Known collectively as the Lesser Antilles and Trinidad & Tobago, the islands of the Eastern Caribbean make a 1000km long north-south sweep, beginning east of Puerto Rico and coming to a halt just off the coast of Venezuela. The Lesser Antilles include the Leeward Islands (from Anguilla to Dominica), the Windward Islands (from Martinique to Grenada) and Barbados.
The islands are mountainous, with rainforests and black-sand beaches. The coral limestone fabric of the outer arc of islands, extending from Anguilla to Barbados, reveals their marine origins. White-sand beaches, indented coastlines and low, scrubby hills characterize these islands. The islands of the inner arc, extending from Saba to Grenada, have volcanic origins, and craters and hot springs still steam, bubble and pungently belch their sulfuric gases. Volcanic activity has ceased on most of the islands with Montserrat the rumbling exception. Trinidad & Tobago have different origins again, having broken off from the South American continent. Trinidad's soils include deposits from Venezuela's Orinoco River, and its northern range is an extension of the Andes.
The array of native fauna found on the islands dwindles according to their distance from neighbors and the mainland. It ranges from a hundred types of mammals on Trinidad & Tobago, replicating those found on the nearby South American mainland, to a handful of bats on Barbados. Introduced rats and goats have had a disastrous effect on many islands' native flora and fauna.
 Eastern Caribbean flora (17K)
The islands share a tropical, hot and humid climate, with few variations in temperature year-round. Tradewinds blow strongest from January to April, while May to November is the rainiest time of year, coinciding with the hurricane season which hits the more northerly islands particularly hard. In recent times, hurricanes Hugo and David were truly memorable, unfortunately.
Waves of Amerindians left the South American mainland to settle on the far-flung islands of the Eastern Caribbean, beginning with the wandering Stone Age hunters called Ciboneys who first arrived around 4000 BC. They were followed 2000 years later by the peaceful and artistic Arawaks, whose descendants were virtually eradicated by the cannibalistic and ferocious Caribs who arrived around 1200 AD. Christopher Columbus claimed the islands in 1493 and 1498, calling the fiercely defensive Caribs 'Indians' under the misapprehension that the islands lay off the coast of east Asia.
Colonisation was generally slow, with the English founding a colony on St Kitts in 1623 and Barbados in 1625, followed by Nevis, Antigua and Montserrat. The French followed suit in the 1630s by settling Martinique and Guadeloupe, while the Dutch settled Saba, St Eustatius and St Martin. Ownership of some islands developed into a tug of war between the European powers, and some islands changed hands so many times that hybrid British-French-Dutch cultures evolved. The occupying powers were united by their commonly held desire to rid their possessions of native inhabitants. In most other respects, however, their relationship was one of extreme competition, as they instituted different types of settlements in accordance with differing colonial agendas. The Dutch established military and trade stations, while the French and the British saw the primary value of their Caribbean possessions in terms of agricultural production, in particular sugar. This labor-intensive crop soon led to the twin evils of importation of African slaves and absentee landlordism on the plantations.
The 19th century saw the waning of sugar's influence, and the abolition of slavery. Slaves were replaced by indentured servants, mostly from India, whose culture has become an integral part of Trinidad, Martinique and Guadeloupe. The Eastern Caribbean in the 20th century has been characterized by the worldwide trend towards independence, dependent on the colonizing powers' different attitudes to this ideal.
In accordance with its aim to institute internal self-government, Britain created a united entity in 1958, the West Indies Federation, which soon foundered as islands such as Trinidad, Barbados and St Lucia opted to leave the federation in favor of independent nationhood. Islands such as Anguilla and Montserrat chose the opposite course and negotiated to be reinstated as Crown colonies. The French aimed to incorporate the islands more thoroughly with France, and accordingly assimilation rather than independence has taken place in the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, although the rumblings of separation tendencies continue to be heard. The Dutch allowed heightened domestic rule under association with the Netherlands, proclaiming the Netherlands Antilles as an autonomous part of the Netherlands in 1954. However, the Dutch islands are increasingly favoring the idea of individual independence over the concept of combining to form a single nation.
Many of the island economies are still heavily dependent upon the West for financial assistance and markets. Agriculture remains the most important economic sector; sugar cane is still a winner in Barbados and St Kitts, while bananas are the major industry in Dominica, St Vincent and St Lucia. Trinidad is the most resource-rich island, with important petroleum-based industries. Tourism has become an increasingly essential part of the islands' economies. Reflecting their competitive history, there is little inter-island trade; the USA and Europe are their major trading partners.
The Eastern Caribbean has produced notable figures in literature, including V S Naipaul of Trinidad, George Lamming of Barbados, Jamaica Kincaid of Antigua, Maryse Condé and Nobel prizewinner Saint-John Perse of Guadeloupe, Jean Rhys of Dominica and St Lucia's Nobel prizewinner, Derek Walcott. The contemporary poets Aimé Césaire and Édouard Glissant hail from Martinique; they both write about the Blacks' struggles for cultural identity under the burden of colonial influences. The Caribbean's prime cultural contribution is its music - calypso, soca, steel pan, ska, reggae and zouk. Domestic architecture is characterized by brightly painted, corrugated-iron roofed, wooden-shuttered structures.
Population densities vary widely, with Barbados' population density of 591 people per sq km making it one of the world's most densely populated countries, while some of the smaller islands such as Saba and St Barts have fewer than 5000 people. The vast majority of islanders are of African ancestry, and the ethnic mix also includes those of European, East Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian and American descent. About 3000 Caribs still live on the eastern side of Dominica, and there are smaller native populations on St Vincent and Trinidad.
English is the main language spoken in the region, except for the French islands of Guadeloupe, St Barts, Martinique and the French side of St Martin (governed as a sub-prefecture of Guadeloupe). Dutch is the official language of Saba, St Eustatius and Dutch St Martin (Sint Maarten), but English is more commonly spoken. Many locals relax into a French Creole or patois when at home, and their enviably relaxed way of life is best expressed in the colloquial expression 'limin'' - taking things at an easy-going pace, chilling out. Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion in the French islands, and Protestantism is followed on the English and Dutch islands. Rastafarianism also has its followers, and is directly linked to the popularity of ska, reggae and the sacramental smoking of ganja (marijuana) - and limin.' East Indians on islands such as Trinidad have introduced Hinduism and Islam, and a small number of islanders believe in obeah, a type of black magic.
Eastern Caribbean food reflects the region's rich blend of African and European influences. Root crops, seafood and goat feature in quintessential West Indian dishes such as goat water (spicy goat stew flavored with cloves and rum), jug-jug (cornflour, green peas and salted meat), mountain chicken (not chook at all, but frogs' legs), souse (pickled pig's head and belly, served with a pigs'-blood sausage), dolphin (no, not Flipper, but a white-meat fish called mahimahi) and the most common snack, roti (potatoes and meat stuffed inside a tortilla-like wrapping). Of course, on the strongly French, English or Dutch islands, you can run the gamut of pâtisseries and crêpes, fish and chips or smorgasbords. The region's many exotic tropical fruits include breadfruit, guava, mango, papaya, starfruit and soursop. If you're talking liquor in the Eastern Caribbean, you're talking rum, with Barbados' Mount Gay the most renowned. Carib beer is also popular, unless you're on a Dutch island, when of course you'll reach for a Heineken.
The pre-Lenten celebration of Carnival is a major festival throughout the Eastern Caribbean, although the British-influenced islands celebrate Carnival at other times during the year in order to spread the share of visitors. Calypso singers and steel bands, street dancing, parades and costume competitions all feature in Carnival. St Patrick's Day is celebrated in Irish-influenced Montserrat, while Bastille Day is fêted in Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Barts and French St Martin. The week-long Holetown Festival celebrates the arrival of the first English settlers to Barbados. Other regional festivities include yacht races and regattas, fish festivals, music festivals, cycling races and surfing championships.
 Money & Costs
There are five official island currencies in the Eastern Caribbean, which can make things a bit confusing if you're jumping back and forth between islands. Fortunately the US dollar can also be used on virtually all the islands. Many hotel prices and car rentals are quoted in US dollars. However, for most transactions you'll be better off exchanging your money into the local currency. British sterling and Canadian dollars can also be readily exchanged at banks but are not commonly accepted by businesses.
The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) is the official currency of Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. The French franc (F) is the official currency of Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Barts and the French side of St Martin. The Netherlands Antilles Guilder (Fls) is the official currency of Saba, St Eustatius and Dutch St Martin. The Barbados dollar (B$) is the official currency of Barbados. The Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) is the official currency of that two-island nation.
Overall the Eastern Caribbean is a fairly expensive region and you'll need a tidy sum to explore it thoroughly. Accommodation will generally be the heftiest part of a traveler's budget. On islands such as Barbados, which has a good range of low and mid-priced accommodation, the cost of a room can be quite reasonable, whereas on pricier islands like Antigua a comparable bed could easily cost twice as much. Food is quite expensive, in part because much of it is imported. Transport costs vary greatly - public buses are a cheap alternative to car hire.
Major credit cards are widely, although not universally accepted. ATMs can be found on Barbados and the larger French islands. The tipping situation varies from island to island. Some places, a service charge is automatically added to your restaurant bill, while elsewhere you're expected to add a tip yourself.
The main travel season is from December to April, when the Caribbean is flooded with North American and European escapees from the northern winter. Between April and December (summer), the hotels are discounted, the beaches are less crowded and tourist areas are more relaxed. Summer is also hurricane season though, and the weather is more likely to be oppressively muggy.
November and early December can be a pleasant time to visit. Many hotels have taken a late-summer break to spruce up, so their rooms are at their pre-season finest, the crowds are just beginning to show and the prices are still low.
Trinidad & Tobago
The southernmost islands in the Caribbean, and a mere 11km off the coast of Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago offer experiences ranging from Trinidad's urban bustle and festive Carnival to relaxed beach life on unspoilt Tobago. The variety of animal life found on the two islands is superb. Mammals include armadillos, agouti and red howler monkeys, and Trinidad has the best birdwatching in the Caribbean due to its combination of mangrove coastline and jungle rainforested interior. Both islands attract huge leatherback turtles. Little Tobago has just over 50,000 inhabitants, while Trinidad's population reaches over 1,250,000, with one of the most ethnically diverse mix of peoples in the Caribbean. The majority are of African (46%) and East Indian (36%) descent, mingling with European, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese and even Carib minorities. Visitors do not require the usual three-month visa if they are citizens of the USA, Canada or most European countries.
The islands' capital, Port of Spain, is a bustling metropolitan hub of approximately 300,000 people. It's not the country's tourist center by any means, its attractions being limited to a few 19th-century colonial buildings and some old, labyrinthine arcades. Its hotels are geared more for business travelers than holiday-makers. Just 40 minutes from the capital is Maracas Bay, Trinidad's most popular beach and definitely more ferial with its cliffside views, sandy beaches, fishing hamlet and frenetic bodysurfers. Birdwatchers should head for the Northern Range's Asa Wright Nature Centre, home to more than 100 bird species and featuring tours, field trips and accommodation. The Caroni Bird Sanctuary is another popular spot with birdie types, particularly at sunset, as it's the roosting site for Trinidad & Tobago's national bird, the scarlet ibis. The oddest attraction in Trinidad is Pitch Lake, a 40-hectare continually replenishing lake of tar which is the source of the world's single largest supply of natural bitumen - however, as a sight it's somewhat reminiscent of a huge parking lot.
On Tobago, the airport town of Crown Point is right in the middle of the island's main resort area. It's surrounded by palm-fringed, white-sand beaches with good year-round swimming and snorkelling. The attractive fishing villages of Speyside and Charlotteville are popular out-of-the-way destinations, and the nearby uninhabited islets of Little Tobago, Goat Island and St Giles Island are ecotourist destinations with abundant birdlife.
The popular tourist destination of Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean and perhaps the most strongly influenced by the British, witnessed in the national passion for cricket, the sprinkling of parish churches, the neat gardens and Saturdays at the races. The Bajan identity is strong, however, and calypso, rum shops and West Indian cuisine combine with the English infrastructure to produce an exotic, if somewhat tame, mix. Most of the landscape is covered in sugar-cane fields, and the remaining native animals include bats, whistling frogs and red-footed tortoises. Huge numbers of green monkeys, originally introduced as pets, inhabit the remaining forests and make nocturnal assaults on crops in bands of up to a dozen. Barbados' population is around 254,000, and over 90% are of African descent. Visitors from the USA, Western Europe, Venezeula, Colombia and Brazil do not require visas.
Barbados color (14K)
Bridgetown, the capital, is set on the island's only natural harbor, Carlisle Bay. It's a busy city, with commercial structures nestling next to restored colonial buildings and characterful residential areas not far away. It's a great place for a saunter but isn't bursting with attractions, and accommodation is pretty limited. Sandy beaches, local color and budget accommodation can be found the south coast from Hastings to Maxwell. Between the two is Worthing, a good base with a gorgeous white-sand beach and just a five-minute walk to the nightlife center of St Lawrence. Luxury hotels are found on the west coast at Paynes Bay, Sandy Lane Bay and Holetown.
A slice of France set down in the tropics, with shops full of Paris fashions, a corner pâtisserie selling freshly baked baguettes and croissants in each village, and resorts crowded with holiday-makers from mainland France - this is the popular image of Martinique. However, there are some still untouched sleepy fishing villages and remote beaches for those unimpressed by French ambience. The coastline is cut by deep bays and coves, while the interior contains mountainous rainforests inhabited by opossums, mongooses and venomous snakes. Rare birds include the Martinique trembler and the white-breasted trembler and thrasher. The population of around 340,000 is mainly of French and Creole descent. Only citizens of North America can holiday here without a visa.
Fort de France, Martinique (19K)
St Pierre, Martinique (12K)
The bustling capital of Fort-de-France is the French West Indies' largest and most cosmopolitan city, home to 100,000 people. It has a pretty, park-filled harborside setting, offset by colonial buildings, cafés and boutiques which creep up the narrow side streets and bring left-bank Paris to mind. Nature-lovers will enjoy the drive north of Fort-de-France known as the Route de la Trace - a beautiful, winding road through lush rainforest, running past the mountain peaks of the Pitons du Carbet and the Jardin de Balata (botanical gardens). The island's biggest tourist attraction, however, is the ruined site of Saint-Pierre, destroyed by the volcanic eruption of nearby Mont Pelée in 1902. The former capital of the island, and so cosmopolitan it was dubbed the 'Little Paris of the West Indies,' Saint-Pierre's population of 30,000 was reduced to just one by the disaster. The survivor, who owed his life to his bad behavior (he was incarcerated at the time), was later employed by P T Barnum to tour the world as a sideshow act. Despite the fact that the volcano is still active, people have built homes amongst the rubble, incorporating some of the remaining period features and creating a unique town.
 Off the record
On the northern tip of the island, Grand-Rivière is an unspoiled fishing village tucked beneath coastal cliffs. Martinique's best beaches and resort hotels are found on the island's south coast, around the pretty village of Trois-Ilets, the yachting resort of Pointe du Bout and the cheaper and more casual Anse Mitan. The very best beach is widely considered to be Les Salines, near the southernmost, low-key village of Sainte-Anne.
Center of the Caribbean's Creole culture, boasting a spirited blend of French and African influences, this island archipelago remains largely provincial. It consists of two butterfly-shaped islands: Grande-Terre (meaning 'big land,' its level plains and gently rolling hills covered in sugar cane) and Basse-Terre (meaning 'flat land,' dominated by rainforest-wrapped rugged hills - the name relates to the tradewind, not the terrain). A sprinkling of smaller, undeveloped islands circles Guadeloupe, including Terre-de-Haut, Terre-de-Bas, Marie-Galante and La Désirade. The national emblem is the raccoon, which lives in the forests of Basse-Terre, and mongooses and agoutis are also common. About 334,000 people live on the twin islands, with offshore Marie-Galante the most populous of the surrounding islands with 13,000 people. The majority of the population is drawn from a combination of African, European and East Indian descent. Recently arrived French and those who can trace their ancestry to the early French settlers make up about a quarter of the population. Most visitors require a French entry visa.
Antigua
The largest of the British Leeward Islands, Antigua has fine beaches and an abundance of historic sites dating from the colonial era. It shares its nationhood with the adjacent island of Barbuda, 40km to the north, which has just one village and fewer than 2% of the nation's population. Visitors are few to Barbuda, mainly birdies and yachties. Antigua was deforested during the colonial era, leaving most of its area scrubby and marshy. About 65,000 people live on Antigua, and the majority are of African descent. Most visitors do not require a visa.
English Harbour, Antigua (18K)
The capital, St John's, has a population of about 30,000 and a largely West Indian, untouristy atmosphere. Commercial activity rubs shoulders with poverty-induced lassitude, while visitors check out the new shopping complexes. Sandy beaches, turquoise waters and resort accommodation lie away from the capital, beginning with quiet Runaway Bay and the moderate-range resort area around Dickenson Bay to the north, Deep Bay with its shipwreck remains and the rubble of historic Fort Barrington to the west, and the new marina village of Jolly Harbour on the north-west coast. English Harbour in the south of the island brims with history and nautical atmosphere. Foremost is the heavily restored Nelson's Dockyard, an 18th-century British naval base named for the hero who spent the early days of his career there. Hilltop forts, museums and Georgian residences add to the town's history-seeped atmosphere. North-east from English Harbour are the beautiful Half Moon Bay - a largely undeveloped crescent of white-sand beach and turquoise waters overlooked by a resort hotel - and Long Bay - with reef-protected waters, exclusive resorts and a moderately priced condominium-style hotel.
St Eustatius
Popularly known as Statia, this tranquil little Dutch outpost is one of the Leeward Islands' most overlooked destinations. Although it may lack glorious beaches, it also lacks hordes of tourists. Visiting the island is a bit like stepping back into the Caribbean of decades past - islanders enjoy striking up a conversation, stray chickens and goats mosey in the streets and the pace is delightfully slow.
Dominica
Dominica looks like no other Caribbean island: sharp, steep mountain ridges rise straight up from the coast, while deep, jungly river valleys run back down. It's also strikingly rural and unspoiled, with coastal villages and mountain hamlets. The streets of the capital, Roseau, are lined with period wood and stone buildings, giving the place the feeling of a forgotten frontier town. Dominica is for nature lovers rather than package tourists, and promotes itself as 'Nature Island' - a destination for divers, hikers and naturalists. Its spectacular scenery includes protected rainforests, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, bird sanctuaries and hot springs, which more than compensate for its black-sand beaches. Only citizens of former Eastern Bloc countries require visas.
Hats for sale, Dominica (16K)
Colorful, robust and rough around the edges, Grenada has also been dubbed the 'Spice Island' because it's the region's leading producer of aromatic substances. The Spanish, French and British have all left their mark on the island, and the Americans had a go in 1983. Grenada has a mountainous interior, with rainforests and waterfalls, while its coast features indented bays and protected beaches. The hillside capital, St George's, has one of the prettiest harbor settings in the Caribbean, and its beachward incline of stone and brick buildings lend it a distinctive 19th-century air. Most tourist facilities, which are primarily locally owned, are concentrated in the south-west of the island, leaving the rest of Grenada's West Indian tranquillity virtually unspoiled. Grand Anse, just south of St George's, is Grenada's main resort area, but the beaches on the offshore territory of Carriacou are a better bet for an off-the-beaten-track swim. Visitors do not require a visa.
Montserrat
Montserrat's promotional claim that it's 'the way the Caribbean used to be' was supposed to mean a relaxed and unhurried lifestyle, a quiet mountainous interior, a few historic sites and the odd black-sand beach. Harking back to the bad old volcanic days was not what the tourist brochures had in mind. However, in mid-1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano ended 4 centuries of virtual dormancy by exploding into life, forcing the virtual evacuation of the island's south. The capital, Plymouth, which had an appealing West Indian flavor, became a ghost town, and then in mid-1997, a Pompeii-style ash heap.
Most of Montserrat's 11,000 residents have fled to Britain, Canada or the West Indies. Those remaining in towns and emergency shelters in Montserrat's north are hoping that Soufrière Hills stops its spluttering, but the unpredictability of the volcano has all on alert. Plan to do your beach-basking elsewhere.
Produce seller, Plymouth, Montserrat (13K)
Most Eastern Caribbean destinations feature heaps of outdoor and water-based activities. Most islands have good diving locales, in particular Dominica, Saba, Tobago, St Kitts and the Grenadines. Windsurfing competitions and facilities are provided by Guadeloupe, St Barts and Barbados, and the best surfing conditions are found off Barbados. Hikers can head for Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinique, while birdwatchers will spot the greatest abundance and variety of birds on Trinidad & Tobago.
There are flights from the USA to the larger islands, but most destinations involve a transit flight to San Juan in Puerto Rico. Trinidad's BWIA airline has a fairly extensive schedule between Miami and the larger non-French islands. Air France has a weekly flight from Miami to Guadeloupe and Martinique. London and Paris are the main European gateways, with flights from London to Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad; and Paris to Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Martin. KLM has flights from Amsterdam to St Martin.
Grand Case, St Martin (17K)
Cruise ships and 'banana boat' cargo ships regularly sail through the Caribbean. The ports most visited by cruise ship are St Martin (500,000 passenger arrivals annually), Barbados and Martinique (each with 400,000 passengers). Package tours range from the conventional to those specifically designed for special-interest groups such as birdwatchers, divers, surfers and those who prefer to leave their clothes at home.
The main inter-island air carrier is LIAT, connecting 25 destinations within the region with up to 150 flights per day. Several smaller airlines cover specific areas; they include Winair (Anguilla to St Kitts), Airlines of Carriacou (the Grenadine islands), Air Guadeloupe and Air Martinique. LIAT in particular has an array of discounts and passes.
Most islands have inexpensive bus services, but bear in mind that a 'bus' can sometimes be an overcrowded mini-van or a pick-up truck with wooden benches. Confusingly, the islands that were formerly British have left-hand drive road rules, while the French and Dutch islands drive on the right.
Caribbean bus (25K)
Ferries link many islands, for example St Martin and Anguilla, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and Bequia, Grenada and Carriacou, and Guadeloupe and its surrounding circle of islands. Catamarans link St Martin and St Barts, and Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique. Windward Lines' cargo boats link St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent, Trinidad and Venezuela. Those lucky enough to have access to a yacht will have the best time navigating their way around the Eastern Caribbean, with calm sailing waters and major yachting bases at St Martin, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia , St Vincent and Grenada.
- A Short History of the West Indies by J H Parry & Philip Sherlock gives a historical overview of the region, from colonial times through the post-independence struggles of the mid-1980s.
- Wild Majesty: Encounters with Caribs from Columbus to the Present Day, edited by Peter Hulme & Neil L Whitehead, is an anthology of writings about the Carib people, covering the period from first contact and the colonial era, which saw their near annihilation, to the present day.
- Caribbean Companion: The A to Z Reference by Brian Dyde is a frivolous collection of tips and topics written by a Montserrat-based British expat.
- Fiction from the region includes Tree of Life by Guadeloupe's Maryse Condé, A House for Mr Biswas by Trinidad's V S Naipaul, The Castle of My Skin by Barbadian George Lamming and A Small Place by Antigua's Jamaica Kincaid.
- Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam, edited by Carmen Esteves & Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert, is a collection of short works by Caribbean women writers. The Heinemann Book of Caribbean Poetry, edited by Ian McDonald & Stewart Brown, is an anthology of works by English-speaking Caribbean poets.
- The Nature of the Islands by Virginia Barlow is the best overall guide to the flora and fauna of the region, and includes descriptions, color photographs and drawings.
- Diving Guide to the Eastern Caribbean by Martha Gilkes provides information on the region's reefs, wrecks, marine life and popular diving sites.
- Deck with a View: Vacation Sailing in the Caribbean by Dale Ware & Dustine Davidson covers basic information, itineraries and yachting options.
 Lonely Planet
Guide
 Travelers' Reports
|
Environment
History
Culture
Events
When to Go
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
On-line Info
