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Christmas in the Caribbean & Florida
It is hardly the traditional Christmas card scenery but sun-bathed palm trees, blue seas and golden sands are the view which will greet many families at Yuletide.
That is if they are in Florida or the Caribbean where Christmas dinner can be large prawns or a big steak sizzling on the patio barbecue of a rented villa.
Transatlantic sun holidays are an easy way – except for a little jetlag – of escaping a cold and damp UK, and more people are opting for it.
Florida and the Caribbean offer a wide range of good quality accommodation including apartments and villas. The Caribbean has the bonus of tropical cottages and rustic beachside huts while Florida also offers large and well-equipped executive homes for extended families of 10 plus.
Both the USA and the many islands of the Caribbean have a great deal to offer towards a happy, sunny Christmas.
Christmas and New Year in Caribbean
The Caribbean is a highly-popular holiday destination, despite the eight or so hours of flying, and properties for holiday rent can range from an exclusive Mustique villa to an intimate cabin on Jamaica.
Winters are warm and sunny with afternoon temperatures averaging 25°C – even as high as 31°C on the more-southerly islands. Sea surface temperatures averaging 24°C mean swimming, scuba diving and watersports are on the fun agenda.
Top spots are the well-known islands of Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago but holidaymakers are constantly exploring new destinations so increasingly popular are Cuba, Grenada and the Dominican Republic.
Life is always laidback in the Caribbean but its people need no excuse for a carnival and there are many seasonal celebrations and events that visitors can join in.
These include Saint Nicolas Day on the island of Aruba where Santa Claus parades in full regalia with gifts for kids while on the French-influenced island of Martinique, Christmas is a blend of religion and celebration. Here Christmas dinner can include spiced black pudding, pork stew or seafood.
During December on St Vincent the Nine Mornings Festival has islanders and visitors getting up in the early hours to parade through the streets of Kingstown. There are also bicycle races, roller-skating, carol singing and street dances.
Late December is the time for Junkanoo, the biggest festival of the year on the Bahamas’ island of New Providence. Nassau's Bay Street lights up for the Junkanoo parades of colourful costumes and floats on 26 December and January 1.
Christma sand New Year in Florida
Christmas and New Year in Florida have a number of similarities with the UK. There is the big shopping binge, of course, turkey Christmas dinners are traditional and the radio stations will churn out “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” just like home.
Florida is tropical America with virtually year-round sunshine and even on Christmas Day, the temperature could be around 23°C. Overseas visitors have to compete for Florida accommodation with the “snow birds” – people from the frozen northern states.
Brits also compete with Americans for the theme parks of Orlando which all have special events around Christmas and New Year. Many parks such as Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal fill to capacity on some days. You need to be in by 9am or risk finding car parks closed by mid morning. The parks have special parades and fireworks and crowds can build to uncomfortable levels, even allowing for extended opening hours. To enjoy Christmas events without the crowds go in the first three weeks of December.
For those who plan a lot of Christmas clubbing in cities such as Miami and Orlando, check early for the need to book, especially on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
UK golfers rarely get a warm day in winter but they do in Florida where there are 1,500-plus courses.
Florida sun – and fun – spots
Christmas in South Florida and the Keys –
Miami Beach has miles of sandy beaches, watersports and a vibrant multicultural nightlife. The Keys are a series of islands joined over 100 miles by a single road but ending at Key West, a fun city with many attractions.
Christmas in the Orlando area –
more white-knuckle rides per acre than anywhere in the world. The Orlando/Kissimmee area is wall-to-wall attractions with new ones coming on line every year.
Christmas on the East coast –
The main resort areas include Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach and hundreds of miles of soft, sandy beaches.
Christmas on the Gulf Coast –
Characterised by miles of white sands lapped by the clear blue Gulf of Mexico waters. Top spots are Naples, the Lee Island Coast and the laid-back islands of Captiva and Sanibel. Tampa Bay’s attractions include the Busch Gardens theme park and the beach resorts of St Petersburg and Clearwater. Inland are the mysterious Everglades, home to some of the less-desirable Florida residents, alligators, frogs, snakes and mosquitoes.
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