Cities and Towns in Caribbean
Not much is expected of Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side, it's therefore a pleasant surprise to discover a fine little town. The "downtown" at the waterfront is a colourful mess with narrow bumpy streets. Many shops in first and second row from the bay cater to cruise ship folk (how many jewelry shops and casinos do they need), but there are interesting buildings squeezed in, like the wooden Methodist church. Even the long city beach isn’t too bad. Crowded on cruise ship days, deserted at all other times.
What a wonderful worn charming mess Basseterre is. Your eyes are constantly catching sight of something interesting. An old building, a rasta with long dreadlocks, men drinking beers in the shade, big lady selling vegetables - everywhere something. The sounds are equal loud and messy. Raggea and church music are blasting out everywhere, often at the some time. On weekdays the streets are packed with friendly and very easy going people, but on Sundays the town is deserted - unless a cruise ship is in port. For some street food and beers with the locals, head down to the small bars at the Nevis ferry terminal.
Charmingly Charlestown is a smaller, nicer, quieter, and more orderly version of Basseterre, but that’s exactly how Nevis is compared to St Kitts. There are plenty of fine colonial house along with modern colourful Caribbean buildings. Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise, but there are also a high number of bars with a few beer drinking rastas standing outside, which just add to Charlestown's character. However, there are no particularly main sights in town, so the Nevis Sports museum might be tempting.
Names for many places on St. Lucia date back to when the French controlled the region in the 1700s. It's no different for the little fishing village Anse la Raye, which name means the "Bay of Rays" referring to the fish. It's a wonderful shabby place with lots of character in both people and architecture. Houses are either old dilapidated buildings or colour fishermen shacks, which the new cute wooden street signs fit well with. The oversized Catholic church dates back to 1907, but there has been chapel there since 1745. Near the beach there is a line of souvenir stalls for the cruise tourists who whisk by.
Soufriere is the oldest town on St. Lucia, as it was founded by the French in 1746. The location is one of the most picturesque, right on the shore at the foot of the island's two iconic peaks, known as pitons. The name Soufriere means "sulphur" in French and refers to the smell at the vulcano near by. The sleepy town has a wonderful collection of old shabby buildings, some colonials, and though it sees a fair share of tourists, it somehow managed to stay local and authentic.
Kingstown is small, even in Caribbean scale. The center is down at the harbour, but the town spreads out over the surrounding hills. From the distance Kingstown looks nice and green, but as you walk the streets, the place change character to worn and seedy – just like some of the people in the streets. But don't let the looks fool you, Kingstown is just a real Caribbean town who doesn't cater to tourists and people are nice and honest. If you are looking for some action, come on a Saturday as it's market day.
The tourist epicenter on Tobago is Crown Point at the airport. However, if you are looking for somewhere more chilled with a true local flavour head to Buccoo Bay. Sure, the beach here isn't as nice as the ones at Crown Point (like Store Bay and Pigeon Point), but you can have it for yourself – and the pretty Mt Irvine Beach isn't too far anyway. Every Sunday the village turns into street party with BBQ food stalls, open air bars, and pumping reggae music where tourist and locals alike grab a few drinks.
The fishing village of Charlotteville spreads out at the bottom of the horseshoe-shaped Man of War Bay. The palm fringed beach is long with brown sand. Yacht people have already discovred this charming village, so yachts are often anchored in the aquamarine bay – a beautiful sight that is best taken in up from the rim of the surrounding lush mountains. Though Charlotteville is bigger than Speyside, it only has a small tourist industry, so it has kept its authentic vibe with friendly folks.
Trinidad is not Tobago when it comes to beaches. Tobago is blessed with bounty beaches with white sand and aquamarine waters. On Trinidad you can expect beaches with brown sand, murky choppy waters, and trash as they are mostly used by fishermen. And the long wide beach at Mayaro is no different. There are a couple of resorts on the south side of Mayaro town, but none will impress architecturally.
The capital of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain, suffers unfortunately from a bad reputation, but if you keep clear of the bad suburbs and not wander too much around at night, it's actually quite an interesting city – and not just during the carnival. Particularly the areas Woodbrook and Newtown are vibrant and attractive with colourful old and new houses, and a great nightlife. For more unusual buildings, head to the western side of the oversized city park, Queen's Park Savannah, where you find the Magnificent Seven - a collection of eccentric colonial buildings, where some are in disrepair, while others are finally under restoration.