Amid the various discussions of the diverse factors in play, the fundamental piece in mainstream Caribbean tourism is blue water and white sand; traverse the span as I have, from Puerto Rico in the north to tiny Bequia in the south, one will see that, and it is an understandable pull. The water in the Caribbean Sea is a wonder. I spent a good chunk of my life in Grand Cayman, and the sea in that area is as clear as gin. There are no rivers or streams carrying silt to it, and since there is very deep water a quarter of a mile off shore, the ocean currents carry away any foreign material that may arrive on the islands’ doorstep. As a result, the sea all around the three islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) is like a swimming pool. The local people fish using a device called a glass box – a small wooden frame with a glass bottom; you rest the box with the glass touching the water and you can see straight to the sea floor 100′ below. The first time you use it, you can’t believe what you’re seeing; it’s like looking into another world, that’s how clear the water is. The local guys will locate fish that way, and drop their bait accordingly. It’s an astonishing thing to see.
Furthermore, and what I found even more astonishing, this clear water condition obtains anywhere one goes in these islands. You can take a car in Grand Cayman, the capital, on the western side, drive all the way to East End or to North Side, which is basically a shore-line trip, and at any beach you stop at along the way you will find that same sea-water purity. Ditto with the other two Cayman Islands, and that’s how it is for most of the region; Antigua, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada, Barbados, Virgin Islands, Tobago, Anguilla, same story. Warm weather is