A Caribbean carnival of carnivals

Unlike the rest of the world where carnivals are typically held in February (the most famous of which are in Venice and Rio), visitors to the Caribbean can find a carnival at almost any time of year. Islands such as Trinidad and St Lucia where the original colonists were Catholics tend to keep their carnivals on the traditional schedule, meaning they climax in the pre-Lenten period before Ash Wednesday, usually around February. But elsewhere, local festivals like the July Harvest Festival on the former British colony of Barbados have morphed into huge events with all the trappings of carnival.

No matter the name or origin, all of these explosions of creative energy share raucous dance, pounding music and flamboyant costumes that combine into one heaving, sweaty orgy of colour and sound. And while Caribbean carnivals share much, each has its own flavour. You will need to visit many – if not all – to get the complete picture of what is always the main event on each island's calendar.

Visitors are welcome at all these events and you can fully expect to be swept up in frenetic, hectic riot of it all. So pick your month, pick your carnival and enjoy the celebration.

February

Trinidad has one of the world's largest carnivals. The celebrations begin up to eight months in advance, with costumes becoming more elaborate and spectacular every year and hundreds of calypso bands preparing their music. Easily the pulsing heart of Caribbean carnival creativity, the island’s sounds are constantly evolving -- you may hear booming rapso (a mixture of calypso and rap) or the latest variation on soca (the ubiquitous carnival sound that started on Trinidad 50 years ago and combines calypso, soul and African among many other influences). It is a huge honour (and a large cash prize) to be named the Calypso Monarch, the person chosen in national judging for their musical performances.

Affluent Aruba’s local music tradition is also a focus of its carnival celebration. Parades last for about four weeks before Ash Wednesday, with the entire island thronging in the capital, Oranjestad, for the Grand Parade on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The parade includes the ritual burning of an effigy of King Momo, a bad spirit. Most carnivals throughout the Caribbean, even the ones most closely linked to religious traditions, have a component of old African mysticism and often involve the exorcising of evil spirits.

All the French-speaking islands celebrate carnival for at least five days before Ash Wednesday, and St-Barthélemy has one of the best around. It has all the expected parades, music competitions, pageants -- but because of the island's small size, the festivities seem all-pervasive. Here, King Carnival is the name given to the evil spirit and he goes up in smoke on beautiful Shell Beach.

April

Jamaica's week-long carnival celebrates the island's world-famous music. On Easter, bands from across the region converge in the capital, Kingston, for festivals that start on the beaches and parade through the streets.

July

Back in the 17th Century when Barbados was largely British sugar plantations, the slaves and locals began celebrating the cane harvest with the appropriately named Crop Over Festival in late July. Over the years it has become a proper carnival, the second-largest in the Caribbean after Trinidad's. Calypso band competitions begin in mid-July and peak on the first Monday in August, called Kadooment Day (Bajan slang for 'big commotion', when Barbados is one big party. Once an island of carnival mania, the celebrations in Cuba became muted in the early 1960s -- with the notable exception of island's second city Santiago de Cuba, which throws a bash as good as any despite official efforts to discourage it. The spirit and vigour are raw, and you sense island-wide carnival energies just below the surface waiting to explode should change come to Cuba. Sint Eustatius may be small, but its late July carnival is not. Like many islands, it has a midnight-to-dawn parade that ends with the burning of an effigy -- here charmingly called Prince Stupid -- to rid the island of evil. Given the island only has 3400 inhabitants, this carnival is almost one-big family reunion. The mid-July carnival on the island of St Lucia is one of the Caribbean's largest, as seemingly every one of the 170,000 islanders has a vital role to play. The capital Castries shuts down for a week so it can explode in colour, song, dance and non-stop revelry.

August

In Antigua, the abolition of slavery on 1 August 1834 is the root of this suitably free-spirited bash which reaches its wild peak on the first Tuesday in August. Like other carnivals, music is a key component, but on Antigua there is even more of an emphasis on entertaining the jubilant masses island-wide. Bands of all sizes thread their way around the island visiting villages big and small to party before heading to the capital, St John’s, for the final explosion.

December

Junkanoo, as the party is called in the Bahamas, has its roots in secret West African societies before slavery. Now a fully-fledged carnival in terms of music, dance, colour and costumes, it kicks off on Boxing Day (26 December) for a short and frenzied swirl of parties and parades that culminate on New Year’s Day (1 January). Personal 'floats' worn by one person and weighing up to 90kg vie for prizes and star in parades in the capital, Nassau. There is another flurry in July, mostly because it has already been six months since the last Junkanoo.

The Seven Natural Wonders of the Caribbean

In a region where the natural beauty of tropical rainforests, pristine beaches and colorful reefs are among the main attractions, you'll find plenty of nominees that merit inclusion in any "best of" list. 

The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands - The Baths is the Caribbean snorkeler's paradise, a jumble of ancient underwater boulders that form a series of caves, grottos and pools along the coast of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. Thanks to the calm and sheltered waters, even the most novice snorkeler can enjoy the beauty of the coral-kissed rock formations as tbey paddle from hidden pools right up onto the shore of the main beach. There's nothing more refreshing than a plunge into the sparkling sea after exploring The Bath's intricate shore caves - it can take an hour or more of clambering and snaking through the rocks to see them all.

Bioluminescent Bay, Vieques, Puerto Rico - A kayak trip down a narrow mangrove river leads to Vieques' Bahia Fosforescente, or Biolumnescent Bay, which is both a unique natural site and a wonderful experience for visitors to Puerto Rico. The bay's shallow and bacteria-rich waters provide the ideal environment for one-celled protozoa that use bioluminescence, or light creation, as a defense mechanism. In other words, these microorganisms light up when disturbed, either by a predator or a swimming tourist.

On a moonless night, a swim in the biolumanescent bay of Vieques is truly a magical experience as ripples and waves of light stream from your paddling arms and wiggling fingers. If you can't make it out to Vieques, there's also a bioluminescent bay in Fajardo can that be reached via day-trip from San Juan. 

Bonaire National Marine Park - In a region where nearly every destination has a reef system and boast of its diving opportunities, Bonaire is acknowledged as one of the true meccas for scuba buffs and snorkelers. Bonaire's National Marine Park literally surrounds the island, from the shoreline to the point where the water reaches 200 feet in depth, and is the best protected reef system in the Caribbean. Human activites, while closely controlled, range from swimming, kayaking and windsurfing to diving and snorkeling.

El Yunque Rain Forest, Puerto Rico - The Caribbean's most famous rain forest is also it's most beautiful, one of the crown jewels of the U.S. National Park Service. The Puerto Rico park isn't huge, but its 28,000 acres includes staggering biodiversity - home to thousands of native plants and hundreds of animal species. With 600,000 annual visitors, El Yunque can sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed, but quieter experiences can be had in the summer (when locals enjoy a dip in the cool rivers, largely away from tourists), spring, and fall. Hiking, fishing, and even camping is available to those who truly want to immerse themselves in the rainforest experience.

The Pitons, St. Lucia - One of the iconic vistas not only of St. Lucia but in the entire Caribbean, the twin volcanic peaks of the Pitons rise dramatically from the sea. The Pitons Management Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, includes active hot springs, coral reefs, and tropical forests. Hardy visitors to St. Lucia take the challenge of hiking to the top of the 2,619-foot Gros Piton (Petit Piton, at 2,461 feet, is off limits to climbers).

Pitch Lake, Trinidad - Some call the Pitch Lake of Trinidad the ugliest tourist attraction in the Caribbean, and some visitors have likened its appearance to a giant parking lot. But this bubbling, hissing, stinky 100-acre lake of liquid asphalt is the largest of its kind in the world, and well worth a visit. Located near the town of La Brea, the Pitch Lake is 350 feet deep, and visitors can walk on parts of its crusty surface. Guides will show you how the lake is constantly moving and swallowing some items, spitting out others. The lake, which contains an estimated 6 million tons of asphalt, is replenished from pitch veins that run deep below the earth's surface.

Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat - The highly active, sometimes angry Soufriere Hills volcano in Montserrat has been both a blessing and curse to local residents. A major eruption of the volcano beginning in 1995 devastated the tiny island, rendering the entire southern half of Montserrat uninhabitable, burying the capital city of Plymouth under tons or ash, and killing 18 people. But the volcano also is an irresistible lure for island visitors, who can view current eruptions and abandoned buildings from a former golf course now covered by volcanic mudflows. Tourists also can visit the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, which closely monitors activity at Soufriere Hills.

Cuba. Trinidad

                                      

Races of Goats and Crabs

Races of goats and crabs will be held in April in the State of Trinidad and Tobago. This scene for almost 100 years attracts numerous visitors.

From 12 to 14 April 2009 on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago will be held of the most anticipated spring events. At this time in the city of Bucca are conducted 2 types of races - the race of goats and races of crabs.

Since 1925, these events always attract many spectators, including tourists. In addition, as would be funny as this sounds, competitions are a serious and profitable business on the island.

In the race goats jockeys serve young people: at a signal they are saddling their precious "runners" and pinch the animals to the finish with bare heels. "Zone of Action" is of 100 meters.

The most strong and long-legged goats are selected to participate in the competitions. They were specially trained for this.

Members of other the same exciting competitions are usually large blue crabs. The owners-jockeys are pushing them, pulling a rope tied to them, making them to move in the right direction.

The fate of "athlete" after the race, quite frankly, is unenviable. They find themselves in a frying pan in a traditional curry dish.