Longing destination Caribbean - an island for every type

Caribbean - as soon as you hear the word, white dream beaches, lush palm trees, colorful cocktails and beaming faces appear in your mind's eye. Cuba, St. Lucia, Barbados: The attraction of the sun-drenched islands, where you can escape the cold winter, is almost magical. Here is a little guide to the loneliest jungle paths, best surf spots and oldest rum distilleries along the island arc between Miami and South America.

"Bon Bini" - "Welcome" to Curaçao! The Windward Island, north of Venezuela, is a cultural melting pot of 50 nations and boasts its own language mixture of Spanish, Dutch, French and Arawak, the Papiamento.

The capital and UNESCO World Heritage city of Willemstad is reminiscent of a 17th-century Dutch city at first glance. The Renaissance facades of the merchant houses glow in candy colors above the deep blue waters of the Sint Anna Baai.

Sun worshipers make a pilgrimage to one of the more than 40 tropical dream bays, the so-called "Bocas". Not only at the Boca Kenapa in the northwest do the locals celebrate the Caribbean lifestyle every weekend. The best way to extend your island dreams is to pack a bottle of Blue Curaçao, the world-famous blue liqueur, in your suitcase.

Info: curacao.com

Rihanna and rum, two well-known export hits were born on the easternmost of the Lesser Antilles, plus more than 110 kilometers of sun-kissed, palm-fringed picture-book beaches, a charming mix of British traditions and Creole nonchalance and lots of culinary delights. Whether enjoying artfully draped crabs at the chic restaurants, a grilled lobster at the beach bar, or fried flying fish by the side of the road.

The beaches are also full of contrasts: calm waters and white powder sugar beaches on the west coast, wild beauty with rocks, long rough beaches and one of the best surfing areas in the world in the east. What you shouldn't miss: a rum tasting at the Mount Gay Distillery and immersing yourself in the Caribbean lifestyle at the "Oistin Fish Fry" on Friday evening.

Info: visitbarbados.org

The Saint Lucians affectionately call the rain showers so typical on their island “Liquid Sunshine”. Because without them, the Lesser Antilles island would not be what it is: a lush green and wild natural beauty. Towered over by the two sugar loaf-like volcanic cones and landmarks Petit Piton and Gros Piton, "the beautiful Helena of the West" has always been a symbol of a tropical island of longing.

At the foot of the Pitons lie botanical gardens, roaring waterfalls, bubbling sulfur springs, old plantations and charming French colonial-style confectioner's cottages. A colorful exotic bloom of wild orchids and hibiscus as well as rare trees inspire in the wondrous world of the rain forest. A trip to Marigot Bay, a bay on the west coast that was also used as a film set, is also worthwhile.

Info: stlucia.org

365 picture-book beaches - one for every day of the year. This is the number agreed upon for simplicity on Antigua, one of the Windward Islands. But who has ever counted the white, yellow and gold-colored lonely sandy beaches where Greta Garbo, Liza Minelli, Steffi Graf and Roger Moore relaxed? Or hoist the sails, for example during the Antigua Sailing Week from April 28th to May 7th, the most important sailing event in the Caribbean.

Have you had enough of sun, sand and sailing? In addition to the historic naval base "Nelson's Dockyard" and the historic sugar plantation "Betty's Hope", there is the beautiful harbor of the island, the English Harbor with the legendary "Admiral's Inn".

Info (in English): visitantiguabarbuda.com

You've known that you can dance and sing in Puerto Rico at least since Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin topped the hit parades and swayed their hips in their music videos. The smallest of the Greater Antilles stands for hot rhythms and is the party hotspot of the Caribbean, especially when evening falls in the picturesque old town of the island's capital, San Juan. A tip: Toast to life with a Piña Colada! After all, this fruity-sweet drink was invented here.

But Puerto Rico can also be very quiet: On the south coast with picture-book beaches lined with palm trees, offshore coral reefs with a colorful underwater world ensure unforgettable dives. The two islands of Culebra are also popular for their lonely dream beaches and wonderful diving grounds. However, Mona Island is an absolute paradise for divers.

Info (in English): discoverpuertorico.com

Bob Marley fans agree: once in a lifetime you have to visit Jamaica, the island where the reggae king was born. Soak up the feeling of freedom and relaxation. Feel very close to your idol in the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, then relax and drink a cocktail in Montego Bay or Negril and look at the turquoise sea.

Once the memorial sites have all been visited, there is time for the other beauties of the third largest Caribbean island: the waterfalls near Ocho Rios, the stalactite caves in Cockpit Country, where fugitive slaves used to hide, a boat trip on the Black River or the former capital Port Royal, where privateers like Henry Morgan made history.

Tip for lovers of fine coffee beans: The mountains of the Blue Mountains are not only a fascinating hiking area, the Blue Mountain Coffee, the famous tropical-spicy coffee, also matures here.

Info: visitjamaica.com

Cuba is addicting. Not only after Mojito, Cuba Libre and Cohiba. It is the people's contagious joie de vivre that makes the largest and, for many, most authentic of all Caribbean islands a unique experience.

It doesn't matter whether you're following in Hemingway's footsteps in the capital, Havana, sipping a daiquiri in the famous Bar El Floredita, following the swaying hips of the salsa dancers, cruising along the famous Malecón in a pink 1950s American sled, or the pastel-colored colonial houses and crumbling facades in Havana or admired Trinidad.

Cigar lovers flock to the rolling tobacco fields of the Viñales Valley. The sugar for rum, without which Cuba would be unthinkable, also comes from the country. But beach lovers don't miss out either: 5,700 kilometers of coastline and 4,000 islands are available to choose from.

Info: cubainfo.de