History lies strewn across the Caribbean like fallen coconuts. In Antigua, for example, there is a favourite spot in English Harbour where islanders like to wash their cars. It is a merry scene of music, banter and auto-worship, and the cleaners fill their buckets from a huge water catchment built in the 1740s by the Royal Navy – and still going strong. Look beyond the foam and sponges and there is a wealth of graffiti carved in the plaster by bored sailors. ‘Hacklet, belonging to his majesty’s ship Tavistock 1751’ reads one, while John Webb and Nat Russel from Anglesey felt moved to leave marks to show they visited this beach-fringed island 281 years ago.
Such casual finds are typical of the way the traveller discovers those who once lived here in the Caribbean, from the indigenous Taíno to the dark days of the slave trade. Having spent more than 20 years exploring this region, I’ve grown used to spotting cannon being used as fenceposts and sugar mills ingeniously repurposed as homes, hotel suites, dining rooms and museums – or, even, also on Antigua, as a police training academy.
While I love the sunshine, beaches and rum here as much as anyone, it’s frustrating how that fly-and-flop image masks a formidable heritage. UNESCO recognised this wealth as early as 1982, when Old Havana was one of the first places to be granted World Heritage status. Today there are 21 UNESCO sites across the islands alone, ranging from the colonial architecture of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital, to the colossal but barely-visited Brimstone Hill Fortress on St Kitts.
Such remnants are not just stones and monuments, but a fountain of stories with beating hearts born from the vibrant cook-up of cultures that defines this region. Food for thought and a swim in a warm, turquoise sea – now that’s a proper trip.
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
Founded by the Spanish in 1533, Cartagena was one of the main Caribbean ports from where the colonisers funnelled the riches of the New World back to Europe – and the need to protect this wealth has left it ringed with fortifications including the colossal Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and 12km of stone ramparts. Granted UNESCO World Heritage status for its historic importance, Cartagena’s also a popular beach stop with a spirited nightlife. To get your bearings
