<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.CERT
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>ex99302-903.txt
<DESCRIPTION>CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
<TEXT>
EX-99.CERT

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Thomas J. Herzfeld, certify that:

     1.   I have  reviewed  this report on Form N-CSR of The Herzfeld  Caribbean
Basin Fund, Inc.;

     2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial  condition,  results of  operations,  changes in net assets,  and cash
flows (if the financial  statements  are required to include a statement of cash
flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

     4.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Rule 30a-3(c) under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and
have:

          (a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused such
disclosure  controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to
ensure that  material  information  relating to the  registrant,  including  its
consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

          (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our  conclusions  about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of a date within 90
days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

          (c)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
control over financial  reporting  that occurred  during the  registrant's  most
recent fiscal half-year (the registrant's second fiscal half-year in the case of
an annual  report) that has  materially  affected,  or is  reasonably  likely to
materially affect, the registrant's  internal control over financial  reporting;
and

     5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed to
the registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's  board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

          (a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the
design or  operation  of internal  control over  financial  reporting  which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's

<PAGE>

ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

          (b)  Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or
other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control
over financial reporting.

Date: September 5, 2003

/s/ Thomas J. Herzfeld
-----------------------
Thomas J. Herzfeld
President and Chairman

                                    * * * * *

I, Cecilia L. Gondor, certify that:

     1.   I have  reviewed  this report on Form N-CSR of The Herzfeld  Caribbean
Basin Fund, Inc.;

     2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial  condition,  results of  operations,  changes in net assets,  and cash
flows (if the financial  statements  are required to include a statement of cash
flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

     4.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Rule 30a-3(c) under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and
have:

          (a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused such
disclosure  controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to
ensure that  material  information  relating to the  registrant,  including  its
consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

          (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our  conclusions  about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of a date within 90
days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

          (c)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
control over financial  reporting  that occurred  during the  registrant's  most
recent fiscal half-year (the registrant's second fiscal half-year in the case of
an annual report) that has materially

<PAGE>

affected,  or is  reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant's
internal control over financial reporting; and

     5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed to
the registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's  board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

          (a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the
design or  operation  of internal  control over  financial  reporting  which are
reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability  to record,
process, summarize, and report financial information; and

          (b)  Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or
other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control
over financial reporting.

Date: September 5, 2003

/s/ Cecilia Gondor
-----------------------
Cecilia Gondor
Secretary and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
