Caribbean and Central America Travel

El Salvador

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:53:07 +0000

In the early fifteenth century, the Spanish conquistadores ventured into Central America from the Caribbean Islands, then known as the Spanish colony of New Spain. Spanish efforts to extend their dominion to the area that would be known as El Salvador were firmly resisted by the Pipil and their remaining Mayan-speaking neighbors. Pedro de Alvarado, [...]

Saint Martin

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:35:18 +0000

The island of Saint Martin is the smallest island in the world that is divided into two seperate territories. The southern half of the island is part of the Windward islands of the Netherlands Antilles: Sint Maarten. The northern half of the island is an overseas territory of France: CollectivitÃ© de Saint-Martin. This entry is [...]

Haiti

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:30:43 +0000

Sharing the island of Hispanoila with the Dominican Republic, Haiti lives up to is Tainos name, Ayiti, which means “mountainous land.” Like the other Caribbean islands, Haiti was discovered by the Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the Americas. Also, like the other Caribbean islands, Haiti had its share of slavery, rebellions and [...]

Guadeloupe

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:54:37 +0000

Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot in Guadeloupe. He was on his second trip to the Americas, and set foot on the island, seeking fresh water. Columbus christened the island Santa Maria de Guadalupe de Extremadura, named after the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. It was the French however, who were the first [...]

Turks and Caicos Islands

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:27 +0000

The Turks & Caicos Islands in the Caribbean are the best beach holiday destination. Enjoying up to 320 days of uninterrupted sunshine a year, these two islands offers pristine beaches and one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. The first inhabitants of the islands were the Carib Indians. However, after it was discovered [...]

Netherlands Antilles

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:16:53 +0000

The Netherlands Antilles is composed of several islands, grouped into two. Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten make up the Leeward Islands. Bonaire and CuraÃ§ao make up the Windward Islands located north of Venezuela. Both group of islands were discovered for Spain: the leeward islands by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499, and the windward islands [...]

US Virgin Islands

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:37:44 +0000

The United States Virgin Islands, or the US Virgin Islands, are part of the Virgin Island archipelago in the Caribbean. Similar to its British counterpart, they are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The Virgin Islands (main islands being St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix), were named by Christopher Columbus on [...]

Favorite Caribbean cruise stops

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:25:41 +0000

Fodor.com listed three islands in the Caribbean as the favorite port of call of Caribbean cruises. The winners? Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, the island of Dominica, and the Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos islands. According to Fodor’s, these islands have the best to offer Caribbean tourists. Curacao with its spectacular dive sites, [...]

Belize

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:03:24 +0000

Formerly known as British Honduras, Belize lies in the American mainland, its eastern shores welcoming the waves of the Caribbean sea. Though part of Central America, Belize’s laid back lifestyle reflects more on its Caribbean neighbors. It was the Amerindians who first inhabited Belize, but it was the Mayans who propelled its civilization. The Mayan [...]

Jamaica

admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:29:17 +0000

Home to red sunsets, reggae and Bob Marley, Jamaica is the place for tourists who just want to relax and lay back during the day, and party all night. Though it was Christopher Columbus who first claimed the island for Spain, it was the Arawak Indians from South America who were the first settlers. In [...]