Caribbean Mountains – Hike the Highest Peaks the Islands Have To Offer
Sure… It’s easy to think of the Caribbean as a place to relax on the beach with a cool tropical rum drink in hand, and while that’s a great idea, when I think of the Caribbean, I paint a mental picture of hiking through a lush rain-forest, heading up-hill a green Caribbean mountain or volcano, enjoying the eye-popping views of the Caribbean Sea along the way!
The Caribbean Islands, also known as “the West Indies”, are located in the Caribbean Sea / Atlantic ocean, forming a sort of right hand arc between Florida and South America. The largest Caribbean islands are in the north-west and include Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Jamaica and Puerto Rico. These islands also have the largest mountain ranges and the tallest peaks in the Caribbean.
That said, I would suggest that some of the best Caribbean Islands for ‘up-hill’ hiking are further south-east and include Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Vincent and Grenada. Caribbean volcanoes on some of these southern islands are relatively young, which always make for a fascinating hiking experience.
Some great mountainous rain-forest hiking is available on these wild and beautiful islands, with some trails taking just a couple of hours, while others require a full day or two. Weather permitting, most of these hikes allow you stunning views of the island and/or Caribbean sea and all of the hikes will provide you with a gratifying sense of physical, mental and spiritual accomplishment.
If you’re looking for the biggest and baddest the Caribbean has to offer, here are the 15 highest Caribbean mountains/Peaks in the West Indies (Based on vertical height above sea level):
| Island | Rank | Height | Mountain |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | 10,164 feet (3,098m) | Pico Duarte |
| 2 | 9,324 feet (2,842m) | Loma Alto de la Bandera | |
| 5 | 7,477 feet (2,279m) | Loma Gajo en Medio | |
| Haiti | 3 | 8,773 feet (2,674m) | Pic la Selle |
| 4 | 7,700 feet (2,347m) | Pic Macaya | |
| Jamaica | 6 | 7,402 feet (2,256m) | Blue Mountain Peak |
| Cuba | 7 | 6,476 feet (1,974m) | Pico Turquino |
| 12 | 4,098 feet (1,249m) | Gran Piedra | |
| 15 | 3,740 feet (1,140m) | Pico San Juan | |
| Guadeloupe | 8 | 4,813 feet (1,467m) | La Grande Soufrière |
| Dominica | 9 | 4,747 feet (1,447m) | Morne Diablotins |
| Martinique | 10 | 4,577 feet (1,395m) | Montagne Pelée |
| Puerto Rico | 11 | 4,389 feet (1,338m) | Cerro de Punta |
| St. Vincent | 13 | 4,049 feet (1,234m) | La Soufrière |
| St. Kitts | 14 | 3,793 feet (1,156m) | Mount Liamuiga |
Please note that the above list only covers the Caribbean Islands, and does not include the Central American, Mexican, Colombian, and Venezuelan Caribbean, which have incredible mountain peaks of their own.
For a more detailed review of hiking a couple of these mountains, click on our Jamaica’s Blue mountain Hike and St. Kitts ‘ Mount Liamuiga Hike pages. They are both awesome hikes for sure!
For more of an overview of all hiking in the Caribbean, click on our The Best Caribbean Islands for Hiking page
For more information on what the Caribbean has to offer intrepid vacationers, take a look at our Active Caribbean Travel home page
ACT Staff
hI THERE
Is it possible to know wich or which ones are the mountains nearest the sea? I mean a list of places where mountains are side y side with the caribbean sea.
thanks
Hi Gustavo – Sorry for the delayed response. None of the Top 10-15 peaks are near the coastline, although you’ll get a great view of the island and sea from the tallest peaks in Cuba (Pico Turquino), Guadaloupe, Martinique and St. Vincent if you can get up there before the clouds / mist roll in. St. Lucia’s Gros Piton trail is a decent climb and has great views of the Caribbean Sea. Antigua and Martinique also have some amazing coastal hikes! Check out our island specific hiking pages for more info…
Hmmm that is list Is very complete but it only applies to the islands, not the whole caribbean. If we take in consideration the whole región, “coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, Panamá, costa rica, nicaragua, honduras, Guatemala, belize and México” then the highest point in the caribbean are the Cristóbal Colón and Simón Bolivar peaks un Colombia’s sierra nevada de Santa Marta at 5.800 mts
Hi Juan,
Thanks for pointing that out, and WoW, the peaks in Colombia certainly look incredible. One day we hope to extend our coverage to the Central American, Mexican, Colombian, and Venezuelan “Caribbean”… In the meantime, I will update the post to reflect the scope more accurately.
Thanks,
Mark