This is what the pirates did back in the golden age of the Caribbean. If you think about it, it really isn’t that far off from what the modern day cruiser does. Yes I am a pirate, 200 years to late.

The Caribbean is full of beautiful harbors and ports of call, some more beautiful than others though. These harbors/harbours act as hubs for the islands, a place where first time seafaring visitors first fall in love with the island. A love that will surely have them coming back time and time again. A mistress is never satisfied.

5 Most Beautiful Caribbean Harbors

1. Willemstad, Curaçao

Willemstad, Curacao - Photo by ISLANDS Magazine

Willemstad, Curacao - Photo by Curacao Visitors Center

This lively port is one of six UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Caribbean, joining the ranks of Old Havana, Old San Juan, and Colonial Santo Domingo.

The Punda District – once fortified and walled – along with its neighboring districts of Otrobanda, Pietermaai, Scharloo, preserve some 765 buildings as national monuments. Chief among these are Fort Amsterdam, the Governor’s Palace, Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue and the colorful Penha building on the waterfront.

2. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI - Photo by Rob.Wiss via Flickr

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas - Photo by Scott Moran via Flickr

Charlotte Amalie on the island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, is nestled on the mountainous slopes of a large natural harbor that accommodates several large cruise ships each day. The city has been declared as the shopping mecca of the Caribbean.

3. Gustavia, St. Bart/St. Barths

Gustavia Harbour, St. Barths - Photo by Fred911 via Flickr

Gustavia Harbour, St. Barths - Photo by Hole-in-one via Flickr

Gustavia Harbour, St. Barths - Photo by digidug via Flickr

Most cruise ships anchor outside sheltered Gustavia Harbour and tender guests to Port de Pleasance, past all the mega-yachts. Gustavia, the island’s charming capital city is a slice of France in the Caribbean. Surrounded by elegant designer boutiques, topless beaches, vibrant nightlife and waterfront bistros, the French vibe wraps around you like the warm blue sea.

4. English Harbour, Antigua

English Harbour, Antigua

English Harbour, Antigua

English Harbour is a center of boating, especially yachting. There are two sheltered deepwater harbours nearby; English Harbour itself and Falmouth Harbour.

English Harbour is best known for Nelson’s Dockyard, which occupies the site of the British Navy base. It displays restored buildings and other historical artifacts from the colonial period of the dockyard, especially the time it was commanded by Horatio Nelson. (Info from wikipedia)

5. St. Georges Harbour, Grenada

St. Georges Harbour, Grenada - Photo by MMayson via Flickr

St. George's Harbour, Grenada - Photo by Scaglifr via Flickr

St. Georges is the capital of Grenada and it’s also the largest harbor and city on the island. The city extends for miles in every direction from St. George’s Harbor, and ashore are more facilities than most can ever see in a single visit. Entering the harbor is easy, as the approaches from north or south are deep, wide, and easy to navigate, even for deep-draft boats.

6. San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico

San Juan Harbour, Puerto Rico - Photo by Scottograph via Flickr

San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico - Photo by Yosemitewe56 via Flickr

Shoehorned onto a tiny islet that guards the entrance to San Juan harbor, the atmospheric ‘Old San Juan‘, with its historical authenticity and pulsating modern energy, this seven-square-block grid of streets that was inaugurated almost a century before the Mayflower laid anchor in present day Massachusetts. Surreal sounds and exotic sights resonate everywhere.

7. Havana Harbor, Cuba

Havana Harbor, Cuba - Photo by Badly Drawn Dad via Flickr

Havana Harbor, Cuba - Photo by Dermoidhome via Flickr

Havana Harbour, Cuba - Photo by Boxley via Flickr

A view across the harbor in Havana, with a monument to Jose Marti in the Plaza de la Revolucion visible centre right. The monument was constructed between 1953 and 1959, just in time for the more recent revolution.

Which harbor is your favorite? Did I leave any off the list? Leave a comment below if you think you have a more beautiful Caribbean Harbor. My favorite? Going off of these photos, I’d have to say…St. Georges, Grenada. Simple, beautiful and old school Caribbean.

Cheers to the weekend Castaways!
RumShopRyan

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Is it me or does Curacao get left off of the American tourist radar. This southern Caribbean island has rich history, beautiful beaches and amazing diving, but it seems its neighbor Aruba takes all the glory. Let’s put the RumShop spotlight on Curacao today and take a look at one of its beaches with this week’s Caribbean Webcam post.

The “C” in the Dutch ABC islands, Curacao is the largest, most populous, and most cosmopolitan of the former Lesser Antilles. It has in the colorful capital of Willemstad a picturesque trove of colonial Dutch architecture and a World Heritage Site. Like Aruba, Curacao boasts a warm, friendly polyglot populace, but it also offers a rich history, a vibrant art scene and world-class diving. Just six miles wide and 37 miles long, this semi-arid landscape is dotted with spiny-leaf aloe, mesquite and divi-divi trees. (From Frommers)

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/curacao/0178010001.html#ixzz1P4H3QLor

The Royal Sea Aquarium Resort webcam

Please wait for the next web cam image to appear.

The Royal Sea Aquarium Resort is on a private island next to the Curacao Sea Aquarium. The resort has two swimming pools, a kid’s pool, a Jacuzzi, a secluded beach and a restaurant for waterfront dining and sunset cocktails.

Curacao’s ruggedly beautiful landscape provides an endless bounty of fun diversions. Conquer the island’s open spaces and enjoy exhilarating hiking, biking, and ATV tours. Immerse yourself in mysterious and colorful underwater worlds at more than 60 diving locations. Relax on beaches both intimate and secluded. Unlike those on other Caribbean islands, Curacao’s beaches allow you to work on your tan, not on hunting for an available spot.

Enjoy the view of the southern Caribbean Castaways.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Famous for their happy hours on Sunday with DJ Boogie, Wet & Wild Beach Club brings out the awkwardly dancing party animal in all of us. These famous happy hours transition into a Sunday beach party and that can carry on into the wee hours of the night. I know what you’re thinking, beach party on Sunday? Hey, it’s the Caribbean, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is!

Seaqarium Beach, Curacao

Wet & Wild Beach Club is situated on the biggest commercial beach on Curacao, the Seaqarium Beach. Blue water and soft sand are just steps away from this popular beach bar. The beach is covered with beach chairs and cabanas so you can relax away the day and prepare for the party that is sure to come later that night at Wet and Wild.

Wet and Wild Beach Club from the Water

The big wooden bar and palm covered roof is home to some excellent bartenders that will mix, shake and pour your favorite Boat Drinks. I’ll take two please.

Wet and Wild Beach Club on Curacao

Wet & Wild Beach Bar on Curacao is open 7 days a week and sociability has a high priority. Especially in the weekends it is pleasantly busy. The type of easy going patrons  you’ll find at Wet & Wild Beach Bar consist mainly of enthusiastic tourists, mainly from the Netherlands, but it’s a favorite among the locals as well. On Friday, the party starts during happy hour from 5.30 p.m. – 7 p.m., but after 7 p.m. everyone will hang on and the famous beach party on Curacao erupts. On Saturday night its clubnight at Wet & Wild Beach Bar on Curacao. On Sunday, everyone knows to be at the Wet & Wild for happy hour to groove to DJ Boogie as he brings his swinging dance music.

Wet and Wild Entertainment Stage

Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday: 09.00 am – 06.00 pm
Friday: 09.00 am – 02.00 am
Saturday: 09.00 am – 04.00 am
Sunday: 09.00 am – 03.00 am

(Images from curacoafinest.com)

Don’t let these calm photos of Wet and Wild fool you, this place knows how to turn of the heat at night. Live music and DJs, cold drinks in hand, all while your feet are in the sand. Doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.

Let me know if you’ve been to Curacoa and to Wet and Wild Beach Club, we would love to hear about your experience.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Quiet, adventure and escape…these are the things I look for when I travel to the Caribbean. I like to so down. Correction. I like to slow WAY down. I escape by running away to an island that lets me stand still, take a deep breath and hear my own thoughts. Occasionally, if every thing is quiet and the stars are aligned just right, you’ll hear your paradise whispering into your soul. That’s the way I like to be seduced.

I found this article by Linda Thompkins that gives people looking for a quiet, off the beaten path type of vacation some ideas. Enjoy.

3 Unique Places to Visit in the Caribbean

Looking for a unique Caribbean destination that is not over developed, and crowded during the peak tourist season? There are a few islands that have maintained much of their original natural beauty, charm, and offer an out of the ordinary experience.

1) Curacao has a unique European charm with an exotic, tropical backdrop. The capital city Willemstad is one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean, and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. A walking tour of Willemstad will convince you this is one of the prettiest cities in the Caribbean.

The capital city’s famous landmarks is the Queen Emma Bridge, also called the “Swinging Old Lady”. It is the world’s largest floating pedestrian bridge, and opens on a regular basis to enable cruise ships and other sailing vessels to enter and exit the harbor. At night the bridge is illuminated with thousands of tiny fairy lights.

Curacao is home to over 50 different nationalities, which brings a unique flavor to the language, culture and cuisine. The islands sugar white beaches are flanked by massive limestone bluffs rising above the Caribbean Sea, and you’ll find pink flamingos in the lagoons. Curacao offers 70 fine diving sites, and the Christoffel National Park covers 4,500 acres and provides excellent hiking tours.

Unlike other islands, Curacao offers consistent accommodation pricing throughout the year – even at the traditional peak Caribbean tourist seasons.

Curacao is outside the hurricane belt, and often described as one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets.

2) The tiny island of Dominica can best be described by one word – Green! This is the premier destination for eco-tourists.

Whether you’re into exotic birds, plants, dolphin/whale watching, diving or snorkeling, Dominica is the true nature island of the Caribbean. Surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the island has 365 rivers on land – one for every day of the year.

The island is home to 10 active volcanoes that have been dormant over 1000 years. The world’s second largest boiling lake is located at Morne Trois Piton National Park, a World Heritage Site. A few miles from the boiling lake, you come upon the Valley of Desolation, another unique, hot geothermal spot. Trafalgar Falls and Soufriere Sulfur Springs are both popular visitor spots to experience the soothing therapeutic water.

And don’t think the volcanic activity is limited to land, it can also be found beneath the sea. The locals named the place “Champagne” due to the hot water vents creating a fizzle sound on the coral rocks. Once you are in the water, it does feel as though you have dived into warm, bubbly champagne.

3) St Vincent & The Grenadines provides visitors with travel to one destination, and the opportunity to experience over 30 pristine islands.

Upon my first visit to The Grenadines, I experienced the ultimate pristine paradise. The waters are truly crystal clear, with hundreds of colorful tropical fish in easy view just a few feet from shore. On some islands, your footprints will be the only ones found in the sand.

St Vincent is the largest island in the chain, and the location of the capital city of Kingstown. This is a rather lively place with a colonial backdrop amid cobblestone streets. St Vincent is the ideal spot to set sail to the Grenadines. Among the island chain, Bequia, Mayrou, Tabago Cays, Palm Island, Mustique, Petit St. Vincent are the most popular.

Bequia, a small, picturesque seafaring town, is the largest in the chain. For such a small island, visitors will be pleasantly surprised with the choice of accommodations to fit any budget. We stayed at the SugarApple Inn on Friendship Bay beach, which I highly recommend. Another surprise is the variety of fine cuisine, and you can even find a few lively local nightspots.

Mayrou is home to only 200 residents who live high up in the hillside. One of the unique places to visit is Salt Whistle Bay where the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea is separated by just 50 yards. This is a great island hopping spot to reach Tobago Cays, Palm Island, or Petit St. Vincent by boat or charter yacht.

The Tobago Cays are a small group of 5 deserted islands offering a unique, pristine wildlife reserve protected by a reef shaped in the form of a horseshoe. Swim with the turtles, and experience nature at its finest.

Three of the islands in The Grenadines chain cater to the rich and famous. Petit St Vincent is famous for those who desire luxury and privacy. The island offers no airport, telephone, or TV. Visitors use a small colored flagpoles outside the cottages to communicate with the staff. Palm Island is an expensive, all-inclusive private-island resort offering just 43 luxury accommodations. Mustique, another private island offers seclusion in 72 luxury villas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Thompkins

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Yes, I’m interested, but let’s get a look at what all the excitement is about.

Live view from the penthouse Plaza Hotel

I think I see an ABC island cruise in my future. You?

Over and from somewhere south,
RumShopRyan

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We are finally to our last island stop on the ABC island checklist, Curacao. I don’t know bout you but I’m ready to explore this island and move on to another exciting place.  I’ll find an island webcam for Curacao then we’ll be done.

Here’s a little article that I found that might help if you are wanting  get away from the capital city of Willemstad. Cheers!

******************************

While Curacao’s capital city – Willemstad – is home to a wide variety of sights and activities, the island’s unspoiled interior and coastlines offer adventurous tourists a chance to experience some of the Caribbean’s best natural destinations. As many of the most unique sights in Curacao aren’t easily accessible by shuttle or taxi, jeep and dune buggy rental services have sprung up to provide everyone both access to the hardest-to-reach sites and a fun way to cruise around the island. Those that want to explore everything Curacao has to offer at their own pace can take advantage of convenient rental services that offer hotel pick-up and affordable daily rates, while tourists that enjoy experiencing destinations alongside knowledgeable guides will find numerous dune buggy and jeep tours that visit many of the island’s overlooked sights each day.

Dune buggy rentals offer one of the best ways to get around Curacao and see some of the island’s lesser-explored sights. The full-size dune buggies available for rental in Curacao are capable of traveling on the island’s main coastal roads at speeds up to 50 miles-per-hour or traversing many of the unpaved inroads and scenic beach paths. When renting a open-framed dune buggy in Curacao, travelers are able to explore island at their own pace while enjoying the exceptional year-round weather. While travelers can also find car and scooter rentals in Curacao, dune buggies might offer the most exciting way to get around the island and explore destinations outside of Willemstad.

Those that want to experience Curacao with a knowledgeable guide can take advantage of dune buggy tours that visit most of the island’s top off-road destinations. Many of the local tour and rental shops offer half-day and full-day tours that include many side activities. Most of the available tours focus on specific areas of the island, such as the rocky eastern shore or the relaxing beaches of the southwestern coast and the Willemstad area. However, regardless of where each tour visits, there will be plenty of sightseeing and outdoor recreation opportunities along the way. Every day in Curacao, guides lead dune buggy groups on activities such as explorations of shoreline caves, snorkeling trips in hidden coves and hikes through the interior mountains of Christoffel National Park and the dramatic coastal scenery of Shete Boka National Park. After experiencing some of Curacao’s most unique natural sights, dune buggy tours often visit some of the quiet beaches on the northern and eastern shores of the island. Most of Curacao’s dune buggy tours allow passengers over the age of four, while drivers are required to be 18 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license.

Adventurous travelers looking for a more challenging off-road experience can explore the island’s natural areas with jeep rentals or as participants in daily jeep tours. Curacao is home to a number of rugged scenic roads that are best explored with full-sized 4×4 vehicles. Traveling through a landscape dominated by cacti and the island’s famous divi-divi trees, tour participants or those renting jeeps will be able be fully experience a side of Curacao that few tourists have an opportunity to witness. Curacao’s best jeep rental and tour operators offer full safety briefings, as well as daily hotel pickup and drop-off.

Rentals and tour options for all types of off-road vehicles can be found throughout Willemstad and near the major resorts. However, rentals, tours and all other adventurous activities can also be arranged through your concierge. If you are traveling in a large group or have special travel needs, your concierge can also make reservations for guided tours and extended rentals before you arrive in Curacao.

If you are hoping to visit some of the Caribbean’s best natural sights when in Curacao, dune buggies and jeeps provide the most effective ways to explore the island. With so many half-day and full-day tours available, as well as extended dune buggy and jeep rentals, families or groups of any size won’t have any trouble finding a fun, adventurous way to get around the island.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Burch

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Aruba, the most southwestern of the ABC Islands, is located 42 miles from Curacao and a mere 15 miles from the coast of Venezuela. The premier Caribbean resorts are located in Aruba, the most developed and glamorous of the ABC Islands. As a result, over one million visitors are attracted to the island each year. But Aruba has far more to offer than glitzy Caribbean resorts, casinos and restaurants. Nearly 20% of the island is devoted to Arikok National Park, home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire Caribbean. The island is also a popular destination for water sports, hosting an internationally recognized windsurfing competition each year. For many travelers, Aruba represents the ideal, picture book Caribbean vacation.

Bonaire, on the other hand, is the least developed of the ABC islands. The primary attractions here are the coral-filled waters off the coast and the laidback ambiance of the island. About 25 years ago, the local government designated much of the sea surrounding the island a marine park, preserving the reefs and beaches for the enjoyment of scuba divers and snorkelers. Expectantly, over half of the island’s annual visitors come to explore these waters. Beyond the 60 official dive sites, Bonaire is also known as a top bird watching destination. Inside the sprawling Washington-Slagbaai National Park and throughout the island, over 200 species of exotic birds can regularly be spotted. For a relaxing Caribbean vacation away from the crowds, Bonaire may be the perfect island.

Curacao, the largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, lies between Aruba and Bonaire in the Caribbean Sea. The island boasts an interesting history, visible in the museums and vibrantly painted buildings of the island’s capital, Willemstad. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is also home to the oldest operating Hebrew synagogue in the Western Hemisphere and several other historic sites. Walking the streets of this colonial treasure, you will hear residents speaking four distinct languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and the indigenous Papiamentu. This cultural diversity is also present in the island’s cuisine, some of the most unique fare in the Caribbean. Like the other ABC islands, the opportunities for fun in the water are limitless. There are also plenty of great options for families including the Curacao Seaquarium and plenty of quiet, unspoiled beaches. While Aruba is the most luxurious of the islands and Bonaire the most pristine, it could be said that Curacao rests somewhere in between.

As you can see, each of the ABC Islands has a unique flavor and distinctive tourist opportunities. Whether you are looking for a culturally informative and historical trip, an exotic getaway or an active Caribbean vacation, you can definitely find what you are looking for on one of the ABC Islands. Best yet, why not tour all three of the islands? The result would certainly be an amazing, well-balanced Caribbean vacation.

This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select pieces about travel in the Caribbean for the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Burch

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