Antillean Island Holiday

Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world, hosting a myriad of ships year-round from all over the globe. Although it is technically not on the Caribbean Sea, no other American city exudes more of the diverse tropical appeal of the Caribbean. The city is home to a large and vibrant immigrant population that blends snowbird refugees from more northern climes with emigres from all Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as sizable groups from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. From the hot-blooded Art Deco haunts of South Beach to the natural wonders of the UNESCO-inscribed Everglades and the laid-back charms of the Keys, South Florida offers a bounty of appealing attractions that make an extended stay in the region nearly mandatory for those either embarking or disembarking here.

St. John is the smallest of the three major U.S. Virgin Islands. Some two-thirds of its area, and large stretches of its coastal waters, are now included in the Virgin Islands National Park. It was established in 1956 on the initiative of Laurence Rockefeller, who bought this former sugar island and donated the land to the American people. St. John is now a great attraction for nature lovers and diving enthusiasts, with its small population living mainly from tourism.

Anguilla’s name is based on the word for eel in several Romance languages, and its 17-mile length and three-mile width are appropriate to the analogy. The northernmost of the Leeward Islands chain, it is a British overseas territory. With its resources largely limited to an abundance of breathtaking beaches and coral reefs, the island’s main industries are tourism and the lucrative cultivation of offshore banking and insurance tax havens. Road Bay and its village of Sandy Ground comprise the main harbor for ships on the island, although the entire coastline is scalloped with lovely coves and anchorages that make it a magnet for yachtsmen. The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, although U.S. dollars are widely accepted. They might be well-spent on a luncheon of impeccably fresh seafood from the surrounding seas. There are no less than seven shipwrecks strewn along the island’s barrier reefs, which have made it the wreck-diving capital of the region.

Antigua is blessed with an abundance of shining white beaches, and many of these have sprouted top-end resort hotels that engender golf courses and other amenities counted among the best in the Caribbean. A pleasant drive up through farms and tiny villages leads to the commanding fortress on Shirley Heights, from which you can survey the town and the harbor of Nelson’s Dockyard across the island. Once a carenage for British frigates, today it is an enclave of shops and restaurants.

A classic golden arc of sugary sand at South Friar’s Bay, Carambola is home to the island’s most luxurious beach clubs and restaurants. Umbrellas, loungers and optional water sports abound for those so inclined. Otherwise St. Kitts has other attractions, including a number of lovingly preserved plantation great houses, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brimstone Hill Fortress and a scenic narrow gauge sugarcane railway.

Fort-de-France, Martinique’s capital, with its narrow streets and iron grill-worked balconies, brings to mind New Orleans or Nice. This distinctly French island is a full-fledged department of France, with members in parliament and the senate. Naturally, everyone speaks French, as well as a rapid-fire Creole. The island features a varied landscape, from quiet beaches to lush rain forest to imposing Mont Pelee. Not surprisingly, the shopping in Fort-de-France has a decidedly Gallic flair. Bienvenue to this bit of France in the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic’s capital is the largest city by population in the Caribbean region. It is also the oldest continuously occupied European city in the Americas. It was founded in 1496 by Bartolomeo Columbus, and named La Nueva Isabel after his royal Spanish patron. The settlement became the gateway to the Americas for the Spanish conquest, and most of the expeditions that delineated the rest of the New World originated there, taking advantage of the deepwater delta of the Ozama River. Today the city’s Colonial Zone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains a remarkable legacy of 16th Century buildings, including the first cathedral in America, Catedral de Santa Maria la Menor; the first monastery, Monasterio de San Francisco, the first castle, Alacazar Colón and the first fortress: Fortaleza Ozama. The Museo de Casas Reales is another treasury of significant buildings. The Dominican dictator Trujillo renamed the city after himself between 1936 and 1961, but it regained its previous name following his assassination. The city is a fascinating and colorful place, revealing a vibrant hybrid culture with recognizable influences from native Taino, African and European ancestry. Many visitors purchase souvenir jewelry created out of the fossil amber mined on the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with the nation of Haiti.

The Dominican Republic’s capital is the largest city by population in the Caribbean region. It is also the oldest continuously occupied European city in the Americas. It was founded in 1496 by Bartolomeo Columbus, and named La Nueva Isabel after his royal Spanish patron. The settlement became the gateway to the Americas for the Spanish conquest, and most of the expeditions that delineated the rest of the New World originated there, taking advantage of the deepwater delta of the Ozama River. Today the city’s Colonial Zone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains a remarkable legacy of 16th Century buildings, including the first cathedral in America, Catedral de Santa Maria la Menor; the first monastery, Monasterio de San Francisco, the first castle, Alacazar Colón and the first fortress: Fortaleza Ozama. The Museo de Casas Reales is another treasury of significant buildings. The Dominican dictator Trujillo renamed the city after himself between 1936 and 1961, but it regained its previous name following his assassination. The city is a fascinating and colorful place, revealing a vibrant hybrid culture with recognizable influences from native Taino, African and European ancestry. Many visitors purchase souvenir jewelry created out of the fossil amber mined on the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with the nation of Haiti.

The renowned natural beauty of the Florida Keys has attracted writers, artists and musicians for generations. Key West, with its carefully preserved “Old Town,” boasts one of the largest numbers of historic structures in any U.S. city. Key West’s “Conch-style” architecture reflects a unique blend of Victorian gingerbread, New England cottage and Bahamian influence. Narrow streets are lined with stately mansions and “shotgun” cottages, each an important part of this historic town at the tip of the Keys.

Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world, hosting a myriad of ships year-round from all over the globe. Although it is technically not on the Caribbean Sea, no other American city exudes more of the diverse tropical appeal of the Caribbean. The city is home to a large and vibrant immigrant population that blends snowbird refugees from more northern climes with emigres from all Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as sizable groups from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. From the hot-blooded Art Deco haunts of South Beach to the natural wonders of the UNESCO-inscribed Everglades and the laid-back charms of the Keys, South Florida offers a bounty of appealing attractions that make an extended stay in the region nearly mandatory for those either embarking or disembarking here.