Caribbean Islands

Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast but the moment you hear the waves of gospel singing emanating from a tiny local church you realise you could not be anywhere else but Barbados.

While, over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too.

In the capital and cruise port, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice. You can enjoy every watersport under the sun; stunning nature walks and bike rides; or maybe a trip to the uniquely magnificent Harrisons Cave underground complex of caverns, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites.

Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast but the moment you hear the waves of gospel singing emanating from a tiny local church you realise you could not be anywhere else but Barbados.

While, over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too.

In the capital and cruise port, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice. You can enjoy every watersport under the sun; stunning nature walks and bike rides; or maybe a trip to the uniquely magnificent Harrisons Cave underground complex of caverns, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites.

Bonaire est lune des Antilles néerlandaises – un vrai petit paradis néerlandais dans les Caraïbes où un récif de 30 kilomètres offre certaines des plus spectaculaires opportunités de plongée sur terre.

La plus grande île des Antilles hollandaises, Curaçao abrite plus de 50 nationalités ainsi a une atmosphère cosmopolite. Sa belle capitale et le port de croisière, Willemstad, sont pleins darchitectures coloniales néerlandaises et espagnoles des 17e, 18e et 19e siècles.

Talcum-soft beaches, world class shopping, glitzy casinos, stunning sea views and tracts of desert landscape scattered with giant boulders and exotic cacti are all yours to enjoy when you visit popular Aruba, jewel of the ‘deep’ Caribbean. And you will find most of Aruba’s attractions without straying far from the capital and cruise port, Oranjestad, a waterfront city endowed with a cosmopolitan population – of Portuguese, Spanish, Venezuelan, Indian, Pakistani and African as well as Dutch origin. This cultural mix makes Oranjestad heaven for adventurous foodies and a great place to `shop the world’ as you can pick up Delft china, Dutch cheese, Danish silverware and Madeiran embroidery at low prices. For local colour, visit Schooner Harbour, which is crammed with brightly painted boats and craft stalls, and Willemstad, famed for its 16th century Dutch houses. And water babies will love Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach, all a short distance from the port.

Ce complexe jamaïcain fabuleux abritait autrefois le créateur de James Bond, Ian Fleming, qui a construit sa maison, Goldeneye, sur le bout de la plage. Par chance vous n’avez pas à être un agent secret pour découvrir les charmes des chutes de la rivière Dunn et les kilomètres de belles plages.

Débordante du charme des Caraïbes de la fin du siècle dernier, Grand Turk, la capitale historique des îles Turques-et-Caïques, est surtout connue pour ses doux rivages blancs, ses eaux bleues et calmes et son charme colonial rustique. Et avec seulement 36 kilomètres de long, et près de 2 kilomètres de large, ce petit îlot aux formes parfaites est facile à explorer.

Avec plus de 365 plages, on y trouve une tranche de paradis de sable blanc pour chaque jour de l’année – même une année bissextile – sur l’idyllique île de vacances d’Antigua dans les Caraïbes, qui accueillit la flotte de l’amiral Horatio Nelson à la fin des années 1700. Sur le chantier naval de Nelson s’affaire maintenant les équipages et les passagers des yachts et bateaux de croisière naviguant dans ces eaux pour leur plaisir plutôt que par patriotisme.

Tout le monde appréciera les récifs et les grottes de la Dominique. Sur la terre ferme, les cascades chatoyantes et la forêt tropicale dense offrent un autre genre de beauté.

Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast but the moment you hear the waves of gospel singing emanating from a tiny local church you realise you could not be anywhere else but Barbados.

While, over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too.

In the capital and cruise port, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice. You can enjoy every watersport under the sun; stunning nature walks and bike rides; or maybe a trip to the uniquely magnificent Harrisons Cave underground complex of caverns, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites.