This fabled sea, covering more than a million square miles and 7,000 islands with diverse languages, cultures, and ecosystems, has become probably the planet's premier vacation playground. Here it's all about its regional issues and allures. And yes, the (Plus) means we're including the Bahamas and Bermuda along with the Caribbean coasts of ColombiaCosta RicaFrench Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Suriname, and Panama.

For other individual island forums, check out Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Statia (St. Eustatius), St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten/Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Why Dominica is the Caribbean´s quintessential "Nature Isle"

David Stanley No megaresorts, no swim-up bars three deep with cocktails, no overrun tourist attractions, no pushy touts. This 290-square-mile bit of lush real estate wedged between Guadeloupe and Martinique is all rainforest, river, and volcano, with just enough sea and sand to satisfy beach lovers. But while Dominica is just 29 miles tip to tip and 16 across, don't let the size fool you into thinking you can zip around in an hour. The interior is all steep, forested mountains, so even the…

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The French-flavored icon of low-key luxury that Is St. Barts, and its top highlights

David Stanley The small French Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy has with a population of roughly 11,000 people, yet it has developed an outsized reputation as one of the world’s most exclusive destinations. Located in the northeastern Caribbean near St. Martin, it´s just ten square miles in size—small enough to cross in about twenty minutes—yet rich in atmosphere and variety.Its history reflects a mix of influences. Originally inhabited by Arawak and Carib peoples, in 1648 it became a…

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What definitely not to miss in Havana

Eric Marshall   Deteriorated though much of it is, what might be the most surprising thing to travelers about Cuba´s capital - still the most beautiful in the Caribbean - is how well-rounded it also is. Especially culturally, with restaurants, cafés, shops and ubiquitous music joined by high-quality museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts, with international as well as Cuban works, divided between a modern facility and the magnificent late-19th-century Centro Asturiano (Asturian social club);…

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Visiting Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas: experiences, tips, and essentials

Don Ramey Logan First opened in 1968 just offshore from Nassau, Atlantis Paradise Island is one of the Caribbean's most iconic resort destinations, which with its world-famous water park, marine habitats, luxury towers, and stunning beaches spread out over 154 acres attracts millions of visitors every year. Whether you're planning a family vacation, a honeymoon, or simply a subtropical getaway, this guide will help you plan the perfect trip—covering the best time to visit, must-do…

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Comments

  • Check out member Jordan Simon's excellent round-up of wallet-friendly Caribbean isles on AOL. Makes me want to start packing!!
  • Tripatini would like to congratulate member Steve Bennett on the launch of his fascinating new web site, www.UncommonCaribbean.com. Check it out!
  • CTO Forecasts Growth in 2010

    By Robert Kelly, eTN | Feb 10, 2010

    The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is forecasting a rebound in visitor arrivals in 2010 with moderate growth expected for the region on the heels of positive indicators from the fourth quarter of 2009.

    Keep reading...
  • Howdy folks,
    We have a very timely and provocative topic going in the Cruising group which I think you may wish to weigh in on. Just click here to put in your two cents' worth.
  • Last night I attended a French St. Martin dinner, presentation and mini-trade fair in Miami Beach. Great product, great people -- and famous artist Sir Roland Richardson was there, too! Anyone have any recent thoughts/observations on the island to share?
  • Front and center on the Tripatini blog this week: the Caribbean's best off-the-beaten-track shopping. Check it out!
    blog.TRIPATINI.COM
  • Especiallty all of us who love the Caribbean need to band together right now to support the relief agencies starting to pour aid into Haiti after the total devastation wrought by this week's earthquake...
  • History tells us that none of the colonial powers were all that great, but England tended to circle the wagons around their culture more than others. Perhaps that's contributed to problems today.
  • Funny thing is, Max, when I was a young high school teacher, we taught that all things being relative, the English handled their colonies better than the French or Spanish. Maybe so, yet as you know, the French islands (perhaps with the exception of Martinique) seem to indicate otherwise. That said, there's a lot to love in Grenada, the BVI, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, Anguilla....Just have to watch your back in some spots. And the governments of T/T, Jamaica, and Spanish-speaking DR, among other places, really must do a better job training cops to respond. That said, a murder rate that increases 38% may not be as bad as it sounds, given its foundation on such a small population (and, ergo, murder rate) in the first place. But thanks for posting this.
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