What is the difference between caribbean islands

A slew of beaches ideal for surfers, wind-surfers, budget sunbathers and traditional types who dress for dinner make Barbados a truly welcoming island. There's been a steady increase in nonstop flights to the country. Barbados rum shops: exploring this Caribbean island's wet history.

Best Caribbean island for divers, budget travelers, people who like to explore but don't want a lot to explore. One of the most interesting islands in the southern Caribbean, tiny Bonaire is famous for its spectacular diving right offshore.

It also has a fascinating history and a winning and walkable main city of Kralendijk. Bonaire waters offer loads of family fun. Best Caribbean island for divers and snorkelers, sunset cocktail parties, people who prefer the motion of the ocean. Yachties and divers find their bliss amongst the 40 islands here; the main island, Tortola , offers glam diversions. How your vacation can help save sea turtles in the Caribbean. Best Caribbean island for reasonably priced holidays, adventure and bragging rights.

Cuba offers fantastic music, political challenges and stark natural beauty that's often overlooked. Havana alone is worth days of exploration amidst a paucity of frills. Watch for new flights as travel restrictions ease. Cuba beyond the capital: best things to do outside Havana. Best Caribbean island for off-the-beaten-track wanderings, urban rambles.

A medium-sized island with a focus beyond tourism. The main city of Willemstad has a famous, beautiful and historic harbor.

Isolated beaches scattered about offer a few watery pleasures. Lacking the plethora of beaches found elsewhere, Dominica is the region's unspoiled gem with peaks and valleys swathed in rain forest and accented by waterfalls. Take a hike, Dominica: the Caribbean's most adventurous island. Best Caribbean island for French-speakers, beautiful and isolated beaches, nature hikes. The most Gallic corner of the Caribbean has a sprawling main town of Fort-de-France and an untouristy focus.

Far-flung beaches reward daytrippers. Martinique's top-shelf rum scene. Best Caribbean island for low-key holidays in beautiful natural surroundings. You really can smell nutmeg in the air of this small ex-British colony which has one of the region's most interesting capitals, St George's. The southern region, known as the Lesser Antilles, is broken up into two separate regions, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands. Named for the trade winds that merchants and explorers relied on to sail across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, the Windward Islands can include Martinique, St.

Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Islands in this region include the Dominican Republic, U. Barts and Anguilla. The Bahamas is a group of more than 2, islands and cays that stretch across miles of the Caribbean Sea. Nassau, on New Providence, is the capital of this amazing archipelago, and there are a few main islands that have beautiful beaches, and amazing culture, history, and activities. As you can see from the islands in the Bahamas, many are quite famous.

He also island-hopped and developed the first European settlement on the island that today is split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Columbus and his fellow conquistadores recognized the riches in the region and saw money when they gazed upon the bountiful seas and fertile land. They exploited both the natural resources and the native populations, claiming lands as their own and enslaving the people of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and other islands.

The English followed suit in the 17th century, claiming St. Kitts, Barbados, Antigua and other lands, and the French soon followed, claiming Guadeloupe and Martinique. The Dutch also wanted a piece of the Caribbean, settling St.

Martin, Saba and Sint Eustatius. For the next two centuries, the Europeans battled for control of the islands, and possession frequently changed hands. The colonial infighting between European powers created an opportunity for locals to fight for their own independence. Haiti led the way, declaring independence from its colonizer in , and Cuba and the Dominican Republic followed, along with other smaller islands in the region.

Some islands, such as Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe, still maintain strong neocolonial relationships with their parent nations. Modern Caribbean culture has been heavily influenced by the culture and traditions of Europe, along with hints of African culture and others that have come to the islands through immigrant populations.

These various waves of migration have formed a truly unique blend of cuisines, music, art, customs and traditions in the region. One of the most recognizable aspects of Caribbean culture is the region's music.

Although they have roots in both European and African culture, the sounds of reggae, meringue, calypso, rumba and zouk music are distinctly Caribbean.

Although the Caribbean islands share aspects of a common culture, each nation offers something unique and distinct to visitors.

For stunning scenery and luxury resorts, they head to the Cayman Islands. Kitts and Nevis attract with their seclusion and lively music festivals, the unique flair of Barbados combines horse races by day and calypso dancing at night, and the US Virgin Islands draw visitors with their plantation tours and unspoiled beaches.

Nature enthusiasts can explore the botanical gardens underwater limestone caves and offshore reefs of the Bahamas, then gamble at twinkling casinos and delve into pirate lore without ever leaving the islands.

In St. Lucia, they can unwind on an isolated beach, then indulge their adrenaline by zip-lining through a rainforest or climbing the Pitons. These are just some of the many unique experiences visitors can have while exploring the islands.

An English-speaking island set midway between Guadeloupe and Martinique, Dominica Doh-mi- nee -kah , the largest and most mountainous island of the Windward Islands, is not to be confused with the Dominican Republic.

A mysterious, little-visited land of waterfalls, rushing streams, and rainforests, it has only a few beaches, most of which are lined with black volcanic sand.

But if you like the offbeat and unusual, you may find this lush island the most fascinating in the Caribbean. Some 85, people live here, including 2, descendants of the Carib Indians.

Roseau, one of the smallest capitals in the Caribbean, is more like an overgrown Creole village than a city. Dominica is one of the poorest islands in the Caribbean, and it has the misfortune of lying directly in the hurricane belt. Occupying the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the island it shares with Haiti, the mountainous Dominican Republic is the second-largest country of the Caribbean.

Long a victim of various military dictatorships, it now has a more favorable political climate and is one of the most affordable destinations in the Caribbean.

Its crowded capital is Santo Domingo, with a population of two million. The island offers lots of Latin color, zesty merengue music, and many opportunities to dance, drink, and party. Unfortunately, the contrast between the wealth of foreign tourists and the poverty of locals is particularly conspicuous, and it's not the safest island. For fun in the sun and good beaches, head for La Romana in the southeast, Punta Cana on the easternmost shore, Puerto Plata in the northwest, or any resorts along the Amber Coast in the north.

The southernmost nation of the Windward Islands, Grenada Gre- nay -dah is one of the lushest islands in the Caribbean. With its gentle climate and extravagantly fertile volcanic soil, it's one of the largest producers of spices in the Western Hemisphere.

There's a lot of very appealing local color on Grenada, particularly since the political troubles of the s seem, at least for the moment, to have ended. There are beautiful white-sand beaches, and the populace a mixture of English expatriates and islanders of African descent is friendly.

Once a British Crown Colony but now independent, the island nation also incorporates two smaller islands: Carriacou and Petit Martinique, neither of which has many tourist facilities. Grenada's capital, St. George's, is one of the most charming towns in the Caribbean. Although it isn't as sophisticated or cosmopolitan as the two outlying islands over which it holds administrative authority -- St. It's ideal for scenic drives and Creole color, offering an unusual insight into the French colonial world.

The island has a lot of good beaches, each one different, and a vast national park a huge tropical forest with everything from wild orchids to coffee and vanilla plants. A favorite of North American honeymooners, Jamaica is a mountainous island that rises abruptly from the sea km 90 miles south of Cuba and about km 99 miles west of Haiti.

One of the most densely populated nations in the Caribbean, with a vivid sense of its own identity, Jamaica has a history rooted in the plantation economy and some of the most turbulent and impassioned politics in the Western Hemisphere.

In spite of its economic and social problems, Jamaica is one of the most successful black democracies in the world. The island is large enough to allow the more or less peaceful coexistence of all kinds of people within its beach-lined borders -- everyone from expatriate English aristocrats to dyed-in-the-wool Rastafarians. Its tourist industry has been plagued by the island's reputation for aggressive vendors and racial tension, but it is taking steps to improve the situation.

Overall, and despite its long history of social unrest, increasing crime, and poverty, Jamaica is a fascinating island. It offers excellent beaches, golf, eco-tourism adventures, and fine hotels in all price brackets, making it one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, especially since you can find package deals galore. One of the most exotic French-speaking destinations in the Caribbean, Martinique was the site of a settlement demolished by volcanic activity St.

Pierre, now only a pale shadow of a once-thriving city. Like Guadeloupe and St. Barts, Martinique is legally and culturally French certainly, many islanders drive with a Gallic panache -- read: very badly , although many Creole customs and traditions continue to flourish. The beaches are beautiful, the Creole cuisine is full of flavor and flair, and the island has lots of tropical charm.

Even more than Guadeloupe, this is the social and cultural center of the French Antilles. If you'd like to visit a charmingly beautiful island with elegant people, the Martiniquaise will wish you bonjour. Home to more than four million people whose primary language is Spanish though English is widely spoken, too , the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is under the jurisdiction of the United States and has a more or less comfortable mix of Latin culture with imports from the U.

It's the most urban island of the Caribbean, with lots of traffic and relatively high crime, though it compensates with great beaches, glittering casinos, hotels in all price brackets, sports and eco-tourism offerings, good hearty food, and sizzling salsa clubs.

The island's interior is filled with rainforests and ancient volcanic mountains; the coastline is ringed with gorgeous sandy beaches. The commonwealth also includes a trio of small offshore islands: Culebra, Mona, and Vieques the last has the most tourist facilities. San Juan, the island's capital, has some of the most extensive and best-preserved Spanish colonial neighborhoods in the New World, with historic sites and much to see and do, and a steady flow of cruise-ship passengers who keep the stores and casinos filled throughout much of the year.

You can usually find great package deals through Puerto Rico's hotels and resorts. Saba is a cone-shaped extinct volcano that rises abruptly and steeply from the watery depths of the Caribbean. With no beaches or historic sights to speak of, the local Dutch- and English-speaking populace has traditionally made a living from fishing, trade, and needlework, rather than tourism.

Hotel choices are limited. Saba's thrifty, seafaring folk can offer insights into the old-fashioned lifestyle of the Netherlands Antilles. There's only one road on the island, and unless you opt to hike away from its edges, you'll have to follow the traffic along its narrow, winding route.