The Caribbean is a wonderful place to watch sport. The weather is warm, there is always refreshment at hand, and the occasion will be wrapped in a carnival atmosphere by enthusiastic local supporters. International cricket matches have even been known to bring an entire island to a standstill.
You may never have seen a cricket match, but there is always a variety of contests taking place on a wide range of islands, including those who stage "world series" test matches – Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Trinidad and mainland Guyana. International sides touring the region attract visitors from all over the world.
Baseball is the dominant sport in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba as well as Dutch Antillean islands like Curacao, and a number of their nationals play in top US baseball teams. Cuba won the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics. If you follow Sammy Sosa or Andruw Jones, you will find each has a fanatic following in his native island.
Soccer has gained an even bigger local following since the Reggae Boyz from Jamaica raised awareness of the sport across the Caribbean with their exploits in the 1998 World Cup, and other islands are fielding great teams. It is the national sport in Haiti, where both women’s and men’s teams are supported fanatically.
The sea is the backdrop to many of the Caribbean’s other spectator sports. Competition sailors come from across the world to the Caribbean for racing regattas on most of the islands. From excellent vantage points, spectators can watch all types of boats, from tall ships and classic yachts to dinghies and catamarans. The Dominican Republic’s north coast and the south coast of Barbados have become integral parts of the international windsurfing circuit and competitions take place on many other islands. Many prestigious fishing tournaments attract interest across the Caribbean.
On land, horse racing has a fervent following, particularly in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, while polo makes people bring out the champagne and picnic hampers from September to March in Barbados and Jamaica.
For golf fans, Caribbean courses provide ideal opportunities to see international stars competing in a perfect setting in professional tournaments . Tennis, hockey, cycling and mountain biking, beach volleyball and triathlons are other sports that have discovered that the Caribbean has ideal conditions for competitors and spectators alike.
Most specialist sports operators package both local and international sporting events in the Caribbean, from cricket tours and test matches to golf tournaments or international sailing events. But the true lover of sport will find a simple question at the hotel front desk can open the door to a genuine sporting thrill.