Caribbean Islands
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Virgin Islands
Yacht Charter in the Virgin Islands
The Caribbean islands form a huge curve with a lenght of nearly 4,000 kilometres. They are located to the north of the Central American land bridge between the North American peninsula of Florida and the northeast coast of South American Venezuela. The islands‘ entire area is smaller than the area of Germany. They are basically divided into the Larger Antilles (e.g. Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola) and the Lesser Antilles, which again are subdivided in to the Leeward Islands in the north and the Windward Islands in the south. To the north of Cuba, the Bahamas are situated. In the North Atlantic Ocean, there is the isolated archipelago of Bermuda which also belongs to the Caribbean Islands. The fact that the Caribbean, benefiting from the warm gulf stream, houses the most important coral gardens of the entire Atlantic Ocean, might interest those who are fond of water sports. Coral reefs constitute a biotope that has to be protected. Because of marine sedimentation, the unique beach formations of the Caribbean constantly increase, unlike the steep coasts. Off the beaten tracks, charter tourists seeking for peace and quiet can still find lonely bays which gradually become a luxury.
Except for the Bermuda Islands, all regions of the Caribbean are situated in the tropics which causes high temperatures all year round. The average temperature differense is merely three degrees Celsius. All of the Caribbean Islands lie in the area of influence of the trade wind. This means an air stream which blows from the subtropical cells of high atmospheric pressure towards the equatorial trough. In the Northern Hemisphere, it blows from the northeast to the southwest. In English, they speak of the trade winds because of the importance of these air flows for trade during the era of transcontinental navigation. Everywhere in the Caribbean where there is a mountain, these unstable air masses loaded with moisture release it as rain because of the thrust effect on the windward side, while on the mountain‘s leeward side it’s predominantly dry.
Wherever your journey takes you, you will find a truely exotic vegetation. In the Caribbean, there are evergreen rain forests, jungles, coconut palms, banana palms and many fantastically beautiful flower species like orchids and lilies. The most prevalent agricultural crops are sugar cane, tobacco, coconuts, spices, pineapples. The sea fauna is colourful and multifarious - this is why the Caribbean waters are considered a paradise for underwater photographers. Above water, you can get the most of this area’s beauty travelling by a yacht. Thus, it is no wonder that the Caribbean becomes increasingly popular with charter tourists.
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