Based on industry experts and frequent travellers plus factors like accessibility to beaches, accommodations, tourist attractions and more, we have put together a list ranking the top 20 Caribbean destinations to visit.
Encircled by the Caribbean Sea to the South and the Atlantic Ocean to the North, this lush tropical island paradise has about 1,000 miles of coastline, 250 miles of some of the world’s most stunning beaches, magnificent hotels and resorts, and a variety of recreation sports and entertainment options. In the Dominican Republic, you can dance to pulsating merengue, unwind in luxurious and diverse accommodations, explore ancient artefacts of generations past, indulge in delicious Dominican culinary art or enjoy ecotourism activities in our wonderful national parks, mountain ranges, rivers and beaches. Founded in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, Dominican Republic overflows with interesting history, monuments, museums and fun cultural experiences such as music, festivals and art, plus unique Dominican features like cigars, chocolate, rum, merengue, coffee, amber and laminar.Dominican Republic is the number 1 destination in the Caribbean and Latin America for golfing, DR pleases visitors with 25 designer golf courses between stunning coastlines with mountainous backdrops and verdant fairways. With so many breathtaking natural atmospheres like romantic waterfalls, scenic coasts and luxury resort the Dominican Republic is a top destination for honeymoons and weddings.Dominican Republic has an exotic combination of environments to take your breath away plus eight International airports; paradise has never been this easy to explore. Visit this island paradise and create memories to last a lifetime.
Defining Puerto Rico’s beauty is a no-brainer. About a three-hour flight from Miami, this Caribbean Island is a US territory. So you can use your US dollars to pay for souvenirs when shopping in San Juan. Don’t be mistaken, though: Puerto Rico is more than a home away from home. Puerto Rico has both calm and crystal water for families to swim and 20-foot waves for surfers. Being in Puerto Rico is like taking a stroll back in time (El Morro) and if you want modern-day ( Calle del Cristo). It’s an intoxicating mix of landscapes, from the winding jungle of El Yunque to the serpentine caves of Parque de las Cavernas de Río Camuy. And if you really want to get away from civilisation, you can boat over to the isolated, scenic islands of Vieques and Culebra. Convinced? If not, we can drive a couple of additional points home. In the wintertime when the rest of the Caribbean Islands put a premium on beaches, Puerto Rico has year-round inexpensive packages so that vacationers can relax along its whitened sands.
Jamaica has been a top destination where visitors can experience a lively Caribbean culture. To most people, Jamaica is the heartbeat of the Caribbean. The birthplace of Reggae and Reggae legend Bob Marley, the Rastafari movement and all-inclusive resorts. Jamaica represents many of things most people love, and probably misinterpret about the Caribbean. Visit the “land of wood and water,” sugar cane, coffee and limestone, and create your own story. Your new ideas are certain to be swaddled in turquoise blue waters and white sand beaches, encompassed by jagged mountains, anchored by rushing waterfalls and set to a Reggae or Dancehall track. Visitors to Jamaica are likely to frequent resort towns like Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril. Combine the rich cultural experience, with the mouth-watering dishes, soft white sand beaches, the music and the golden sunsets; Jamaica has something to offer every type of traveller.
Though Mexico is not a part of the Caribbean, we couldn't create this list without including this top, tropical paradise. If you enjoy shopping, gourmet cuisine, great museums and a vibrant nightlife, you can find all of that and more in Mexico City. Visit the cities of Chichen Itza and Coba to experience the fascinating Mayan Ruins, artefacts and Pyramids. The Mayan Riviera is a popular tourist area, due to its incredible white-sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, and an abundance of luxury and budget All Inclusive Resorts in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. From climbing Volcanoes to whale watching, underground swimming and touring Tequila farms, Mexico provides a wide range of experiences for visitors to enjoy. Mexico has a year-round warm climate, incredible food and great hospitality at the hotels.
The Bahamas is a popular Caribbean vacation destination that caters to families, singles, groups and even couples with a variety of resorts, beaches and water-sports activities. The Islands of Bahamas attracts millions of visitors to their white-washed shores, luxurious accommodations, duty-free shops and watersports excursions annually. The visitors that flock the Bahamas regularly wallow in the diversions of the all-inclusive mega resorts, but this diverse chain of Islands offers much more activities away from the resort zones. Nature lovers can explore the wildlife preserves and offshore reefs and golf enthusiasts can for unlimited golf courses. Visitors also love patrolling the marketplaces for the best deals at the duty-free boutiques.
“Chic” is the best word to the British Virgin Islands. The Baths are mesmerising, and the shoreline of the Cane Garden Bay is exceptionally charming. This archipelago is the embodiment of Caribbean luxury with its fusion of refined British culture. The British Virgin Islands are some of the most underdeveloped and exclusive Islands of the Caribbean, but this only adds to their charm. The villas, the resorts, the high-end restaurants and other quality tourist attractions in these paradise Islands are known to highlight added luxury over sprawling expansions, and the lure travellers with plenty to spend, a love for sailing and privacy. Travellers also find it more than enough to keep them completely harboured by these 60 islands and cays. On Tortola Island, you will discover rugged cliffs and chalk-white beaches, distinguished by ever-changing tides and calm eastern winds.
St. Lucia got it all: Sprawling cream-coloured beaches, lofty mountains and upscale resorts. Start your day off with a morning trek through the famous Piton Mountains, soak up some Caribbean sun at midday along Reduit Beach and watch the stunning sunsets over the Caribbean Sea. The lush, unspoilt Caribbean Island of St. Lucia has a tremendous fan base that continues to rise dramatically over the years. A lot of the vacationers that visit St. Lucia are music enthusiasts; that visit the Island to let loose at the springtime St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival (which often features International headliners such as, Ziggy Marley, Akon, etc.). Other visitors are honeymooners/couples, relaxing on one of St. Lucia’s white-sand beaches or holing up in one of the Island’s secluded couples resort. Other vacationers are adventure seekers, testing their limits zip-lining through rainforests or climbing the Pitons. If you aren’t any of these types of vacationers, the diverse Island has plenty more to offer. To discover some of St. Lucia’s inexpressible attractions, you will have to visit for yourself. Start off your mornings by indulging in an orange-tinted sunrise at Soufrière then round out your evenings at an event or party at Sunset along the Gros Islet beaches.
You can enjoy the unspoilt beauty of a St. Croix plantation or a St. Jhon beach at any time of the year; but the ideal time to visit the US Virgin Islands is in springtime, especially in April when the when the boisterous Carnival Season gets underway in St. Jhon. The US Virgin Islands are the “Caribbean Paradise” of America — the place where they go to see Moko Jumbies dance at a Carnival, hear patois of a Creole idiom or enjoy the smell of the spices in a sailfish plate. You can choose to visit either St. John, St. Croix or St. Thomas, or opt to spend a little time at each of the Islands if you like. That way you will get to enjoy plenty of pampering, unbothered nature and Caribbean colonial history packed into one vacation. Each of the diverse Islands offers something different, St. Thomas is known for its hilly horizons and luxury; St. Jhon appeals to beach bums and yacht lovers while St. Croix with its rum distilleries and sugar plantations gives you a taste of both the past and present of the Virgin Islands.
The Cayman Islands are one of the most picturesque destinations in the Caribbean and home to some of the loveliest beaches in the world and offer top-class diving sites. The adorable Islands of Cayman continue to be a desirable Caribbean paradise for both the adventurous and laid-back types of travellers. Stunning barrier reefs attract the divers, as the rum punch appeal to the beach bums. Couples love to trek through the 200-year old Mastic Trail as families go for interactive swims at Stingray City. Whichever way you choose to spend your vacation, the Cayman Islands can oblige to that.
Turks and Caicos were recently ranked as the number one island in the world by Trip Advisor, and Grace Bay Beach found on the North East coast of Providenciales is widely regarded as one of the best beaches in the world, and most certainly among the best in the Caribbean. If you are into snorkelling or Scuba diving, among the many underwater pleasures that are in the Turks and Caicos to be enjoyed, is a 14 Mile barrier reef of Provo Island, and a 2134-meter underwater wall off the island of Grand Turk. Other popular tourist attractions that can be found on the Turks and Caicos islands are, Whale watching from the lighthouse on Grand Turk, exploring the caves of Middle Caicos, visiting the world’s only Conch Farm and diving into the lovely blue waters at the Chalk Sound National Park. Turks and Caicos offers a wide variety of vacation accommodations ranging from luxury beachfront all-inclusive resorts and villas to more affordable hotel options. Turks and Caicos is a popular honeymoon and destination wedding location in the Caribbean.
Curaçao is one of the ABC Islands (along with Aruba and Bonaire), Curaçao is located near the hurricane belt, meaning it has lovely weather year-round. The weather, along with the island’s outstanding coral reefs, makes Curaçao a top spot for scuba divers and snorkelers. The “C” in the ABC Islands, Curaçao has features historic colonies, rugged topography and plenty of fun in the sun. Curaçao capital city, Willemstad, is what an ancient European City would look like if it were to be dropped in the Caribbean. The vividly painted Dutch colonial architectures reflect yellows, pinks and blues into deep blue St. Anna Bay. The moment you leave Willemstad, the landscape changes to desert scenes, with spiky aloe and mosquito budding from atop weathered limestone cliffs; but Curaçao’s real attraction is its beaches. Scenic bays and coves encompass the Caribbean Island, their aqua-green waters lapping calmly against the powdery white sand. Gently Caribbean winds keep temperatures in the 80s, so you enjoy the outdoors all year.
St. Kitts merits its acceptance in part from the soft sands and electric nightlife of Frigate Beach, and its reputation for outstanding festivals. When you need a break from the action at St. Kitts, just take a quick trip down to Nevis its sister island. These less-popular but luxurious twin islands in the southern Caribbean are stunning. Saint Kitts and Nevis appeal to travellers looking for a fusion of scenic landscapes and resorts resort relaxation with a touch of nature and a dash of Caribbean history. St. Kitts is more of the outgoing big sister, with the most expansive selection of restaurants, resorts and bars. Shy and luxuriant Nevis has the splendour that has become that has the region’s charm. Tranquillity might be one of the No. 1 attraction, but there are also many other charms; for example the sloping emerald greens of Royal St. Kitts Golf Club. If it's culture you seek, the islands have it — just check out the St. Kitts Carnival at wintertime or the musical festivals in June. Others who come strictly for the beaches can relax on any one of the white-sand beaches, such as Oualie Beach and Frigate Bay.
While you will find the typical Caribbean characteristics — sandy beaches, emerald golf courses and all-inclusive resorts — Barbados have an unmistakably unique glamour. In Barbados, you can get a taste of the bittersweet Mount Gay Rum, attend a horse race and groove to calypso. You can discover a white-sand beach, a verdant golf course duty-free shopping malls at just about every Caribbean Island, but in Barbados, you can take in a polo or a cricket match or try out one of the many calypso events intoxicated by the Island’s spicy rums. Although you could spend all of your days at the beach, you can still find much more things to do exploring this Caribbean paradise. This extravagant Island is filled with stunning buildings, a passionate party-loving attitude and sports culture. The most easterly Caribbean Island, Barbados features two cultures to create a unique Bajan personality. The Island still has a firm hold on its British traditions, even though it gained independence; and trademarks of West Africa are still noticeable, with the island’s cane fields, rum distilleries and gorgeous landscapes. And still, has many beaches. While the entire Barbados shorelines boast scenic views and tranquil ocean breezes, the most visited beaches are Dover Beach and Carlisle Bay.
If you link the Caribbean with a relaxed atmosphere, a calm beach and a breathtaking sunset, then you haven't been too feisty to St. Maarten and St. Martin. What is the best thing about visiting this dual-governed Caribbean Island? You can experience two distinct, vibrant cultures in one vacation. This tiny Island is increasingly well known with travellers who are foodies, loves to party and shop in between trips to the beach. The northern country St. Martin is governed by the French. It is home to the Island’s best restaurants and party beaches. While the sophisticated St. Martin has most of the casinos, bars and clubs. St. Maarten, which is a territory of the Netherland Antilles takes up exactly half of the total area of the Island. For all the excitement, the two nations still promote a care-free vibe — starting out with how simple it is to cross between both nations on the Island. So catch some morning sun on a quiet beach on the Dutch side; then, take an unhurried afternoon trek through a mountain on the French-side. You will be more than happy to sneak back across the border for a night of partying and casinos
There is no doubt that this French Caribbean Island, St. Barts, is stylish with the affluent set and often out-of-reach for the middle class. But it is far from pompous, and it's also easier to get to than you might think. Early and careful planning will ensure that your vacation here is priced equally with its Caribbean counterparts. And luckily, St. Barts 14 lovely beaches are all open for public use. St. Barts is perfect those seeing for a Euro-themed experience with plenty of beaches for ultimate relaxation. And for those looking for a Caribbean Island booming with amazing nightlife and offshore activities, you can boat to St. Barts cousin Islands Martinique or St. Martin for more variations.
Your trip to Grenada won't be remembered by the cost of the airfare or the size of the hotels. It is the variation of reds, yellows and greens that define St. George’s harbour, (arguably one of the most stunning in the Caribbean) and how they are reflected in the crystal water. The lapping sound of the waves on the soft sands echoes in the ear as the sun goes down. The scent of the vanilla and nutmeg that drifts through the Market Square and throughout the Island’s spice plantation. The tantalising sensation you feel in your tummy and on your taste buds after tasting the River Antoine Distillery’s 150-proof rum. Not only is Grenada meant to be seen; but also to be savoured. North Americans often overlooked the Spice Island, for its showier, resort-laden Caribbean counterparts. But take a hint from the Brits, who have been here for countless winter vacations: Grenada is more than worth the trip. Sure, Grenada doesn't have the glitzy night clubs and the sprawling all-inclusive of the other Islands; in fact, you may not even find another American here. But that's just part of Grenada’s charm.
Believe it or not, the Spanish settlers who discovered Aruba and her sister islands Bonaire and Curaçao in the early 14th century nicknamed the islands "Islas Inútiles,” or useless islands. They couldn't have been more wrong. Fast forward to the present day, this southern Caribbean Island is using a dry climate and minimal rainfall in their favour; Aruba attracts tourists with its blindingly white beaches and rugged limestone landscape. And with its comprehensive underwater visibility, this Island is a top destination for scuba divers looking to explore shipwrecks or to discover some amazing coral reefs. Some of the most luxurious resort have nurtured Aruba’s reputation for its exclusivity, but just take one stroll around Palm Beach and you will see that isn't really the case. College kids families, baby boomers and honeymooners are all for their own slice of shade under the closest divi-divi tree.
In comparison with some of the Caribbean Islands masquerading as top tourist destinations, you will something a bit more genuine in Antigua. There is a ban on cruises ships, high-rise hotels and casinos, but an excess amount of clear, coral-filled waters, untouched roads and laid-back oceanfront villas. Indulgence is also at a premium, from the extravagant resorts to the cosmopolitan alfresco dining. With little to do but relax, the days here seem to be pretty long. And once the sun sets, you'll be spoilt to one of the best live entertainment scenes in the Caribbean. Everyone, from Bankie Banx to Quincy Jones and Jimmy Buffet has stopped by Anguilla’s grey shore to perform.
Perhaps the best-kept secret in the Caribbean is Dominica. Its mountainous landscape, lush rainforests and meandering rivers are particularly begging to be explored. Also, there are no chain resorts and little nightlife; in fact, commercial development of any kind is limited. But if you have already heard about Dominica, you will know that the beaches and resorts aren't the main charms here. Instead, Dominica lures the adventurous nature lover that cherishes a little authenticity while on vacation. And inspire of the recent revamping of its harbour to accommodate larger cruise ships, Dominica has been determined in its preservation and conservation of it local wildlife and forestry, more than any other Caribbean Island. And they have been successful in doing so: Dominica is considered as the most untouched and well preserved Caribbean Island.
On Bonaire, the main draw lies underwater. In other words, don't plan a trip to this Caribbean Island unless you are planning to get up close and personal with some of Bonaire’s stunning sea dwellers. The often overlooked sister island of Aruba and Curaçao, Bonaire is more known for its exceptional diving than its exclusivity. Exploring the underwater treasures of this “divers paradise” is a must if you are visiting Bonaire. Though every Caribbean Island assures a welcome retreat from the clutches of your smartphone, Bonaire is more about the adventure than relaxing. If you are not a diving enthusiast, hike around Washington Slagbaai National Park and enjoy the breathtaking landscapes, or get off the beaten path and bike the island's unpaved roads. It's hard to believe that there is so much to do on this tiny Island. You could see the entire in one day if you like.
