Which Islands in the Caribbean have you been too?

Forget Barbados and get to Grenada.

Kayaking from St. John's thru the BVI's. After Tortola, we had our own private "cove" for a couple of days each on Peter Is. and Norman Is, and camped on the beach. Gotta' love rolling out of your tent to your guides dishing up fresh mango pancakes as the sun rises over the Carrib. Enjoyed the "scenery" at the Willie T. too . Celebrated New Years' Eve on Jost Van Dyke. Used an outfitter called "Arawak Expeditions." Couldn't recommend them highly enough.
I gave myself a few extra days to chill on St. Thomas and St. John as well---couldn't get off of St. Thomas fast enough (after stopping by at Duffy's Love Shack in Red Hook for a Lime-In-De-Coconut & a Shark Tank. Really liked how St. John is a US National Park.

Bahamas (yeah, yeah...), DR, PR, British/USVI (lived on St. John. Went to St Thomas, St Croix, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda & Tortola). Can't wait to visit the rest!

Besides living in St Lucia & Antigua, I've also been to Dominica (3 times), Puerto Rico (3 times), Guadeloupe (3 times), St Kitts, Grenada (2 times), Barbados, Isla Mujeres, Bocas del Toro, & Cuba. My random thoughts:

* Personally, I was really disappointed by Havana after hearing all the talk about how UNESCO was working to save the architecture of the old town. I kind of found it not as impressive as similiar districts, like Casco Viejo in Panama City or Campeche in the Yucatan District (or even just Viejo San Juan in Puerto Rico).

* I spent most of my time in Cuba down in the south-eastern part of the island, in Santiago and liked that so much more than Havana. Up until highway construction after the revolution, the region has been isolated from the rest of the island and had more traffic going back and forth with Jamaica and Haiti. So besides it being this really fascinating fuscion of African, Native American, French Creole, & Chinese culture, it just felt more "Caribbean" than Havana. And Havana mostly bothered me because it felt like an old Soviet urban planning project gone wrong.

* If I ever got back to Cuba before the whole Fidel dies business, I would head to Baracoa, which is a small town on the tip of the coast there (you can actually see Haiti from across the channel). It was supposedly the first town settled in the Western Hemisphere and it's small, friendly laid back and beautiful. The only place I can compare it to is being in someplace on the Caribbean coast of Panama or Costa Rica, where it's still relatively unpopulated and untouched by tourism.

* Favorite island would be a tie between Dominica and Guadeloupe because they're both jaw droppingly beautiful, full of natural diversity, and have the French Creole culture going on.

Haiti,St Thomas , St John,Aruba, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Puerto Rico,Guadeloupe, Martinique,Dominican Republic,Grenada,Bahamas ...probably others ,but its been a while.I was living in NYC when I went there,now I live in the sun ,so less need for an Island escape in winter ...tho i have fond memories of all

BTW , I found Dominican Republic VERY dull.Haven't been to Cuba,but Haiti was facinating,tho sad because of the differences between rich & poor.It was like being in Africa.I stayed in a beautiful, exotic ,romantic hotel,which was awesome,but the poverty outside of tourists areas ( or wealthy residents homes) was gut wrenching.

impressive lists....glad to see that not many have visited St Kitts & Nevis - YOU SHOULD!!! Tiny islands...sugar canes just closed last July so they are in the process of revamping their tourim industry..i'd say get there in the next 5 years before the luster is gone...although they plan to really attract a golf & cricket crowd...so it wont be exactly like some of its counterparts...went last summer for 2 weeks on a Research trip with my university...it was off the hook...

to add to the list...Dominican Republic...San Andres (ok debatable as to Carib or not..but i thought i'd throw it out there...)

off to Mexico and Belize in 9 days..again not carib...but can you blame me..i leave in 9 DAYS!!!!!

Bahamas (many islands in the Chain), Bermuda?, Cayman Islands,
Cuba por supuesto including Isle of Youth, Jamaica, Hispaniola( Haiti and RD), Puerto Rico and Vieques, St Thomas, St Croix,Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, Curacao. if western caribbean is to be counted: isla holbox, cozumel, islands off the coast of Belize.
Shouldnt someone start a thread on islands of Pacific Ocean and then on to the Indian Ocean?

Bahamas
Puerto Rico
Gitmo

I know that Gitmo is not an island, but it sure as hell isn't Cuba either.

quote:

glad to see that not many have visited St Kitts & Nevis - YOU SHOULD!!!

Not sure why. I would love to hear what the attraction would be especially in Nevis. A tropical island with no beaches whatsoever except in front of the Four Seasons Hotel where they brought their own sand in with barges. St Kitts is only marginally better. Both my wife and I who have widely different tastes were bored out of our minds there.

Braslvr,

It is interesting about St. Kitts, and Nevis in particular. What spell does it cast on unwitting travelers?

Growing up, a family friend was quite the Caribbean aficionado. He might have even been to more islands than Salmo99. He had a business representing small hotels and inns in the Caribbean.

Guess where he went for his personal (not for business)travel? Guess where he bought a house? Guess where he became the proprietor of an inn? Guess what his favorite island was?

Yes, Nevis!!!

Only clue I can think of to answer your question is that my friend didn't really care about beaches, or activities, or sightseeing. But, he loved martinis and good storytelling and interesting people.

So maybe it is all about just drinking and chilling out.

I'm sorry.. who said that Barbados was not located in the caribbean?!?!?!?! We are geographically located 100 miles due east of St. Vincent and the actual Caribbean Sea, we are still very much a part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. So I take serious offense to anyone who says that Barbados is not part of the Caribbean.

What I do take offense to is all those companies that lump the Caribbean into Latin America and think that everyone in the Carbbean speaks Spanish.. Trust me.. Martinique, Guadalope, St. Martin, and the rest of the French islands have a real problem with that as well.

While I live in Barbados, I've been to
Grenada, Antiuga, St. Vincent, Bequia, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island, St. Kitts, Martinique, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel (technically Mexico), Aruba, Curacao, Dominica, St. Lucia and Bermuda (technically in the Atlantic)

I think thats it..

quote:

Just Eleuthera

i loved that place.

PR
Antigua
St. Martin
St. Thomas
Nassau, Bahamas
aruba
curacao

St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Puerto Rico, San Blas, Bocas del Toro, Culebra, Vieques, St Marteen