursions
- Sport fish off the northern coast of Jamaica for
blue marlin, wahoo, tuna, snapper and grouper.
- Mountain bike through the Dominican's lush Layou
River Valley and bypass tropical countryside and banana, citrus and coffee
plantations.
- Dive in Bonaire's world famous Marine Park,
rated by Skin Diver magazine as one of the top dive destinations in the world.
Adventure Expeditions
- Hike to Honeymoon Beach in St. Thomas and sun on
the sugar-white sand beach and swim in the sparkling turquoise waters.
- Get behind the wheel of a safari Jeep and take a
tropical tour of Cozumel and its vast, low savannah.
- Horseback ride along the north Frigate Bay Beach
in St. Kitts.
Nature Trips
- Kayak in Half Moon Cay, Bahamas on Bone Fish
Lagoon, a 1,400-acre protected habitat that is home to numerous species of
flora, from red mangroves to the ornamental silver buttonwood tree.
- Walk to the top of the volcanic Mount Liamuiga
in Basse-Terre and photograph Crater Lake.
- Take a tram into Harrison's Cave in Bridgetown,
Barbados and witness thousands of gleaming stalagmites.
Historical Tours
- View the 17th-century architecture of San Juan,
Puerto Rico, including Cristo Chapel, the Governor's Mansion and the San Jose
Church - the second oldest church in the Western Hemisphere.
- Submarine in Oranjestad, Aruba past the wreck of
the Antilla, a sunken 400-ft. WWII German freighter that is the largest
shipwreck in the Caribbean.
- Explore the Mayan ruins of Tulum in Cozumel,
including the temple of the Frescos, the Temple of the Descending God and the
pyramid-shaped Castle of el Castillo.
Wildlife Interaction
- Wade in waist-deep water at Blue Lagoon Island
in Nassau and pet friendly dolphins.
- Hand feed sharks, turtles, stingrays and
Caribbean fish in Willemstad, Curacao.
- Tour the Butterfly Farm in Aruba and chase
thousands of these brilliantly colorful creatures.
Flightseeing Charters
- Soar over St. Thomas and view remote islands
like Lovango, Mingo and Thatch Cay, and historic sights like Drake's Seat and
Louisenhoj Castle.
- Follow the ancient trade route of Sir Francis
Drake and see the pirate-treasure caves of Norman Island while flightseeing over
St. John.
- Fly in a helicopter over St. Kitts and sightsee
Brimstone Hill Fortress, a complex of barracks and bastions adapted to the
slopes of an 800-ft. hill.
| Enhance
your travel to the Caribbean by reading about its culture, people and history in
these novels: |
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Rude Boy - Chris Salewicz
Two Years in the French West Indies - Lafcadio Hearn
A Walk Around the West Indies - Hunter Davies
Caribbean Pirates - Warren Alleyne
Tales from Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Carib Breeze - Dorothy Whitfield |
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