The Islands Behind the Name
The West Indies is the traditional name for the islands of the Caribbean Sea and the nearby Atlantic, taking in the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles and the Bahamas archipelago. The name dates from the voyages of Columbus, who believed he had reached the Indies by sailing west, and it has stayed in use ever since, particularly in the English-speaking islands. Today it describes not only a geography but a shared culture of music, language, food and sport.
Few things express that shared identity better than cricket. The West Indies team brings together players from island nations such as Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda, and match days at their grounds are as much about steel bands, food stalls and conversation as the game itself. For visitors, a day at a Test or T20 match is one of the warmest introductions to island life.
Rum, Spice and Rhythm Across the Chain
Heritage runs through the islands' plantations, forts and towns. Brightly painted Georgian streets, old sugar mills turned into restaurants and rum distilleries that still use century-old methods make the history of the islands tangible. Barbados is widely recognised as the birthplace of commercial rum, while Grenada carries the nickname of the Spice Island for its nutmeg and mace, and Jamaica gave the world jerk seasoning, reggae and a creative energy far larger than its size.
Festival life follows the calendar. Carnival season in Trinidad, Crop Over in Barbados, Antigua Carnival and the many music festivals of Jamaica fill the year with costume, calypso, soca and steel pan. A hotel group can build stays around these dates, and a guest who has watched a carnival parade or a beach cricket match often returns, because it feels like being welcomed into the place rather than merely visiting it.
Read the full The West Indies guide on Visit Travel Group, or see WestIndies.uk on Visit Travel Group.