<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.CERT
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>v01701_ex99cert.txt
<TEXT>
EX-99.302CERT

                                 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) and internal  control
over  financial  reporting  (as defined in Rule  30a-3(d)  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) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused
such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  to be  designed  under  our
supervision  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of
financial  reporting and the  preparation  of financial  statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

          (c)  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

          (d) 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  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: February 19, 2004

/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) and internal  control
over  financial  reporting  (as defined in Rule  30a-3(d)  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) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused
such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  to be  designed  under  our
supervision  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of
financial  reporting and the  preparation  of financial  statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

          (c)  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

          (d) 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  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: February 19, 2004

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

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