Caribbean attractions

Swim and snorkel with stingrays in the warm shallow waters around Gibbs Cay, a beautiful and uninhabited 7-acre (2.8-hectare) island. The best place in the Turks and Caicos to see and interact with southern stingrays, Gibbs Cay also features pristine, white-sand beaches, a scenic shoreline, and a hill with sea oats at its center.

Hit the beach at one of Curacao’s most idyllic sandy shores. Cas Abao Beach is a protected escape on the island’s west side, where you can enjoy the crystal-blue water and gleaming white sand among a convenient collection of amenities. The private beach has plenty of parking, and once you’ve paid the entry fee, you can rent whatever you need on-site, from beach chairs and umbrellas to paddle boats and snorkeling gear. At lunch time, you can get burgers, sandwiches and frozen drinks at the Beach Bar & Restaurant, and if you’re looking for even more relaxation, book a massage at the open-air hut on the beach. The beach also has bathrooms with showers and lifeguards to keep everyone safe as you swim or snorkel.

One of St. Lucia’s most popular natural attractions, Toraille Waterfall drops about 50 feet (15 meters) from a cliff before falling into a pool that’s perfect for a refreshing swim. The falls, near the town of Soufriere, sit at the end of a nature trail and amid a tranquil tropical garden.

The evening fish fry is a much-loved tradition across many Caribbean islands, and Arawak Cay in Nassau, Bahamas, brings the custom to life. Find colorful huts selling fresh fish dishes, such as conch salad and lobster, along with vendors making tropical cocktails, and there’s often live music, too.

Take a walk through a unique piece of history with a tour of the magnificent hilltop Greenwood Great House. A national landmark, the house was built in the late 1700s by Richard Barrett, a cousin of poet Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, whose family was among Jamaica’s original colonial settlers.

Established in 1979, Bonaire National Marine Park displays the biodiversity of Caribbean coral reefs in all of their richness and vibrancy. The park offers 6,700 acres (2,700 hectares) of reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves and is home to rare species such as the green sea turtles and queen conch.

Finished in 1848, St. John's Anglican Cathedral reflects some of the history of the European presence in Antigua. Built in the neo-baroque style, the freestone structure seems out of place on the Caribbean island, with its iron fence, stained-glass windows, and two lofty towers with cupolas on top. The cathedral remains an active place of worship, with services taking place throughout the week.

Jardin de Balata is a botanical garden created by the poet and horticulturalist Jean-Philippe Thoze, who designed the space to reflect his childhood memories and celebrate Martinique’s natural beauty. The traditional Creole house at the center of the garden also offers views of the ocean, lush jungle, and giant palm trees.

The Turks & Caicos National Museum in Cockburn Town is a family-friendly attraction that explores the history of the Caribbean with a focus on the Turks and Caicos Islands. Established in 1991, it houses a fascinating collection of exhibits and artifacts relating to the tropical Atlantic archipelago.

Just off the western shore of Bonaire, tucked into the crook of the main island’s natural crescent shape, sits the islet of Klein Bonaire ("Little Bonaire"). The uninhabited, low-lying island is about 1,500 acres (607 hectares) in size and only rises about 6 feet (1.8 meters) out of the water. The shallow reefs around the island are lush and pristine.

For many years, Aruba’s natural bridge was a top tourist attraction on the island. The bridge sadly collapsed due to erosion in 2005. However, its ruins still remain, along with a smaller natural span known as “baby bridge.” The surrounding landscape is wild and beautiful, and the smaller bridge still attracts large numbers of tourists.

Stalactite chandeliers, delicate crystal soda straws, and mirrored underground pools are only some of the remarkable features of Bermuda’s evocatively named Crystal and Fantasy Caves. The best part about these fairytale-esque attractions is how very real they are as one of Bermuda’s top natural attractions.

Built in 1660, the beautifully restored St. Nicholas Abbey, with its distinctive Dutch gables and red roof, is one of only three authentic Jacobean buildings in the western hemisphere. On this old sugarcane estate, you’ll find a working rum distillery and a museum depicting 18th-century plantation life on the island.

Buzzing with activity and music day and night, the Hip Strip is the beating heart of Montego Bay. This stretch of Gloucester Avenue—between Aquasol Theme Park and the airport—is the epicenter of tourism entertainment, where the town’s most popular shops, nightclubs, restaurants, bars, and beach hangouts pulsate with fun-seeking travelers.

Grand Etang National Park preserves the nutmeg groves and tropical rain forest of Grenada’s central highland. At the park’s heart is the crater lake that gives the park its name, Grand Etang Lake. A network of walking trails meanders through the park, around the lake, and toward the coast—it’s Grenada’s most popular area for hiking and trekking.

Set along Montego Bay’s famous Hip Strip stretch along Gloucester Avenue, Doctor’s Cave Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Jamaica’s west coast. A jumping-off point to the pristine 15-acre (6-hectare) Montego Bay Marine Park, the beach offers easy and direct access to fun water-based activities.

The majority of St. John is covered by the Virgin Islands National Park, a stretch of preserved wilderness that offers protection and preservation for fish, corals, marine life, and tropical and migrating birds. The park also protects the island’s reef, with public access at the mangrove bay of Hurricane Hole, east of Coral Bay. Snorkeling is a popular activity all along the coastline.

Puerto Rico’s Luquillo Beach (Playa Luquillo), also known as Balneario Monserrate, is a tranquil crescent famed for its coconut palm trees and long stretch of powdery white sand. Considered one of the island’s best public beaches, the calm waters here are perfect for swimming, wading, kayaking, and other water sports.

The only lighthouse on Grand Turk, the Cockburn Town Lighthouse (also known as the Grand Turk Lighthouse) was built in the 1850s to help ships navigate the treacherous shallow reefs off the northern end of the island. Although no longer operational, the lighthouse is one of the top historical landmarks on Grand Turk.

Arashi Beach, one of Aruba’s northernmost beaches, is a secluded spot popular with diehard divers and serious sunbathers alike. Arashi’s clear water, soft sandy bottom, and generally calm surf make it ideal for swimmers and snorkelers as well.

YS Falls comprises seven waterfalls on the YS River, located in St. Elizabeth Parish on the lush south coast of Jamaica. Often overshadowed by Dunn’s River Falls, YS is worth a visit for its more secluded location and the promise of a less-crowded experience of Jamaica’s natural beauty.

Reportedly the place where Christopher Columbus first set foot on Jamaican soil, Rio Bueno is a small village east of Montego Bay. People come to the area to take part in water sports on the river.

Perched on Bermuda’s Ireland Island, these old stone buildings were once an important Atlantic stronghold for the British Royal Navy. Today the dockyard is a port of call for cruise ships, as well as a popular tourist destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

The blue-and-white Santa Catalina Palace (Palacio de Santa Catalina), otherwise known as La Fortaleza (The Fortress), is the official residence of the governor of Puerto Rico. Situated in Old San Juan, the UNESCO World Heritage Site occupies a spot that was long one of the most contested strategic positions in the Caribbean.

Titou ‘Little Throat’ Gorge is a marvellous swimming spot surrounded by natural caves of molten volcanic lava. You can swim inside the gorge to find a powerful cataract amidst the darkness of the vine-clad rocks. Just 30 minutes away from Roseau, this ethereal spot is one of the locations where Pirates of the Caribbean was shot.

The lively streets of Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial—one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods—are ripe with the sights, smells, and sounds of Latin America. This tiny enclave is filled with traditional European-style architecture, well-kept parks, cobblestone streets, and artistic nods to adventurers past.

Due to the Caribbean’s treacherous rock outcroppings, the waters of Aruba are lined with shipwrecks. These wrecks create fruitful diving and snorkeling sites, as they host scores of marine life, plus enticing historical stories. Aruba’s most popular is the Antilla Shipwreck, named after theSS Antilla, a cargo ship that sank in 1940.

A commercial hub spread across 9.5 acres (3.8 hectares), the Port Lucaya Marketplace is one of Freeport’s most popular attractions. After browsing dozens of handicraft vendors and specialty stores, unwind at one of the restaurants or bars, then head to Count Basie Square—the heart of the market—for live Bahamian music.

Deep in a sheltered gorge at the foot of the Pitons, the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens is part of the Soufriere Estate, one of the oldest and best-preserved estates on St. Lucia. The gardens sit at the edge of Sulphur Springs Park, and the rich volcanic soil nourishes an incredible collection of tropical plants and flowers.

Maho Beach is close to Saint Martin’s Princess Juliana International Airport—so close that planes coming in for a landing fly very low over the sand on the way to the runway. In fact, the planes cruise so low that it sometimes feels like they’ll take out the umbrellas.