Five top Caribbean Holiday Destinations

When you think of the Caribbean, the immediate images are of exotic sandy beaches, palm trees, and holidays. The year round warm temperatures, and number of different island destinations has drawn holiday makers to the area for years. This has probably been added to by the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Thanks to the popularity of the region, airline tickets to Caribbean are now cheap and abundant. But not all destinations in the Caribbean are the same. The region is large and includes over 7000 islands, with varying languages, cultures and climates depending on which island you are on. Over the years, the Caribbean has been colonised by many different, though mainly European nations. These include the English, the French, Spanish, Dutch and Portugese, and these countries have affected each of the islands they have occupied in different ways. Today, whilst a colonial heritage is often strong, most of the islands have become to some degree independent, turning into sovereign states, and dependencies. Many of these have now become popular tourist destinations, whilst some remain exclusively for the wealthy, and some remain untouched.

With the rise of cheap flights to Caribbean, came the rise of the package holiday, and many of the Caribbean islands are primarily package holiday destinations. Barbados is one of the most well known holiday destinations, specially for the British, thanks to its history as part of the British empire, and is now a highly developed island state offering state of the art tourist facilities. Time share and villa’s are also popular on Barbados. The island is relatively small, and contains stunning beaches, suitable for surfing, with numerous scuba diving area’s. Alongside the natural beauty, Barbados offers a lively nightlife and top quality restaurants. In addition it's ideal for golf holidays as you can see in this top golf locations article.

The Bahamas is another popular tourist destination serviced by cheap flights to Caribbean. The Bahamas is made up of several islands, each with a slightly different character, offering something slightly different to the visitor. Throughout the Bahamas, there is a mixture of clean beaches, tropical forests, and laid back towns, with first class amenities, and facilities for watersports such as sailing, scuba diving and snorkelling. New Providence Island is home to Nassau, the capital city, and contains a mix of colonial architecture and stunning beaches, providing a glamorous and exciting nightlife amidst the tropical paradise. The Grand Bahama Islands are perhaps the most popular destination, as they contain the typical Caribbean island scenery, with long unspoilt beaches, and quiet, relaxed villages amongst the pine trees. If you are looking for a more remote destination, the name says it all with the Out Islands, a group of islands slightly further away, and containing a mixture of quiet and lively locations.

Jamaica is well known as the home of reggae, dancehall and ragga. As well as being the home of reggae, Jamaica is the home of the Rastafarian religion, and many flock to the country, attracted to these two culturally important factors. Previously a colony of Britain, Jamaica achieved full independence in 1962 and is now one of the most anglicised countries in the America’s. Holidays to Jamaica are popular thanks to the tropical climate, and numerous sandy beaches, as well as the countries rich cultural heritage. Famous destinations include Montego Bay, which contains a number of tourist resorts, and has been the haunt of the rich and famous. Other famous tourist spots include Negril, established as a hippy destination, and now popular for watersports, and Port Antonio, a charming blend of old and new with colonial architecture, Jamaica’s first tourist resort.

Grenada is one of the less well know Caribbean islands. Though it was first colonised by the French, Grenada was ceded to the English in 1763, and is now a sovereign state under the UK. Remnants of the French colonisation still exist within the cooking style, and dialect. Though Grenada has in recent years been caught in the middle of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, it is now a major tourist destination. A small island, Grenada is surrounded by sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water, and numerous coral reefs. The interior of the island houses rolling tropical hills, with scattered waterfalls and mountain lakes, with many spice plants, giving it the nickname of ‘Spice Island’. The capital St George’s picturesque harbourside setting is reputed to be one of the most attractive cities in the Caribbean.

Another of the lesser known Caribbean islands is St Lucia. A beautiful, tiny island, St Lucia is far removed from the crowded tourist resorts of other Caribbean islands, and most of the resorts are in the major towns. One of the Windward Islands, St Lucia’s economy is based primarily on banana production and secondarily on tourism. It now caters for luxury Caribbean holidays, due to its plentiful beaches and tropical scenery. St Lucia is particularly marketed as a wedding destination because of the idyllic scenery. As it is fairly difficult to get to, St Lucia is primarily a destination for cruise ships, and these tend to stay around the capital Castries.

The Caribbean contains a vast number of islands, varying from the quiet, and secluded paradises, to the busy resorts, full of bars and nightclubs. Flights to Caribbean now cater to most of the major tourist destinations, and the smaller islands can be reached by ferry or smaller charter flights.