What islands are there in the caribbean

So much so it is known as le papillon butterfly in French! Another example of a varied landscape — these islands change from tropical rainforests into white sandy beaches in a blink of an eye. Many will have only have heard of this Caribbean country since the earthquake in , from which it is still recovering in many ways. Luckily for holidaymakers, many of the islands striking 19th Century buildings survived.

Travel restrictions imposed at the time are now lifted, and we wonder if this beautiful little Caribbean island will rise again from the rubble.

We certainly think it deserves to — with its wonderfully rich culture and stunning beaches! Jamaica With its capital Kingston home to music legend Bob Marley, the reggae lifestyle is perhaps what first springs to mind for many holidaymakers, but this island has so much more about it than just that. It has incredible beaches and all inclusive hotel resorts, but there is even more to the island that these too — hidden away in the rainforests are beautiful waterfalls and secluded lakes for swimming — Jamaica is a beautiful place, that can sometimes get a bad rap.

Martinique Another French territory, this rugged island has an interesting blend of French and West Indian culture. Known as the isle of flowers because of its rich, lush, tropical vegetation, bright in colours.

However, they are not the only things which are colourful — its coastlines are dotted with brightly coloured houses too, which make this island very pretty indeed. Montserrat Another one of the British Territories, this volcanic island is different from the others — in the north it has black sandy beaches! Coral reefs and rocky caves also line the north of the island, making it picturesque above the water and rich in marine life below.

There is some debate as to whether this group of island consists of three islands — or five, including Aruba and St Marten, which for this article we have covered separately. With pirates long gone, visitors to the island will now experience a beautiful medley of Spanish and American influences, and the kind of tropical beaches which are perfect for both sun worshipers and surfers. Saint Barthelemy Known more commonly as St Barts, this French-speaking island is high-end and packed full of luxury resorts and designer shops — but of course, like all of the islands, it comes with idyllic beaches!

Just eight square miles in size, asides from the designer yachts, luxury hotels and celebs, you will meet charming locals descendant of the original French settlers and a large population of iguanas! Once the land of sugar plantations they are now geared towards tourism. Offering picture-perfect inns and boutique hotels, set to a backdrop of stunning beaches and mountains that reach the clouds!

Saint Lucia Another of the more well-known Caribbean islands — its tourist board touts this as the place to come for romance, rejuvenation and adventure. It is yet another example of an outstanding island with beaches galore, palm-lined with stunning views of mountains, are its specialty — along with world-class accommodation and spas! St Martin This island is an interesting one, like Hispaniola it actually comprises of two separate countries. Many of those who return to Aruba year after year praise the island's walkability, immaculate beaches, and friendly locals.

Cheerful service and beautiful settings distinguish the other destinations, too. Rising from No. Many readers say it has "the best beaches in the world," with one fan remarking that they'd "never seen such turquoise waters before with pristine soft sand.

Virgin Islands lures travelers with the promise of deep-sea fishing and parasailing. One reader calls St. Thomas No. Croix No. After four years at No. The island boasts 33 soft-sand beaches, magnificent coral reefs, and such luxury hotels as Cap Juluca and the Four Seasons Resort Anguilla.

Bermuda No. Regis property in June.. Another thing readers touted: the "quick and easy" two-hour flight to Bermuda from the East Coast makes it "great for a long weekend. So which Caribbean island took first place? The exclusive enclaves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Read on to find out why, and to learn more about this year's top 25 islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. This archipelago of 32 islands took the No. Vincent and the Grenadines has a unique old-school Caribbean vibe, very low-key," said one of our readers.

The Caribbean archipelago encompasses more than islands, reefs, and cays in a region of approximately 1 million square miles. The region's political history is often defined by its colonial claims.

However Caribbean culture is an amalgam of colorful traditions from the art, music, literature, and cuisine that reflect the legacy of enslaved African people forcibly brought to the islands and the indigenous people who were inhabiting the islands before the Europeans arrived to colonize them.

Today, there are 13 sovereign island nations and 12 dependent territories, with close political ties throughout the region to Europe and the United States. Some Latin American countries also have coastlines on the Caribbean Sea. The islands are often grouped into different categories and subcategories like the Greater and the Lesser Antilles, which divide the archipelago's largest islands from some of the smaller ones, and the Windward Islands, which describes the long tail of the archipelago that stretches south toward Latin America.

However, these geographical groupings do not even begin to describe the political classifications that divide the British, French, and Dutch West Indies or the Central American destinations that also border the Caribbean Sea.

Politics and geography have played a role in naming and sorting the many islands into groups, which is helpful to have an understanding of when you're perusing cruise itineraries or planning an island-hopping adventure. With so many overlapping designations, we've sorted it all out for you as simply as possible. The Caribbean is generally known as the region of warm waters south of Florida and east of Central America, but technically the Caribbean Sea begins south of the Greater Antilles and extends to the coasts of Central and South America, with the Windward Islands making up its eastern border.

Any country with a coast on the Caribbean Sea can be considered a Caribbean country, but not all of them are islands, including Mexico, Belize, and Colombia. Some island nations that are commonly believed to be a part of the Caribbean, like the Bahamas and Bermuda, are technically in the Atlantic Ocean, and Guyana, which is neither an island nor located on the Caribbean Sea, is considered a part of the Caribbean because it still has a deep cultural connection to the region.

Because of the natural sloping shape of the archipelago, there are far more islands in the Eastern Caribbean than the Western Caribbean. When defining east and west you can draw the line between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, which leaves mostly the smaller pieces of land of the Lesser Antilles and the Windward Islands. The Eastern Caribbean is made up of many small island countries and territories that can encompass one or multiple islands. Although some of these islands are sovereign countries, many are still considered territories of other countries, like Puerto Rico and the U.

Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Eustatius belong to the Netherlands. Uniquely, the island of St. Martin is split between France and the Netherlands, with the French claiming the northern half of the island and the Dutch claiming the southern half. The Western Caribbean includes everything west of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which is also known as the island of Hispaniola, plus the coastal nations of the Caribbean.

However, there are only five main countries and territories associated with the Western Caribbean. Although Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the same island, the two countries have extremely different histories and cultural influences, with the formerly French-ruled Haiti defined by the uprising of self-liberated Africans that led to the Haitian Revolution. The categorization of "Southern Caribbean" is most commonly used by those planning cruise itineraries and it usually refers to islands just off the coast of South America.

It also includes some overlap with many Eastern Caribbean islands. Within the islands of the Southern Caribbean, you have the ABC islands, a common nickname for Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, which are the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles. Aruba is probably the most well-known of three and particularly famous for its plentiful flamingo population but lesser-known Bonaire and Curacao are also worth visiting. Curacao is well-loved for its brightly-colored Dutch-style buildings and Bonaire is the only Caribbean Island where you'll find fluorescent pink salt pans and striking white salt pyramids.

One major benefit of planning a trip to the Southern Caribbean is that these islands are outside the region's hurricane belt. Hurricanes, which threaten many parts of the Caribbean from June to November every year, usually miss these southern islands, making vacations popular in destinations like Aruba, the farthest west of these islands that has seen minimal storm damage outside of Hurricane Felix in The word "Antilles" derives from an old Spanish word, Antillia , which was used to refer to a mysterious island located in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Greater Antilles region refers to the four large islands that define the northern boundary of the Caribbean Sea. These also happen to be the four largest islands in the entire region, the largest being Cuba with over 40, square miles of land. The Cayman Islands are sometimes considered part of the Greater Antilles group, but the term generally refers to the four largest islands.

The highest point in the entire Caribbean is located in the Dominican Republic on Pico Duarte, which sits at approximately 10, feet above sea level. Jamaica is the smallest of these islands but has many natural gems in its interior including magnificent waterfalls , which can be hiked to.

The arc of islands that roughly define the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea is known as the Lesser Antilles. A large geographic region, the Lesser Antilles stretch from the northern edge of the Caribbean Sea to the coast of South America. The grouping encompasses a wide variety of islands from the celebrity-favorite of St. Barts to more unknown islands like Nueva Esparta and St. The curved archipelago spans over miles with the British and U.

The Lesser Antilles also includes some islands off the coast of Venezuela, such as Nueva Esparta and many sparsely populated islands, which are sometimes referred to as the Venezuelan Antilles. Although this area is quite large, the islands tend to be a lot smaller than the Greater Antilles with only four islands Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Nueva Esparta, and Martinique having more than 1, square miles of land mass.

The Netherlands Antilles is a political designation the refers to the former territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When discussing the Netherlands Antilles, you may also hear the term "ABC islands" which is a nickname used to refer to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao because they are grouped so closely together. Throughout the islands of the Netherlands Antilles, you'll find Dutch influences including the language and colorful architecture. They are so named because the trade winds touch here first, placing these islands upwind from the Leeward Islands.

The term dates back to the days when explorers and merchants relied on the trade winds to carry their ships across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. They are so named because they are downwind from the Windward Islands, which the prevailing trade winds reach first.