Best 13 Western Caribbean Islands Guides and Cancun Restaurant ideas
Best 13 Western Caribbean Islands Guides and Cancun Restaurant ideas
We will present you the best Western Caribbean Islands Travel Guides for all the 13 Islands with tours, traditional food, how to get there, Cancun Restaurant ideas, transport and hotels. This guide will be very useful for your next vacation in the Caribbean islands.
With its beautiful crystal-clear waters and simply idyllic island hideaways, the Caribbean has proved irresistible to seafarers since it was discovered in the 15th century. English, Spanish and French explorers followed in his footsteps in search of New World treasures. The Caribbean islands are some of the most visited islands every year, where tourists prefer cruises to be able to travel easily from one island to another, but some tourists just want to relax for a few days on one of these 19 beautiful islands.
Table of Contents
General Informations
Quick Tips
When to travel: Warm, dry weather, abundant sunshine, calm seas, and delightful ports of call make peak season, December through April, the best time to book an Western Caribbean cruise.
Language: There are six official languages spoken in the Caribbean: Spanish, English, French, Dutch, and two native creoles (Haitian Creole and Papiamento). The official language of each Caribbean destination is mainly connected with the European nation that had colonial power first or longest.
Currency: Each country has her own dollar
Food Prices: Meal in a cheap restaurant= 9.30 USD, Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=100 USD
You can find more information about the visa here.
Best things to do
Bahamas
It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago’s land area and is home to 88% of the archipelago’s population. The archipelagic state consists of more than 3,000 islands, cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Bahama Islands were inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taíno, for many centuries. Christopher Columbus was the first European to see the islands, making his first landfall in the “New World” in 1492 when he landed on the island of San Salvador.
The country gained governmental independence in 1973, led by Sir Lynden O. Pindling, with Elizabeth II as its Queen. In terms of gross domestic product per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest independent countries in the Americas (following the United States and Canada), with an economy based on tourism and offshore finance.
Turks & Caicos
Consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. They are known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial center. The resident population in July 2021 was put at 57,196, making it the third largest of the British overseas territories by population.
For many years they were governed indirectly through Bermuda, the Bahamas and Jamaica. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands received their own governor, and have remained an autonomous territory since.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917, and can move freely between the island and the mainland.
However, as residents of an unincorporated territory, American citizens of Puerto Rico are disenfranchised at the national level, do not vote for the president or vice president, and generally do not pay federal income tax. In common with four other territories, Puerto Rico sends a nonvoting representative to the U.S. Congress, called a Resident Commissioner, and participates in presidential primaries; as it is not a state, Puerto Rico does not have a vote in Congress, which governs it under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950.
Congress approved a local constitution in 1952, allowing U.S. citizens residing on the island to elect a governor. Puerto Rico’s current and future political status has consistently been a matter of significant debate.
The major sectors of Puerto Rico’s economy are manufacturing (primarily pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and electronics) followed by services (namely tourism and hospitality).
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is the second-largest nation in the Antilles by area (after Cuba) at 48,671 square km, and third-largest by population, with approximately 10.7 million people.
The Dominican Republic has the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region and is the seventh-largest economy in Latin America. Over the last 25 years, the Dominican Republic has had the fastest-growing economy in the Western Hemisphere – with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.3% between 1992 and 2018. GDP growth in 2014 and 2015 reached 7.3 and 7.0%, respectively, the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
In the first half of 2016, the Dominican economy grew 7.4% continuing its trend of rapid economic growth. Recent growth has been driven by construction, manufacturing, tourism, and mining. The country is the site of the third largest gold mine in the world, the Pueblo Viejo mine.
Haiti
Haiti is 27,750 km2 in size, the third largest country in the Caribbean by area, and has an estimated population of 11.4 million, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean. The capital is Port-au-Prince.
Haiti is a founding member of the United Nations, Organization of American States (OAS), Association of Caribbean States, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. In addition to CARICOM, it is a member of the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Historically poor and politically unstable, Haiti has the lowest Human Development Index in the Americas, as well as widespread slavery. Since the turn of the 21st century, the country has endured a coup d’état, which prompted U.N. intervention, as well as a catastrophic earthquake that killed over 250,000 people.
Cuba
Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. Cuba is the second-most populous country in the Caribbean after Haiti, with over 11 million inhabitants. Cuba is a founding member of the United Nations, the G77, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, ALBA, and the Organization of American States.
It has currently one of the world’s few planned economies, and its economy is dominated by the tourism industry and the exports of skilled labor, sugar, tobacco, and coffee. Cuba has historically—both before and during communist rule—performed better than other countries in the region on several socioeconomic indicators, such as literacy, infant mortality and life expectancy.
Cancun & Cozumel
Cancún is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez. The city is on the Caribbean Sea and is one of Mexico’s easternmost points. Cancún is just north of Mexico’s Caribbean coast resort area known as the Riviera Maya.
Cozumel is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán Channel. The municipality is part of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The economy of Cozumel is based on tourism, with visitors able to benefit from the island’s balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea.
The 264-square-km territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the south of Cuba and northeast of Honduras, between Jamaica and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
The capital city is George Town on Grand Cayman, which is the most populous of the three islands. The Cayman Islands is considered to be part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone as well as the Greater Antilles. The territory is a major world offshore financial center for international businesses and wealthy individuals, largely as a result of the state not charging taxes on any income earned or stored.
With a GDP per capita of $91,392, the Cayman Islands has the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. Immigrants from over 130 countries and territories reside in the Cayman Islands.
Belize Barier Reef
The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 m offshore in the north and 40 km in the south within the country limits.
The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300-km long section of the 900-km Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and down to Honduras, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
It is Belize’s top tourist destination, popular for scuba diving and snorkeling and attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors. It is also vital to the country’s fishing industry.
Bonaire
Unlike much of the Caribbean region, the ABC islands lie outside Hurricane Alley. The islands have an arid climate that attracts visitors seeking warm, sunny weather all year round. Bonaire is a popular snorkeling and scuba diving destination because of its multiple shore diving sites and easy access to the island’s fringing reefs.
A short 800 m (0.50 mi) west of Bonaire across the sea is the uninhabited islet Klein Bonaire with a total land area of 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi). Klein Bonaire has low-growing vegetation including cactus , with sparse palm trees near the water and is bordered by white sandy beaches and a fringing reef.
The reefs, beaches and on-island reserves located on both Bonaire and Klein Bonaire are under the protection of the Bonaire National Marine Park. Bonaire was part of the Netherlands Antilles until the country’s dissolution in 2010, when the island became a special municipality within the country of the Netherlands.
It is one of three special municipalities in the Caribbean; the others are Sint Eustatius and Saba. 80% of Bonaire’s population are Dutch nationals, and nearly 60% of its residents were born in the former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Curaçao
Together with Aruba and Bonaire, it forms the ABC islands. Collectively, Curaçao, Aruba, and other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean. Curaçao was formerly part of the Curaçao and Dependencies colony from 1815 to 1954 and later the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 2010, as Island Territory of Curaçao and is now formally called the Country of Curaçao.
It includes the main island of Curaçao and the much smaller, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao (“Little Curaçao”).Curaçao has a population of 158,665 with an area of 444 km2 (171 sq mi); its capital is Willemstad.
Aruba
Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. Collectively, these and the other three Dutch substantial islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean, of which Aruba has about one-third of the population.
In 1986, it became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten; the citizens of these countries are all Dutch nationals.
Aruba has no administrative subdivisions, but, for census purposes, is divided into eight regions. Its capital is Oranjestad. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. The climate has helped tourism, because visitors to the island can expect clear, sunny skies all year.
Jamaica
Originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno peoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Many of the indigenous people either were killed or died of diseases, after which the Spanish brought large numbers of African slaves to Jamaica as workers.
Named Santiago by the Spanish, the island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, when England (later Great Britain) conquered it, renaming it Jamaica. Under British colonial rule Jamaica became a leading sugar exporter, with a plantation economy dependent on the African slaves and later their descendants. The British fully emancipated all slaves in 1838, and many freedmen chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations.
The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962.Kingston is the country’s capital and largest city. The country has a global influence that belies its small size; it was the birthplace of the Rastafari religion, reggae music, and it is internationally prominent in sports, most notably cricket, sprinting and athletics.
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. The villages have offers for its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature the hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
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Traditional food
Traditional dishes
Bahamas- Conch Ceviche – Conch is a type of sea snail that lives in pointed concentric shells. They’re readily available along the warm-water coasts of the Bahamas but challenging to find in restaurants elsewhere. This ceviche consists of a finely-chopped conch that’s tossed in lime juice, salt, and a little bit of orange juice. It’s also seasoned with chopped onions, tomatoes, and peppers.
Jerk chicken is a type of grilled chicken that’s marinated in a thick mixture of spices, including onions, peppers, cloves, and chiles. These seasonings imbue the chicken with the most savory flavors of the Caribbean. It is usually served with a side of rice and peas.
Puerto Rico – When eating at Caribbean restaurants, there’s a good chance that you’ll see Mofongo on the menu. This Puerto Rican dish is made of mashed, fried green plantains seasoned with garlic. The garlic-infused plantain mixture is also combined with fried pork skin to give it a unique texture and smoky pork flavor.
Cuban sandwich– Cuban export that has found across the Caribbean and Florida, this hearty sandwich was once the lunchtime meal for workers in Havana. Soft, crusty white bread is layered with ham, roast pork and some sort of mild white cheese. Dill pickles and vinegary yellow mustard provide accents.
Pepper pot is a dish that’s popular throughout the whole of the Caribbean. You can find it in Jamaica, Guyana, the Bahamas, and almost every island in the Caribbean Sea.One of the reasons why Pepper Pot is such a popular dish is because it’s one of the most savory and filling Caribbean dinners. Made of sweet potatoes, cubed beef, onions, and garlic, it packs plenty of protein and nutrients into a delicious hearty stew.
Jamaican Callaloo is a vegetarian dish of callaloo (a leafy green similar to collard greens), Scotch bonnet peppers, onions, and garlic.
Dominican Republic- La Bandera– The precise type of meat included in this dish varies, but the most popular options are often chicken or beef. The final result is a full plate that’s lovingly arranged to resemble the nation’s flag.
Caribbean Restaurants
Screaming Eagle, Aruba – Chef Erwin Husken sets the standard for sourcing at this Eagle Beach standout, long Aruba’s destination restaurant, with a global menu that continues to push the envelope.
Wilhelmina, Aruba –Chef Dennis van Daatselaar has a growing culinary empire in Aruba, but it’s this one that’s the best, with a menu of Aruban and international specialties in a captivating urban garden setting.
Dune, Paradise Island, The Bahamas– exquisite menu featuring international favorites and some inspired takes on Bahamian seafood.
The Landing, Harbour Island, The Bahamas- It’s the first thing you see when you get to the dock in Harbour Island, and with good reason: this intoxicating restaurant set in a charming boutique hotel is, well, a true Bahamian classic.
At Sea, Bonaire – a range of outstanding steaks on offer (although the seafood dish is always a home run, too).
Flying Fish Gastrobar, Grand Bahama- signature Flying Fish restaurant just keeps getting better, buoyed by an impressive wine list.
Baoase Culinary Beach Restaurant, Curacao- mix of French-International and Asian Fusion, and the setting on the Baoase resort’s private beach makes for a magical dining experience.
The Restaurant at Round Hill, Jamaica- The flagship eatery at the Round Hill hotel is the setting for Chef Martin Maginley’s always-inspired take on modern Jamaican cuisine, with impossibly good sourcing.
Scotchie’s, Montego Bay, Jamaica Plainly, – the jerk chicken (or sausage or fish or pork) is one of the best things you’ll eat in the Caribbean.
Parallel 23, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos- The most romantic restaurant in Turks and Caicos is also the best, thanks to the gastronomic artistry of Lauren Callighen, whose contemporary menu and world-class wine list make for an unforgettable combination.
Cozumel and Cancun Restaurant ideas
Cozumel Budget Restaurants- Casa Denis, Los Tacotales- homecooked Mexican food
El Coffee Cozumel- breakfasts, pastries, coffee drinks and more.
Casa Cuzamil- local seafood
El Rincon de Addy- fresh juices, house baked cakes, seasonal fruits, egg plates and silver dollar hot cakes
Cozumel Mid-range Restaurants– Paprika Restaurant, La Cocay, Jolly Cafe & Late Breakfast, La Candela,
Cozumel fine-dining restaurants– Novena Ola, Guido’s,Buccanos At Night, Bajau, Ix Kool Mayan.
Cancun Budget Restaurants- El Rinconcito de Puebla- Mexican classics like chilaquiles, pasta, hamburgers, tacos, nachos.
Parque de las Palapas- marquesitas, elote, tacos, large burritos or churros
Restaurante Margely- good breakfast, ceviche, steak tacos, empanadas.
Marakame Brunch Buffet- Brunch is less than $10 USD and includes a traditional Mexican breakfast, Mimosas, orange juice, and coffee.
Cancun Mid-range Restaurants– El Fish Fritanga, Restaurante Käajal, La Fonda Del Zancudo, Captain’s Cove, Irori.
Cancun fine-dining restaurants- Lorenzillo’s, La Habichuela Cancún, Casitas Cancun, Porfirio’s.
Saving Tips
- Book online and in advance – When we think of beautiful landscapes and wonderful islands, the first travel option that comes to mind is a cruise. So, if instead of flying and staying on one island, you prefer to explore several beautiful islands, this is the best option. On a cruise you can also relax on the days when the ship is only on the sea/ocean, but you also have the advantage of exploring more places if you are an adventurer. We collaborate with the best companies in the world and you can choose the perfect cruise:
- If you’re planning on going diving, or doing any other expensive activities, be sure to check online for discounts beforehand. Some companies offer discounts for direct bookings. Also, last-minute accommodation bookings cost a fortune. If you can, book as far in advance as possible.
- Eat and drink locally – You’re on an island, local specialties such as grouper and snapper are less expensive than other seafood options (plus, they’re fresh)! Imported alcohol can be expensive so sticking to local liquor if you’re going to be drinking keeps your costs down.
- Bring your own snorkel gear -Snorkel rentals can cost $7-10 USD per day. If you plan on doing lots of snorkelling, bring or buy your own equipment and it will pay for itself.
- Taking a day sail but plan on heading to the next island after? Most tour companies will drop you off at no extra charge if the island is nearby.
- Use public transportation. Many Caribbean islands have local public bus systems — usually small, colorful vans that serve the major routes and towns across the island. Fares on these vans tend to be extremely inexpensive (only a dollar or two per person). A few islands with particularly strong local bus systems include Aruba, Puerto Rico and Curacao.
- Don’t book tours through the cruise or all-inclusive resort. They are more expensive and usually very crowded because a lot of people book this way because it’s fairly hassle-free. If you want to save, book on your own!
You can also try Hop-on, Hop-off tours or Big Bus tours and spare some money. As we are presenting a lot of good options you just have to pick the perfect one for you!
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There’s no feeling in the world like connecting with new places, people and experiences through travel. From the iconic to the unexpected, get those “pinch me” moments through a series of Trafalgar highlights others may never know about, or have access to.
Shopping
Because the U.S. government allows its citizens to take (or send) home more duty-free goods from the U.S. Virgins than from other ports of call, the islands remain the shopping bazaar of the Caribbean.
U.S. citizens may carry home $1,400 worth of goods untaxed, as opposed to only $400 to $600 worth of goods from most other islands in the Caribbean. The only exception to this rule is Puerto Rico, where any purchase, regardless of the amount, can be carried tax-free back to the U.S. mainland.
Grand Cayman – George Town is a major destination for duty-free shopping. Watches, crystal, china, perfume, jewelry, and rare coins are among the goods you find for sale here, as well as in a few stores on Cayman Brac. We recommend to take home the Tortuga Rum Cake from the Grand Cayman factory store/distillery!
Curacao’s 57-acre Harbor Duty-Free Zone is the largest in the Caribbean and attracts visitors as well as retailers and other bulk purchasers who come to the fenced-in facility to find bargains.
During seasonal sales, goods might be up to 50% less than comparable prices in the United States; most of the year, you’ll find luxury items (porcelain, crystal, watches, and gemstones) priced at about 25% less than in the U.S. Technically, you’ll pay import duties on virtually everything you buy, but rates are so low you may not even notice.
The capital of Kingston and Jamaica’s major resort towns, including Montego Bay and Negril, all have duty-free shops selling rum, jewelry, cigars and more.
Bahamas Luxury goods, liquor, china, crystal, watches, photographic equipment, and leather goods. Bay Street in Nassau has the most duty-free shops.
Aruba – Much of the European china, jewelry, perfumes, and watches have a disconcerting habit of reappearing in every shopping mall and hotel boutique on the island.
The Dominican Republic: The amber sold by street vendors may be nothing more than orange-colored, transparent plastic; buy only from well-established shops if your investment is a large one. Malls and souvenir stands abound in Santo Domingo, in Puerto Plata, and along the country’s northern coast.
Transport
Taxis are usually a safe option but require the same common sense that you would employ at home. Local buses on many islands provide an affordable alternative, but you may have to ask around to work out the schedules and routes.
Within the island, the most convenient way of travel is going to be via rental car. This is especially helpful if your travels are going to be in a rather densely populated island with multiple cities. Most large rental car companies such as Enterprise, Dollar, Alamo, etc. have a presence in the Caribbean islands but there are also smaller companies you may not have heard of. Make sure to check around to compare and get the best pricing.
Although frequency and availability will largely vary by island, traveling by bus is another way to get around on an island. It is also a very cost efficient for those traveling on a budget .
Some islands have buses and others will not at all. Bus service will generally range from 50 cents to $3 USD per person. Buses tend to run from 6am to 8pm Monday to Saturday. Sundays are either going to be very limited or offer no service at all.
Getting here
Many flights to the region transit through Miami/Fort Lauderdale or Panama, but there are direct flights from various U.S., Canadian, and European cities to some islands. Traveling between islands can be surprisingly difficult and expensive, meaning any multi-island trip requires advanced planning.
There are a few options for island-hopping in the Caribbean. The most popular is booking a cruise, but you can easily go it alone and create your own island-hopping loop by taking advantage of the numerous ferries that go back and forth between all of the islands.
As the Caribbean inter-island airlines will be less known, searching for flights can be a bit of a challenge and it is far easier to search for flight prices through airline comparison sites such as Cheapair, One Travel, Cheapoair etc. If booked ahead of time, inter-island flights can be as low as $100 or less for a one-way.
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