The Caribbean's ABC Islands: Where Hurricanes Can't be Bothered to Tread
The three islands of the southern tip of the Lesser Antilles - Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao - are known collectively as the ABCs. They're all located close to the equator and to Venezuela, which sits at the top of the South American land mass. This happy combination of geography makes the ABCs remarkably safe from hurricanes.
Each island has a different ambience, although all share a Dutch heritage and the beautiful azure waters of the Caribbean. Tiny Aruba is the liveliest, with large resorts, dozens of casinos, a hopping night scene and miles of white sand beaches. Bonaire is renowned for its pristine, protected environment and world-class diving and snorkeling, and suits those who want to avoid commercialism and crowds. Curaçao is cosmopolitan, known for its shopping, colonial history and architecture and friendly multicultural people.
In the Caribbean, Hurricane Season lasts from June through October. There have been many notorious storms that have ravaged these usually-placid islands. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan rampaged through a swath of the Caribbean. Jamaica, the Caymans and Grenada were especially hard hit. The Caribbean Development Bank estimated that Ivan caused $3 billion in economic damage.
But Ivan pretty much by-passed the ABCs. In fact, the last major hurricane to hit them head-on was an unnamed storm that struck on September 23, 1877. This 105 mph Category 2 storm first made landfall on northern Venezuela, one of the few tropical systems to hit there. It weakened to a minimal Category 1 storm before crossing to the ABCs. Curaçao caught the worst, with winds as high as 80 mph. Still, damage there was minor compared to what happened next. The storm moved on to the Gulf of Mexico, where it got seriously nasty. Its wind speeds increased by the time it slammed into Florida and the Carolinas, causing heavy floods and resulting in 84 deaths.
Since that dust-up in 1877, the weather on the ABCs has been commendably calm. That's not to say that the islands don't feel the impacts of the occasional tropical storm. But their small size and steady winds lead weather systems to pass over or by them very quickly. Precise weather forecasts are hard to predict, but "breezy and sunny" is a safe bet.
Aruba's temperature is almost constant at about 82 degrees. The average year round temperature is 81.5 degrees on Bonaire, although it can go up or down about 2 degrees depending on the so-called season. On Curaçao, at 180 square miles the largest of the ABCs, the temperature stays in the mid 80s.
All of the ABCs are cooled by trade winds. Bonaire is the least windy: its predominantly easterly winds are 40% lower than Aruba's and 15% lower than Curaçao's.
Rainfall rates vary only slightly on the ABCs. Aruba averages about 18 inches a year, with most of it occurring from October through January. Even then it rains in short bursts, not steady showers. Bonaire's average rainfall is 20.5 inches, with over half occurring from October through January. During this period the maximum cloud cover is only 50%, so you're still likely to see sunshine. On Curaçao, the rainy season is between October and February, with short, occasional showers mostly at night and sunshine during the day. Total annual rainfall averages 22 inches.
Sunshine is a common denominator on all three islands, and those trade winds make sunbathing on one of the many gorgeous beaches especially enjoyable. However, the pleasant conditions can be deceptive, because the sun is potent, especially at midday. All of the islands' tourism boards urge visitors to bring along lots of sunscreen. Sunglasses, hats and protective clothing are also imperative. Still, it's easier to dodge a sunburn than gale-force winds and pelting rains. Not only that, but prices are lower in autumn because there are fewer visitors. Bargains and sunshine galore, far away from the notorious Hurricane Belt: what's not to like?
Back to the Caribbean Hotel Search home page