The Mini Rough Guide to Caribbean Ports of Call (Travel Guide eBook)

By Rough Guides

This pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering the beauty of Caribbean cruising. From the glitzy ships to islands as different as Barbados and St-Barthélemy,
this guide aims to cover the popular ports of call, including places not considered part of the region, such as the Bahamas, Mexico and Central America, but which are often found on Caribbean cruise itineraries. This title has been fully updated post-COVID-19.

This Mini Rough Guide to Caribbean Ports of call covers: Mexico and Central America, the Bahamas, the Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, St-Martin, the Southern Caribbean.

In this travel guide you will find:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Whether you want to slap on the sun lotion, read a good book and bask in the sun, dive in the sea to discover pristine coral reefs and shipwrecks, hike through a rainforest, or explore ancient Maya ruins, the Mini Rough Guide to Caribbean Ports of Call give you a taste of all of these things.

TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS
A perfect cruise in Caribbean covers the best attractions of the Caribbean including Barbados, Mayreau, St-Barths, St Lucia and Castries, St-Marting and Virgin Gorda.

COMPACT FORMAT
Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, with a sharp design and colour-coded sections, this is the perfect on-the-move companion when you're exploring the Caribbean Ports of call.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Includes an insightful overview of Caribbean landscapes, history and culture.

WHAT TO DO
Detailed description of entertainment, shopping, nightlife, festivals and events, and children's activities.

PRACTICAL MAPS
Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Practical information on eating out, including a handy glossary and detailed restaurant listings, as well as a comprehensive A-Z of travel tips on everything from getting around to health and tourist information.

STRIKING PICTURES
Inspirational colour photography throughout.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839059025

Rough Guides

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about--having either traveled extensively or lived there--and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

Book preview

cover.jpg

HOW TO USE THIS E-BOOK

Getting Around this e-Book

This Rough Guide Mini e-book is designed to inspire you and help you plan for your visit to Caribbean POC, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Highlights, plus a Perfect Cruise feature to help you plan an unforgettable trip. The Introduction and History and Culture chapters give the lowdown on the Caribbean, past and present, while the Out and About chapter is a comprehensive guide to all the best places to visit. Travel Essentials offers just that; practical information to help you plan your trip. You will find advice on How to Choose a Cruise, How to Prepare and What to Pack, as well as useful information on Life on Board and Life on Shore.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information is also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Caribbean POC are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Caribbean POC. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Rough Guides:

Published in 1982, the first Rough Guide – to Greece – was created by Mark Ellingham and a small group of friends who couldn’t find a guidebook to meet their needs. Combining a contemporary, journalistic style with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers’ needs, the immediate success of the book spawned a series that rapidly covered dozens of destinations. These days, Rough Guides include recommendations from budget to luxury and cover more than 120 destinations worldwide, all regularly updated by our team of ever curious, roaming writers. These Rough Guide Minis may be small, but they are packed with information and inspiration and offer amazing value for money.

© 2022 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd.

Table of Contents

10 Things Not To Miss

A Perfect Cruise In The Caribbean

Overview

Early Conquests

European Battles

Sugar And Slavery

Roads To Independence

The Caribbean Today

Caribbean Cruising

Building Bigger

In Port

Cruising The Caribbean

Out and About

Sailing out of America

Miami

South Beach

Downtown Miami

Little Havana

A trip to the Everglades

Fort Lauderdale

Venice of America

Las Olas Boulevard

City museums

Port Canaveral

Orlando theme parks

Kennedy Space Center

Tampa

Theme park thrills

Downtown Tampa

New Orleans

Galveston

Houston

Key West

Shipwrecks

On Duval Street

Mexico and Central America

Cozumel

Beaches

Cancún

Playa del Carmen

Xcaret

Xel-Há

Tulum and Cobá

Chichén Itzá

Costa Maya

Kohunlich

Virgin Reef

Belize

Belize City

Storks and jaguars

Ruins and reefs

Honduras

Roatán

Natural beauty

Costa Rica

Limón

Taste of adventure

The Bahamas

New Providence Island

Nassau

Pirates in the Bahamas

Paradise Island

Grand Bahama

Pirates in the Bahamas

Freeport

Dolphins in Sanctuary Bay

Nature trails

Underwater caves

The Western Caribbean

Cuba

Havana

Hemingway haunts

Grand Cayman

George Town

National Museum

Going to Hell

Turtles and stingrays

Great gardens

Jamaica

Montego Bay

The Hip Strip

Great houses

Falmouth

Martha Brae

Ocho Rios

Great houses

Dunn’s River Falls

Writers’ retreats

Port Antonio

Banana Gold

On the Rio Grande

Dominican Republic

La Romana

Eastern Islas

Northern coast

Samaná Peninsula

Puerto Rico

San Juan

Castles and fortresses

Old town sights

El Yunque

Ponce

Eastern Caribbean

US Virgin Islands

St Thomas

Charlotte Amalie

Castle on the hill

Across the island

St John

St Croix

British Virgin Islands

Tortola

Road Town

Island tours and beaches

Virgin Gorda

Sint Maarten

Philipsburg

Shopping treats

St-Martin

Marigot

St-Barthélemy

Gustavia

Eating at the beach

St Kitts

St Kitts Scenic Railway

Contrasting beaches

Nevis

Antigua

St John’s

Island heritage

Out of town

English Harbour

Sugar Museum

Guadeloupe

Pointe-à-Pitre

Créole specialities

Grande-Terre

Basse-Terre

Trips to the islands

Réserve Cousteau

Dominica

Natural wonders

Under the sea

Roseau

Trafalgar Fall

The Boiling Lake

Portsmouth

Martinique

Fort-de-France

Restaurants and markets

Metal landmarks

Fort St Louis

St-Pierre

Rum and gardens

St Lucia

A cultural mélange

Castries

Southwest to the Pitons

Soufrière

Diamond Falls

Sailing and snorkelling

Rodney Bay

A day of adventure

Barbados

A turnaround port

Rum in the sun

Getting around Barbados

Bridgetown

National Heroes

The Platinum Coast

Speightstown

The wild east coast

Natural wonders

Sporting chances

The southern Caribbean

St Vincent and The Grenadines

Outside Kingstown

La Soufrière

Bequia and Mayreau

A water heaven

Grenada

The Carenage

Grand Anse beach

Dramatic sights

National parks

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad

A tour of the capital

Queen’s Park Savannah

A taste of the island

Scarborough

Beautiful beaches and reefs

Aruba’s capital

A bet on the beach

Aruba’s sights

Aruba and Curaçao

A tropical Amsterdam

A cultural experience

A–Z Travel Tips

Choosing a cruise

Types of cruise

Theme cruises

Choosing a cabin

Cruising with children

Home ports

Disabled travellers

Weddings

Preparing for the trip

Booking a cruise

Counting the cost

Health

Passports and visas

When to go

What to bring

Life on board

Activities and entertainment

Communication

Etiquette

Food and drink

Money

Ship facilities

Life on shore

Shore excursions

Cruise line information

Tourist information

10 THINGS NOT TO MISS

Belize Tourist Board/Demian Solano

1. The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve, Belize

You may be lucky enough to spot a jaguar here. For more information, click here.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

2. The Grenadines

Snorkelling and diving here is second to none. For more information, click here.

Getty Images

3. Pirates of the Caribbean

The Caribbean’s seafaring history is revealed at the Pirates of Nassau Museum in the Bahamas. For more information, click here.

Alex Havret/Apa Publications

4. Les Chutes du Carbet, Guadeloupe

Hike through lush forest and see the highest waterfall in the Caribbean. For more information, click here.

iStock

5. Chichén Itzá

Magical Maya ruins such as the Pyramid of Kukulcán (El Castillo) are the highlight of any visit to the Yucatán, Mexico. For more information, click here.

Fotolia

6. Costa Rica

Tropical rainforests, gushing rivers and rare wildlife make this a sublime destination. For more information, click here.

iStock

7. Surfer’s paradise

Atlantic rollers at Bathsheba in Barbados. For more information, click here.

iStock

8. The Pitons

St Lucia’s dramatic landmark peaks dominate the landscape at Soufrière. For more information, click here.

Getty Images

9. River rafting

A great way to travel in Jamaica. For more information, click here.

iStock

10. Eagle Beach

On the northwest coast of Aruba, this idyllic beach is one of the Caribbean’s best. For more information, click here.

A PERFECT CRUISE IN THE CARIBBEAN

Day 1

Barbados. Arrive a day before the cruise and take the time to explore Barbados. Take a jeep safari round the island, visiting the windswept beaches along the rugged Atlantic coast, or walk around Bridgetown, with its British influence and impressive Parliament building, and the nearby historic Garrison area.

Day 2

Mayreau, Grenadines. From the dock at tiny Mayreau, jump on a charter boat to the uninhabited Tobago Cays for some of the best snorkelling in the Caribbean. Exotic colourful fish dart in and out of the coral and the visibility thanks to the crystal clear waters is astonishing.

Day 3

St Lucia and Castries. Be on deck early as the ship approaches Soufrière, in the shadow of the dramatic Pitons, it is a stunning sight in the early morning light. Take a tour of St Lucia’s wild side: the world’s only drive-in volcano and the Diamond Waterfall, cascading over lush tropical foliage. In the afternoon, check out arty Castries – there are some great galleries selling batik, silk screens, sculpture, oils and watercolours, or try the Craft Market for local souvenirs.

Day 4

St-Barths. Step ashore amidst some of the most lavish private yachts to be found in the Caribbean. Stroll around Gustavia, the chic capital, or from the port, walk to pretty Shell Beach, which is overlooked by a cool Brazilian bar. On the way back to the dock, have a drink at Le Select (tel: [phone]), a lively yachtie pub.

Day 5

St-Martin. Wander around the little town of Marigot, capital of the French side of the island, complete with boulangerie. At lunchtime, take a taxi to Grand Case, a single street along the shore lined with some of the finest restaurants in the Caribbean. Grab a waterside table at La Cigale (www.lacigalerestaurantsxm.com), choose your lobster, order a glass of chilled rosé, and don’t move until the sun goes down.

Day 6

Virgin Gorda (BVI). Spend the day splashing around at The Baths, one of the most beautiful beaches you’ll come across in the Caribbean, a jumble of giant boulders are scattered on soft, white sand here, creating secluded pools and cool caves.

Day 7–8

All at sea. Two blissful days to bask by the pool with a book, or attend one of the onboard lectures. Or why not try out a class or indulge yourself in some serious pampering at the on-board spa. Keep an eye out for dolphins and whales off-shore too form the deck; they love racing the ship and it makes for a particularly great photo opportunity at sunrise and sunset.

Day 9

Miami. If you’re on an evening flight, disembark from the ship, check in at the airport and then head to South Beach and the city’s Art Deco district. A spot of lunch later, followed by a stroll on the beach and shopping, and you’ll be in a relaxed mood for that flight home.

Overview

The whole of the Caribbean region has had a turbulent and extremely varied history. You will notice on arrival at any island port that there is at least one fortress guarding the harbour mouth or perched up on a hillside with a panoramic view of the sea.

These scattered vestiges of military power, some ruined and others restored, remind us that the Caribbean has always been fought over. Its landscapes are marked not only by fortifications, but by reminders of battles, uprisings and massacres. The surrounding seas have witnessed countless naval engagements and they conceal a wealth of sunken warships, rusting cannons – and treasure.

Not only did competing European nations go to war over this rich and desirable region, fighting out their quibbles from home on this glorious sea, but pirates preyed on its ports, and African slaves rose up against their oppressors in bids for freedom. Only in more recent times have these islands discovered peace.

Early conquests

The first people to discover the Caribbean were Amerindians who, thousands of years ago, travelled here in dug-out canoes from the Orinoco Basin in Venezuela, peacefully settling the islands. Around AD1000, the Carib, also known as the Kalinago, paddled up in canoes from the same jungle area of South America and ousted the inhabitants; the region was named after them.

Privateers

Notorious pirates such as Henry Morgan and Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach were independent operators, attacking Spanish ships, smuggling and slave-trading, until they were sponsored by European rulers at home, and renamed privateers.

Mary Evans Picture Library

Sugar cane plantation, Montego, 1900

The Carib invasion may have been violent, but it was mild in comparison to the horrors inflicted by the first European invaders. Backed by the Spanish monarchy, Christopher Columbus arrived 500 years later, thinking he had reached the East Indies, and heralded the start of the conquest by Europeans of the West Indies and the New World. He was closely followed by Spanish conquistadors in pursuit of gold. Greed for this precious metal drove the Spanish to colonise the larger islands of Hispaniola, Cuba and Puerto Rico, and they brutally forced the Amerindians to search for it. They in turn succumbed to European diseases or were killed in uprisings. From here, the Spanish went on to Mexico and Central America, where they discovered the treasures of the Maya civilizations. Lacking gold, the smaller Eastern Caribbean islands were not colonised until sugar was introduced.

European battles

Other European nations watched the expansion of the Spanish Caribbean with keen interest. Protestant England was hostile towards Catholic Spain and Sir Francis Drake attacked and occupied Santo Domingo in Hispaniola, in 1585, destroying the pride of the Spanish Empire. At the same time pirates, such as Henry Morgan and Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach, began to