101 Reasons to Visit the Caribbean
The Caribbean is a collection of approximately 7000 islands renowned for their beautiful beaches, rich cultural heritage and friendly people. Forming a huge swath around the Caribbean Sea, the 32 inhabited namesake islands, offer a degree of contrast and each island is inviting with their own personal charm. And no matter what you're looking for in an island excursion, you'll find it in the Caribbean. Whether you are interested in discovering the wonders under the sea, participating in one of the many cultural events, sampling the local food and drink, hiking the terrain, enjoying your wedding with family and friends or simply laying on a beach and partying at a resort, it's all here in the Caribbean. As such, there are thousands of experiences that make a visit to the region worthwhile. Below are 101 of our favorite experiences and reasons to visit the Caribbean. Some are well known, others are hidden gems all providing an authentic experience. So come discover, explore and engage with the Caribbean we love.
- See children splashing off the pier at Harbor Island, Anguilla.
- Rent scooters and see the real Nassau, Bahamas on your own time.
- Explore Nelson's Dockyard, the cultural heritage site and marina in Antigua.
- Play cricket on the island of Antigua where legends like Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards hail from.
- Explore Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It's one of the oldest cities in the region. Visit places like the Palace of Fine Arts, Museum of Modern Art, and the National Palace to name a few.
- Go scuba diving or catamaran sailing with Aruba, Red Sail Sports.
- Dance the night away with a live DJ at the Blue Bar in Aruba.
- Catch the biggest Wahoo at the Aruba Nautical Yacht Club held in February in Aruba.
- Haggle with the locals at the Straw Market on Nassau, Bahamas.
- World-class bone-fishing is available on Andros, Bahamas.
- Looking for some 'hot' memories of the Caribbean? Try the Antigua condiment, Susie's Sauce and add some fire to the local flavors.
- Discover the rich historic origin of Mount Gay Rum in Barbados. Choose from their Signature Rum Tour, the interactive Cocktail Tour or sumptuous Bajan Buffet Lunch Tour.
- Purchase some cooking and bath salts from the salt flats of Pekelmeer, Bonaire.
- Listen to live jazz music while you eat some delicious Caribbean spiny lobster at Lobster ALive in Barbados.
- Parasail over the pink sand of Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda.
- See a variety of local crafts including clay, glass and rum cake makers, at the Royal Naval Dockyards in Bermuda.
- Eco-friendly visitors can participate in Under Water Cleanup on the island of Bonaire, a combination of scuba diving and waste removal that helps the environment and feels great, too.
- Watch as thousands of pink flamingos take flight at sunset from Lake Gotomeer, Bonaire.
- Looking for some treasure, Matey? Explore the Norman Island Caves in British Virgin Islands.
- Try a flying fish sandwich at Cuz's Fish Shack on the island of Barbados.
- Hang out with the locals and have a great drink at Toney's Welcome Bar, Cane Garden Bay, on the island of Tortola, BVI.
- Visit Shoal Bay in Anguilla considered by many to be the World's Best Beach.
- Sip some pomegranate lemonade and enjoy spinach and plantain-stuffed chicken in the quaint restaurant called Bamboushay on Tortola, in BVI.
- Seven miles of beach-lover heaven awaits on Seven Mile Beach, Georgetown, Grand Cayman.
- "Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville.." Don't miss Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville on Grand Cayman. Slip down the slide into the private pool and enjoy the fun atmosphere at this landmark hotspot.
- Enjoy a couple's massage surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites in an underground spa. Natura Spa in a 500,000-year-old cave in Bermuda offers the ultimate in luxury spas.
- Enjoy a smoked mackerel taco at La Guarida, in Havana, Cuba. Derelict-looking on the outside, but swanky on the inside, this place has been frequented by such names as Jay-Z and Jack Nicholson.
- Learn how to kitesurf at Kitesurfing School located on Curacao.
- For a look at the colonial Cuba, visit National Museum of Beautiful Arts of Cuba. See the breathtaking stained glass pictures. Enjoy the sculptures of giant lions, Revel in the beauty of the colonial style building. A must-see!
- Hear the blast from the historic cannons every night from the Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabana. This fortress is a great place to get optimal views of Havana.
- Dance, enjoy parades, and celebrate with Carnival, the month-long festival on Curacao.
- Go to Hell. Hell, Grand Cayman that is. See lava rock formations that look like the pits of Hades.
- Have a massage on the uninhabited island of Klein Curacao, performed by Sensi Spa of Willemstad Curacao.
- Taste the finest clam blaff and grilled crawfish during the festival of the cooks in Guadeloupe. Dressed in fine headdresses and embroidered aprons, cooks present their utensils and food to be blessed by the priest. Then the whole village enjoys a feast together.
- Honeymoon in one of seven villas in Secret Bay, Dominica. Have your meals prepared in your villa while you listen to the rainforest sounds.
- Taste chocolate that has been freshly made during the Chocolate Festival on Grenada.
- Feel the reggae beat at Bob Marley Museum, Kingston, Jamaica.
- Tour the sculptures with your dive equipment at the Underwater Sculpture Park in the blue/green Grenada waters.
- Wade neck-deep in TiTou Gorge with Nature Isle Explorer Day Tours in Dominica.
- Get married in Eden - Jessamine Eden Garden, that is. Located inside a tropical rainforest in Grenada, graced with hummingbirds, herons and lush flowers, this is one of the most idyllic places in the Caribbean to say 'I Do.'
- Tour the island home of Willy Monfret, supermodel hunk of Guadeloupe.
- Hike to the summit of La Soufriere volcano located in Guadeloupe.
- Stay with Arawak Indians in Guyana's Arrowpoint Interior Nature Resort.
- Visit Montserrat's former capital Plymouth which is now described as a modern-day Pompeii. The city was abandoned in 1997 after eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano.
- Rupununi Savannah in Guyana is the world's largest grasslands. See jaguars, Harpy eagles and vaqueros (cowboys) riding the ranges.
- Take a Kaieteur Overland Tour to see black water plunging over steep rocks. Sleep in the jungle besides raging waterfalls. Enjoy the real Guyana.
- Cruise with Royal Caribbean to Labadee, Haiti, to see one of the most perfect beaches anywhere.
- Feel the brush of the Dragon's Breath on the zipline that flies above the surf at 700 feet - ending at the water's edge in Labadee, Haiti, this is an unforgettable experience.
- Take a horse ride up to the poignant site of the Citadel in Haiti, a tribute to the history and cultural clashes of this island nation.
- Watch roadside stilt-walkers dressed in flowers and fruits in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
- Take a guided tour and sample the full range of rums at the 260-year-old Appleton Estate on Jamaica.
- Wade or swim through the narrow and steep gaps of Les Gorges de la Falaise to the waterfalls at the end - a real Martinique adventure.
- Walk the buttery sands or dip into the translucent waters of Plage des Salines beach in Martinique.
- Watch and dance with the Montserrat Masqueraders who are dressed in masks, mitre-style hats and brightly patterned clothes decked with fluttering ribbons during their annual Christmas Festival.
- Stay at Salines Garden Cottages for beautiful rooms and communal breakfast. St. Barth's best beach, Salines Beach, is a mere 5-minutes away.
- Hike one of the numerous trails in Montserrat to marvel at its beautiful flora and in search of the endemic national bird - the Montserrat Oriole.
- Wade out into Flamenco Beach, Puerto Rico, where fish come right up to the clear water's edge.
- Walk on the black volcanic sands of Mero Beach, Dominica.
- Chocolate lovers and art lovers unite! Casa Cortes is an art gallery and chocolate restaurant serving items like chocolate-dipped shrimp and more. Unique and tasty! Located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Have some fresh fish and fried plantains while watching the waves at O Cocotier, Sainte-Anne, Martinique.
- Purchase some handmade lace on the tiny island of Saba.
- Visit a sleeping volcano draped with a rainforest blanket. This is the tiny island called Saba.
- Indulge in a chocolate banana spring roll at L'Entracte, St. Barthelemy.
- Bring your board and surf some world-class waves in Rincon, Puerto Rico.
- Add to your shell collection with a visit to Shell Beach, St. Barthelemy.
- Oceanfront rooms. Macaws on the railing - Kings Well Resort, St. Eustatius.
- Have a taste of stew pig's tail or garlic conch at El Fredo's, St. Kitts.
- See Nevis from Cockleshell Bay on Cockleshell Beach, St. Kitts.
- Buy local crafts from port vendors in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
- Beach weddings with steel pan drums at East Winds Inn, St. Lucia.
- Try the shrimp curry while watching giant macaws roost at Kings Well Bar and Restaurant in St. Eustatius.
- Visit Firefly Plantation Bequia, St. Vincent, which is a historic sugar mill and working plantation.
- Explore the Fond Doux plantation, where they grow one of St Lucia's main crops - cocoa.
- Tiny porch. Twinkling lights. Great food. Flavors of the Grill, St. Lucia, is a local favorite.
- Isolated Prickly Pear Beach, St. Martin, is perfect for lovers.
- Hike Paradise Peak, St. Martin for amazing views.
- Dive in a marine park with Scubaqua Dive Center on St. Eustatius.
- Visit Tobago Cays which are uninhabited, beautiful islands of the Grenadines.
- La Soufriere, St. Vincent, is a sleeping volcano waiting for visitors.
- See the monkeys at Peperpot Nature Park, Suriname.
- See St. Kitts from the air with Skydive St. Kitts.
- Zipline the jungle at Berg and Dal Day Tours, Suriname.
- Watch the Scarlet Ibis of Nariva Swamp, Trinidad.
- Watch roadside stilt-walkers dressed in flowers and fruits in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Grab a taxi and ride to the top of the mountains for great views of Jamaica and the gorgeous waters.
- 600 feet waterfall on old cocoa plantation, Argyle Falls, Trinidad is a beautiful scene.
- Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens of Trinidad and Tobago for lush, exotic beauty.
- Visit the salt merchants' homes on Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos.
- Explore Stingray City in the Cayman Islands; an extraordinary 12-foot dive site and adjacent sandbar.
- Bight's Reef, Turks and Caicos, is filled with colorful fish, rays and sharks.
- Try your luck playing the tables at Casino Royale or shop for duty-free deals along Front Street in St. Maarten/St Martin.
- Caicos Bakery in the Turks and Caicos can fix your sweet tooth - pastries here are simply out of this world.
- Rubs, sauces and spices are ready at St. John's Spice, US Virgin Islands.
- Scilly Cay, Anguilla is where the party is. Come and see this beach bar with conch shell walls.
- View and purchase art from 30 local artists at Gallery St. Thomas.
- Have a massage party with Beach Massage and Bodywork Delivered, St. Croix.
- See the colonial style Presidential Palace, Suriname.
- Have drinks at Happy Buzzard, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
- Don't miss the bat caves of Nassau, Bahamas where the ocean gurgles up inside.
- Sip great wines at Island Cork, St. Thomas.
- Purchase handmade artwork jewelry at Crucian Gold, US Virgin Islands.
- Visit the Eastern National Park in the Dominican Republic a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With all these reasons and more to visit the Caribbean, when can we expect you? Hopefully, sometime soon!
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