The Caribbean Islands

Discover What the Caribbean Islands Offer & Plan Your Next Vacation

Looking to travel to the Caribbean to get away from winter but need some help finding the island of your dreams?

To help get your bearings…  Check out Caribbean island geography for the ‘big picture’ view of the area also referred to as the West Indies or the Antilles archipelago.

Find what you’re looking for in a fun and adventurous Caribbean vacation

While you can enjoy the warmth of the sun on a great beach on any of the islands, we’ll help you find the ideal Caribbean island for your favourite outdoor activities, with the climate and landscape you’re looking for!

Follow the links below to uncover more valuable information about the island and plan your next Caribbean vacation…

The Caribbean islands of the Greater Antilles:

• The Cayman Islands
  • A safe and modern English-speaking island with Sting-rays and one of the best collections of reefs, wrecks and walls for diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean.  The Cayman Islands offers a variety of other activities including golf, fishing, sailing and water sports.  Also enjoy festivals, nature reserves, botanical gardens and more.  The Cayman Islands are comprised of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
• Cuba
• Hispaniola
  • Dominican Republic
  • Haiti
• Jamaica
  • An English-speaking island with lush mountainous terrain for hiking, a large selection of golf courses, several rivers and waterfalls to enjoy, along with several nearby reefs for snorkeling / diving.  Jamaica also has rum distilleries, historical sites, botanical gardens, great beaches and more…
• Puerto Rico
  • The Spanish influenced island is home to the charming Old San Juan as well as plenty of natural beauty. Puerto Rico has a mountainous interior, bio-luminescent bays, subterranean caves and hundreds of miles of coastline along with several nearby reefs.

The Caribbean islands of the Lesser Antilles – Leeward Islands:

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
  • A very safe and friendly English-speaking island with modern amenities and beautiful beaches to relax on. Arguably, the sailing capital of the Caribbean, Antigua also has plenty of mangroves to kayak in, reefs to snorkel and dive as well as a scenic trails for hiking and biking.
• The British Virgin Islands
• Guadaloupe
  • The French Caribbean’s “Butterfly Island” is a French-speaking tropical wilderness, with a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve protecting nature reserves on land and sea. Great for hiking/canyoning, snorkeling, watersports, great rhum and more!
• Monserrat
• Saba
• St. Barts
• St. Eustatius
• St. Kitts & Nevis
  • A safe and modern English-speaking island with beautiful volcanic terrain for hiking and several nearby reefs and wrecks for snorkeling & diving.  Saint Kitts & Nevis also offers golf courses, historical sites, botanical gardens, great beaches and more…
• St. Martin/Maarten
• The US Virgin Islands
  • Modern and safe English speaking islands with all the amenities of (a North American) home. The islands are hilly and have reefs nearby, making them suitable for snorkeling, fishing, hiking and so much more… The USVI are comprised of:
    • St. Thomas
    • St. John
    • St. Croix

The Caribbean islands of the Lesser Antilles – Windward Islands:

• Barbados (included here, although not geographically part of the volcanic island chain…)
  • This modern, English speaking island is unique for it’s coral structure and location (most easterly island in the Caribbean). The birthplace of rum is also famous for it’s watersports, sailing and snorkeling, as well as it’s amazing caves and golf courses!
• Dominica
  • The “Nature Isle of the Caribbean” is truly an unspoiled natural beauty.  Famous for its mountainous landscape and plentiful waterfalls, the island offers travelers the Caribbean’s best hiking as well as amazing canyoning, snorkeling, scuba diving and more.
• Grenada
  • The “Spice Island” is an English-speaking island of green and blue natural beauty. Great for hiking on amazing lush waterfall trails, diving and snorkeling great wrecks and reefs, as well as watersports of all kinds!
• Martinique
  • The French Caribbean’s “Island of Flowers” is a French-speaking wonderfully diverse island with mountainous rainforests and dry near desert-like landscapes. Great for hiking, snorkeling, watersports, great rhum and more!
• Saint Lucia
  • A modern English-speaking island with beautiful mountainous rain-forests for hiking and several nearby reefs for snorkeling & diving.  Saint Lucia also features golf courses, scenic nature trails, warm springs, chocolate, historical sites, a great rum distillery and much more…
• St. Vincent & The Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago (included here, although geographically part of South America)

The Dutch Caribbean islands of the Lesser Antilles:

• Aruba
• Bonaire
  • A safe and modern Dutch-speaking island with flamingos and one of the best collections of reefs for diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean.  Bonaire also offers a variety of other water sports as well as land based activities including hiking, nature reserves.  Also enjoy festivals, botanical gardens and more.
• Curaçao

Technically not part of the Caribbean, however we also consider the following islands and coastal areas part of the area:

• The Bahamas
• Turks & Caicos
• The Central American Caribbean
• The Mexican Caribbean
• The Colombian Caribbean
• The Venezuelan Caribbean

Wondering how easy it is to get to the Caribbean island of your choice?

Take a look at our Travel to the Caribbean page for more information.

Interested in visiting UNESCO sites?

Check out the World Heritage Sites in the Caribbean.

If you have safety concerns with respect to vacationing in the Caribbean, you should check with your country’s government website.  Travel Advisories are usually available for each island.  That said, as a general rule, if you are utilizing local guides for your excursions and use common sense (limiting your exposure to city streets and dangerous areas while alone and at night), you can usually minimize the risk of becoming a victim.

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Also check out our Caribbean Adventure & Activities page for researching the islands by your favourite activity.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” – Saint Augustine