While its luxury resorts and world-famous rum are undeniable highlights, the Caribbean is also home to an array of unique experiences that many travellers overlook. From hidden natural wonders to one-of-a-kind cultural traditions, here are 50 spectacular and surprising adventures waiting to be discovered.
Click through this gallery to discover 50 Caribbean experiences you need on your bucket list...
The Pitons are an unmistakable symbol of St Lucia, but not everyone thinks of climbing these volcanic plugs, located near the island’s towns of Choiseul and Soufrière. Although Petit Piton is best saved for the most experienced climbers, moderately fit hikers can scale the 2,530-foot (771m) tall Gros Piton in around two hours, with the help of an organised tour. The reward? Incredible views of neighbouring St Vincent.
Grenada's annual Chocolate Fest is a must-visit for lovers of the sweet stuff, offering the chance to visit the island’s cocoa forests and get to the heart of the action with immersive experiences.
From learning how to harvest cocoa (cracking the pods and collecting the beans) to 'dancing' the cocoa (a traditional way of drying the beans by walking on them), this festival is a key part of the island’s heritage.
Delving 1,000 feet (304m) beneath the ocean’s surface is usually saved for scientists, but with SubStation Curaçao, anyone can explore the deep sea of the Caribbean. Guests can step into their own miniature submarine pod and seek out vibrant coral and epic shipwrecks, such as the 300-foot (90m) Stella Maris.
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Venturing into Cuba’s remote wilderness involves some bumpy stretches of road. But the UNESCO-listed Alejandro de Humboldt National Park – named after the German naturalist-explorer Alexander von Humboldt – is worth the journey.
This protected ecosystem, which sprawls over 268 square miles (694sq km) north of Baracoa, is inhabited by some of the most incredible species on Earth, including the endangered Cuban solenodon, miniscule Monte Iberia frog, polymita picta snail and zunzuncito, the smallest bird in the world.
All sorts of mythical creatures can be found in the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize. Well, according to Mayan legend that is. While experienced divers have yet to witness any of them, those daring enough to conquer this underwater sinkhole can discover some equally mind-boggling sights.
Believed to have been formed during the Ice Age, this chasm, which reaches 984 feet (300m) wide and 410 feet (125m) deep, plays host to otherworldly stalactites, stalagmites and an array of shark species.
Havana's architecture transforms from colourful period buildings to dilapidated Brutalist concrete blocks in a heartbeat. And the best way to take it all in? From the seat of a vintage car. There are many tour companies who offer guided or self-drive tours, such as Old Cars Havana, with an array of classic 1950s models available, from Buicks to Cadillacs.
The British Virgin Islands are just one of the island clusters strewn across the Caribbean and The Baths National Park, found at the tip of Virgin Gorda, is its most beguiling geological wonder. The mammoth boulders, or batholiths, which measure up to 40 feet (12m) in diameter, form a labyrinth of secret rock pools and sun-dappled grottoes that visitors can wade through when the ocean swells aren’t too strong.
There are few places where classical music collides with the jungle, but the privately owned Hunte’s Gardens in Barbados is one of them. Visitors to the attraction will rub shoulders with monkeys and hummingbirds who flit around to the sultry sounds of Bach, and explore an array of exotic plants, from delicate orchids to towering royal palms. Owner Anthony Hunte is often around to enjoy a chat and, sometimes, a glass of rum punch.
Water sports are almost a rite of passage in the Caribbean, where turquoise waves invite endless adventure. Among the array of activities, flyboarding stands out as the newest adrenaline-pumping thrill for daredevils exploring these islands. This hoverboard-like device is connected to a high-pressure hose, channelling powerful jets of water that propel riders skyward, allowing them to soar above the sea or dive like a dolphin beneath the surface.
While Havana is charming, venturing outside the Cuban capital to the island’s bucolic countryside is a fascinating off-grid experience. Two and a half hours away by car lies the breathtaking Valle de Viñales, a UNESCO-listed site famous for its rust-hued earth and traditional farms where bananas, sugar cane, coffee, pineapples and tobacco are grown. Hiking, cycling or horse riding tours are available, some including visits to traditional ‘secaderos’, or drying barns, found on the tobacco plantations.
With emerald-green mogotes, or hills, as a backdrop, wild swimming in the Viñales Valley’s freshwater lake is a must-try experience when exploring Cuba’s rural heart. It’s best enjoyed during the wetter months between July and October, as part of a horseback tour, and is a welcome opportunity to drink in Cuba’s scenic beauty.
Bizarre yet intriguing, the Mural de la Prehistoria, found in Cuba’s Viñales Valley, adds an unexpected splash of vibrancy to the untouched countryside. Painted on the wall of the towering Pita mogote in Sierra de los Órganos, this mammoth mural, which spans nearly 394 feet (120m) in length, was designed by the artist Diego Rivera. It tells a story of evolution, depicting dinosaurs, reptiles and human beings. Located around 2.5 miles (4km) from Viñales, it’s easy to access via bike or taxi.
The annual Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim is one of the Caribbean’s most iconic open-water races, attracting swimmers from around the world. Covering 2.5 miles (4.1km) across the Narrows, the race starts at Oualie Beach on Nevis and finishes at Cockleshell Bay on St. Kitts.
Participants experience the unique challenge of swimming between two islands, often alongside marine life such as turtles and rays, in waters that blend the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The race is also a key part of the region’s community, often supporting local conservation efforts.
It’s well worth the boat trip from Chaguaramas to Gaspar Grande Island, off Trinidad’s northwest coast, to marvel at the beautiful limestone Gasparee Caves. This 90-foot (27m) deep cave system spans around half an acre and Pulpit Pipe Organ, Lovers and Dinosaur Head are just some of the names given to its incredible rock formations. Amazingly, they’re not devoid of life, with the nocturnal guácharo, or oilbird and bats living here.
Over on Antigua’s sister island of Barbuda, the sands aren’t just pristine white, they come in shades of coral pink too. A ferry or an organised day trip are the best ways to get here. Enjoy Pink Sand Beach and Low Bay (otherwise known as 17-Mile Beach), which – thanks to tiny pink shells that wash up on the sands – take on a rosy tint at certain times of year.
Despite The Beatles’ music being banned in communist Cuba, former Prime Minister Fidel Castro later confessed his admiration for John Lennon, two decades after the singer’s death. And in 2000, a bronze statue of the star was unveiled in what is now John Lennon Park. A security guard, reportedly, sometimes adds a pair of glasses to the statue, if asked nicely.
Aside from being a key 18th-century port for the sugar and rum industries, the coastal town of Falmouth in Jamaica has become known for its otherworldly marshlands which glow with bioluminescent plankton at night. Stretching between Falmouth and the community of Rock, the marshlands of Trelawny, known as the Luminous Lagoon, can be viewed during nighttime boat tours and passengers can even take a dip in the waters which glisten and sparkle when disturbed.
It’s not just the sandy beaches that offer relaxation in Jamaica – the jade-green waters of the Martha Brae River provide a serene escape, best experienced on a traditional bamboo raft. Rafting on the Martha Brae, a rafting company established in 1970, offers private tours through the lush surroundings of Trelawny Parish, guided by experienced captains. Guests can also visit Miss Martha’s Herb Garden, known for its collection of medicinal plants.
Each year the yachting community gathers on the shores of Antigua for a week of sailing, socialising and celebrating. The regatta features a week of competitive racing based off the island’s south coast, out of 18th-century Nelson’s Dockyard. Spectators can watch all the offshore action from the beaches and hiking trails, but a top tip is to get breakfast at Shirley Heights Lookout, then stay to watch the race for the best view.
The Soggy Dollar Bar gained its name back in the 1970s when punters used to swim to the bar, on the dinky island of Jost Van Dyke, from a boat or yacht in the bay. Unsurprisingly the money in their pockets would get wet during the swim, so they’d pay for an infamous Painkiller rum cocktail with some very soggy dollar bills. The blindingly white beach is as intoxicating as the drinks.
While China may not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking of Cuba, the Eastern nation shares deep roots with this Caribbean island. The grand gates and architecture of Havana's Chinatown, or El Barrio Chino, serve as a lasting reminder of Chinese migration to the island during the 19th century. These days the community is still cherished for its Cuban-Chinese cuisine, cinema and Diario Popular Chino (Kwong Wah Po) Chinese newspaper.
Author Ian Fleming, creator of the James Bond novels, wrote his iconic spy thrillers in a secluded Jamaican villa overlooking Oracabessa Bay. Today, travellers can experience the same inspiration by staying at Fleming Villa, part of the GoldenEye resort.
The villa offers butler service, private chefs and lush tropical gardens that once fuelled Fleming’s creativity. One of its most unique features is the outdoor but fully private bathroom, where guests can soak in a bathtub beneath the stars.
The Great Cavern of Saint Thomas, or Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás, is located just under 12.5 miles (20km) west of Viñales and is Cuba's largest cave system, full of showstopping rock formations and Indigenous art. Boat trip tours through the illuminated Cueva del Indio (pictured), a former Indigenous dwelling just north of Viñales, are equally mesmerising.
Southeast of bustling Havana lies the Zapata Swamp and hidden beneath the water’s murky depths lie native Cuban crocodiles. The Crocodylus rhombifer is slightly smaller than other crocodile species but is just as formidable. Look out for them on guided tours through Ciénaga de Zapata National Park.
The last thing you expect to see on the sandy island of Dominican Republic is a fairytale castle, high upon a hill. But this eccentric mansion, named Castillo Mundo King (King World Castle) and likened to the buildings of Gaudí in Barcelona, houses a zany collection of art, from curious Haitian artefacts to exhibitions focused around aliens and UFOs. It was designed by eccentric German artist Rolf Schultz.
Around 50 stingrays live at Stingray City, a series of shallow sandbars in the Cayman Islands, and they’re some of the largest southern rays in the Caribbean. There are many boat tours that run to this offbeat attraction, located around 25 miles (40km) off the coast of Grand Cayman. Most leave from the George Town Cruise Port or Seven Mile Beach (and nearby resorts).
The St Kitts Scenic Railway was built between 1912 and 1926 for transporting sugar cane between the plantations and factories. Today, the restored narrow-gauge train offers a quirky way for sightseers to explore St Kitts’ excellent scenery as it meanders through rainforests and across plunging canyons. Each tour includes entertainment from an acapella choir as well as obligatory rum punch. The open-air-top cars guarantee excellent views.
The Dominican Republic is home to spectacular waterfalls including the 170-foot-high (52m) El Limón. The Iguana Mama tour group takes adrenaline-thirsty travellers on a fall-jumping adventure through the winding Río Damajagua. With the help of experts, adventurers hike, swim, slide and climb their way through 27 individual waterfalls, with jumps reaching as high as 25 feet (7.5m).
The Garrison Savannah has been the home of horse racing in Barbados since 1845, and both locals and tourists descend on this historic site for its regular Saturday meets. The horse racing is entertaining but it’s the parades, street food and lively atmosphere that also make the experience. Tucking into fried fish with a Banks beer at one of the stalls is a must.
While some claim it can reverse the signs of ageing, others suggest it can heal burns, arthritis and mosquito bites. Either way, a dip in the mineral-rich mud baths of St Lucia makes for a unique experience. Located by the steaming La Soufrière volcano, the Sulphur Springs do, of course, come with a strong sulphurous smell but some might say it’s a small price to pay to visit this unique attraction.
Bonaire offers some of the best diving in the Caribbean, including the chance to explore Hilma Hooker, a former drug-smuggling freighter that sank in 1984. The ship, flanked by two coral reefs in a protected marine sanctuary, can be explored with diving companies and is located between 60 feet (18m) and 99 feet (30m) below sea level where a diverse range of angel fish, parrotfish and schools of blue tangs now call home.
Home to a large portion of the island’s agriculture, the southern parish of St Elizabeth is nicknamed the ‘bread basket of Jamaica’. One of the best ways to explore this off-grid corner of the island is via the farm-to-table food tours organised by Jakes at Treasure Beach. After a tour of Dool’s Farm with farmers Dwight, Alex and Nerval, guests can watch the sunset and enjoy an atmospheric meal on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
It takes just three hours to drive around the pint-sized island of Barbados and a highlight of reaching its most northerly tip is this intriguing sea cave, in the parish of St Lucy. Stepping inside Animal Flower Cave is only considered safe when the tide is low and offers a natural pool from which to admire the spectacular ocean views.
The streets of Havana thrum with salsa and rumba rhythms, and learning about these traditional Afro-Cuban dance forms through a local dance school is a sure way to fall in love with the island. There are several dance schools in Havana and companies that offer tailor-made holidays including professional dance tutoring and visits to see local street rumba and bembe performances.
Deep beneath the pristine, warm waters of this Mexican Caribbean island lie more than 500 sculptures, including a life-sized VW Beetle, several houses and a multitude of bodies (cement ones). This eerie underwater art attraction, MUSA, was devised to create a new artificial reef system for fish to colonise and its depth (26 feet/8m) means it can be only explored by scuba diving.
By night, the sea around Grand Cayman’s Rum Point sometimes glows in the dark. The magical spectacle, known as the Northern Lights of the Caribbean, is caused by bioluminescence – when billions of microorganisms emit a glowing light. Several companies run guided tours through the sparkling waters with the option to kayak or take an electric 'bio boat' under the stars.
The verdant, misty peaks of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains spread their way some 30 miles (48km) across the eastern part of the island. The area is famed for its oh-so-smooth (and pricey) coffee, which is grown on the steep fertile slopes and picked by hand. Mavis Bank Coffee Factory offers fascinating guided tours where visitors can see how the freshly harvested cherries are pulped, inhale the delicious roasting plant aromas and learn the process from bean to cup.
The eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in Montserrat in the 1990s caused a wave of devastation, destroying towns and covering half the island in volcanic ash. Today, a large section of the island is part of an exclusion zone, but visitors can witness the eerie lunar landscape and ash-covered capital of Plymouth via organised tours. A trip to the balcony of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory offers unique views of the volcano summit.
Adrenaline junkies can get their thrills on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic, often referred to as the 'capital of water sports'. The town of Cabarete in Puerto Plata is world-renowned for its kiteboarding, windsurfing and surfing scene, and hosts the annual Master of the Ocean festival, where professional athletes compete in kiteboarding, windsurfing, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding.
Meanwhile, Kite Beach is lined with reputable schools, such as Kite Club Cabarete, offering equipment rentals and lessons for beginners and experts alike, making it an ideal destination for anyone looking to take on the Caribbean’s wind and waves.
This 18th-century British naval dockyard in Antigua has been beautifully restored as a marina and is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admiring the majestic ships and Georgian buildings while soaking up the history of Nelson’s Dockyard at the on-site museum allows a deeper understanding of the Caribbean’s colonial history. The dockyard is also a good starting place for hiking up the vertiginous Shirley Heights, a restored military lookout.
When Martinique’s smouldering volcano, Mount Pelée, erupted in 1902, the town of Saint-Pierre was destroyed, but one convicted felon named Ludger Sylbaris (real name Louis-Auguste) was, purportedly, the only survivor of the disaster, thanks to the solid stone cell in which he was imprisoned. The story is disputed but it’s a fascinating one and the dilapidated dungeon-like cell has become an interesting attraction.
Navigating the rushing rapids of the Great River is one of the best ways to enjoy the adventurous side of Grenada. Several companies run various river tubing adventures, where brave travellers can bob their way down rapids and swirl through tropical pools, flanked by lush forests. The journey here, through the Grand Etang rainforest or via the Atlantic east coastline, is also a highlight.
It's easy to mistake the Turks and Caicos Conch Festival for a carnival, with its vibrant atmosphere of music, dance and, of course, food. Usually held every November in Blue Hills, locals compete to create the most delicious conch delicacy in a hustle of all-day entertainment involving the large marine molluscs and their shells. Visitors can have a go at winning the conch knocking game or the conch blowing competition.
Aruba’s dry, desert landscape and scorching sun create the perfect growing conditions for the aloe plant. One of the best ways to learn about the island’s biggest export is at the Aruba Aloe Factory and Museum in Hato, which details the industry’s 160-year-old history and exhibits how the leafy plant is harvested to make soothing gels and lotions.
The collection of graves known as Cimetière de Morne-à-l’eau is a sight to behold on the island of Guadeloupe. Forming a vast amphitheatre with black and white checkered stone, these unique crypts date back to the mid-19th century when wealthy landowners buried their loved ones. Today, it's the resting place of Guadeloupeans of all races and classes, and the registered historical monument has become a treasured attraction on the island.
Although batik is usually synonymous with parts of Africa and Indonesia, it has roots in the Caribbean too. Caribelle Batik, located in the botanical gardens of Romney Manor, opens its doors to visitors on weekdays, so they can learn more about this unique craft and watch it being made. With the amazing 400-year-old saman tree on its doorstep and the historical Wingfield Estate as a neighbour, this charming workshop makes for an intriguing day trip.
Heading high above the powder-soft sands of St Kitts to the summit of Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano, is a great alternative to kicking back on the beach. After a tough two-hour trek, walkers reach the rim of the vast volcanic crater known as the Giant’s Salad Bowl. Almost a mile (1.6km) wide and 1,000-feet (304m) deep, its sides are carpeted in verdant rainforest while a glistening lake lies at the bottom.
As pelicans swoop from the sky and Jamaica’s coastline shrinks further into the distance, Floyd’s Pelican Bar appears in the middle of the ocean. Located on a sandbar, just under a mile (1.6km) off Jamaica’s Parottee Bay, this stilted drinking hole – made purely from driftwood – is owned by local Floyd Forbes and can only be accessed by boat. Once there, punters can sip ice-cold Red Stripe or rum punch and feast on fish pulled straight from the sea.
Big Major Cay in the Exuma archipelago is an uninhabited island, but it is home to a group of pigs and piglets, regularly seen snorting and paddling their way through the pristine waters. Anyone keen to take a dip with these lovable creatures can take an organised tour from Great Exuma with 4 C’s Adventures.
At the historic Garrison in Bridgetown, Barbados, you can witness a traditional British-style changing of the guard – with island flair. Unlike the sombre displays seen at Buckingham Palace in London, England, this version has a relaxed, tropical atmosphere. The ceremony takes place outside the Main Guard House accompanied by calypso or steelpan music, adding a uniquely Bajan touch to the tradition.
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