The Caribbean are an extensive island region found between Central America, the northern coast of South America and the Gulf of Mexico. They therefore extend to the east of the American continent, in the Caribbean Sea precisely, and include more than 7,000 islands divided into three archipelagos: the large anti -antilles, which include the famous islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico; the small antilles, which form an arch to South America; The Bahamas, located further north, in the Atlantic Ocean.
From the moment in which tourism has become a mass phenomenon, they represent the dream destination for the holidays that we would all like to do at least once in life. The intense blue of the waters, the white of the sand and the green of the luxuriant tropical plants have in fact become the icon, if not the cliché, of the modern journey towards exotic locations, and it is not possible to pass in front of the showcase of a travel agency without running into photos of environments that seem to exist only in the advertisements of the swimsuit.
The climate is tropical, characterized by high temperatures all year round, with averages between 25 ° C and 30 ° C. The region has a dry season (from December to April) and a wet season (from May to November), during which intense and tropical thunderstorms are frequent. In this period, the risk of hurricanes also increases, in particular between August and October. The constant influence of the Alisei and the Gulf current contributes to mitigating the climate.
The name “Caribbean” derives from the Spanish term Dearused to identify an indigenous ethnic group that lived in the small antilles and a part of the South American coast at the time of the first contact with European explorers and colonizers. According to some interpretations, Dear It would in turn derive from a local term, which meant “brave or” strong “men.
The reason why the Caribbean islands have become an important destination of international tourism is for everyone. The beauty of the environments, the tropical climate and the spectacular natural resources, such as marine fauna and coral reefs, are factors capable of moving consistent flows of millions of tourists every year.
Historically, the Region is also found in a strategic position, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, in an extremely comfortable point for the tourist movements of the Western countries, along ancient commercial and maritime routes.
The strategic position was in fact well known even in the past, the Caribbean were in fact the scene of the explorations of Cristoforo Colombo (who landed on his first journey precisely on one of the islands of the Bahamas), of rivalry between European colonial powers and, now legendary, raids between pirates. Not surprisingly, the saga Pirates of the Caribbeanwhich features the famous Captain Jack Sparrow as the protagonist is set in this region.
Having been the place of meeting and exchange for centuries, the Caribbean today have treasure of their cultural wealth, the result of contamination between indigenous populations, European colonizers and slaves deported from Africa. To which, more recently, communities from all over the world have joined.
This mixture gave birth to unique traditions, music appreciated all over the world, such as the reggae and kitchens that act as a bridge to the customs of three different continents.
