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!
As we were saying in part I of this article… With the cold winds and shorter days of winter starting to rear its ugly head in many parts of the world, you’re probably thinking about a nice warm Caribbean vacation this winter. We suggest you travel to somewhere warm and exciting – A less-touristy place with amazing natural wonders to experience, like an underwater world full of life, or a hike through lush green rainforest with amazing tropical views! If you missed part I of our thoughts on the best ‘off the beaten path’ Caribbean adventure destinations to visit in early 2024, you can find it here – Experience a different kind of Caribbean Island in 2024 – Part I.
Part II of this article highlights a couple more relatively unspoiled Caribbean Islands that provide the best opportunities for getting out in nature by enjoying snorkeling (and diving), hiking, fishing, and water sports – Places you can really immerse yourself in the culture and natural beauty of the land.
The most southern of the Caribbean’s Windward Islands, Grenada is a tri-island nation that includes the main island of Grenada along with Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Known as the “Spice Island” for its abundance of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, ginger and vanilla, Grenada is a great Caribbean destination for hiking, fishing, snorkeling and diving as well as a wide variety of water sports!
With Marine Parks protecting several areas of the ocean, including the world’s first underwater sculpture park, Grenada is a top Caribbean Island destination for snorkeling. Slip into the warm Caribbean Sea from a handful of the islands’ white sandy beaches or take a short boat ride for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore dozens of underwater statues and healthy coral reefs alive with colourful tropical fish and amazing marine life. Similarly, with over 30 dive sites, Grenada is also a top Caribbean scuba diving destination. There are dive sites featuring reefs, wrecks and underwater gardens in a variety of depths, offering something for everyone. If it’s shipwrecks you’re after, Grenada has more divable wrecks than any other Caribbean island, including the “Titanic of the Caribbean”, the Bianca C. Then there is the diving gem that is Carriacou, known as the ‘Island of Reefs’, where you can enjoy an additional 20 dive sites in the less-visited waters of the Grenadines.
For more details on exploring Grenada’s underwater world, including contact info for local tour operators, dive shops, and boat operators who can get you in the water, check out our Grenada Snorkeling and/or our Grenada Scuba Diving pages.
Grenada’s reefs, shoals and deep water close to shore also make it one of the best places in the southern Caribbean for catching a wide variety of fish. This includes plenty of deep-sea sport fish like blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, and even the occasional tuna. If you’re interested in a few days of competitive fishing, you’re welcome to join hundreds of like-minded anglers for a week of fun at the Spice Island Billfish Tournament, held every January.
For more details on fishing in Grenada, including contact info for local boat operators who can get a reel in your hands, check out our Grenada Fishing page.
For even more amazing outdoor experiences on the water, Grenada’s protected bays and mangroves along with Carriacou’s quiet beaches provide the perfect setting for a relaxing day kayaking or Stand-Up Paddleboarding. More adventurous kayakers can challenge the waves by journeying around an offshore island or two. That said, river tubing through a rainforest down Grenada’s Balthazar River is a must for new visitors to the island!
For more tips on water sports options in Grenada, including contact info for local tour operators, surf shops and places to rent gear, check out our Grenada Water Sports page.
Meanwhile, back on dry land, adventurers can explore the island’s mountainous terrain to experience first-hand why Grenada is also considered one of the best Caribbean destinations for hiking. Avid hikers can enjoy trails through rainforests that feature waterfalls and their accompanying pools, as well as strenuous mountain climbs with spectacular views. While the most iconic hike in Grenada, with its impressive view of Crater Lake, is probably the Mount Qua Qua trail in Grand Etang Lake and National Park, mountain hikers will also enjoy the tallest peak on the island, Mount St. Catherine which stands 2,760 feet (840m) above sea level. There are plenty of other hiking trails to choose from in Grenada, and not to be outdone, Carriacou also has a number of trails worth exploring as well.
For more information and tips on hiking in Grenada, including contact info for local tour operators and hiking guides, check out our Grenada Hiking pages.
For more great ideas for things to do in Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique, including contact info for local tour operators who can help you get the most out of your stay, check out our Grenada Vacation Ideas and our Things-To-Do in Grenada page.
Located south of Antigua & Barbuda and just north of Dominica, the Guadeloupe archipelago consists of more than a dozen islands/islets – The two largest, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre are separated by a small channel, making the two islands appear as the wings of a butterfly. The less busy and relatively uninhabited islands of Marie-Galante, Les Saintes Bay and La Désirade are the other major islands in the archipelago. The Guadeloupe Islands are recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve providing a gorgeous natural setting for all sorts of Caribbean adventures like hiking, snorkeling, diving as well as a variety of water sports. Of course, there’s plenty of rhum on the French island as well!
Basse-Terre is a mountainous lush green paradise for hikers. The healthy natural ecosystem of the Parc National de la Guadeloupe contains the largest rainforest of the Lesser Antilles and has well over 100 miles (160km) of hiking trails to explore. Several trails lead to the top of La Grande Soufrière volcano, which at 4,813 feet (1,467m) above sea level is one of the tallest in the Caribbean! A couple of other popular trails include the Chute du Carbet and the Cascade aux Ecrevisses, both ending at the foot of rewarding waterfalls! With over a hundred trails across the Guadeloupe archipelago, these islands have to be considered one of the top hiking spots in the Caribbean.
According to some accounts, Jacques Cousteau, the famous scuba diving innovator and oceanographer mentioned that he was very impressed with Guadeloupe’s underwater world – The Guadeloupe Islands returned the compliment by naming a Marine Reserve, encompassing two small islets (pictured above), in his honour.
The Cousteau Marine Park at Pigeon Island, Basse-Terre is home to some of the best snorkeling and dive spots in Guadeloupe. While a boat or kayak is required to reach Pigeon Island as well as the shipwrecks and coral located in the shallows of the Grand-Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve, there are about a dozen great snorkeling spots that can be accessed from beaches around Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre and Iles des Saintes. While snorkelers can appreciate colourful corals, sponges, sea fans, turtles and tropical fish, divers can explore over 20 sites that feature diverse coral gardens with underwater canyons, arches and swim-throughs, along with visiting shipwrecks, and spotting turtles, rays, and even whales, along with a wide variety of fish. For another fascinating example of underwater geothermal activity (similar to Dominica) check out the champagne dive at Bouillante, Basse-Terre. There are over a dozen dive shops across the Guadeloupe Islands ready to get you in the water.
Another great way to get exercise and explore nature in the Butterfly Islands is to kayak in the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve lagoon. While exploring the reefs and mangroves you may be fortunate enough to spot a manatee swimming around or grazing on the seagrass. The Nature Reserve is also a great place to try Stand-Up Paddle-boarding. Meanwhile, on the east coast of Grande-Terre, surfers can find that perfect northeast swell to ride. While most kayak and SUP action takes place near Basse-Terre’s Malendure beach and the Pigeon Islands, there are places to rent SUP boards all over the islands, along with opportunities for the more adventurous to join a long-distance race paddling between islands of the archipelago.
For more detailed ideas for things to do in Guadeloupe, including contact info for local tour operators who can help you get the most out of your stay, check out our Guadeloupe Vacation Ideas page.
Well, thanks for reading our list of some of the ‘lesser known’, and different kind of Caribbean Island to visit in 2024 for some of the best snorkeling, diving, hiking, fishing, watersports, and golf. We hope you liked our assessment, and it has motivated you to enjoy some quality time in the Caribbean!
While our article covers some of the best ‘unspoiled’ Caribbean Islands, that does not take anything away from other amazing and less-visited islands that can also provide enjoyable Caribbean adventures – Some of our other favourites include Montserrat, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Tobago, the Cayman Islands’ Lil Cayman and Cayman Brac, as well as St. Eustatius.
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.
Just when I thought we’ve seen it all, the Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire introduced us to ‘landsailing’ – Yes, you read that right, sailing on land! Remember go-karts as a kid? Well, with a ‘blo-kart’ you can harness the natural energy of the wind – Landsailing proves that there is no need for noisy/polluting engines to have fun on the track!
I had heard about Bonaire Landsailing before arriving on the island and it sounded like such a rush that I made it one of my top ‘things to do’ while visiting Bonaire. With a picturesque backdrop of the bright blue sky blending with the azure blue of the ocean, Bonaire Landsailing Adventures is ideally located along the northeast coast of Bonaire. On their purposely built track, they offer a unique go-cart/sailing adventure like nothing I’ve experienced before! Their course is laid out so that the straightaways are at the perfect angle to take advantage of the winds blowing off the Caribbean Sea, so all the driver has to do is keep the wind in the sail and steer – how tight you pull the sail depends on how fast you want to go – I could barely wait to try this for myself!
Our adventure started one sunny afternoon by gathering with some other tourists in Bonaire Landsailing Adventures’ shaded welcome area, and listening to one of the passionate owners providing important safety and blokarting instructions. In a casual but professional manner, she first stressed safety precautions before explaining how to landsail, specifically on how to increase or decrease speed, as well as providing tips on how best to handle the corners. The friendly crew then outfitted us with helmets and gloves, and we were ready to go!
A couple of crew members walked us over to the pit area where we were literally strapped into the carts. In a blokart, you sit in a comfortable hammock-like seat with your legs out in front of you. You steer the front wheel with handlebars attached to long forks like an old-school chopper. The rear wheels of the kart are set far apart providing good stability and a smooth ride. As I was doing up my seat belt and looking around, I imagined this might be a little of what it feels like to sit in a formula race car – So low to the ground I was one with the kart. Once we felt comfortable, one of the crew gave us a little push onto the track and we were off to the races…
As I don’t know much about sailing, I was a little apprehensive about trying this new recreational sport, however landsailing turned out to be an amazing experience, and much easier than I thought it was going to be. Over-all the ride was surprisingly smooth too. I understand that with a nice breeze it is common to reach speeds of 20-25 miles per hour (30-40 km/hr) and even faster in strong winds. I don’t know how fast I was going – all I know is that I was having fun. I felt like a kid again. It was also exactly the adrenaline rush I had hoped it would be! I actually let out a little ‘whooo’ howl as that first gust of wind propelled me forward!
I started off by just wanting to get the thing to move, but like magic the wind filled the sail and off I went. Before I knew it, I was on the track with a small group of other tourists, including a family with two young boys who had big smiles on their faces. After a couple of laps, I was comfortable enough to try to go faster and maybe even pass someone. It was an amazing feeling to get the sail just right and feel the wind push me faster down the track! Honestly, I had set out to simply enjoy another sunny day in Bonaire with a leisurely sail, however after a few laps I started to enjoy the challenge of closing in on others and maneuvering safely around them. I could see that my wife was enjoying it as well, as she was always smiling as I passed her 😉
There were just enough other blokarters on the track to provide some friendly competition, however not too many so as to clog the course – I felt totally safe as there was plenty of room to move around. That said, it wasn’t surprising to see the occasional lizard or iguana stroll onto the track once in a while, although they can and do move quickly when they need to – like when they see a blokart bearing down on them.
As the steady wind provided consistent power to the sails, the straight aways were fairly easy to manage, while the corners added some challenging fun to the experience. When cornering into the wind, we had to properly manage our trajectory so as to avoid losing too much speed, whereas I had to let some wind out of the sail in the other corner, as I was pushed to the edge of the track if I went too fast. Then again, I really enjoyed a little slide/drift coming out of the wind-powered corner as it reminded me of growing up driving on snow covered streets in the winter. A couple of times I felt the inside rear wheel coming off the ground slightly, so it was a delightful balancing act for sure!
Meanwhile, while we were out there enjoying ourselves, the Bonaire Landsailing Adventure crew were positioned around the track in case anything went sideways, which is literally what happened on one occasion, when one of the drivers did a bit of a 180 on a corner – He was quickly pointed in the right direction again and was back sailing.
I tell you – An hour goes by pretty quickly when landsailing. While I enjoyed how the occasional strong gust of wind provided more power and speed to the sailing experience, it also kicked-up a little dirt in the air in the process. When we had finished our landsailing session, my sunglasses had a thin layer of dust on them, as did my teeth, as I was having so much fun, I couldn’t stop my happy smile from turning into wide open grin from time to time! The folks at Bonaire Landsailing Adventures also provide a great perk by posting downloadable photos of you landsailing – A great keepsake from your day of fun on the track. Personally, I enjoyed myself so much that I picked-up one of their T-shirts so that I can really remember our amazing experience there.
So, if you’re looking for a unique fun experience that will get a little adrenaline flowing through your veins, then landsailing is for you. Personally, I also love that the blokarts are like environmentally friendly go-karts, all the fun without all the noise and pollution – A great fit for a Caribbean Island whose motto is ‘It’s in our nature’! FYI – Bonaire Landsailing Adventures can be found on the main road to and from Rincon and Washington Slagbaii National Park. Of course, if you need a ride, they’ll come and pick you up as well.
For more information about Bonaire Landsailing Adventures, you can contact the good folks directly by visiting their website (just click on the link) below:
Bonaire Landsailing Adventures
For an overview of this amazing Dutch Caribbean Island, feel free to check-out our Bonaire Vacations page.
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Bonaire Adventures blog for more great ideas!
For popular Tourist Attractions while visiting Bonaire, check out our Things to Do in Bonaire blog
ACT Staff
There are plenty of interesting places to explore and fun things to do in Guadeloup! One day on Basse Terre Island while we were on our way to a hiking adventure, we passed a modest little sign at the side of the road that read ‘La Maison du Cacao’. Well, that certainly piqued our interest, so we visited the ‘house of chocolate’ a few days later – What a great way to spend an afternoon. Of course, I couldn’t resist also visiting some of the island’s unique rhum distilleries as well!
After walking under the colourful entrance arch and paying a nominal fee, we wandered around the garden while we waited for our ‘English language’ presentation to begin. The small garden was packed with several different types of cacao trees along with other plants and trees as well as various informational exhibits. Reading the displays, we learned about the history of chocolate and how cacao trees found their way to the Caribbean. It was fascinating to learn that cacao trees were originally native to ancient Mesoamerica, present-day Mexico. The indigenous peoples used the cacao plant to make a drink from the dried cacao beans, typically mixed with hot water, hot peppers and sweetened with honey – Ya, sounds pretty tasty! Mesoamericans also used cocoa fat as a medicine for a variety of skin ailments.
After a few minutes, our host was ready to start the presentation. Just over a handful of us grabbed a seat and listened to our knowledgeable host tell us more about cacao, starting with the difference between it and chocolate as well as milk chocolate. Essentially, cacao (or cocoa in English) consists only of the plant’s bean and can be consumed with or without the fat, affectionately called butter. Chocolate on the other hand is cacao mixed with sugar while milk chocolate, as you guessed, consists of cacao mixed with sugar and powdered milk. She explained how the cacao bean, after drying and roasting is typically ground into a paste, then pressed to remove the fat content. The fat-free cacao can then be further ground into a dry powder for better storage and safer transportation. As I’m sure you know, cocoa butter is often used in cosmetics or other skin conditioning products.
Anyway, our friendly host told us all about the chocolate-making process, and to our delight, the presentation became more interactive. We happily sampled some raw fruit, then 100% pure cacao powder, followed by 90% cacao with 10% sugar, 70% cacao with 30% sugar, then several different 70% cacao mixtures before the piece-de-la-resistance – A warm chocolate beverage made from cacao, water and sugar.
Large cacao pods contain dozens of individual beans that are covered in white fruity flesh. This fruit pulp has a strong sweet & sour flavour and a fibrous texture while the brown seed (or bean) within the flesh tastes a bit like chocolate, but is quite bitter. The pure cocoa we sampled had an intense flavour while the 90% sample unsurprisingly tasted slightly sweeter. Our host explained that the chocolate products they sold on site were all blended with local cane sugar which provides a subtly different flavour and texture than chocolate commonly made with highly refined beet sugar. The 70% cacao chocolate we tried had a great crunchy texture and was pleasantly sweet, although the 70% cacao concoctions were even better! Some were delicately flavoured with what our host called Jamaican Allspice, which tasted to me as if contained a variety of ‘warming’ spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Another sample was made with hot pepper – This one really awakened my tastebuds. There was also another tasty concoction that contained 50% cacao with gluten-free flour made from a cassava-like plant – This sample had an excellent crunchy texture and delicious flavour reminiscent of a typical chocolate bar. Of course, the chocolate drink we sampled was as good as expected… OK, better!
Our ‘La Maison du Cacao’ host was extremely friendly and informative – The experience was absolutely worth the small price of admission. Once the presentation was complete, we were free to wander around the garden some more before visiting their storefront where we had a chance to purchase several products locally made by artisan chocolatiers. My favourite was probably their 70% cacao bar with a little sweet heat – Yum!
FYI – Another interesting and enjoyable attraction, Jardin Botanique de Deshaies (Botanical Gardens), is just 20 minutes further up the coast from La Maison du Cacao.
For more touristy as well as adventurous ‘things to do’ while visiting the French island of Guadeloupe, check out our Guadeloupe Vacations page.
Anyone who follows our Active Caribbean Travel blog knows that I believe a vacation to a Caribbean Island is incomplete without a visit to a local distillery, and Guadeloupe was no exception!
While we visited a few rhum distilleries while staying in Guadeloupe, including ‘Distillerie Bologne’ and ‘Rhumerie Karukera / Distillerie Longueteau’, I want to tell you about the ‘Distillerie Reimonenq and Corsair Musee du Rhum’ (rum museum) as well as our favourite distillery on the island, the totally cool and old school ‘Distillerie Montebello’. Before proceeding, I will note that French “Rhum Agricole” (‘agricultural rum’) is made directly from sugar cane juice, not molasses like most other Caribbean rums. It is also common for French Caribbean rhums to be labelled as ‘vintages’, with classifications such as VO, VSOP, and XO.
One day on our way back from an exciting mangrove kayaking adventure near Saint Rose, Basse Terre, we paid a visit to the nearby Distillerie Reimonenq and Corsair Musee du Rhum. The grounds of the museum and storefront are quite inviting, with a nice garden decorated with what I’m assuming is old distillery equipment. That said, the feature attraction has to be the massive ceiba (silk cotton) tree that dominates the landscape! As we neared the front door of the museum, I just couldn’t resist getting a photo of myself as a pirate and I have to say, it’s a good look for me (lol). Once inside, we paid the nominal entrance fee and strolled around. We started on the first floor by reading the bilingual displays that told the story of the rhum-making process in Guadeloupe. We then ventured upstairs where we found a few rooms filled with a diverse set of exhibits and interesting artifacts.
I was first attracted to the room with a wall display housing a large number of machetes from all over the world – An interesting documentation and comparison of the traditional tools used to chop down sugar cane and other crops – A fascinating collection for sure.
I was then drawn into another room filled with amazingly detailed large wooden model ships. This is the stuff of dreams, transporting me back several centuries to imagine taking part in adventurous journeys at sea! They have displays of schooners, sloops, and large three-mast ships, mostly French, although I also noticed a model of the ship that Sir Francis Drake captained as well as the famous Mayflower (of American pilgrim lore. Yet another room was home to display cases filled with colourful insects and butterflies… It’s incredible to see such vibrant colours that exist in nature! When we had our fill of viewing all these curiosities, we went back downstairs to a small viewing room and watched a short video in English about the history of Guadeloupe, including, of course, the island’s storied rhum-making plantations. Upon leaving the theatre, we then had an opportunity to taste and purchase some of Distillerie Reimonenq’s finest.
One slightly overcast day, we knew the hiking and snorkeling wouldn’t be very good, so we headed to the other side of the island from where we were staying to visit the charming rustic Distillerie Montebello and we were glad we did. We showed up just in time as a small gathering was encircling an animated man standing in the middle of the open-air rum distillery factory floor. He started to give us a tour, although unfortunately for us, he gave the presentation entirely in French. While we have a basic understanding of the language, we were unable to discern most of what was being said – Too bad because our host seemed extremely passionate about what he was saying and showing us.
Anyways, he started by showing us a large mound of sugar cane that was just on the other side of a half-wall from all the distillery equipment, then pointed to a conveyor belt that fed short sections of sugar cane into the first machine. An old steam-powered engine was noisily powering equipment that was crushing the sugar cane and we watched as the juice flowed out into a large funnel and pipe. He also pointed to an escalator belt that was filled with the recently crushed cane known as bagasse that was being removed from the area – I suspect that he was telling us that the leftover cane was dried and then used as fertilizer as well as fuel for some of the machines in the factory.
Our super-friendly host, who I assume was an owner or senior manager of the company, then showed us a handful of large metal tanks where the fermentation of the cane juice was taking place as well as the tall column still they use for the distillation process. The amazing thing about this tour is that we were right in the middle of a working distillery, free to wander around to take a good look at all the noisy, steam venting machines. It appears that the majority of their whole rhum-making process takes place right here, except for the bottling and aging areas that we did not see. Eventually, we left the noisy factory floor and stepped outside where our host talked to us about, I don’t really know. What I can tell you is that he had a friendly but serious passion for what they do at Distillerie Montebello. His facial expressions and body language moved from exuberant, to playful and joking, then very serious and professional. At one point he went to his car and returned with a small metal case that contained little fancy curved drinking glasses. He seemed to be spending a considerable amount of time telling us about how to properly smell and taste fine cane syrup based rhum, then describing what we should expect to recognize when doing so – I believe I heard the French words for vegetal, floral, and sweet, as well as something related to the aging of rhum in American oak and French cognac barrels. It was then that I wished that I understood French better, as I felt that I could have learned a lot from our knowledgeable host.
Regardless, after about an hour or so of the tour, we walked around and entered the other side of the building that houses the Montebello Rhum “boutique” where we sampled various rhums that were of interest to us. I sampled a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, while a few other visitors experienced their special 8-year-old rhums.
While we had a great time on the tour and appreciated the tasting, it was too bad for us that we didn’t understand more of what our gracious host had been saying. He spoke with intensity and passion about the distillery’s tradition and products – I felt robbed of some of the overall experience. At least I walked away with a bottle to help remember our enjoyable experience!
FYI – This blog provides just a small taste of some of the places to visit on Guadeloupe’s Island of Basse Terre. We also enjoyed the Musee du Cafe (Coffee Museum), and the impressive Fort Delgres, as well as recognizing the struggles of the island’s slaves at the Memorial de la Liberte!
ACT Staff
For more touristy as well as adventurous ‘things to do’ while visiting the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe, check out our Guadeloupe Vacations page.
