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Why travel in the fall?
We’ve summed up the best of each travel season
By Heather Whipps
Planning your holidays for the upcoming months? Here’s our quick guide to the Caribbean’s seasons, each with their own temptations...
 For most year-round travelers, Winter is the season to set sights south and spend a week or two rejuvenating in the Caribbean. It makes sense: usually coming from a place where February climates are less than ideal, a spell in the sun is a treat for the visitor’s body and mind and can make enduring that home stretch in the snow just a bit more bearable. There are other benefits to visiting the Caribbean in the Winter months; the islands are at their driest then, lessening the chance of losing a few days of your vacation to rain. They’re also the most star-studded: it is definitely the time to see and be seen in the Caribbean, when you’re most likely to lay your beach towel between those of the rich and famous.
Fall rarely gets the respect it deserves in the travel world—a shoulder season when few people feel the urge to pack up with the family and hit the road (er, sky). But those oft-overlooked months between August and mid-December do have their benefits in the Caribbean, most notably when it comes to costs. Generally, prices for renting a villa from May to December are drastically reduced, sometimes by half. For this, you get quieter beaches, towns and a more relaxing pace of life. Restaurant reservations come easily where they may have been impossible during the Winter. Fall water is also warmer, calmer and more clear—great for teaching the little ones to snorkel for the first time.
Finally, at the tail end of Fall comes perhaps part of the busiest season of all: the holidays. So many people have been jumping on the celebrate-down-south bandwagon that villas are getting reserved months in advance, and we’re not just talking about December and January. President’s Week, Thanksgiving and Easter have all become popular among families, especially for those who know that carting the gang to a villa can make for a memorable holiday. The islands really heat up during these times too, with a festive atmosphere permeating the air.
With those seasonal snapshots in mind, we offer up some suggestions:
 For Fall 2006: Sirena Bay Estate, Curacao
Make no mistake, Curacao sizzles all year-round and Fall is no exception. This very southerly Dutch island has great beaches, renowned restaurants and a cultural heritage worthy of some serious attention from the folks at UNESCO. Explore its autumnal charms from Sirena Bay Estate, a three-bedroom villa sitting right on the water near Willemstad. It is dramatic and elegant, with a ocean-view pool that you’re unlikely to spend much time away from.
 For early Winter 2007: Montserrat View, Antigua
Newly-built and very unique, Montserrat View is ideal for escaping the hubbub of a Winter season getaway to Antigua. With four bedrooms, it’s big enough for a large family or group of friends, who will all enjoy the back deck just a few strides from the beach, one of the island’s famous collection numbering 365—one for every day of the year.
 For 2006 Holidays: Voce del Mar, Turks & Caicos
Family celebrations will be undisturbed at Voce del Mar, a three-bedroom villa lying on the quiet south side of the island of Providenciales. Between present-opening or special dinners, take a walk down to the water on your private Oceanside deck, offering access to the sea for snorkeling. The water is also visible from most rooms and especially the master suite and the main living room.
Adopt-a-Holiday
While planning a vacation down south to celebrate a holiday—Christmas, Easter, etc.—can be fun, making it coincide with one of the island’s own special days is sure to make for a memorable getaway. Why not visit St. Barts during Bastille Day, Barbados during Cropover, or Tobago during Carnivale? Just pack your party spirit and you’re bound to fit right in. |
For more information on these or other villas in Antigua, Turks & Caicos, Curacao or other islands in the Caribbean, please contact us:
Call 1-877-953-7400 or E-mail
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