The View from Here - Island Web Cams!

by Anita Davis

Ain't nothing like the real thing!  All the brochures, virtual tours and stills in the world cannot replace what's happening now.  Web cameras (cams) have become popular, especially in destinations, for this reason.  As an interactive medium, it enhances the experience of planning a vacation, which is great for Caribbean business.  Viewers get to see real-time or captured video of someplace they'd like to be, while visitors can tell the world with a smile, "Wish you were here"!

In the islands, web cams are becoming quite popular, but it seems like the only way to find out about one is to stumble across a mention in an online forum or on a web site. 

Caribbean-on-Line had the brilliant idea of compiling a list of web cam links and their providers, so that their visitors are able to look in on a variety of locations from just one page.  These aren't your typical beach shots either;  for example, the list includes a view of the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, and folks enjoying a stroll or bit of rest on the Christiansted boardwalk on St. Croix.

Even more web cams may be found on the CaribbeanTravelForums site.  This list is even more comprehensive, and includes places like New Zealand (surf cams!), the Hawaiian islands, isles in the Gulf of Mexico... even a link to view web cams on board cruise ships!  There is a link to Florida cams as well, on the web cams page of this site.

If you really want to go global, check out EarthCam, where apparently every destination wants to be in pictures.  Click on the beach cams link for idyllic views of sea and sand, and when there is sun, plenty of that.  These are beaches from Maine to California, and includes the islands of the Caribbean and other regions. 

While there are lots of web cam pages out there, these three offer plenty of variety... but Google is a verb these days, so hit your favorite search engine or rummage through them all at a site like DogPile, and find even more yourself!