THE LEEWARD ISLANDS, “CARIBBEAN UNPLUGGED”

by clay larroy

Traveling is great personal interests because it will make a more open-minded person when it comes to inter acting with people. It also made it easier to understanding as to why people act the way they do in their own society and in a society as diverse as the U.S. It has long been said that travels “broadens the mind”. Now new evidence proves that jumping on a plane will not only make you smarter, but more open-minded.  When you need to plan a vacation contact me!

The Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands – Anguilla, Saba, Sint Eustatius, St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda – are a natural mosaic that for centuries has tugged mightily at the hearts of explorers, buccaneers, traders and boaters. On this string of islands stretching south in an arc east of Puerto Rico, dreamy beaches flanked by crooked palms and lapped by cerulean waters are only the beginning. Sure, give your soul a vacation on the beach for a few days, but then tear yourself away and explore. Beat your path through dense rainforest to reach volcanic peaks for painterly panoramas or plunge below the waterline for mesmerizing close-ups of coral and tropical fish. Commune with colonial ghosts at ruined military forts or former sugar plantations, then connect back with the present over rum punches, roadside barbecues and jamming beach parties. Just don’t expect casinos, condo complexes or big malls – this is the Caribbean unplugged.

The Leeward Islands earned their name because they lie in the lee of the wind: the prevailing trade winds are blowing towards them from the east north east. They are situated near the meeting point of the Caribbean sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Although they are closely clustered they have had diverging histories of occupation and colonization, and some are still a part of the overseas territories of European nations.

From north to south the main islands are Anguilla, St Martin, Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua and Montserrat, together with smaller islands including St Barthelemy and Saba. Many Caribbean cruises combine multiple stops at these islands on one itinerary. They should not be confused with the Society Islands of French Polynesia, which are also sometimes referred to as Leeward Islands.

Montserrat and Anguilla are separate British overseas territories. In Anguilla there were rebellions and a short-lived unilateral declaration of independence in the late 1960s, when the citizens objected to being included in the territory of St Kitts and Nevis.

French Saint Martin is an overseas possession of France, and Dutch Saint Maarten is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The nations of Antigua & Barbuda and St Kitts & Nevis (officially the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis) are independent states governed by parliamentary democracy. They are members of the British-led Commonwealth of Nations, and recognize the British reigning monarch as their head of state. St Kitts & Nevis have a tourism-related program which allows foreigners to apply for citizenship after making a substantial investment in local real estate. There is some internal tension stemming from a growing movement in Nevis towards secession from the union with St Kitts.

The Leeward Islands, a geographical grouping with an essentially shared history, have developed over time into six separate nations. They have a common interest in tourism, and in economic and cultural advancement for their ethnically diverse but essentially harmonious populations.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/leeward-islands/introduction

http://www.adventure-life.com/caribbean/lesser-antilles/leeward-islands/articles/leeward-islands-overview

Visual surprise is natural in the Caribbean; it comes with the landscape, and faced with its beauty, the sigh of History dissolves.

Derek Walcott

Enjoy and travel to create great family memories!