The Caribbean Islands…
The Caribbean islands have amazing variety. Some are volcanic and soar from the water clad in rainforest, others barely make it above the surf; there are developed islands and dozy islands, large islands with populations of millions, others no more than a few square miles and a handful of people; there are Latin islands, French islands, former British islands, Dutch islands. A few Caribbean islands even belonged to the Knights of St John for a while… So which to choose?
Perhaps start with this question: do you want beach-bound seclusion or an island to explore? The first you can find in several ways – in a hotel that has its own bay, even its own island, where cottages are stretched along the waterfront. There are many out there, and a good travel agent or tour operator can find the right one for you. Or you could go for a small island with a very low key life around you? One of the Grenadines, the Virgin Islands, or an Out island in the Bahamas, for instance, though be aware that these places can be remote and likely involve a transfer once you arrive in the region. In many cases there won’t be much to occupy you beyond the scenery and your own company. However, perhaps that’s the point…
But an island to explore… there are plenty, and each one has its own nuance of Caribbean character. The Windward Islands, particularly Grenada and St Lucia, offer fantastic physical beauty in their landscape and greenery and charming people – West Indians are generally delighted to pass the time of day with a stranger. Martinique and Guadeloupe offer a French spin on same extravagant volcanic beauty, while the smaller scale and softer contours of St Kitts and Nevis, even Antigua and St Barts have a heart-clutching draw.
The larger islands tend to have a lively culture – most even come with their own musical rhythm too. Trinidad is an extraordinary mix of Indian and African people that explodes into musical vitality in calypso and the Caribbean’s biggest carnival. Jamaica reverberates to a different rhythm, reggae; it’s upbeat and sometimes boisterous, there’s always something going on. The Dominican Republic is Latin to the Nth degree, all swagger and flounce to merengue and bachata. And Cuba and Puerto Rico, also Latin, are polar opposites, each moving to its own version of salsa; the one is a Commonwealth of the USA, the other its political nemesis, now dragging itself into the modern world, but both are equally lively and welcoming. And then there’s Haiti, an extraordinary country, of primary colours, drum-beats and voodoo, a proper traveller’s challenge. It is exceptionally poor, but the people are among the liveliest in the world.
Perhaps you won’t feel the need to explore, preferring instead for the experiences to be closer to hand. Often the highlight of a holiday is a boat trip: pretty much every island offers a tour to a remote beach or a sunset cruise, the more developed islands (Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica) offering the infamous booze cruises with all you can eat and drink, before you walk the plank. For something a little more sedate, Caribbean flora is superb. Gardens are particularly good on Barbados, but there are others on Martinique and Guadeloupe and Grenada and Jamaica. Cocoa has a lovely story, seen on Grenada, St Lucia, Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic, even Jamaica now. Similarly coffee, particularly on Jamaica (for Blue Mountain coffee) and Puerto Rico.
For foodies the best options are St Barts and St Martin, Anguilla and then on the west coast of Barbados, which along with St Barts has the most sophisticated beach bars. That said, the true Caribbean vibe is probably a rickety beach shack with a background pulse of reggae, which you will find everywhere, certainly in the BVI, the south-east peninsular of St Kitts and of course Jamaica.
Or are you looking for an island which has spectacular natural life…? There are single instances on some remote, small islands, like the frigatebirds of Barbuda and the extraordinary phosphorescent lake on Vieques, but generally the larger islands offer more. For their truly spectacular birdlife, try Tobago and particularly Trinidad.
Any of the Windward Islands has hiking, rainforest and mountain, even volcano walks. Dominica, St Vincent, Martinique and Guadeloupe show the Windwards at their most fertile; similarly Jamaica and Puerto Rico. And there is excellent scuba around the islands. Again off Dominica, but also Tobago for its large fish, Cayman for its vertical walls, even tiny Saba in the north-eastern Caribbean.
But for all of this variety, what if you want nothing more than to fly and flop, and you don’t even much mind about the hotel? Then go for an island with regular direct flights: the hubs from Britain, islands with the most developed industries, are Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Nassau. From the States you might want to add St Maarten, San Juan and St Thomas. There’s a lot to choose from, but you’ll find somewhere that’s just right for you.