Colombia: Providencia, a quiet Caribbean island, 2000

Colombia has two islands that are on the western side of the Caribbean, about 150 miles from the coast of Nicaragua: San Andres and Providencia. San Andres is a relatively flat coral island and a well-known tourist destination. Providencia is less visited and quieter, probably in part due to the fact that the airport can only handle prop planes and does not (or did not at the time) have lights for night landings. This is the first island I visited that was out of the way of most of the familiar stops. In Providencia I found people to be exceptionally friendly, and the atmosphere relaxing in the extreme. As with all out-of-the-way places, the more people discover it, the less chance it has to hang on to its pristine character. Hopefully, Providencia will continue to be a place that does not imitate the frenzied pace of much of the world.

Visit my webpage on Colombia at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/colombia.html

Caribbean: Shirley Heights, Antigua, 2005

Antigua is another Caribbean island (south and east of Puerto Rico) that is popular with vacationers. At 106 square miles, it's larger than Anguilla or St. Martin and has even more beaches. One of the most popular sights on the island of Antigua is Shirley Heights. It's not the highest point on the island, but from this point the British, when Antigua was one of their colonies, could see the entry of ships in the harbor. Ruins of the old 18th-century British forts still stand on this point. Nowadays it's a popular place with tourists and those locals who want to sell crafts and other items to them.

Visit my webpage on the Caribbean at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/caribbean.html

Caribbean: Shoal Bay, Anguilla, 2003

Here's a picture of me on Shoal Bay beach on the island of Anguilla in 2003, enjoying the blinding white sand and the bright blue water.

A few words about Anguilla: it's a small, scrubby, relatively flat coral and limestone Caribbean island, a little to the east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It has a quiet atmosphere in contrast to the crowds and casinos on St. Martin. (A side note: The island of St. Martin is shared between the French and the Dutch. The French spell it Saint-Martin, and the Dutch spell it Sint Maarten. All of the casinos are on the Dutch side.) The real attraction of Anguilla is the water around the island. I also found the people to be extremely friendly. There are some low-key, high-end resorts on this island. The easiest way to get there from the US is to fly to St. Martin first and then take the ferry from Marigot on the French side.

Visit my webpage on the Caribbean at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/caribbean.html