Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico

Name any region in the World and ask somebody about his thoughts on it – and you will hear of a whole range of images and ideals. Ask somebody about his thoughts on the Caribbean, and you will hear of the same images over and over again: Palm trees, white sandy beaches, a clear blue sea and friendly people serving cocktails. Now, here’s the best part: it’s not just an image.

The scenery that Caribbean Islands are famous forThe Caribbean is clearly the favorite cruise destination worldwide. Ever since Columbus arrived here in 1492, westerners go there in a personal quest for the garden Eden. Most western cruisers concentrate on the Eastern Caribbean, where standards and port facilities are generally better developed than in the South and West and the weather conditions are more predictable even during the fall months. Nevertheless, hurricanes occur frequently in late summer and fall.

The weather during the winter is relatively reliable and stable until Spring, when Hurricanes can occur again. Many cruisers spend the winter months sailing in the Northeast of the Caribbean and spend the Hurricane season in the South. This helped the islands off Venezuela to develop into one of the most popular regions during the 1990ies.

Guide to the ultimate cruise vacation area

There are large international communities on many Caribbean islands and a well-established tourism industry taking care of your needs. Bareboating is perfectly possible from many islands, essentially all that offer direct flights to North America and Europe.

A bay on an Island in the CaribbeanHowever, you won’t find many remote beaches on these ones. Hubs for tourism in general and bareboating in particular are Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba (non-US citizens), St. Lucida, St. Martin, Trinidad and the Virgin Islands.

All of these islands are well developed and will provide facilities for sailors with special needs, seniors and families. On the rather remote islands of the West, you will often rely on the assistance and advice of boat boys. These are natives you will encounter on almost every island that try to make some dollars out of visiting cruisers. It is generally safe to trust them with common sense precautions. However, expect them be by pushy at times and be prepared to show some patience – keep in mind that you are a guest on their island.
 

Destination Guide by Country

Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Aruba - Bahamas - Barbados - British Virgin Islands - Cayman Islands - Cuba - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Grenada - Guadeloupe - Haiti - Jamaica - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Lucia - Martinique - Montserrat - Netherlands Antilles - Puerto Rico - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Virgin Islands (USA)
 

Further Reading

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About.com on the Caribbean for tourists

The open directory project on boat hire in the Caribbean
 

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Mediterranean and Black Sea Region - North America: From Maine to California - Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico - South and Central America - Southeast Asia and East Asia - Australia and Pacific Ocean Islands - Western Europe and North Atlantic - Northern Europe: Of Fjords and Jaghds - West Africa, Antarctica, South Atlantic - Indian Ocean and Red Sea
 

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