In Russia, the swimming season lasts from May to October, in Turkey or Cyprus it is a little longer, and where on the planet can you swim and sunbathe among palm trees all year round? One option is the Caribbean in the Western Hemisphere. Where is the Caribbean Sea where, for example, New Year's holidays are perfect for relaxation?
It is located between North and South America, which leaves a specific imprint on the countries of this region. All of them are former colonies, where the official language is English, French, Spanish or Dutch. There remains a certain amount of colonial architecture on the islands, and on the mainland you can visit the ancient Mayan ruins. If you plan a vacation on the Caribbean, where is the best place to stay and which country to choose for your vacation? Let's consider several options.
Holidays in the Caribbean in the Dominican Republic
Two states of this region should not be confused - Dominican Republic and Dominica. The first occupies about half of the island of Haiti, and the official language is Spanish, and the second is a tiny island state with 70 thousand inhabitants and smaller than Moscow. The official language is English.
For a vacation in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is more suitable. There are large airports, a rare island metro for our planet, many beaches, colonial architecture with a dozen museums in Santo Domingo and a dozen UNESCO heritage sites.
There are no beaches in the capital; they are located in Boca Chica, Bani and Juan Dolio. Some of them are suitable for fans of surfing, but you should be careful because of strong waves and currents. The beaches near the town of Bani are interesting in that they are adjacent to the sand dunes.
Holidays on the beaches of Punta Cana and Barahona
190 kilometers from the capital, at the eastern tip of the island, is the city of Punta Cana, famous for its beaches. It has its own international airport, so you can fly on a charter flight from Moscow, and if there are no tickets, then get by land from Santo Domingo.
As in any resort town, you can stay at the hotel and swim, sunbathe, fish, dive, play golf, enjoy the sunsets in your free time. In addition, holidays on the Caribbean Sea in Punta Cana can be diversified by such activities:
- Take a day trip to the picturesque island of Saona. It is located in a nature reserve.
- Organize a safari tour to explore the life of the Dominican province. During it, you can see sugar cane plantations and ride horses on the beach.
- Visit Altos de Chavon. This town of artists with its appearance resembles a Mediterranean city of the 16th century. It has an amphitheater for 5,000 spectators and an archaeological museum.
- Admire the dolphin in Manati Park. It is inhabited not only by dolphins, but also by exotic fish and parrots, and also has gardens with orchids and other tropical plants.
- Take a helicopter tour and take a bird's eye view of the coast.
- For rafting lovers a one-day excursion to the city of Harabakoa is provided. The area around it is called the "Dominican Alps" because of the cascade of waterfalls.
- Take a night tour with a pirate show on board the ship.
- Visit the "cave of wonders." It is located on the way to the capital. Inside preserved drawings of Indians who are 800 years old.
If the bustling Punta Cana and the bustling capital are tired, then you should make a trip to the southern part of the Dominican Republic. The landmark is the city of Barahona. This part of the country is the poorest, tourism began to develop here later, so more wildlife and pristine black sand beaches have been preserved. It is interesting that the Spaniards brought coconut palms to the island. They did not develop its southern part so actively, therefore, a precolonial landscape with uneven mountains and lush green vegetation was preserved here. Among the attractions worth visiting is a salt lake with alligators, which is surrounded by a rocky desert. Once in the past, it was all part of the sea.
Perhaps the best vacation in the Caribbean will be in the Dominican Republic, since all other island states are smaller and often poorer.
Trip to mexico
From the continental countries in the Caribbean region it is worth taking a closer look at Mexico. It is relatively easy to get an online visa there and find a cheap flight. The best season for a vacation on the Caribbean Sea in Mexico is winter, when there is no strong heat and hurricanes. The rainy season falls on the period from May to October, in these months you can swim in the south of Russia.
For a beach holiday, the city of Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula is suitable. Beach holidays there are good to combine with cognitive. For example, first visit the Mayan Culture Museum, and then take a day trip to the ruins of Chichen Itza, 200 kilometers west of Cancun. It is also worth visiting the ruins of Tulum. It is interesting because it is built on the Caribbean, so it is sometimes called the "city of dawn."
Trip to cuba
For a holiday on the Caribbean, this socialist state with a slow Internet and lots of retro cars is quite suitable. A visa is not needed, and air tickets from Moscow to Havana are among the cheapest for this region.
The best holidays in the Caribbean should be sought at such resorts:
- Cayo Largo Islands. Cleanliness, authenticity, kilometers of white sand.
- Pilar beach Cayo Guillermo island.
- The beaches of Ancon are 15 kilometers from the city of Trinidad.
Trip to jamaica
Visa-free English-speaking country of the region. The population is mostly Negro.
In the northern part of the island, the city of Montego Bay is noteworthy. There is an international airport and you can stay for $ 20 in a guesthouse (bed) and for $ 35 in a separate room. Hotel rooms - from $ 100 (1 dollar is about 65 Russian rubles).
In the west of the island, the city of Negril is suitable for relaxing on the Caribbean Sea, where there are good conditions for diving and there are many sandy beaches with turquoise water.
A beach holiday in Jamaica should be combined with an active one, for example, a trip to the Blue Mountain mountains north of the capital. They are famous not only for their beautiful landscapes, but also for local coffee.
Holidays in Antigua and Barbuda
An English-speaking state of two islands. Airplanes from the USA, Canada, from Jamaica and from several large cities of Europe (Milan, London, Frankfurt) fly to the capital island of Antigua. Barbuda is worth a visit for the sake of magnificent deserted beaches, but in 2017, 90% of the buildings on the island were destroyed by the hurricane Irma. Ferries from Antigua go to the island. In general, a promising tourist destination, only a little expensive, like all the islands of the region, because most of the products there are imported (except for fish, local rum and seafood).
Holidays in Grenada
Another English-speaking Negro state of the Caribbean. A visa is not needed, but it is more difficult to get to Grenada by plane than to Cuba or the Dominican Republic, fewer airlines fly to it. Grenada, where a vacation on the Caribbean Sea is no worse than on the neighboring islands, may interest a tourist with such attractions:
- Unique plantation of Belmont Estate cocoa. Before her, about an hour to go near the capital.
- Grand Etang nature reserve with a lake in the crater of an extinct volcano.
- Mount St. Catherine, the highest on the island, about 850 meters.
- Cascade of waterfalls "Seven Sisters". Despite its small size, the island is famous for its waterfalls.
- The oldest rum factory in the region.
Holidays in Costa Rica
Some Mesoamerican states are very poor and criminal, for example, Honduras. However, Costa Rica stands out among them for its high standard of living and relative safety. It is conveniently located between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. A visa is not needed there. The main airport is located in the capital - San Jose. From Santo Domingo there really fly with a direct flight airline Condor.
From the capital from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. buses run every hour to the city of Puerto Limon on the Caribbean Sea. You can use this relatively large city to relax. From there, for about an hour, take a bus towards the border with Panama to the city of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. It differs from the rest of Costa Rica with a dry climate and a unique combination of cultures: Afro-Caribbean, Native American and Latin American. It is adjacent to the reserve, picturesque rivers and banana plantations.
If you want to visit two exotic countries for one vacation, then from Puerto Viejo with the help of buses and a ferry you can cross the border with Panama and get to the Bocas del Toro archipelago.
Holidays in Panama
The country as a whole is similar to Costa Rica. She has a very decent standard of living and security. It divides not only the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, but also North and South America. Once upon a time, in the early 2000s, the first season of the program “The Last Hero” was filmed here. The filming location was the Bocas del Toro archipelago.
In addition to a beach holiday, on the archipelago you can go fishing, surf and scuba diving, go sailing. Hostel prices start at $ 12.
Reviews about holidays on the Caribbean in this region are usually positive, this is noticeable by high (4.7-5) hotel ratings.
Holidays in Colombia
On the southern coast of the Caribbean, there are two large oil producing states. One of them - Venezuela - is now experiencing an economic crisis, so it is better to avoid it, despite the splendor of the nature of its southern regions. Neighboring Colombia is much more suitable for a vacation trip. The country is large, in it you can find not only beaches, but also magnificent mountains and colonial architecture.
It’s hard to get to Colombia by land from Panama because of the jungle, so it’s best to fly by plane from Panama City or from another major airport.
For a beach holiday, such cities in the north are suitable:
- Cartagena.
- Barranquilla.
- Santa Marta (Palomino beach is suitable for surf lovers).
- Riohacha.
- Cabo de la Vela. A beach in a scenic area inhabited by Vayu Indians. The Caribbean is surrounded by the Guajira Desert. Suitable for ecotourism.
Holidays in Haiti
Destination for brave tourists. The country is visa-free, but the poorest and most backward in the region. However, it has an interesting Negro culture, an unusual religion (voodoo) and a heroic history - the Haitians were the first in the region to become independent at the beginning of the 19th century. It should be reached by plane or bus from the capital of the Dominican Republic.
Despite the low standard of living, Haiti will be a very expensive place to stay for tourists. The price of a place in a low-quality room starts from $ 30-40.
To the north of the capital is the city of Cap-Haitien, which is interesting not only for its beautiful beaches, but also for its colonial architecture, the ruins of Sanssouci Palace and the citadel on a 1000-meter mountain. It is the largest fortification in the whole region; it was built by the King of Haiti, Henry-Christophe, at the beginning of the 19th century.
Cap-Haitien in spirit, he resembles New Orleans in the distant past. Hotel room prices start at $ 50. You can not only swim, sunbathe and ride a water taxi, but also try Creole cuisine (it was formed on the basis of French) or watch a voodoo ceremony.
For a vacation in the Caribbean, the city of Jacmel in the south of the country is suitable.