While nursing one of those frothy, multicolored tropical drinks at a table under a coconut palm in Anguilla, I spotted a tourist in a T-shirt that read, “So Many Islands, So Little Time.” Rarely has a piece of preshrunk cotton cloth carried a truer sentiment. The Caribbean is, indeed, abundant with choices. The islands range from the size of the U.S. state of Mississippi to hardly bigger than a sand spit, from lush and mountainous to flat and coral-crusted, from accessible to remote. The islands’ people and cultures are equally diverse, gleaning exotic backgrounds from Africa, Spain, France, Britain, America, and the Caribbean’s indigenous Arawak and Carib Indians. You can experience just about anything short of a snowstorm. The trouble is, it’s almost too much-the conundrum, particularly for first-time visitors, is not where to find things to see and do, but how to sift through the overwhelming number of possibilities. The first choice you need to make is the most obvious: “Which island should we visit?” Hiking/Walking
Dominica
Grenada
Nevis
Saba
St. John
St. Kitts
St. Lucia

Mountains To Climb
Dominica
Martinique
Saba
Sint Eustatius
St. Lucia
St. Vincent
Tobago

Budget Accommodations
Barbados
Carriacou
Dominica
Martinique
Saba
Sint Eustatius
St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Island Camping
Guadeloupe
Martinique
St. John
St. Lucia
Tortola

Villa Rentals
Barbados
Mustique
Saba
Saint-Barthélémy
Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten
St. Thomas
Tortola

Romantic Getaway
Anguilla
Barbuda
Nevis
Saint-Barthélémy
Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten
Tobago
Virgin Gorda

Carnivals and Local Festivals
Barbados
Curaçao
Guadeloupe
Martinique
St. Lucia
St. Thomas
Trinidad and Tobago

Scuba Diving
Antigua
Bonaire
Curaçao
Dominica
Guadeloupe
Saba
St. Croix

Snorkeling
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
The Grenadines
Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten
Tobago
U.S. Virgin Islands

Sportfishing
Anegada
Antigua
Barbados
Guadeloupe
Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
U.S. Virgin Islands
 

This is a tough question. When I was single and footloose-wait, let me rephrase that. When I was single and miserable because I wasn’t married to my lovely wife, my Caribbean travel itinerary consisted of three important concepts: beach, beach, beach. Just about anywhere with a good beach would do. Additionally important to me in those days were inexpensive accommodations (preferably on the beach), and good places to eat and drink (clearly, also on the beach). Today, with children, we look for family-friendly accommodations, travel packages that will save money, and islands with plenty of activities for both adults and kids. In addition, before and after kids, we look for places where we can learn about and mingle with the local cultures. For this reason, we tend to eschew megaresorts where the emphasis is on staying within the walls of the compound. We also like to search out local festivals, performances by folk dance and theater groups, and even open-air markets-places where interaction with the local culture is rich and genuine.

Of course, you will have different needs. Some are looking for high-energy activities such as water-skiing, windsurfing, sportfishing, jet-skiing, horseback riding and so on. Several islands-Antigua, Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, and Barbados come to mind-offer all that and much more. Others will want to take the underwater plunge, and among the world’s best scuba diving spots are Saba and Bonaire. I have a friend who, no matter where he goes, feels a mysterious compulsion to play golf most of the waking day. Duffers can slake their needs at world-class courses in St. Thomas, Martinique, Nevis, and Barbados. You may desire a nature experience, taking time away from the coast for hikes through lush rainforests where you’ll encounter exotic birdlife and other tropical fauna and flora. Islands such as Dominica, among others, have created miles of hiking trails through forest reserves and coastal sanctuaries.

Some may crave some quiet time, or perhaps a rainy afternoon researching the fascinating history and background of the islands by visiting local museums and preserved historical artifacts such as plantations, sugar mills, forts, and shipyards. Look to, among others, Antigua, Barbados, Sint Eustatius, Trinidad, and St. Kitts for some of the best historical sites and museums in the region. Is shopping for duty-free items, crafts, or art high on your list? Shopping meccas, which also attract healthy numbers of cruise ships, include St. Thomas, St. Croix, Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, Barbados, Aruba, and Curaçao.

Perhaps you are seeking out the less tangible aspects of a vacation. A couple of friends who recently married asked which island would be the best for a honeymoon. I in turn foolishly asked what they were looking for in an island honeymoon, and the response was, of course, romance. It’s hard to go wrong in that department most anywhere in the Caribbean, but several islands are long on privacy, short on crowds, and host intimate restaurants and deserted beaches and coves. Anguilla comes to mind as an island high in romantic appeal, as does Barbuda, St. Kitts, and some of the smaller, private islands of the British Virgin Islands. Finally, almost everyone considers budget, health and safety issues, and types of available accommodations when researching a Caribbean vacation.

You’ve probably already made the most important decision-to go to the Caribbean. You can make any one of the islands your place to simply lay down a towel, relax in the sun, read a fat novel. You can dance your own dance, make it a place to discover something about yourself. As for which island is best for you, in the final analysis no one but you can definitively answer the question. But you can arm yourself with information. Caribbean Vacations: How to Create Your Own Tropical Adventure has been designed to help you navigate the sea of options that are yours when planning a trip to the Caribbean.

The following quick references are a good starting point for choosing your destination. The islands listed herein (alphabetically) are by no means the only ones that ring true for each category-they’re just the best in their class.

Archaeology, Arts & Culture, Uncategorized
Caribbean Vacations