The Caribbean stretches from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago just off the Venezuelan coast in the south, encompassing over 7,000 islands across three main groups: the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico), the Lesser Antilles (from the Virgins south through the Windwards and Leewards) and the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) off South America. Each island has a distinct identity shaped by its colonial history. The French islands — Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Barths — offer Gallic cuisine, sophisticated style and a genuinely European standard of gastronomy paired with extraordinary beaches. The British-influenced islands — Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands — tend to be easy, welcoming and well-organised for visitors. The Dutch islands — Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba — offer excellent diving, pastel-painted colonial streetscapes and a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. Cuba, the Caribbean’s largest island, is a destination entirely unto itself — a time-capsule of extraordinary colour, music, architecture and complexity. Jamaica offers reggae, rum, Blue Mountains coffee and the infectious energy of its people. The Turks and Caicos hold arguably the finest beach in the entire Caribbean — Grace Bay on Providenciales, 11 kilometres of blinding white sand and near-perfect turquoise water. Diving and snorkelling are outstanding throughout the region, particularly in the Cayman Islands, Bonaire and the Belize Barrier Reef. Sailing the Caribbean is a classic experience, whether on a chartered catamaran around the Grenadines or a luxury expedition yacht. The Caribbean is warm and largely sunny year-round, with December to April being the peak dry season.