Some of us have a list of things that we would love to do on visits to other countries; things that we wish to experience that we may never get to do again. With so many Caribbean islands to choose from and even more activities to enjoy and sights to experience, we have created a list of the Top 20 things you must do in the Caribbean when you visit.
- Experience a Caribbean Carnival
Carnival season is one of the biggest attractions in the Caribbean and it is an experience not to be missed. The Crop Over Festival in Barbados and Carnival in T&T are two of the most popular. The best part about is, Carnival season hardly ever clashes from one island to the next, so you are sure to find a carnival going on at just about any time during the year.
2. Cliff Diving at Rick’s Café in Negril, Jamaica
This offers patrons the wonderful experience of being able to jump from heights as high as 30ft and as low as 10 ft. However, it is best to start of from the lower height first…
3. Swim with Sea Turtles In Barbados
In Barbados, many establishments offer catamaran tours allowing you to swim with the sea turtles. There are also other establishments, such as the Atlantis Submarines, that have snorkelling tours that allow you to do the same.
4. Stand-up Paddle boarding in Aruba
Paddle boarding as a sport seems to be catching on quite fast in the Caribbean and Aruba is no different. You can be sure that any beach you go to in Aruba, you will see someone doing paddle boarding
5. Take a sunset cruise
There is no better place to see a sunset then against the backdrop of a beautiful Caribbean island. Adding a cruise to the experience however, will make it an even more beautiful and romantic experience. Barbados, Aruba and St. Lucia are just a few of the islands that provide Catamaran cruises for persons to enjoy wonderful sunsets.
6. Visit the Rainforest Spa at Jalousie Plantation in St. Lucia
Enjoy a relaxing day at this spa where you can experience the nourishing properties of the local volcanic springs. They also have a wet room that allows for manicures and pedicures. This rainforest provides you with the opportunity to truly experience Caribbean-like relaxation through Indian head massages, bamboo massages and hot rock therapies.
7. Take an Underwater Submarine tour
While many enjoy snorkelling underwater to get up and close with the marine life in the Caribbean, some prefer to do so without getting wet. A submarine tour is ideal for this, as you can experience the comfort of an underwater air conditioned submarine, while still enjoying the incredible sights below. Try the Aruba Atlantis Submarine Expedition or the Atlantis Submarine Expedition Tour in Barbados for this.
8. Da Conch Shack in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Provides the freshest conch as the staff actually swims out to get the conch when it is ordered. This location was actually included in the New York Times Best seller 1000 places to see before you die!
9. Ziplining
What is more exhilarating than zipping thousands of feet in the air and screaming your lungs out? Absolutely nothing. Many islands in the Caribbean have several facilities for persons to enjoy this fun-filled activity.
10. Scuba Diving
It’s the Caribbean so there is definitely no shortage of wrecks to explore, reefs to visit or fish to feed. If there is one thing you should do on a visit to the Caribbean is a scuba diving tour. Bahamas, Barbados, Turks and Caicos all have world class dive sites ready to be visited.
11. Horseback riding on the beach
Each island usually allows for this relaxing activity where guides are also provided to make the experience both safe and enjoyable.
12. Go sightseeing from a different vantage point
Many visitors to the Caribbean tend to experience the island via underwater and land tours, but how about experiencing a different view of the islands from the sky? You can try a Helicopter Tour in Antigua or a Sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride complimented with champagne breakfast in the Dominican Republic.
13. Take on the legendary Atlantis Resort Water slide in the Bahamas
With an amazing view from the top and an equally amazing adrenaline rush on the way down, this would be a great experience for you to try on a visit to the Bahamas
14. Go off-roading and ATV riding
There are few better places to go off-roading and ATV riding than in the Caribbean, due to its largely bumpy terrain especially in the countryside. Those places in Jamaica, Aruba and St. Lucia that provide this experience tend to also provide a tour of the general area.
15. Go cave exploring
Discover the mysteries and the histories of caves in the Caribbean by getting up close and personal inside them. There’s the Harrison’s Cave in Barbados, and the Adventure Day Trip to Fun Fun Cave in the Dominican Republic. In Barbados especially, you can see the waterfalls of the cave, wildlife as well as the stalagmites and stalactites.
16. Dine on the beach in Curacao
This is one of the most romantic things to do on a Caribbean vacation and a fantastic way create some long lasting memories with a loved one.
17. Experience a Whale Migration in Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos offers persons the very unique opportunity to watch whales as they swim around in the water, an experience that is unmatched in the Caribbean.
18. Explore Stingray City in Grand Cayman
Stingray City is a sandbar in Grand Cayman where a few decades ago, stingrays began to gather as fishermen cleaned their fish. Divers then in the 1980s began to feed the stingrays their favourite food, squid, and now the stingrays are so accustomed to people that they often swim right up to them. Therefore, exploring this ‘city’ will allow you the opportunity to pet and feed them.
19. Attend Stanford Antigua Sailing Week
Antigua is home to one of the world’s top sailing regattas. As such, people visit the island specifically for sailing week as it is such an enjoyable experience.
20. Live like a Local
This involves several things including firstly staying in a villa instead of a hotel, eating what the locals eat and visiting the locals’ favourite beaches in order to avoid the tourists! And, most importantly have real conversations with the locals and get to know them and their culture better.
No matter which of these activities you chose to do you are sure to have a blast doing it (if you choose to do all, even better). Visiting the Caribbean and having experiences here that you may not be able to otherwise is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, what are you waiting for?
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