Jamaica Blue Hole | Hero — 2 people jumping in Jamaica's Blue Hole. Scenic tropical waterfalls with multiple swimming holes. Best family cruise vacation

11 FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BEST CARIBBEAN DESTINATIONS

Learn more about the surprising side of the Caribbean.

Published on - March 18, 2021 at 4:56 pm

There's more to the Caribbean than perfect beaches and sundowners! Did you know that there are real nutmeg trees on Spice Island or that camouflage items in any form are outlawed for civilians in Barbados?

Here are 11 fun facts about the best Caribbean destinations for a vacation.

1. JAMAICA HAS BRAINS AND BEAUTY

Jamaica has won Miss World four times, putting it just behind India and Venezuela, who have six wins each. Jamaica's beauty queens have gone on to have fascinating careers, including Cindy Breakspeare, who is a singer and entrepreneur. She is also the mother of Damien Marley, Bob Marley's youngest son, who is also a singer. Another titleholder, Lisa Hanna, was elected to the Jamaican government as one of the youngest women in Parliament and eventually served as minister of youth and culture.

2. THE JAMES BOND BOOKS WERE WRITTEN IN JAMAICA

Ian Fleming was an intelligence officer in the British navy during World War II, and after the war, he went to Jamaica and lived in the Goldeneye Estate, named after one of his covert operations. There he began working on the first James Bond novels. When the books were being turned into films, the directors selected Jamaica for filming along with other Caribbean vacation destinations, including the famous Thunderball Grotto (part of an underwater cave system in the Exuma Cays).

You can still visit the estate in Jamaica where the books were written. It's located on the northern coastline in a beautiful area called Oracabessa Bay.

3. THE CARIBBEAN GETS ITS NAME FROM CANNIBALS

Before colonialists ever reached the tropical island shores of the Caribbean, it was populated by indigenous tribes. The tribal people were fierce warriors and sea-raiders and Christopher Columbus and other early explorers claimed that they were cannibals.

Because of this, the European settlers gave indigenous people the name "Caribs,'' a term inspired by their cannibalism. Over time, the seas surrounding the island were named "The Caribbean," and about 3,000 Carib people remain in Dominica today.

4. A SURPRISING NUMBER OF ENGLISH WORDS COME FROM TAINO

English is famous for borrowing words from other cultures, and words from Latin, French, Arabic and many others have become part of the language. It's likely no surprise, then, that words from the tribal Taino language have also been adopted into English. Taino is spoken by people in Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Caribbean, and while it's been diluted by English and Spanish, the language is still spoken today.

Some English words that came from the Taino language include banana, caiman, canoe, cay, cocoa, coconut, hammock, hurricane, indigo, mahogany, mangrove, savannah, tobacco, tomato and yam.

5. RUM AND CHURCH SIDE-BY-SIDE

Jamaica has both the most rum bars per square mile AND the most churches. In addition to the official churches, there are also informal churches in people's homes, backyards and parking lots. The most popular denominations of Christianity are Baptist, Anglican and Catholic.

However, it seems like for every street with a church, there's a rum bar just down the road. If you get the chance to go to a Jamaican rum bar, order a "Jancrow batty," which is essentially home-brewed moonshine.

Just remember, people have more rum-related injuries in Jamaica than water sports, so be careful out there!

6. A NEW BEACH EVERY DAY IN ANTIGUA

Antigua has 365 white sand beaches — pretty incredible considering the island is only 281 km². Pretty much every beach has calm, clear waters and bone-white sand. Pure paradise! This array of beaches is part of what makes Antigua one of the best Caribbean destinations.

7. THERE'S A PLACE IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS CALLED "HELL"

When you're on Grand Cayman Island, ask your taxi driver to take you to hell. When you see a signpost that reads "The Removal of Hell Rocks is Prohibited," you'll know you're in the right place.

"Hell" is a patch of pitch-black limestone that was formed by lime and salt over millions of years. There's also kitschy decor and crowds of tourists during the cruising vacation season.

8. YOU CAN WATCH HUGE PLANES TAKE OFF

Head to Maho Beach on St. Maarten Island if you're interested in seeing the bottom of a soaring plane up close.

At the area nicknamed "Airplane Beach," you can see massive charter planes landing at the nearby airstrip. The planes fly just 100 meters over the beach, sometimes blowing over overeager tourists with a blast of air from the jet engines! It makes for one amazing holiday snapshot.

The local bars post plane timetables so you can be sure to be there at the right time. Just be prepared to hold onto your hat during your visit!

9. ST. THOMAS HARBOR COST THE U.S. $25 MILLION

The U.S. government shelled out $25,000,000 to purchase St. Thomas Harbor from the local government. It's so big that up to seven cruise ships can be docked at a single time. With each cruise ship bringing up to 6,000 people, the island's permanent population of 51,634 people could nearly double if all those cruise ships are in port.

10. IT'S ALWAYS SWIMMING WEATHER

The Caribbean Sea hovers at 27° C (81° F) year-round, so it's always a good time to go swimming on a Caribbean island. It's the stability of the Caribbean's water temperature that makes the coral and sea life so susceptible to environmental changes.

11. CAMOUFLAGE IS OUTLAWED FOR CIVILIANS AT 7 CARIBBEAN DESTINATIONS

If you like wearing camo, it's best to leave it at home before hopping on a cruise to the Caribbean. Camouflage gear or khaki clothes are illegal in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. It's often because the government wants only members of the military to be wearing those colors.

If you ignore the rules and are caught having or wearing camo, you'll be forced to give it to the authorities. Better just to leave it at home.

There are plenty of secrets to discover when you cruise to the Caribbean. Head out on your own island trip to uncover more hidden gems.