Getting There

The pristine, white-sand Caribbean beach you?ve been dreaming of can be as close as a single direct flight, but the tranquility of a truly remote island usually comes at a price—a greater investment in travel time.

Hubs such as San Juan and St. Thomas are the most accessible, but are therefore highly touristed. Out-of-the-way destinations, while far more tranquil, can require a flight to a hub, a flight to a smaller island, and then a boat or ferry ride. To reach Palm Island in the Grenadines, for example, requires a flight into Barbados, a second hop to Union Island, and then a boat ride. Other remote islands include the Bahamas Out Islands, St. Lucia, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, Mustique, and Nevis.

While most of the world?s major carriers provide service to the Caribbean, American Airlines has a virtual monopoly on flights into the region. Major tour operators? air-only charters can be attractive—their flights may be the only non-stops to some islands— but they also have drawbacks. You sacrifice flexibility (super-early Saturday or Sunday departures only), and there is often no backup if a flight is delayed for mechanical reasons. Local carriers pick up most of the intra-island air business.

Fall 2001