Caribbean: The Complete Guide
The Caribbean is one of the dream destinations par excellence: these islands have unique characteristics in the world and are bathed by a crystalline sea, which makes them a real corner of Paradise! Often, however, when we talk about the Caribbean we tend to get a little confused: this name in fact includes many islands and precisely refers to the whole area of the Caribbean Sea, therefore to the Antilles and to the coasts of some continental countries of the Center and South America. Going on a holiday in the Caribbean is certainly the dream of many and there are several couples who choose this destination for their honeymoon: let’s see how to best organize their holidays to live a dream experience in a truly incredible place.
Caribbean Weather: Best Time to Go
Are you wondering what is the best time to go on a Caribbean vacation? To understand when it is best to book your trip, you need to keep in mind the climatic conditions of these areas. In the Caribbean there are two main seasons: the humid one (which runs from mid-May to mid-November) is characterized by a hot and sultry climate, with temperatures around 30 ° but high probability of precipitation, cyclones and hurricanes. For this reason it is advisable to go in the dry season, which runs from mid-November to mid-May: in these months you will find pleasant temperatures (around 28-29 °) and a cooler and breezy climate, with very little rainfall.
If you want to avoid the high season, when prices are soaring, you should avoid leaving for the Caribbean islands during the Christmas and New Year holidays. From the climatic point of view, however, our winter is certainly the best period but it is always advisable to consult the weather forecast of the specific area because there may be slight variations.
How to Get to the Caribbean
As we have said, the Caribbean includes many islands with different characteristics and truly amazing natural landscapes. For this reason, many opt for a Caribbean cruise – this way you can visit multiple islands and explore different locations. There are many agencies that offer the possibility to book a cruise to the Caribbean islands and the prices vary according to the services and the duration of the trip.
Alternatively, you can naturally arrive by plane: numerous flights, with different prices depending on the number of scheduled stopovers and the company. The duration of the flight from Europe to the Caribbean is about 10-12 hours, with variations based on the precise destination.
Passport: Not Required in the French Caribbean
If you come from Europe, a passport is not always mandatory to arrive in the Caribbean islands: in fact, if you book your holidays in Martinique or Guadeloupe, a valid identity card will suffice for expatriation. These islands are in fact French territory: here the official language is French and the currency is the euro: you can therefore arrive without problems, as in any other European state.
The Islands of the Caribbean
The Caribbean islands are very many and also have very different characteristics from each other: they can be grouped into archipelagos, in turn falling into 3 larger groups, namely the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas.
The Lesser Caribbean Antilles
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles extend from Puerto Rico southwards, along the entire coast of Venezuela to Colombia and are in turn divided into 3 groups:
- Northern Windward Islands (including the Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Antigua, Dominica and others);
- South Windward Islands (Martinique, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, Grenada and the Grenadines);
- Leeward Islands (Aruba, Los Roques, Curacao, Los Hermanos and others).
The Great Caribbean Antilles
The Greater Antilles extend west of the Lesser Antilles and south-east of the United States of America. They are made up of 4 main islands, of vast extension:
- Cuba
- Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti)
- Jamaica
- Puerto Rico
- The Bahamas
