The Caribbean islands stretch over 1,700 miles in the Caribbean Sea. Some islands are composed of volcanic rocks, others of coral and sand. Some are independent countries, while others belong to the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, or France. Its not hard to imagine, then, that each island has a unique personality with different cultures, popular activities, and tourist offerings.
When you plan your Caribbean vacation, youll be most satisfied if you match your islands personality to your own.
For example, if youre looking for nightlife, you should consider Aruba, Puerto Rico, or the Bahamas. If you prefer active pursuits such as hiking up mountains, you wont be very happy in flat, sandy Aruba; yoll find what youre looking for on more rugged islands like Dominica and Grenada. So before you choose your island destination, you should decide which activities you most want to do on your vacation, be it snorkeling, shopping, beaching, or sightseeing. Then research which islands are best for your preferred vacation style and select your destination from among them.
Another factor to keep in mind is the difference in airfare and air accessibility. Because of frequency of flights, plus low-cost fares, Puerto Rico is the easiest to reach of the Caribbean islands from the U.S. mainland, say Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince, authors of Frommers Caribbean 2006. Other islands with low fares and frequent flights include St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Jamaica, and parts of the Bahamas. Some islands may require several air connections and only offer infrequent flights midweek. If you only have a few days for your trip or want to keep costs at a minimum, you might prefer an island that offers many nonstop flights to the U.S.