Three beautiful Caribbean islands are the “best visited” on a cruise ship.
The ABC islands are the physical group of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao – the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea.
They offer a combination of beautiful beaches, desert landscapes, buzzing resorts and some of the world’s best diving.
As territories of the Netherlands, citizens have Dutch nationality and the former colonial power benefits from preferential trade, mineral and natural resource rights.
The Telegraph said the islands have “a strong sense of their Dutch roots, blended uniquely with Spanish and African influences”. The paper added that they are “a joy to visit as a glorious, colourful trio”, which is easily down by cruise.
The islands have an arid climate that attracts visitors seeking warm, sunny weather all year round, and they lie outside the main region for tropical cyclones.
The ABC islands are often overlooked, but headline Caribbean hotspots like Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua dwarf them.
Aruba is the best known, with a cemented place on cruise line itineraries. Passengers are drawn by casino resorts, shopping malls, white-sand beaches and Arikok National Park’s sprawling desert.
The island’s top sights include the Natural Pool, Eagle Beach, the Archaeological Museum, California Lighthouse, Andicuri Beach, and the summit of Hooiberg.
Bonaire’s has a high street of candy-coloured Dutch-style houses and a Delft shop selling the city’s eponymous blue and white china.
It is popular with snorkellers and scuba divers and has an uninhabited coral island, Klein Bonaire, half a mile offshore with no shops and no bars, only white sands and turquoise waters filled with rainbow fish.
Curacao is the largest island with the highest population and rising tourist numbers due to new hotels and increasing cruise stops.
It is full of distinctive Unesco-listed Dutch colonial buildings lining the waterfront of its historic district. It is home to the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue – the oldest synagogue in the Americas.
