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 Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guayana, 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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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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5 highlights of Dutch Sint Maarten

Dave Senior Taking up 40 percent of the island of St. Martin and with a population of around 58,000, this territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands packs a whole lot of fun, flavor, and personality into a petite package. Whereas French St. Martin leans elegant and relaxed, the multicultural, largely English-speaking Dutch side offers its share of quiet corners, but also a livelier menu of casinos, nightlife, beach bars, waterfront dining – along some of the most photographed aircraft landings…

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  • As someone who has specialized in bailing clients out of touchy p.r. situations, I'm not a bit surprised by this. The public lumps different states/provinces together (if there's trouble in Mexico's border towns, you can be sure the public will fear Cancun) and sometimes even entire continents (as in all Africa has civil conflicts, all western Europe except the UK ratted out on us after 9/11, etc.). Are we certain that most Americans can distinguish among different areas in Jamaica -- let alone the Caribbean? Anyway, I like your saying "Maybe some StL PR folks can shed light on it ..." That'd be interesting.
  • It does seem odd.. Maybe some StL PR folks can shed light on it ...
  • Makes sense to me, Patricia. It's just that what I found notable was that it was St. Lucia's tourism minister saying this.
  • Having just returned from Jamaica I can say that the entire country is shaken and hyper-sensitive about what's happened there, and of course deeply concerned about the impact on tourism. My view is that the Observer article is a reflection of this national sensitivity rather than an accurate market forecast. Already marketers and editors are at work promoting the gated resort meccas of Mo Bay and Negril located away from Kingston. (Personally I think the country has far better to offer but that's another subject.) If people are able to distinguish between Kingston and other destinations 3 hours distant, shouldn't they be able to distinguish btw Kingston and USVI, Stl. Lucia, etc?
  • Just came across this from the Jamaica Observer about the impact the bad stuff going down in Kingston on tourism across the Caribbean. Do you agree with this assessment?

    "Jamaica unrest said creating problem for regional tourism

    LAST week's deadly unrest in Jamaica's capital of Kingston has created a major public relations crisis for the Caribbean, St Lucia's Tourism Minister Allan Chastanet has said.

    Chastanet, a former chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the region's tourism product is suffering from the television pictures of burning buildings, soldiers engaging gunmen in street battles and coffins containing bodies being splashed across the globe.

    He said when visitors speak of coming to the Caribbean for a vacation, Jamaica is among the first countries that come to mind.

    Chastanet said tourists view the Caribbean as a group of countries that are connected and 'there are some people that are not able to differentiate one island from another'."
  • Tony,
    Could you take a look at a collaboration that we are doing with Cap Maison on St. Lucia? If so I'll forward over the details and press release..
    Steve
  • Thanks for the shoutout. In fact it's a companion piece of sorts to a post I did a couple of weeks ago: http://travel.aol.com/travel-ideas/galleries/direct-flight-caribbea...

    Allie, I wish I could, too, but the word-count restrictions are intense -- and while my editors do a fine job, inevitably some details, factual to evocative, are lost in the cutting and rearranging....
  • Jordan Simon writes well and seems to know these islands well, but I wish he had included names and phone numbers for the hotels.
  • Check out member Jordan Simon's excellent round-up of wallet-friendly Caribbean isles on AOL. Makes me want to start packing!!
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