Beaches of the Caribbean Islands

Posted by Bill Yates on August 11th, 2008 at 12:48pm

Although some vacationers cruise to the Caribbean islands, many visitors travel to the Caribbean by air, using hub airports located in Puerto Rico, Barbados, the Bahamas, and elsewhere. Outlying islands are served by smaller airports and feeder airlines. The Caribbean islands offer more than 7,000 islands that you can explore briefly, or at length. If you are planning on an ultimate relaxation trip, then you may not need to ask about the other water sports or group activities included with the Caribbean cruise that you will book. In 1493, on his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus spotted a group of Caribbean islands that were so pristine he named them “Las Virgenes” – after the legendary 11,000 virgin handmaidens of St. John, plus 50 or so mostly uninhabited mini-islands or cays.

Caribbean Islands are one of the very few places on the earth that are exotic. Honeymooning in the Caribbean Islands is the ultimate romantic destination. It’s a useful reference, as you plan your Caribbean vacation. From the Caribbean Islands to the South Pacific and everything in between, we have all of the essential information you will need for planning your Caribbean vacation or tropical cruise. We know how exciting it can be to plan out a dream vacation in the tropics but take the time to completely research everything you will need to know so there are no surprises – where you’ll stay, how much it will cost for entertainment and food, what you need to take with you, what transportation you will need and more.

The Caribbean Islands support exceptionally diverse ecosystems, ranging from montane cloud forests to cactus scrublands, which have been devastated by deforestation and encroachment. The hotspot has dozens of highly threatened species, including two species of solenodon (giant shrews) and the Cuban crocodile. Many of the Caribbean islands are volcanic and a few are flat coral structures. The whole Caribbean Sea / West Indies region encompasses some 5,000 plus island land masses, reefs and cays. It was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, largely due to fierce resistance by the native Caribs. France ceded possession of its former colony to Great Britain in 1763, which declared Dominica a British colony in 1805.

The Caribbean islands are austerely unrivaled for this kind of beauty. It would be fantastic to hear from other Caribbean Islands travelers. Yep that’s right eight days of fun in the sun at the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo. The Caribbean Islands are particularly rich in reptiles , with over 500 reptile species, almost 470 of which (94 percent) are endemic. The diversity here includes several large evolutionary radiations of lizards, such as the anoles ( Anolis ; 154 species, 150 endemic) with their colorful dewlaps used in displays; dwarf geckos ( Sphaerodactylus ; 86 species, 82 endemic); and curly tails ( Leiocephalus ; 23 species, all endemic) that hold their tails in a coil as they run.

Tags: Caribbean Cruise, Caribbean Islands, Caribbean Sea, Caribbean Vacation, Christopher Columbus, Cloud Forests, Coral Structures, Cuban Crocodile, Dream Vacation, Honeymooning, Romantic Destination, Scrublands, Sea West, Shrews, Tropical Cruise

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