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Virgin Islands
America purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. Columbus who discovered them in 1493, in honour of the 10,000 virgins of. St.Ursula who died at the hands of the Huns, somewhere in 7-th century Europe . They consist of three islands. St. Thomas is the capital and is well known with cruisers. It has alluring beaches, good dining and a few historic sights. St. John is a short distance from St. Thomas and is almost completely unspoilt. The transaction hasn’t proved quite as lucky as the purchase of Alaska , the Virgin Islands have seen many a tourist dollar sink into Washington ’s purse. Located due east of Puerto Rico and southwest of the British Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands occupy their small territory of Caribbean beauty with a passion for shopping and nature. St Thomas is the lively centre of attention, where duty-free shops reign supreme and thousands of tourists come together for a crazy nightlife. It’s also a great place to sit by the beach, since it has more than forty of them. St John is the alternative, where the ecologists throw their party. It’s dominated by a national park, so the parties are naturally smaller and quieter. The British Virgin Islands are also hilly, but are less built up with hotels and tourism. The BVI glore with lovely beaches and nice people.
Trinidad and Tobago
The distinct differences between Trinidad and Tobago are a significant bonus to visitors: while most Caribbean destinations can offer a handful of attractions, Trinidad & Tobago boast a bagful. Its variety is ideal, granting the best of Caribbean culture and the best of Caribbean beauty. The capital is Port of Spain , the language is English. The nation has its own dollar but US currency is widely accepted. The population of about 1.3 million comprises one of the most diverse mixtures on earth. They include descendants of immigrants from Africa, China , India , Europe, Syria and many other places. “Trinis,” as Trinidadians call themselves, are a friendly, ambitious, education-loving lot known for their fine, French-oriented cuisine.
The smaller laid-back island of Tobago is believed to be the place Robert Louis Stevenson had in mind when he wrote Treasure Island . From the standpoint of lush scenery and mountain tops, it is indeed a treasure island.
Saint-Martin
This is the french side of the island of St Martin (french) / St Maarten (dutch). Situated in the North Eastern Caribbean, between Anguilla, Saint Barths, Statia and Saba, it is administratively a commune of Guadeloupe . St. Martin is often wrongly claimed to be the smallest territory in the world shared by two countries and the only one divided without a frontier (A much smaller island in the north Baltic sea¨is shared between Sweden and Finland ). St Martin options include: duty-free shopping for French luxury items, water sports, scuba diving, golf, horseback riding, tennis, and side trips to the shops and tourist attractions on the Dutch part of the island. You might even spot a fake windmill.
Mango-lovers will have a field day, literally, at Mango Grove, an area known for its mango, almond and guava groves. The French side of the island has several working farms. French St Martin also sports a butterfly farm, where you can see about 40 species of butterflies from around the world.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines are located between Grenada and Saint Lucia . St. Vincent is the main island and the Grenadines are a bucnh of small islands south of it, Bequia, Mustique, Mayreau and Krk island are the most important ones.
Kingstown the capital is very British with a cricket team an Anglican Catedral and a Methodist Church . The botical gardens and the racheological museum are worth a visit. Northwest of here the Omo River valley is great for hiking with some good beaches nearby. From Kingstown ferris leave for Krk island and Fort William .
Bequia is full of great beaches, Port Elizabeth , Lower Bay and Industry Bay are full of them. Lots of good snorkeling too. Hope and Friendship Bay are good for windsurfing.
Mustique is a beachcomber’s heaven. Macaroni Bay , Celiceaux Bay , Lagoon Bay and Endavour Bay are all great for snorkeling and swimming.
Mayreau is the best starting point for exploring the Tobago cays a wildlife reserve. Union Island has the highest peak of the islands, Mount Rushmore it can be explored from Clifton the major settlement.
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia ’s attractions read like a list of a dozen other Caribbean destinations: watersports, diving, deep sea fishing and, of course, simply lazing by the beach. St. Lucia has two easily recognizable features: the twin volcanic peaks of Petit Piton and Gros Piton which are are visible from far out to sea. Most of the islands is covered with thick greenery - from wild forests to banana plantations.
Castries is the main travel hub. The 100 year old marketplace on Jeremy street is well worth a visit. Castries is situated in a harbour on the Northwest coast.
Marigot Bay is 12 km south of Castries and has a great natural harbour, boat rentals, a beach and good board sailing are on offer there.
Saint Lucia National Rain Forest is a must see for nature lovers. Over 19,000 acres of towering hardwoods filled with bird life. Soufriere and Sulphur Springs are other ineresting areas of the island.
Just off the coast are the Maria islands and the Fregate islands. Both are nature reserves, so contact the National Trust for permissions and a guide to visit the islands.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
St Kitts and Nevis are an undiscovered duo of supreme beauty and languidity. There is nowhere else in the Caribbean with such remarkable examples of grand architecture, beautiful plantation inns and rickety old sugar mills. When it comes to outdoor activities though, visitors will find plenty of areas to do a bit of snorkelling or diving, two water sports the islands are well known for. Hiking and horse riding, is also popular on both islands, with absolutely stunning scenery to photograph whilst out there.
The best way to get around St Kitts or Nevis is by public bus or hire car. The buses are minivans, which take tourists round most of the islands except Frigate Bay and the southeastern cape. The bus service has no schedule though, but there’s so many of them from dawn till dusk, that the wait is not very long. With lush forests and a dormant volcano, St Kitts and it’s sister island Nevis are often called ‘the secret The Caribbean.’ St Kitts was an British colony for hundreds of years, and the legacy lingers with afternoon tea and Cricket.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is more Caribbean , Spanish, Latino, tropical and colorful than anything stateside. Puerto Rico lies West of The British Virgin Islands, and East of The Dominican Republic. The travel hot spot of the island is the capital of San juan . It is a modern city with ancient roots and lots of sights that date back hunderds of years. To the East of San Juan is the rainforest of El Yunque; then to the South of the island is the beautiful town of Ponce , surrounded by fine beaches.
Other attractions on the island include the Camuy caves, near Arecibo , the phosphorescent Bay near La Parguera, and the Espirito Santo River , which offers boat tours along a 5 mile stretch. The dry southwestern corner of the island is noted for its beaches and picturesque fishing villages with easy-going attitude. Here you can savour fresh clams and oysters in between sips of coconut water and the enchanting company of sea, sun and sand. San Juan bars and clubs are patronized during the day by the zillions of cruise passengers. In the evenings, a more local crowd makes merry into the wee hours. More than any other Caribbean hot spot.
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles was once the centre of the Caribbean slave trade but was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Netherlands Antilles has all you could ask for in a Caribbean holiday. The popular tourist areas are around Willemstad , on Curaçoa, and Sint Maarten, where fine dining, a festive night life and picture-perfect beaches make for comfortably enthralling visits. The islands of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba are spread out through the Caribbean . Aruba , Bonaire and Curacao , also known as the ABC islands, are located just of the Venezuelan coast in the south of the Caribbean Sea . Aruba lays the closest to the coast, just 25 km. The island is independent now, but it’s still considered as one of the ABC islands in the Dutch Leewards.
Curacao is 35 miles from Venezuela , so on clear days you can see the continent. It is the political, cultural and population centre of the Dutch islands. Bonaire is a little bit further out the coast. Bonaire is known for two attractions. It’s a paradise for divers and its bird life. So Bonaire should be visitied by nature lovers.
Two of the “S” islands of the Dutch West Indies, St. Eustatius and Saba are thimble-size islands south of St. Martin (Sint Maarten). St. Martin is is half Dutch and half French. The Windward or SSS-islands lay about 550 miles more to the north. The lay in the north eastern part of the Caribbean ring, very close to the British island of Anguilla and the French St. Bartolomy . All these islands are located very close to each other.
Montserrat
Montserrat is off the beaten Caribbean track. Its size is tiny (39 square miles). It has beautiful beaches, hills, forests, rivers and waterfalls. It’s known as the ‘Emerald Isle of the Caribbean ‘ and is the only west indian island that has St.Patrick’s day as a national holiday.
A big volcano eruption which started in 1998 has disrupted life on the island in a dramatic way. Instead of closing up the tourist shop, the Irish-Caribbean plucky people of Montserrat turned the destruction into a destination attraction! The rugged terrain covered in volcanic dust is considered an enhancement to the environment, visually speaking. The volcano damage can be viewed from a safe range. Montserrat is slowly but surely recuperating from the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano.
The capital Plymouth is covered by ash and pyroclastic flows and completely devastated. Access to more than half of the island is prohibited. The latest major explosion occurred in July 2004 when the island was again covered by ashes. The activity of the volcano is monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. Further information about the volcano can be found on www.mvo.ms
Because of the eruption the population has dropped from about 11,000 to 4,500. However, life in the northern part of Montserrat is again flourishing. No casualties have occurred outside the closed zone. The island can be reached by sea from Antigua . The airport was destroyed by the eruptions but there is also a helicopter service from Antigua . Small numbers of tourists have again found their way to the Emerald Isle.
Martinique
MARTINIQUE lies in the Caribbean in the Northernmost of the Windward Caribbean group. The easiest and fastest way to travel around Martinique is by hire car, with plenty of availability being found at the airport. Anyone that’s left their driving license at home though can jump on the local bus, called taxi collectives, the fares are cheap and tourist routes go from Fort-de-France and Saint-Pierre. Martinicans are obsessed with the sweet, syrupy rums produced by the island’s 11 rum distilleries. These distilleries make some of the world’s best-fermented sugarcane liquor. Martinique boasts the only rum carrying France ’s prestigious Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) label.
Before Columbus discovered the island in 1502, the Caribs called it Isle of Flowers and floral it has remained up to this day. You will find frangipani, wild orchids, hibiscus and neon-bright bougainville all over the place.
The capital city of the island is Fort-de-France a very stylish and sophisticated city. This fascinating culture is laid out against a backdrop of graceful Caribbean beauty. Lush unspoilt rainforests gives you an excellent hiking opportunity. South of the city you find many excellent beaches, be careful if you have young children. There are some beaches that allow nudists. Mont Pelee is in the north of the island. The volcanoes buried the old capital city, St. Pierre under lava and ashes back in 1902. With a height of over 4,000 feet it is the highest point of the island. English is widely spoken but it is a plus to know at least high-school French. There are wonderful subtleties in island culture - such as the tying of special knots in Martinican head coverings. A single knot is said to mean “my heart is taken,” two knots means “my heart is available,” and a triple knot can mean “I am spoken for, but you may still have a chance.”
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