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With more than 700 islands in the Caribbean, visitors have countless options to choose from when deciding on a vacation.
Nonetheless, traveling to the Caribbean during the month of September presents its advantages as well as its challenges.
A major advantage of visiting the Caribbean in September is that it is a time when visitor arrivals in most islands tend to be at its lowest.
As such, hotels usually have deals on rooms as well as flights are cheaper. Contrastingly, one massive disadvantage of visiting the Caribbean in September is that it is the height of the hurricane season.
Bearing these factors in mind, the following is a summary of the best Caribbean islands to visit during the month of September.
Read on for further details and explanations on what are the best Caribbean Islands to visit in September and things that you can enjoy. This article was written by a Caribbean National who lived and traveled throughout the islands.
1. Aruba
A popular Dutch Caribbean Island, Aruba is the perfect spot to visit in September due to its location outside of the hurricane belt.
Additionally, due to the lower levels of rainfall experienced on the island, sunshine is almost always guaranteed.
Aruba is the ideal Caribbean island for individuals looking for entertainment, high end luxury shopping and to enjoy its lovely beaches.
South Beach is one of the hottest spots where you can bar hop and party. The island also has casinos, bowling alleys, cinemas and golf courses.
The most popular beaches are Malmok Beach, Baby Beach, Eagle Beach and Palm Beach.
Nevertheless, if you want to get up close and personal with flamingos, the Flamingo Beach is the one to visit.
This beach is located on a private island that is owned and operated by the Renaissance hotel where you can get a direct and personal experience with flamingos.
Access to Flamingo beach as it is fondly called must be via the Renaissance hotel which provides boat transfer to the island. Visitors at the hotel can access the beach during their stay.
High end luxury shopping is available at Renaissance Mall in Aruba with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Kate Spade available.
Nevertheless, while a direct hit from a hurricane is rare, it is not impossible. In 2007, the island was affected by a category 2 hurricane named Felix.
The damage to the island and infrastructure was minor.
2. Curacao
Along the same lines as Aruba, Curacao is also located outside of the hurricane belt which makes it another ideal choice when visiting the Caribbean in September.
Curacao has a fantastic choice of night life and as a result many expats enjoy living on the island.
There are many restaurants and casinos that visitors and locals on the island enjoy such as Mambo Beach Boulevard for restaurants and beach clubs.
Another favorite of visitors and locals alike is St Tropez.
In Curacao, the beaches have white sand and beautiful turquoise waters.
Visit playa piskado which translates to fisherman’s beach where you get to swim with sea turtles. In addition, you can swim with dolphins at Jan Thiel beach.
About 15 miles from the mainland, you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling on Klein Curacao where you will find some clearest waters on the island.
While over in Klein Curacao, do not forget to visit the pink lighthouse and learn more about the history of the island.
3. Bonaire
Bonaire is not a major tourism destination in the Caribbean. However, unlike its other Dutch counterparts where there is much entertainment, Bonaire is peaceful and tranquil.
Bonaire is a beautiful island and truly a paradise for divers. Corals and various ocean fauna can be easily seen by just standing on a beach’s shores unlike English speaking Caribbean islands.
The island though small has great restaurants. The salt piles in Bonaire are absolutely breath taking!
There is a store in Kralendijk called La Placita where you can buy the sea salt including local bath salts.
There are days when the water turns pink where you can see flamingos flying and relaxing in the water.
It’s so magical, it is difficult to put into words. A must see if you ever visit the island.
Washington Slagbaai Park is a national reserve located at the northern part of the island. The park is over 40 years old and you pay about USD$25 to enter per person.
While at the park, there are two routes- the short route and the long route. It is best to go with an SUV vehicle and be prepared to enjoy some scenes that look like pictures out of a magazine.
It takes about 3 hours minimum to enjoy the park and its beauty.
4. Trinidad & Tobago
Earthquakes also affect the Caribbean region.
The island of Trinidad & Tobago is prone to earthquakes due to its location in the South Eastern Caribbean. However, it is located outside of the hurricane belt.
Trinidad & Tobago is not a popular tourism destination as the other Caribbean islands due to its greater dependency on its oil and manufacturing sector.
Nevertheless, it is a great country for foodies as the islands are multicultural.
Additionally, Trinidad & Tobago has a bustling nightlife atmosphere. There are numerous restaurants, bars, night clubs and movie theaters.
5. Barbados
Barbados is located outside of the hurricane belt. Despite this, it has not been spared of the effects of hurricanes.
The last storm that made landfall was Harvey in 2017.
Tropical storm Gonzalo in July 2020 passed 12 miles to the southwest while hurricane Elsa passed south of the island in July 2nd, 2021.
Barbados is also well known for its beautiful beaches and tropical weather. Oistins Beach and Miami Beach are well loved by visitors to the island. The island has a dry season and a rainy season annually.
Hereunder are some attractions unique to Barbados:-
Harrison cave is a unique spot on the island where you can enjoy a tour inside a cave where you can see stalactite and stalagmite formation.
There is a bar and a gift shop on the property for added entertainment.
Bridgetown and its Garrison have been designated as a UNESCO Heritage site due to its excellent architecture.
These buildings were constructed in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and were well preserved until today. Some of the 30 sites and attractions include:-
- Barbados Museum & Historical Society
- National Heroes Gallery & Museum of Parliament
- George Washington House & Museum
6. St Vincent & The Grenadines
St Vincent and the Grenadines is located at the edge of the hurricane belt and is susceptible to a direct hit from a hurricane.
The Botanical Gardens in St Vincent is located in New Montrose which is about 10 minutes drive from the city of Kingstown.
It is the oldest of its kind in the Western hemisphere and was first established in 1765. It is extremely easy to get there by taking a bus in the city centre.
In addition to being the home of parrots, peacocks and a large variety of flowers, this garden has a breadfruit tree from the sucker of the original breadfruit tree that arrived in 1793 from Captain Bligh.
7. Grenada
Fondly known as the island of Spice, Grenada is also option to consider during the month of September.
However, the risk of a hurricane making landfall is greater in Grenada than the Dutch Caribbean Islands listed above.
Grenada is located outside of the hurricane belt however, the island has experienced dangerous hurricanes, the most recent one being hurricane Ivan in September, 2004.
In an article published on September 23rd, 2009, World Bank.Org confirmed that the category three storm caused devastation to the tune of over USD$900 million more than twice the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Grenada is truly a natural gem with scenic views. It is filled with so many attractive tropical features such as rivers, lakes and waterfalls. There are 45 beaches and 18 waterfalls on the island.
Hereunder is a list of some of these must visit natural attractions:-
- Grand Etang Lake
- Annandale Waterfalls
- Concord Waterfalls
- Seven Sisters Waterfalls
- Mt Carmel Waterfalls
- Grand Anse Beach
- Bathway Beach
- BBC Beach
Final Thoughts
Trust you found the above article informative and helpful as you prepare to visit the Caribbean in September.
If however, you consider Caribbean islands located in the hurricane belt, it is prudent to purchase travel insurance in the event of travel delays or interruptions.
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