Caribbean Island Basics

A Caribbean Island vacation offers a variety of options to please all kinds of travelers. Whether you are looking for a relaxing getaway with the one you love, a fun filled family vacation, or a partying paradise with your friends, the Caribbean has an Island for you.

Demographics

The Caribbean Islands sit in the Caribbean Sea to the southwest of the Gulf of Mexico. The area is referred to as the West Indies, discovered by Christopher Columbus. There are more than 7,000 islands, reefs, islets, and cays that make up the West Indies. The population of around 38million spreads across the 2,500 mile length with larger pockets forming near the major cities of Havana, Cuba; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Kingston, Jamaica; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean Islands were originally colonies of Europe nations and a few overseas territories. These include Portuguese, British, Danish, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Swedish decent. You will experience the variations traveling from island to island. For instance, places like Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico have a Spanish decent reflected in their culture. Areas like Jamaica and Barbados have a quite different culture from their British decent. Languages also vary from territory to territory but, luckily for travelers, English is prevalent amongst most areas.

Climate

Because of its vast size, the Caribbean climate varies from Island to Island. The mountain elevation, trade winds, sea currents, and island position (north or south) determine the weather. Besides the Bahamas to the far north, the rest of the islands mainly experience warm and humid tropical weather. Rainfall is anywhere from 10 inches per year on the flatter terrain islands like Barbados, to over 350 inches annual in the mountainous areas of Dominica.

The in season or peak months for a majority of the Caribbean Islands is from November to April. Some feel that this is because the weather is warm but not overly hot and humid. But, in reality, the Caribbean weather does not vary much from month to month. The peak season is related more to the colder temperatures elsewhere, which promotes travel to the warm sandy beaches. It also has to do with the hurricane season that threatens many of the islands. Be cautious of vacationing from June to November when traveling to the islands that lay in the hurricane prone region.

Travel

To help determine which Caribbean Island is best for you, consider what traits you are looking for in your vacation. If you and your loved one are looking for a romantic getaway that includes plenty of beach time, great food and restaurants, and a relaxing atmosphere you might like Bermuda, Jamaica or St. Lucia. These islands offer name brand all inclusive resorts in a friendly and safe environment. If you and a group of your friends are looking for a hot spot to party, you would probably prefer islands like Barbados, Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico. These locations do not shut down at 10pm, they have clubs and discos open all hours of the night, along with resorts and beaches to relax and recover during the day. Top family vacation spots in the Caribbean are Bahamas, Aruba, or St.Kitts. The Bahamas is home to the renowned Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. And, Aruba and St.Kitts have plenty family friendly activities for everyone to enjoy.

When planning a trip to the Caribbean, talk to friends that have traveled there, get in touch with an experienced travel agency, or browse online for resources. There is plenty of valuable information to help you determine which island is best for you!