Best Caribbean Christmas

Did you know there are more than 5,000 Caribbean islands? How do you go about choosing the island or islands that you might enjoy most? To discover the best Caribbean island for you for Christmas or any other time of the year, you need to decide what it is you would like to do and see most. Although beaches, sunshine, and a dazzling cerulean blue sea may be plentiful no two islands are the same.

What comes to mind when you picture traveling to a Caribbean Island for a vacation? Do you prefer quiet, peaceful, relaxing destinations or would you prefer a vacation with lots of sights, sounds, and nightlife? Would you like to spend time snorkeling or diving? Are you interested in finding some of the most highly rated beaches? Maybe your idea of fun is exploring the shops to find treasures not readily available at home.

The time you spend discovering the “best” island for you will be worth every minute. You will be much more likely to enjoy the trip of a lifetime! Here are some suggestions for the islands that might interest you most as recommended by some of the top travel experts such as Frommer’s, Fodor’s, and Travel and Leisure.

1. Best Caribbean Islands for Peace, Quiet, and Relaxation

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Virgin Gorda shows up often as a highly recommended island for peace and quiet. This island is dominated by protected parkland. Located in the easternmost side of the British Virgin Islands it is reachable by ferry from St. Thomas or Tortola. Vieques, located on the northeast side of Puerto Rico, is still rustic and relaxed. Anguilla is a tiny island with a population numbering only 13,000 or so. It is the northern most island in the Windward island chain (by St. Maarten). This is a place where even the rich and famous go for privacy and quiet.

2. Best Caribbean Islands for Nightlife

Aruba boasts 10 casinos each with unique shows, restaurants, and bars. In Barbados you’ll find lots of bars, pubs, restaurants, and dance clubs. St. Thomas is often listed as the island having the most active nightlife. St. Maarten/St. Martin has lots of dance clubs and restaurants each with a bar. Jamaica is a special favorite for their distinctive music and folkloric stage shows. Curacao has many casinos, gambling, and lively bars. Puerto Rico is well known for their dance clubs as well as casinos, cabaret shows, bars, and taverns.

3. Best Caribbean Islands for Diving and Snorkeling

The Caribbean offers many opportunities for diving and snorkeling. Some of the most well liked locations include the islands of Bonaire, Trunk Bay in the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos, and Virgin Gorda.

4. Best Caribbean Beaches

In addition to the more widely known white sand beaches, the Caribbean islands also boast pink sand and black sand beaches. Which would you like to experience?

The black sand beaches are found on the volcanic islands of the Caribbean. These include St. Lucia, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Dominica. Pink sand beaches are formed by fine, white sand mixed with flecks of red plankton. The most famous pink sand beach of the Caribbean is a three-mile stretch of sand located on an islet of Eluethera Island. Another favorite pink sand beach is located on Harbour Island on the Bahamas. A famous powdery white sand beach seven miles long is located on Grand Cayman. This beach is lined with condos and luxurious resorts. Anguilla, on the other hand, has 33 smaller white sand beaches and is still relatively undeveloped. Canouan, a remote and tiny island, is one of the The Grenadines. On this island you may find one of the most secluded stretches of powdery white sand in the Caribbean.

5. Best Caribbean Islands for Shopping

The Bahamas are famous for their Straw Market with handbags, woven mats, hats, and more. St. Lucia and St. Maartin/St. Martin have lots of duty free shops. St. Barts is somewhat like the south of France with sophisticated shops filled with French and Italian fashions and other luxury goods. Barbados has strong ties with Britain so you will find bargains on British goods such as bone china and crystal from England and Ireland. Other great shopping islands include Antigua and Aruba.

This is just a short list of the many possible choices you have for a Caribbean Christmas vacation over the holidays or another time of the year. For example, some islands are better choices than others for hiking, sailing, and all-inclusive vacation packages. Check back for more articles and great links for the best Caribbean island resources online to plan your trip.

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Christmas celebrations in the Cayman Islands are a reflection of the diversity of people who live there. From beach parties to spectacular light displays at private homes, fireworks, many activities, and wonderful decorations, Christmas is a festive time of the year.

Caymanians didn’t wonder if Christmas would be “white.” They celebrated having a “white” Christmas every year with a Sand Yard. White sand was carried from the beach on moonlit nights. On Christmas Eve morning the sand would be raked into intricate patterns and decorated but could not be walked on until Christmas day. A footpath made of gravel and lined with conch shells was provided for guests. Many of the owners of the old Caymanian houses still maintain this unique tradition.

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Holiday food is a big part of the Christmas celebration in the Cayman Islands just as it is elsewhere around the world. Fresh meat used to be a very rare treat enjoyed on Christmas if possible. To maintain this tradition, fresh beef and pork, often cooked in the same pot, are the preferred choice for a Christmas meal today. In addition, both heavy and light cakes are served along with a Caribbean drink called Sorrel.

Santa Claus is an integral part of Christmas for Caymanian children but he makes his appearance in very different fashion from what we are accustomed to in the north. He arrives by airplane or by boat and not a sleigh.

The display of Christmas lights is a somewhat recent tradition in Cayman. Each year there is a competition with prizes in several different categories. These displays, which might include animated figures and intricate scenery, seem to be getting more extravagant each year!

To learn more about the Christmas customs and traditions of the Cayman Islands, I highly recommend you visit the website for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. Here you’ll find more of the history of Christmas celebrations on the Cayman Islands along with a list of upcoming events and activities for this year’s Caymanian Caribbean Christmas.

Cayman Islands Christmas Decorations and Lights

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