To read our reviews of popular tours and excursions in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe (coming soon), Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and more… just click HERE
Now that the weather is showing signs of winter in many parts of the world, you might be starting to think about a nice warm Caribbean vacation. Nothing beats the winter blues like feeling the warmth of the sun above you and the sand beneath your feet. That said, it’s also great to get the muscles moving, the heart pumping and the mind blown by experiencing the natural wonders that the Caribbean has to offer. Take a peek at the underwater world below the surface of the Caribbean Sea or hike through a lush green rainforest to awaken the senses – This is nature’s best medicine. Of course, a round of golf or a warm relaxing day at sea would also fill the prescription for what the travel doctor ordered! If you’re thinking of heading south to escape the cold and dark of winter for a week or two, here are our thoughts on the best of the less busy/touristy Caribbean adventure destinations to visit in early 2024.
For this article, we’re highlighting the Caribbean Islands that provide the best opportunities for getting out in nature by enjoying snorkeling (and diving), hiking, fishing, watersports, and golf, highlighting a few of the more ‘unspoiled’ Caribbean Islands where you can truly immerse yourself in the culture and activities of the land.
Located just north of South America’s Venezuelan coast, Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Famous for its pink flamingos and salt mounds, the small Dutch island is more than just a “diver’s paradise”. This Caribbean Island is also a great place to experience snorkeling, watersports, cycling and surprisingly good hiking as well!
With healthy coral reefs and rich marine life, Bonaire is one of the best islands in the Caribbean for snorkeling and diving! Bonaire and its small offshore island Klein Bonaire are encircled by reefs providing homes for an amazing biodiversity of colourful fish, corals, sponges, and more. You can slip into the warm Caribbean Sea from shore and swim out to a nearby reef, or take a short boat ride to Bonaire’s Marine Park to experience some of the best snorkel & dive spots in the Caribbean. Explore shallow coral reefs, steep underwater cliffs as well as underwater caves. Bonaire also happens to be one of the best Freediving locations in the world.
For more details on the dozens of snorkel sites or diving at any of the over eighty dive sites in Bonaire, as well as contact info for local dive shops and boat operators who can get you outfitted and in the water, check out our Bonaire Snorkeling and/or our Bonaire Scuba Diving pages.
With its near-constant trade winds, year-round warm air and water temperatures, Bonaire is one of the best places in the Caribbean to enjoy water sports as well. The flat southwest coast of the island seems to be made for kiteboarding and kitesurfing, while the mangroves and waterways of Lac Bay on the southeast side of the island are ideal for kayaking and windsurfing. Spending an adventurous day on the sea is a great way to experience the Caribbean, and Bonaire definitely ticks all the boxes when it comes to watersports options that satisfy everyone’s needs!
For more tips on watersports options in Bonaire, including contact info for local tour operators, surf shops and places to rent gear, check out our Bonaire Water Sports page.
With over a hundred kilometres of cycling trails, Bonaire is also one of the best Caribbean destinations for bicycle riding. Explore Bonaire by bike to experience jaw-dropping views of the island and picturesque views of the Caribbean Sea. The island has road courses that include amazing scenic coastline routes, as well as off-road trails in desert-like terrain. If you’re looking to travel at a slower pace, the hiking trails of Bonaire offer surprisingly good opportunities for some easy relaxing walks as well as a couple of intermediate–difficult outings. Perhaps the best Bonaire hiking can be found in Washington-Slagbaai National Park at the north end of the island.
For more details on biking and hiking in Bonaire, including contact info for local tour operators, hiking guides, and places to rent bikes, check out our Bonaire Cycling and/or our Bonaire Hiking pages.
For a complete listing of things to do in Bonaire, including contact info for local tour operators who can help you get the most out of your stay, check out our Bonaire Vacation Ideas and Things to Do in Bonaire pages.
The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis Islands, commonly referred to as “St. Kitts & Nevis”, is a two-island nation in the northern Caribbean, located southeast of Puerto Rico and just west of Antigua & Barbuda. The island of St. Kitts and its smaller sister island of Nevis are only 2 miles (3km) apart, conveniently connected via ferries and water taxis. Among many awesome attractions, Saint Kitts is home to Brimstone Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the last railway in the Caribbean. Nevis may be best known for its sandy beaches and Georgian-style buildings in the charming capital of Charlestown. That said, a St Kitts & Nevis vacation has plenty to offer travelers seeking action on land and sea.
As the tops of a submerged volcanic mountain range, St. Kitts & Nevis are covered with rolling green folds of volcanic peaks separated by lush valleys. With more than a quarter of the islands being conserved via National Parklands, such as the Central Forest Reserve, St. Kitts & Nevis are a great place for Caribbean hiking! The islands offer a variety of easy relaxing nature walks, some decent intermediate hikes as well as some very challenging climbs – No adventurous trip to Saint Kitts is complete without hiking up the island’s highest peak Mount Liamuiga, or the shorter but steeper Nevis Peak. Combined, the sister islands have about a dozen trails to explore.
For more information and tips on hiking in St. Kitts & Nevis, including contact info for local tour operators and hiking guides, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Hiking pages.
Bicycling is another great way to explore St. Kitts & Nevis while getting some fresh air and exercise at the same time. Both islands offer mountain biking as well as some cane field and scenic road routes. For avid cyclists, you can compete against the island’s best, in an around-the-island cycle in Nevis. Alternatively, take your time to better enjoy the gorgeous views of the island, Caribbean Sea, and neighbouring islands, while being challenged by the mountainous terrain encountered on portions of the route.
For more details on cycling and MTBing in St. Kitts & Nevis, including contact info for local tour operators and places to rent bikes, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Cycling page.
Meanwhile, just offshore from St. Kitts & Nevis, you can find some good snorkeling and diving spots to explore an underwater world of rocky reefs and wrecks. St. Kitts offers more than half a dozen locations to snorkel along the west coast of the island, with perhaps the best being the oddly named Shitten Bay, typically accessed via boat. The shallow turquoise water is crystal clear, and the sandy seagrass-covered bottom and rocky shoreline are home to a wide variety of tropical fish, corals and other marine life. Several others can be accessed directly from the beach. For the more adventurous scuba divers, there are over two dozen dive sites with reefs, wrecks and walls to explore around the sister islands – Something for divers of all skills to enjoy.
For more tips and details on snorkeling or diving in St. Kitts & Nevis, as well as contact info for local dive shops and boat operators who can get you outfitted and in the water, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Snorkeling and/or our St. Kitts & Nevis Scuba Diving pages.
For a relaxing day on the links, St. Kitts has a couple of gorgeous 18-hole / par 71 golf courses, and Nevis has one as well. The Royal St. Kitts Golf Club is home to a course with several holes overlooking the Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Ocean. Kittitian Hill – Irie Fields is a unique course set among Belle Mont farm’s crops and fruit trees with spectacular ocean views featuring St. Barth’s in the background. The Four Seasons Golf Club on Nevis features a Robert Trent Jones II designed course. For more information, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Golf page.
For those looking for the ‘salt life’, you can experience fishing in the turquoise blue waters of St. Kitts & Nevis with the mountainous island featuring Mount Liamuiga shrouded in mist as a picturesque backdrop. Out at sea, you could catch barracuda, kingfish, marlin, sailfish, mahi mahi, wahoo, while the reefs offer snapper, grouper, grunt and more! There’s plenty of deep sea and sport fishing as well as reef fishing to be found around the sister islands.
For more details on fishing in St. Kitts & Nevis, including contact info for local boat operators who can get a reel in your hands, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Fishing page.
Surrounded by a diversity of wind conditions and shorelines, there’s also plenty of water sports to enjoy while visiting St. Kitts & Nevis. On the windier Atlantic Ocean side of St. Kitts, the southeast coastline may be the best place for surfing, windsurfing, kite-surfing and even fly-boarding and parasailing, while the southwest coastlines of both islands are ideal for kayaking and SUP while taking in the breathtaking views of the sister islands. Also, on the Caribbean side of St. Kitts, the popular Timothy Bay and South Friar’s Bay are hotspots for jet skiing, banana boat rides and much, much more!
For more information on watersports options in St. Kitts & Nevis, including contact info for local tour operators, surf shops, and places to rent gear, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Water Sports page.
For more ideas for things to do in St. Kitts & Nevis, including contact info for local tour operators who can help you get the most out of your stay, check out our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacation Ideas and Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis pages.
Not to be confused with the touristy Dominican Republic, the Commonwealth of Dominica is located north of Saint Lucia, between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Dominica is the youngest island in the region with geothermal activity you can experience for yourself by hiking to the second-largest hot spring in the world, aptly named Boiling Lake. Besides being one of, if not the best, Caribbean Island destinations for hiking, the “Nature Island” also offers incredible canyoning, snorkeling, diving, and fishing adventures… All just waiting for you to discover!
Dominica is famous for its wild mountainous landscape and plentiful rivers and waterfalls. The tallest peak on the island is Morne Diablotins, which at 4,747 feet (1,447 m) above sea level, makes it the ninth tallest in the Caribbean. For unique hiking adventures, Dominica has a challenging trail to the aforementioned Boiling Lake, which is literally ‘bubbling’, as well as an untamed river trail to the gorgeous Victoria Falls. There are literally dozens of hiking trails on the island throughout an extensive natural park system including Cabrits National Park, the Northern Forest Reserve, the Central Forest Reserve, as well as Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dominica is also home to the Waitukubuli National Trail – 115 miles (184 km) of trails weaving back and forth across the length of the island. For the more adventurous, Dominica is also home to a burgeoning canyoning scene with several natural waterfall playgrounds just begging to be climbed and rappeled – You just need to know which canyons and gorges they’re in!
For more information and tips on hiking in Dominica, including contact info for local tour operators and hiking guides, check out our Dominica Hiking pages.
Dominica is also protecting its natural underwater world with the Soufriere-Scott’s Head Marine Reserve and the Cabrits Marine Reserve. Several sheltered bays along the Caribbean coast with close-to-shore reefs make Dominica a great Caribbean Island for snorkeling – An ideal destination for spotting tropical fish, large fish as well as rays and turtles. There’s also the unique snorkeling spot known as Champagne Reef, where Dominica’s volcanic activity can be experienced underwater as you swim through air bubbles seeping through volcanic fumaroles on the seabed while you explore the corals and fish in the area – A snorkeling spot not to be missed!
The island is also a nearly undiscovered mecca for scuba diving with shallow coral reefs, pinnacles, and steep drop-off cliffs with incredible caves and pass-throughs. There are dozens of dive sites to choose from along the west coast of Dominica, with a variety of options appropriate for divers with various skill levels. The reefs and walls are covered with colourful corals, tubes, fans, sponges and a wide assortment of marine life including fish, eels, seahorses, shrimp, and more. Free-divers looking for a new place to explore will love the underwater crater in Soufriere Bay, which can be easily accessed via the fixed freediving platform.
Unsurprisingly, Dominica’s healthy reef systems and deep waters also make it a great destination for Caribbean fishing. Sports fishermen dream about the big marlin, sailfish, yellowfin skipjack, tarpon, wahoo, dorado, and mackerel you can catch in the waters of Dominica. As an added bonus, you might be fortunate enough to see dolphins and whales swimming alongside your boat as you journey to and from the island’s fishing hot spots!
For more details and ideas for things to do in Dominica, including contact info for local tour operators who can help you get the most out of your stay, check out our Dominica Vacation Ideas page.
Well, that’s Part I of our list of some of the ‘lesser known’ Caribbean Islands to visit in 2024 for some of the best snorkeling, diving, hiking, fishing, watersports, and golf. For more of our unspoiled top picks for 2024, check out our Experience a Different Kind of Caribbean Island in 2024 – Part II blog post!
ACT Staff
FYI (Full Disclosure): We are not being compensated in any way by the islands listed above. These islands were chosen as our top destinations based on the criteria outlined in the opening paragraphs.
We hope you liked our assessment, and it has motivated you to enjoy some quality time in the Caribbean!
The French Island of Martinique is located just north of St. Lucia in the Caribbean’s Windward Islands. While best known for its many rhum distilleries and French-Caribbean fusion of food and culture, the island has an amazingly diverse terrain and natural environment making it ideal for active vacations. Martinique’s northern rainforests are great for mountainous hiking and canyoning, while the protected bays on the island’s southwest Caribbean coast are ideal for snorkeling. Martinique also has a number of wetlands and shallows along its coastline ideal for kayaking, while the Atlantic side of the island is a great place for surfing, kite-surfing and more.
A Martinique vacation has plenty to offer travelers seeking action on both land and sea – Take a look at our favourite activities below that are guaranteed to make you feel alive!
Hiking is a great way to appreciate Martinique’s varied landscape and natural beauty, providing the opportunity to appreciate amazing panoramic views of the island and the Caribbean Sea from hill-top look-outs or coastal trails. One of the “Top 3” islands for Caribbean hiking, Martinique offers a variety of challenging volcano/mountain trails, sun-drenched coastal trails and even a trail through a wild river gorge. The island has over 30 hiking trails, most of which are well-marked and maintained.
Most of Martinique’s hiking trails are located in the northern half of the island where half a dozen peaks reach more than 2,300 feet (700m) above sea level. None is more exciting than the iconic Montagne (Mount) Pelee which has four different paths to reach the top. When not shrouded in mist and fog, this peak provides the most amazing views of the island and Caribbean Sea. Perhaps the most popular trail up the semi-active volcano is the 2-mile (4km) long L’aileron route – For a colourful, first-hand account of hiking this trail, check out our Mount Pelée – L’aileron Trail blog post.
There are a couple of note-worthy trails in the north/west of the island, one of which is a 1.5 mile (2km) forested trail with an easy 755 feet (230m) vertical that follows a river to the Cascade Couleuvre, the tallest waterfall on the island. For a more colorful, personal account of hiking this trail, check out our Cascade de la Riviere Couleuvre Trail blog post.
There are over a dozen trails in the Parc Naturel Regional De La Martinique, located in the north-east of Martinique, including Les Gorges de la Falaise, a short but unique hike along and in a river at the bottom of a steep gorge. You’ll be rewarded at the end of this hike with a refreshing waterfall and pool.
In the north-west area of the island, the Pitons du Carbet is home to more than half a dozen trails, offering a variety of nice relaxing walks as well as some more challenging mountainous (volcano) hikes with amazing panoramic views of the island and the Caribbean Sea.
There are several hiking trails along the East Coast of Martinique, including the awesome Circuit de la Caravelle Loop Trail that provides amazing views of the island and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a 5-mile (8km) loop with 650 feet (200m) in elevation change located within the Presqu’Île de la Caravelle Nature Reserve. For a more colourful review, check out our personal hiking experience by clicking on our Circuit-de-la Caravelle Trail blog post.
Not to be left out, there are over half a dozen trails at the southern end of the island, including a steep 1.5 mile (2km) hike up a 1,300 (400m) vertical to the top of Morne Larcher that offers spectacular panoramic views of the island and Caribbean sea. There is also a very popular and less challenging route to the top of Morne Gommier that also rewards hikers with impressive views.
There are even a couple of coastal trails backpackers or long-distance hikers would love. The Sentier Littoral Nord Atlantique is a 28-mile (45km) long trail along the northeast coast of Martinique, while the Trace des Caps trail is a 21-mile (34km) long hike along the southeast shores of Martinique.
For a more complete list of Martinique hiking trails, along with some hiking guides to get you on the trail, check out our Martinique Hiking page.
FYI – For the more adventurous, there are plenty of opportunities for canyoning in Martinique as well!
What makes Martinique a great place for snorkeling is that many of the best reefs are located in the shallow waters of protected bays that can be easily reached by simply swimming off a gorgeous beach.
While there are several snorkeling sites on the northwest coast of Martinique, perhaps the remote Anse Couleuvre is the best. You can reach the rocky reef found off the north end of the beach by boat or with a short hike from the Cascade Couleuvre trailhead.
That said, the most popular Martinique snorkeling spots are in the Les Anses-d’Arlet and Trois Ilets areas along the southwest coast. The white sand beach at Plage de l’Anse Mitan in Pointe du Bout offers a rocky reef alive with fish and other sea life. Perhaps the two best and most popular snorkeling spots on the island are near Les Anses-d’Arlet. The quieter Anse Noire is home to a wide variety of marine life and its long pier offers a great way to get in and out of the water away from shore. Well known for its green sea turtles, Anse Dufour has a gorgeous white sand beach and plenty of amenities, with plenty of viewable sea life among the rocky reefs that border both sides of the protected bay.
There are several more good snorkeling sites along the southern shores of Martinique. Anse Figuier, located in Sainte Luce, is beach-accessible and has shallow calm water above a nice sandy bottom that is ideal for beginners. For a more remote quiet spot for snorkelling, Pointe Borgnèse at the Bay du Marin, is home to a wide variety of tropical fish and marine life.
For a more colourful first-hand account of snorkeling in Martinique, check out our Snorkeling Martinique blog post.
For more detailed information on Martinique’s snorkeling sites, along with a list of tour/boat operators who can get you outfitted and in the water, click on our Martinique Snorkeling page.
FYI – For the true lovers of the deep, there’s plenty of amazing scuba diving off the shores of Martinique as well!
The island’s only golf course is located less than half an hour from the capital, Fort-de-France. The picturesque golf course, Golf des Trois-Îlets, is a 5,812 meter 18-hole / par 71 golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones. While the first 9 holes may seem fairly easy, beware of the challenging back 9. Even if you’re having an off day on the course, you can still enjoy the spectacular views of Fort-De-France Bay.
For more information about golf on the island, check out our Martinique Golf page.
One of the most fun ways to experience the Caribbean is by getting on the water. With precious mangrove forests, several protected bays, and areas that get plenty of those famous Caribbean tradewinds, Martinique is a great Caribbean Island for watersports.
Well protected within the bay of Fort-de-France, the mangroves of Génipa Nature Reserve are made to be explored by kayak, as are the calm shallow waters on the Atlantic side in Robert’s Bay and Francois Bay. Back along the Caribbean coast, the protected bays and beaches of Les Anses d’Arlet and Anse à l’Ane are ideal for Stand-Up-Paddleboarding, ocean kayaking and a wide variety of fun and exciting motorized watersports like waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing – There are even jet ski and sea scooter rentals as well as flyboard available.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic side of Martinique is a happening scene for surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers. The town of Tartane on the north side of Presqu’ile du la Caravelle is home to several surf schools as well as great surf beaches like the gorgeous Anse l’Etang and Anse Bonneville, aptly known as Plage des Surfeurs (Surfer’s Beach). These are great places for Caribbean surfing, for both beginners and experienced tube-riders alike. For the more adventurous, Martinique’s southeast coast is home to a few beaches ideal for kitesurfing and windsurfing.
For more information, along with local tour operators and surf shops who offer surfing, SUP as well as watersports gear rentals, check out our Martinique Water-Sports page.
Enjoy the adventure(s) of your choice in Martinique!
ACT Staff
For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island by checking out our Things to Do in Martinique blog post
For an overview of this amazing French Caribbean gem, take a look at our Martinique Vacations page
While researching the 10 tallest peaks in the Caribbean Islands, one of the most attractive hikes to me was Martinique’s Montagne Pelée, or the Mount Pelée Volcano Trail. Seeing pictures of the massive green mountain dominating the Caribbean Island landscape with its long open ridges and steep peaks really got me excited. Having had the Montagne Pelée Volcano trail at the top of my list of dream hikes for several years, it was great to be in Martinique and finally have the opportunity to experience it for myself! After reading several reviews, a common recommendation was to start the hike as early as possible in order to reach the peak before the clouds inevitably roll in, removing the chance for some amazing views from the top. Well, I have to say, our experience was not exactly consistent with those recommendations. The sky was fairly clear when we left Saint-Pierre, however after gaining some altitude on the 10+ minute drive to Le Morne-Rouge, we could see the sky was getting grayer. Another 10-15 minutes later and it was pretty grey and lightly drizzling by the time we reached the trailhead parking lot.
As a result, our morning adventure, or at least the first half of the hike, was in a combination of fog, mist, clouds and even a little light rain. The good news, however, is that the second half of our hike, which luckily included my exploration of the mountain peak, was under a near-cloudless, sun-filled sky. So clearly (pun intended), the trail conditions and views are highly dependent on the weather system around the volcano on the day of the hike.
FYI – Besides a couple of other really long trails, there are three main routes to hike Mount Pelée: A relatively short hike from the west side of the peak; A longer hike from the north side of the peak; and a slightly longer one from the southeast side of the peak. We chose to hike the latter, known as the L’Aileron Trail which can essentially be divided into 3 main trail sections plus the spur trail to the peak. The first is a long steep climb up the side of the mountain to gain altitude and get near the top of the volcano. The second section is a nice ridge walk around the top of the crater known as the Caldeira. Then there is the spur trail to the actual peak, which at 4,583 feet (1,397m) above sea level is the tallest peak in Martinique, and the 10th tallest in the Caribbean Islands. The third main trail section is a shortcut across a deep ravine to get back to the first section without going back around the crater rim.
OK, so back to our hike… We left the parking lot around 8:30 am, heading past the fenced-in telecom station and up the trail. For the first couple of hours the trail is basically straight up the side of the mountain. There was little time for a warm-up as before we knew it, we were climbing stairs. This first section is the longest part of the hike, and unfortunately for us, we were completely surrounded by a wet grey blanket. There wasn’t much for us to see from a ‘view of the island’ perspective, so our eyes were pretty much glued to the mostly washed-out steps we were climbing. This part of the trail had plenty of areas with wood planks partially buried in the ground, although many had little earth between them, having been eroded by the frequent rain. The distance between the steps varies, with most being around 2 feet in height – Kinda awkward, but much better than a mud slick. We also traversed several natural, but no less difficult, rocky ground areas as well. Everything was a little wet, so it was good that we focused on the trail, proceeding fairly slowly to avoid slipping. The trail was quite busy, which also slowed our pace as we passed people or others passed us. OK, I’ll be honest, stepping off the trail once in a while to allow others to pass, gave us a well-needed opportunity to catch our breath. I have to say though, in all our previous Caribbean Island hiking experiences, we have never come across more than 2 or 3 other small groups of people on the entire trail. That was not the case here – There must have been a hundred people hiking at pretty much the same time as us. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones that read about starting the hike early.
Back to the trail… The steepness of this first section varies over time, with some reasonably easy gradually rising sections, while others are quite steep requiring us to use both our hands and our feet to move forward. While we were enveloped by grey mist and couldn’t see too far in the distance, I was struck by the lush green vegetation that surrounded us. Even with few trees in sight, nature is pretty cool! All along the trail there are posts/markers, 14 in fact for this first section alone, that identified where we were on the mountain. After a good couple of hours, we eventually reached the top of this first section, going up and over the peak of this mountain top. From there we walked across a nice relatively flat section, skirting the occasional muddy puddle, again allowing us to catch our breath before pushing onto the next section of the trail.
Near a small shelter, a few different paths intersect, including the trail that ascends the volcano from the north side of the island. This provided us with a couple of options on how to get to the actual peak of Mount Pelée. We could have taken the steep plunge down a near-vertical ladder-like set of stairs in order to cross a deep ravine. This would have taken us on the most direct path to the plateau near the peak, however, we chose to journey counter-clockwise around the rim of the volcano to get views of the north and west side of Martinique, the Caribbean Sea, as well as down into the volcano itself. The trail along these ridges took us on a pleasant roller-coaster ride up and down small hills.
That said, as we were still shrouded in clouds, we really couldn’t see very far through the mist until we were almost fully around the Caldeira. Even without the long-distance views, it was still a very interesting hike. Again, there wasn’t a tree in sight, although the ground is blanketed with dense vegetation. The plants are mostly green although there are yellow accents everywhere as well as some colourful red flowering plants occasionally poking out through the sea of green. The ground was quite muddy, and we encountered a few areas where it was simply unavoidable getting a soaker. For most of the walk around the crater rim, I felt that we were gently descending, making it a pleasant and easy walk. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t enjoy views from the north side of Mount Pelée as I’m sure they would have been spectacular, however our luck was about to change at the western end of the trail where it connected with the trail that approaches the volcano from the west of the island.
At this point, the trail becomes very steep as it ascends the mountain. We were about halfway through our final push up the west side of the volcano when the clouds started to thin, providing gaps that allowed us to see how high we were, also revealing amazing views of the Caribbean Sea in the direction of the town of Le Precheur. A great reward for making it this far! After about an hour after starting this second trail section, we crossed over the mountaintop and came to another small cement shelter near the top of the volcano. This area is a relatively flat plateau with no real view of anything as it is surrounded by areas of higher ground. My hiking partner decided to rest here while I pushed on to the tallest peak of Montagne Pelée, following the spur trail known as Le Chinois.
The Le Chinois spur trail was extremely uncomfortable and somewhat difficult to traverse, mostly because there is no real ground to walk on. Most of the trail is a collection of big black wet boulders strewn across the landscape, many of which have fairly sharp protruding edges jutting upwards. Definitely, the trickiest part of the entire hike, requiring good balance to avoid taking a spill. The whole area is so incredibly lush and green with low-growing vegetation though, that I didn’t dwell on the negatives. My excitement was mounting as I knew that I was so close to the peak! After gaining more elevation by climbing a couple of hilltops and crossing a little gully, I could finally see the peak – A small flat(ish) surface composed of large grey boulders and blocks. After a short climb up to the awkward viewing platform, I joined just over a handful of people who had each found their own little space on the giant rock pile.
The peak was still veiled in clouds, although every once in a while a few seconds of blue appeared, providing an opportunity to experience some pretty special views. After a few minutes, I left the peak and found a much safer and more comfortable viewing area on an incredible ledge facing south. From the top of Martinique, through windows in the clouds, I enjoyed some amazing views of the central and southern parts of the island, the Caribbean Sea and even Saint Lucia in the distance. I stayed here a while, soaking in the incredible scenery and warmth of the sun. A very memorable experience!
After about an hour, I was back at the shelter with my partner preparing for the journey down the volcano. After a small snack, we headed up and over yet another mountaintop that offered a great view and perspective of the tallest point on the island that I had just visited. After descending a short distance down this mountaintop, we entered a steep side of the ravine we had earlier decided to go around. This turned out to probably be the most treacherous part of the entire hike.
The trail plunges deep into the gorge at a near-vertical angle with most people, including ourselves, scrambling backward, crab-like down the wet rock-strewn trail using both hands and feet with our bums hovering just above the ground. Attempting to walk down some of the more extreme sections of the ravine walls could easily result in a serious fall. We were rewarded for reaching the bottom of the gorge with a wonderful, unique view of Mount Pele’s green jungle ravine! Unsurprisingly, in order to get out of the gorge we then had to climb a series of steps and ladders to ascend the steep hillside on the other side of the ravine – Although we always prefer climbing up, to scrambling down steep mountainsides.
Once out of the ravine, we were back at the first section of the trail, although our descent was totally different than what we had experienced just a few hours earlier on the way up. Under virtually clear skies this time, we had incredible views of the south and southeast side of Martinique along with the Atlantic Ocean! Seeing the towns of Le Morne Rouge and L’Ajoupa-Bouillon so far in the distance really provided a perspective of how big and high this volcano is. After another hour or so, we were back at the parking lot. As we left the trailhead, we chatted about how full the parking lot was, as well as the spillover with dozens of cars lining the road as we drove away – Man, the people living and/or vacationing in Martinique sure like to hike! I can’t blame them – this is a great place to enjoy a vigorous walk in nature and take-in some incredible views!
After hiking the Montagne Pelée – L’Aileron Trail, we obtained an even deeper appreciation for how mountainous and beautiful Martinique is, and how amazing and diverse this trail is. There are steep mountainside sections, a rolling hill-like ridge section, a challenging wet and rocky section to the peak, as well as a wild in-and-out of a ravine section. Relative to other hikes we have done in the Caribbean, this has to be one of our ‘top 5’ favourites. We took our time, taking about 5-6 hours in total to experience this incredible hike, and feel very satisfied that we did it – Thanks to the weather clearing up, this hike created great memories for sure!
For more information on hiking in the Isle des Fleurs, check out our Martinique Hiking page
For an overview of the beautiful island of Martinique, take a look at our Martinique Vacations page
ACT Staff
One of the main reasons I had wanted to vacation in St. Kitts & Nevis (SKN) was to hike the stratovolcano known as Nevis Peak. While not the tallest mountain in the Caribbean, I heard that the trail is one of the steepest, perhaps comparable to St. Lucia’s Pitons which I enjoyed hiking, so I had to give it a go! Besides, the highest point on Nevis is more than 900 feet (275m) higher than the iconic Gros Piton…
We stayed in St. Kitts for our holiday, but whenever I had the chance, I glanced over at her sister island, paying special attention to the cloud cover on Nevis Peak. It was almost always shrouded in mist, however from what I observed it seemed to be cloud-free more often in the afternoon than the morning, so I decided to schedule the hike for the afternoon.
On the day of the hike, I took the public ferry from Basseterre, St. Kitts over to Nevis, landing in the island’s capital, Charlestown. I got there early so I could wander around and visit the historic Bath House / Hot Springs as well as the Museum of Nevis History. When my meeting time came, I went back to the Charlestown waterfront road lined with flags from all over the world. This is where I met Reggie Douglas of Nevis Adventure Tours, my private guide for the day. I was fortunate to have booked Reggie, who I understand from their website is a former SKN Sportsman of the Year and National as well as Eastern Caribbean Triathlon Champion.
It was a short drive from Charlestown, to the south side of the island to a place called Stoneyhill. We parked next to the Dunbar Mill, near the Hermitage Inn, although I believe the official trailhead is actually a couple of streets further east. Our hike started up a steep incline, on an old double-track concrete road. Once we passed the last few houses skirting the Volcano, we followed a path into the forest. Although relatively short, this is a relaxing wooded section of the trail. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was the last I was going to see of anything resembling level ground for the rest of the hike. Meanwhile, a couple of small dogs had run past us and were somewhere on the trail ahead – We could hear them yipping away, seemingly in a verbal war with a territorial monkey. Once we reached the area, the dogs had vanished, but Reggie could see the monkey high up in a tree. While I could hear the little primate, now squawking at us, I couldn’t spot him/her hiding in the dense canopy above.
Soon after that, we abruptly turned uphill and began the climb. I’ve done a fair amount of mountain hiking in my day, however I’ve never encountered a trail like this before. There is not even the slightest notion of a switchback anywhere – The trail pretty much takes a straight-line path up the side of the volcano.
The path essentially consists of a series of near-vertical sections, each connected by a few feet of somewhat flat sections, only a couple of which lasted for more than a few steps. As for the plentiful near-vertical sections, I loved climbing up the natural ladders formed from tree roots and branches – What a rush! Thankfully, these areas also had ropes strung from tree to tree, providing additional help if needed. Looking for an authentic, wild hike, I didn’t use the ropes too often and Reggie made it easy by calmly identifying good places to grab and step as we made our way uphill. That said, there were a couple of perilous-looking verticals where I would have been foolish not to take advantage of the safety ropes.
Reggie mentioned that sometimes he has to coach, or rather coax some of his clients to continue the climb when they were confronted with some of the more daunting sections. I had absolutely no second thoughts of carrying on, although after being on the trail for less than half an hour, I was breathing so hard, I just couldn’t catch my breath. It was a tough uphill climb, but I also blame my struggle on having hiked and biked a substantial amount a few days prior to this strenuous hike. Whatever it was, my heart was beating out of my chest so I asked Reggie, who as far as I could tell wasn’t even breathing hard, to take a short break. Excuses aside, after a 5-minute water break, we were underway again and I eventually found my groove. I was still constantly breathing hard with an elevated heart rate, however I felt much more comfortable the rest of the way.
After a while I started to acknowledge my surroundings, recognizing that we were in a rugged, nearly impenetrable jungle, filled with lush rainforest plants and tall trees reaching skyward in an attempt to find sunlight. For most of the climb, there were very few opportunities to see much through the thick green foliage, although Reggie let me know when we reached a couple of partial clearings that did offer a view of the island below. I savoured the spectacular scenery that these little ‘windows to the world’ offered. Seeing the green island unfold below, transitioning to a stunning blue ocean that went on for as far as the eye can see, was something to behold!
While I didn’t really think about it, and when I did I wasn’t perturbed in the least, I should point out that some people may consider this a dangerous trail. The potential for serious falls exists, although you wouldn’t roll down the mountainside too far before being unceremoniously stopped by a tree ;). Due to the nature of the trail, the opportunity to converse was limited, although I did enjoy hearing about Reggie’s cycling experiences in Europe, agreeing that the mountainous Alps are something special. We talked about some of the other trails on the island, as well as how humans would be better off if we were more in tune with the natural world. A lifestyle I value and strive towards these days – I wondered how we can make positive changes in North America to head in that direction…
As we got higher up the mountainside, Reggie pointed out the green moss and lichen that were now growing in much larger and richer clusters than they had a few hundred feet earlier. The plants keep everything nice and moist up here – So cool to see! As we neared the top of the volcano, we climbed up some truly striking areas that appeared to be muddy gashes in the earth. Not long after ascending one of the slippery zones, we suddenly popped into a little wooded area on fairly level ground, quickly reaching a small clearing in the rainforest. We had reached the top of the volcano! The mist from the clouds enveloped us, offering only fleeting glimpses of the island below. While we chilled, taking in the scenery, Reggie told me that people of all ages have climbed this peak, from pre-teens to a 72-year-old. WoW – Impressive! While we were talking, a green/blue hummingbird darted around us, letting us know that we weren’t the only ones up there. Apparently, the highest spot in Nevis is another 100 meters or so from where we were standing. Reggie stated that that section of the trail hadn’t been cleared for the last couple of years and was only a few feet higher than where we were.
Well, eventually we decided it was time for the return journey. While there is another path down the other side of the volcano, it hadn’t been cleared for a while either, and it complicates logistics anyways. So, we headed back down the same way we came. From my previous mountain hiking experience, I have come to learn that going down a mountain is usually harder than going up it, mostly because it puts a strain on different muscles (and joints). That said, this trail provided a unique challenge. For anyone who has climbed a tall ladder to get onto the roof of a house, you know what I’m talking about. From a psychological perspective, it’s totally different going up a ladder than it is staring down it. Not to belabour the point, down we went. Sometimes with our back/butt hugging the earth, and sometimes going backward, facing the ground – Whatever felt more natural at the time. Unlike the trip up the volcano, I made extensive use of the ropes on the way down.
The Nevis Peak experience wasn’t over yet though. When we got near the location where we had encountered the dogs and monkey, it was interesting to see a monkey turd proudly displayed on top of a trailside boulder. I guess the animal was once again reminding us that they have made this area their home 😊. A much nicer surprise greeted us a few minutes later when we retraced our steps through the nice wooded area near the road. More than a dozen yellow and black striped insects, that Reggie identified as zebra butterflies, merrily fluttered around us – A soothing encounter to end the hike.
About three hours after we had started the hike, we were back at our starting point. To be clear, I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that this was more of a climb than a hike. Although I didn’t get to revel in spectacular 360° views from the top of the island, scaling Nevis Peak was a blast. I had a great time with Reggie, so unassuming and authentic. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the mud completely out of my mesh hikers, but that’s a small price to pay for such an awesome experience! Another day in paradise.
For more information on Reggie’s tours and services, check out his website, Nevis Adventure Tours and Greenedge Bike Shop, or his facebook page.
For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in St. Kitts & Nevis, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):
For an overview of the beautiful “Sister islands”, take a look at our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacations page
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the islands, click on our St. Kitts & Nevis Adventures blog for more great ideas!
For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the islands, by checking out our Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis blog
ACT Staff
