Caribbean

With a land area of just 240,000 km², the Caribbean islands are known for being a popular travel and holiday spot for people all around the world. People are drawn here for the tropical climate and overwhelming natural beauty - only about 2% of the land in this region is actually inhabited, much of it remaining untouched by human civilization. 

The landscapes of the Caribbean region are spilt into relatively flat islands (such as Barbados and the Florida Keys) and much taller mountainous locations (like Jamaica and Cuba). The islands with higher elevation may see occasional snow on the peaks, but in general the weather in the Caribbean is sunny all year round. There is an intense wet season in the latter half of the year with risk of hurricanes, but the rain is pleasantly warm and helps maintain the wide variety of life on the islands and creates the famously stunning scenery.

Of course, being a set of islands in a sea makes for incredible marine life and experiences being available, such as swimming with dolphins (or even sharks), snorkelling or scuba diving, yachting, wakeboarding, windsurfing and sailing.

Visiting any of the Caribbean countries will give anyone an unforgettable experience of outstanding natural beauty. The bright blue ocean that surrounds every island is a far cry from our own grey shores, and the remarkably diverse nature of the animals and plants will fascinate anybody with an interest in the world around us. 

Often schools visit for sports tours - particularly cricket - although the rise of Jamaican sprinting with world legends such as Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, has seen athletics come to the fore too.

But the Caribbean islands are not just tranquil paradises, set for adventure. There is major history here - from the British and French colonisation, to pirates to the political crisis surrounding Cuba in the 1960s. Agriculture plays a big role too, with tobacco, banana and coffee plantations creating wealth and the attendant ghost of slavery lurking in the background at all times.

Each island has their own unique cultural traditions and histories to learn about, and surreal experiences such as hiking through clouds and travelling beneath the waves in a submarine are just some of the things on offer in the Caribbean - a place to really experience the wonder of nature.

Find out more about countries in the Caribbean region here: