Best Caribbean Island for Christmas

Caribbean Christmas Holidays

 

 

Christmas is broadly celebrated by Christians and non-Christians like as a holiday with unspiritual aspects. Some of the worldly activities related to Christmas are somewhat charming and have become awfully popular all over the world. People like to do extra by going on Christmas Holidays. The weather is warm and pleasant during Christmas in Caribbean. So, Caribbean Christmas Holidays are considered as hot destinations for tourists. There are a number of tours and excursions to select to do while you are on Caribbean Christmas Holidays.

The chief holiday destinations in the Caribbean are Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Bahamas, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Tobago, St Lucia, Margarita Island, Virgin Island, Cuba and Mexico. Following a day of scuba diving among coral reefs or horse riding through emerald rainforests, you can dress up and hit Aruba's cabarets and casinos, or indulge in haute cuisine on Martinique. A morning of sailing and shopping can segue beautifully into proper afternoon tea in the British Virgin Islands. Sunbathe the day away on Barbados, and then prepare to be captivated by calypso music, or a Carnival show.

 

There are many cheap christmas cruises where you can experience luxurious behavior of holidays while celebrating your christmas time. Modern facilities and latest amenities are hardly be defines with cheap cruises but this year that extremely offered to their cruises lovers. Cheap Caribbean Christmas holidays are normally available for Mexico, Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua and the Dominican Republic.

If you want privacy and a genuine island atmosphere, decide on one of the Family Islands like Eleuthera, tiny Harbor Island where power-driven transportation means a golf cart or San Salvador. For a livelier holiday, Grand Bahama offers golf, casino gambling, and even the possibility to swim with dolphins. If you just want to take rest while on holiday you can just be idle on the soft sheltered beaches.

Best Caribbean Island for 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

Trunk Bay, St. John,

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.

 

 

Caribbean Christmas in the Cayman Islands

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.

 

Location of the Cayman Islands

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!

Enjoy a Jamaica Christmas!

Jamaica offers plenty of choices for relaxing, romantic, and/or fun getaways. From hiking mountain trails, to bird watching, biking, snorkeling, and soaking up the sun on white sand beaches there are lots possibilities. In addition, at Christmas time you have a chance to experience unique local traditions and culture.

Here are 5 reasons to choose Jamaica for Christmas:

1. Jamaicans are generally warm and friendly. You can easily interact with the local people on your own or through a special program. For example, you might visit a Jamaican marketplace, attend a concert or participate in an organized Christmas celebration for the public. However, if you would like a little help in making arrangements for meeting locals there are two possible choices. One is the program Meet the People and the other is through a local business named Countrystyle.

2. In Jamaica there are a number of local Christmas celebrations. The two most well known celebrations are Grand Market and Jonkonnu.

For the Grand Market celebration, you will find markets in various places around the island where vendors sell sweets of all kinds including cakes and peppermint sticks along with balloons, small toys, and firecrackers. In addition to the sale of food and other items, these markets are community events with street dancing, crafts, and music.

Jonkonnu is a colorful Jamaican celebration with musicians and dancers dressed in masquerade who parade through the streets. These bands typically include a mixture of traditional and modern characters. Celebrations used to be common across the country but are now more often found in the rural areas.

 

3. Music is a big part of Christmas in Jamaica and Christmas caroling is still popular. You will hear traditional carols such as Oh Holy Night, Silent Night, and many more sung throughout the region. However, Christmas carols in Jamaica are often sung to a reggae beat!

4. Concerts with big-name Jamaican musicians are common at Christmas. Popular artists choose to stay home and provide music stage shows because of the high number of tourists and native Jamaicans who return to the island for the holidays. Some of the many singers you might encounter at Christmas include Shabba Ranks, Black Uhuru, Robby Shakespeare, Shaggy, Melody Makers, and Sly Dunbar.

5. Christmas is celebrated both religiously with church services and with parties much like those in the United States. However, some of the traditions we might be accustomed to have been modified to fit the local circumstances. Small children believe in Santa Claus but very few Jamaican homes have chimneys. So the Jamaican Santa shrinks in size to fit through the keyhole of the front door to a home! Also, if pine trees are unavailable, Jamaicans will often place their Christmas gifts under a willow tree.

Jamaica offers a lot to see and do at any time of the year. However, if you are willing to explore and you are open to colorful and festive traditions different from those at home, there are even more possibilities at Christmas. Enjoy!

Caribbean Christmas in the Cayman Islands

 

 

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.

 

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!