Where and what is the Caribbean? Surprisingly, it depends on who you ask and your reason for asking. While the Caribbean Sea is certainly the focus of any definition, do all countries fronting the sea belong to the Caribbean? And what about islands like Turks & Caicos that technically lie in the Atlantic rather than the Caribbean?

Traditionally, the Caribbean comprises more than 700 islands in and bordering the Caribbean Sea, as well as certain surrounding coasts. But keep in mind that this definition varies according to the topic being discussed. For the purposes of Retire in the Caribbean, the Caribbean includes countries and regions on or near the sea that may be attractive for retirement purposes. So we explore such areas as Columbia, Panama, Belize, Costa Rica and of course, the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos.