When you have to suffer through a lifetime of snow, ice and subzero temperatures come Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and New Year’s, a holiday down south is a welcome panacea. The initial sight of decorations on palm trees and yuletide revelry on the beach is quite a shock to the system, but you soon realize that while Santa Claus may live in the North Pole, Christmas and other December holidays are a state of mind. Snow, sleet and frostbite in other words, does not a complete Christmas make.
If you do want to escape to sunshine and sea this holiday season or next, here are 5 destinations in the Caribbean that take the festive season seriously.
Whether you stay on the French or Dutch side of this island (hint: much better food and resorts on the French side but the Dutch side is more affordable), Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten is a terrific spot to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. Marigot, Saint-Martin has shops that make you feel as if you’re in Lyon or Paris, especially at holiday time. Traditional treats and gourmet delicacies fly off the shelves as tourists stock up on Christmas comforts to enjoy under the hot Carribean sun. Philipsburg on the Sint Maarten side offers more commercial wares, but is nonetheless festive. The entire island is awash with typical Creole holiday fare in December, which all in all, is way better than a dry turkey and a cranberry jelly mold.
Pore through a slew of great hotels in Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten.
The hub of soca, calypso and Carnival throws one memorable party after another in December and early January. Trinidad & Tobago however, unlike the rest of the Caribbean, are not heavily reliant on tourism to bolster the economy. This is a country that has never compromised to accommodate international visitors, even at the infamous pre-Lent Carnival bash. As a result, the holiday season here, much like the rest of “Trini” cultural displays throughout the year, is authentic all the way. If you want to witness and participate in a sincere Caribbean Christmas, replete with steelpan, Parang music, rhythmic gyrations and spicy grub, head to the capital of Port-of-Spain in the archipelago nation of Trinidad & Tobago.
While not in the Caribbean per se, the Atlantic Ocean paradise of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, just southeast of Florida, shares much in common with the other destinations on this list. Most notably at Christmas, when colonial links with Great Britain come alive in the form of yuletide traditions and events. Resorts here are remarkably elegant and classy and thus provide a different kind of vacation in December than say, Trinidad & Tobago, or even Sint Maarten. If you want complete isolation, relaxation, peace and quiet, in the most splendid backdrop, then any Christmas blahs you may suffer from will wash away with the tides in the Bahamas. If you do want to get out and party, check out the Junkanoo Carnival Party in December in the capital of Nassau.
Again, while not technically within the Caribbean network of nations, the Atlantic Ocean, Lesser Antilles island of Barbados is close enough to merit a place on our list. For those with a little extra to splurge, Barbados often fits the bill for a vacation over Christmas and New Year’s. Pastoral landscapes, sugarcane plantations and trade wind-swept sandy coasts provide visitors with postcard-perfect panoramas. Posh duty free shops do brisk business in December and may just lure you out of that private villa or beachfront resort to do some damage on the credit card.
The heart of Reggaet?n culture, Puerto Rico pulsates to a vibrant beat anytime of year, let alone December. The archipelago nation in the north Carribean is a fabulous mix of cultures, from African to Amerindian or Ta?no, Spanish and American. A massive confluence of traditions explode when the holiday season hits, with a lot of inherent charm in store for curious tourists. So how to maximize the Christmas season in Puerto Rico? Well, start with a church mass at dawn, where the sounds of native carols spill out into the streets, from December 15 to 24. Eat as much lech?n, or roast pork, as you can and wash it down with coconut nog and rum. And last by not least, take part in local customs when you ring in New Year’s: eat twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight and sprinkle sugar outside your door for good luck and throw a bucket of water out the window to cast out bad spirits. Remember to celebrate Three King’s Day on January 6 – Puerto Ricans take the holiday seriously, especially in the capital of San Juan.
Discover some of the best hotel deals in pristine Puerto Rico.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
I agree it is a state of mind. I like snow on christamss day then like going to St martins after that.