CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

The Bahamas

Aruba

Trinidad and Tobago

Cayman Islands

Curaçao
and Bonaire

THE BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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The Bahamas is an archipelago formed by 700 islands and almost 2,400 keys and rocks, from the southeast of Florida to the eastern end of Cuba. Its official name is the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and its capital is Nassau, located in the north border of the New Providence island. The islands are surrounded by abundant coral reefs and have a semitropical smooth climate, with 29º C (84,2 ºF) average temperatures in summer and 22 ºC (71,6 ºF) in winter. Some of the most important islands are Acklins, Andros, Cat, Crooked, Eleuthera, Great Bahama, Great Abacus, Great Inagua, Harbour, Long, Mayaguana and San Salvador. Only 30 islands of the archipelago are inhabited and many of them still keep their aged forests of pines, in addition to local trees like black olive trees, cork oaks and palms. Over a million tourists a year arrive to the port of Nassau in fabulous cruises. The beaches bordered with exuberant and colorful tropical vegetation are an ideal frame for this city, that also offers casino gaming, top-notch shopping and a variety of interesting sites to visit. The stone forts, constructed by the British during the 18th century, among them the Fort Montague, the Fort Charlotte and the Fincastle Fort, whose light and water tank of 38 ms of height offers incomparable views of the Nassau Harbor and coral reefs, as well as the old port whose watchtower with more than 60 ms on the level of the sea is the top point of the island. Also the House of the Government (former residence of the Dukes of Windsor) built in the 19th century and the Christ Church cathedral are interesting buildings to see. The Ardastra gardens, with its peculiar tropical plants; the local marine gardens; and Jumbey Village, a reproduction of a community of the 18th century , are also known attractions. The Paradise island, center of leisure located at the other side of the port, is united to New Providence by a bridge and is also accessible by ferry. There deep-sea fishing, snorkeling or diving, swimming with dolphins or stingrays, and sampling Bahamian cooking are some of the activities to choose. And it is also possible to take boat excursions to other islands, like the ones of the Exuma chain and feed sharks and rays, explore large numbers of underwater shipwrecks in Abacos or go fly fishing in Andros. Grand Bahama Island lies just 50 miles east of Florida and is a major tourist destination as its two main cities Freeport and Lucaya were developed specifically as resort areas. It has endless beaches of smooth white sand and water sports are on their top in this ecological wonder with nature preserves and trails to explore as well. Not to mention its exciting nightlife , two casinos and dozens of bars and restaurants.

Turks and Caicos is a group of islands that lie just to the south and east of the Bahamas , and to the north of the island of Hispaniola ( Haiti and The Dominican Republic) . It comprise two groups: the Turks, of which Grand Turk and Salt Cay are the ports of entry, and the Caicos group, for which Providenciales (locally known as Provo ) is the port of entry, and the islands' center of tourism. Former part of the Bahamian archipelago, became a part of Jamaica from 1848 until 1962, when became a British colony as is nowadays. The average mean temperature is around 80°, falling to about 70° at night These islands offer excellent diving and deep-sea fishing, and pristine coral sand beaches. The capital city is Cockburn Town , located in Grand Turk and where the government of the island group has its headquarters. The island itself has some fine beaches and the snorkeling is good, but less attractive than Provo , the most developed of the islands in the group and where most of the tourists come. Provo 's beaches are spectacular like Grace Bay Beach and Davy Bight Beach to the north, Malcolm's Road Beach and Simeon Rigby Hole Beach to the west, and Long Bay Beach and Sapodilla Bay Beach to the southwest.

CAYMAN ISLANDS

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The Cayman Islands, a dependency of Great Britain in the Caribbean Sea, are formed by three islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Although the islands are known world-wide for their offshore finance with low taxes and strict confidentiality of their bank, the enormous beauty of their beaches bathed by the fresh breeze of the Caribbean turns them into an attractive tourist destiny ideal to rest. Fishing, the construction of boats, the breeding of turtles and farming have local importance. George Town, the capital of the Cayman Islands, is located to the west of Grand Cayman. Every October the "Pirate Week of the Cayman Islands" is celebrated in the city, commemorating the past of the islands, which were a paradise for pirates and buccaneers, with representations and disguises parades. Grand Cayman has interesting sites for diving or snorkeling like the Oceanic border in the east, and beautiful beaches like the one of Seven Mile Beach and Rum Point. In addition, Hell in the northwest can be visited, as it is a site of singular beauty given by the black rock formation, and Queen Elizabeth II botanical garden with a great amount of orchids and exotic animals. In Little Cayman, the Mixing Bowl is a superb dive-site, reckoned to be the finest wall diving in the Caribbean and even the whole world.

ARUBA

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Although the island obtained its self-government in 1986, the Netherlands continue administering its foreign relations. The refineries of crude, imported from Venezuela, are one of the main industries, although the clear waters and their beaches, like the one of Palm Beach in the northwest coast, attract many visitors, and tourism is the main support of the economy of the nation. All the north coast has coralline rock formations of varied forms and sizes. Oranjestad, named after the Dutch Royal House of Orange in the west end of the island, is the main city. Fort Zoutman, which was once a lighthouse and is now a historical museum is one of the attractions of the city, and the fort's courtyard is the setting for the Bonbini Festival each Tuesday, an interesting party to enjoy local food, crafts, music and folkloric entertainment. In addition Aruba offers the possibility of visiting a butterflies farm, only a few minutes from Palm Beach, ideal to share a family stroll. A famous diving site is the German freighter The Antilla, sunk during World War II, and also in De Palm island near Aruba there are a wide range of excursions to dive or practice snorkel.

CURAÇAO AND BONAIRE

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These two islands comprised in the Netherlands Antilles, along with the group formed by Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten are within the Leeward Antilles of the Lesser Antilles.
Although Curaçao has belonged to the Netherlands since in 1634, when the Dutch snatched the Antilles to Spain, it is governed by an insular advice which is chosen locally. The capitol, Willemstad, is a free port with excellent harbor facilities and wonderful beaches. The architecture of the historical districts of the city reflects the style of the Netherlands and the influence of the Spanish and Portuguese colonial cities. Some of the points of interest are Fort Amsterdam, the palace of the governor, the city council, the Wilhelmina Park, a protestant church of the 18th century and the Jewish cemetery, that goes back to 1650.There is also an aquarium dedicated to marine life. Due to its low altitude, little rains and the sterile grounds, the landscape of this tropical island resembles that of an inner desert. The typical vegetation is made up of a great variety of cactus and knotted trees called divi-divis. In the North coast there is a marine cave called Mouth Table, and other attractions of the island are the Chritoffel National Park with diverse activities, an oysters farm, excellent diving, lively casinos and high-quality shopping besides the always joyful and relaxing dolphins swimming around.
The island of Bonaire is well-known for its great variety of flora and fauna. In Gotomeer Lake enormous flocks of pink flamencos can be seen flying towards Venezuela at dusk. Lac Bay is a famous reunion point for windsurfers, wile divers and snorkelers are lured by the Bonaire Marine Park with an overwhelming number of underwater species. In the southern part of the island are the salt mines of Bonaire, from where many tons of salt are exported every year, besides providing a tourist attraction, since numerous birds of varied colors often congregate on them. And also the Washington Slagbaai National Park with its curious rock formations and the Donkey Sanctuary can be visited.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

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The republic of Trinidad and Tobago includes the adjacent islands of Trinidad, Tobago and small barren islands, situated to the north of Venezuela and the south of Granada. The northern coast of Trinidad is rocky, the southern is scarped; and the eastern one is exposed to great surges. The island presents excellent dive opportunities, superb natural life with the finest birdwatching in the Caribbean by far, magnificent rainforest; strong culture, and excellent music. Port of Spain, located in the northwestern coast, is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. Every year at the end of February and beginning of March processions and dances fill the streets of the city in the celebration of one of the most spectacular and glad carnivals of the Caribbean. For the carnival or Jump-Up as called in Trinidad and Tobago, elaborated clothes of bright colors are created and people look towards the calypso competitions and the coronation of the king and queen of the carnival. There are other attractions in the city, among them the Real Botanical Garden, the National Museum and Art Gallery, an Anglican cathedral (1816-1823) and another catholic one (consecrated in 1832). Also the steel pan patios are well known places where the musicians meet to play calypso.
Tobago is a mountainous bulk that reaches an altitude of about 550 ms above sea level at its top. One of the most beautiful beaches of the islands is Pigeon Point located in the southwestern coast. Visitors enjoy activities like snorkeling, hiking and scuba diving, the best of which is around Speyside and Charlotteville at the eastern end of the island. Birdwatching has excellent opportunities as Tobago is home to one of the oldest forest reserves in the world and birdlife is plain to see from practically anywhere. Some land fauna is visible too, like caymans, manicous and tattoos. Turtles nest on the beaches.