Set on the crest of Somerset Island’s highest hill is Fort Scaur, a site built to protect the nearby Royal Naval Dockyard from invasion after the American Civil War. Like many of Bermuda’s battlements, the fort didn’t see much action—but it’s impressive nonetheless. It’s also known as one of Bermuda’s top vantage points, with far-reaching views.
A 1-stop shopping destination, Heritage Quay bustles with visitors. This extensive shopping complex offers luxury duty-free products alongside local artwork—perfect for finding gifts for loved ones (and yourself!). With candy-colored buildings and a laid-back atmosphere, this is the ultimate vacation shopping experience in Antigua.
Established on land once belonging to the historic Montpelier Estate, the Botanical Gardens of Nevis are owned and operated by a local family and showcases tropical plants from around the world. Within, the 5-acre (2-hectare) sanctuary overflows with fragrant flowers, cascading dolphin fountains, orchid terraces, and water lily ponds.
On the northeasternmost tip of Puerto Rico, this nature reserve protects the island’s tropical landscape, including a bioluminescent lagoon, mangroves, pretty beaches, and a lighthouse. There's also a visitor center where you can learn about the reserve's history and natural features.
The Carenage is St. George’s lively waterfront promenade, which winds around Grenada’s inner harbor. Its name is derived from the French word carenage, meaning “safe anchorage.” Lined with colonial-era buildings, the inlet offers shops, seafood restaurants, and cafés, plus it’s near Grenada’s bustling open-air market.
Get a feel for the seafaring history of the Turks and Caicos Islands with a trip to see the rock carvings made by shipwrecked sailors at Sapodilla Bay. The inscriptions on the rocks range from names and dates to carvings of ships and buildings. The unfortunate sailors chose Sapodilla Hill as their lookout, as it affords a wide view of the ocean beyond.
Just south of Port of Spain on the balmy west coast of Trinidad sits one of the island's top spots for birders: the Caroni Swamp. This protected mangrove—the second-largest in the country—is characterized by a labyrinth of channels and lagoons that provide a safe sanctuary for around 100 types of migratory birds.
Although it's one of the British Virgin Islands’ smaller attractions, what J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens lacks in size it makes up for in beautiful, distinctive horticulture, with over 62 unique species of plants and a cacti garden, all engulfed by a palm forest. The garden also sports a variety of animal life and birds that are a treat for any enthusiast.
The eastern side of Discovery Bay, where Christopher Columbus is thought to have first landed on Jamaica's north coast, is a beautiful stretch of white sand beach fringed with palm trees. Lined with snack bars and vendors offering boats and water skis for rent, Puerto Seco Beach is a great destination for a family outing.
Built in 1778, the once opulent Bath Hotel and Spring House was the Caribbean’s first tourist hotel, with the international jet set flocking to its therapeutic hot springs. While it’s no longer a hotel, the volcanic baths and the relaxing landscaped gardens are open to the public.
Colonial relics, maps, and Antillean art come together at the Kura Hulanda Museum, with a world-class collection of African artifacts. This well-regarded anthropological museum focuses on the cultures that have contributed to Curacao’s makeup over the centuries, including African slaves, West African empires, and pre-Columbian traders.
The lively Rif Fort courtyard complex is a major shopping and entertainment hub in Willemstad, located at the entrance of St. Anna Bay. It’s also home to some of the island’s finest restaurants. Originally built to protect the bay and the outer part of Willemstad’s Otrobanda neighborhood, the fort eventually lost its military use and has since been transformed into a popular tourist area.
Built by the Dutch in 1631, Fort Amsterdam was the original colonial fort built and an important vantage point in the dispute over the island by the Dutch, French, and British. Located on a peninsula on the western side of Great Bay, the fort is now decommissioned, but ruins and 19th century cannons remain. It’s also a sanctuary for nesting pelicans.
Scape Park at Cap Cana is a massive theme park that blends natural attractions with adventure activities, including everything from off-road buggies and ziplines to cenote experiences and cave explorations. Located on the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast, the park covers 247 acres and offers more than 10 adventure activities, making it a perfect destination for a full-day excursion from Punta Cana.
One of the smaller snorkel spots in St John, Whistling Cay is a deep-water snorkeling area, with depths of 40 feet or more. The clear waters allow visitors to see down into the deep to view large coral formations; they can either snorkel the surface and admire the coral from afar or free-dive down to explore them up close.
With tropical birds, lemurs, jaguars, iguanas, and more, the Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre in Nassau is educational fun for the entire family. The zoo is also home to a marching flamingo show, where the salmon-colored birds show off their marching skills, and popular lory and other animal feedings.
An ornithologist and botanist paradise, the Asa Wright Nature Centre was an ecotourism destination before ecotourism was even a thing. Known internationally for its diverse flora and fauna, the conservation and research center is located on the lands of a former cocoa, coffee, and citrus plantation, offering a glimpse into a renewed ecosystem.
The Trench Town neighborhood of Kingston—and, more specifically, the Trench Town Culture Yard—is most famous as the home of reggae legend Bob Marley, who spent much of his youth living and creating music here. The neighborhood is also considered the birthplace of reggae itself, with many other artists originating here, too.
Overlooking Hamilton City from its hilltop perch, the cannons and ramparts of this Victorian fort were built to deter enemy ships, and have remained unused and intact since. Nowadays, the site is more popular for its greenery than its battlements—it entices visitors with its tranquil moat garden and panoramic city views.
Venture onto the back roads of Montego Bay to reach this one-of-a-kind hillside gallery and garden 2,000 feet (610 meters) above sea level. Surrounding an eco-conscious mini-museum run by local artist and art collector Ras Natango is a garden filled with tropical plants and birds, and it offers views of the Jamaican countryside.
Housed in a traditional 19th-century house, St. Maarten’s only museum is devoted to the history of the Dutch side of the island. Exhibitions at the small museum focus on the island’s indigenous cultures, geology, and colonial history, while archaeological finds on display date back as early as 500 BC.
Inland from Roseau, the village of Laudat is the gateway to the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Dominica's main attractions. Laudat is only about a 25-minute drive from Roseau, so most people don’t stay here, though there are a few accommodation options for those who wish to spend the night.
Located in Altos de Chavón (a re-creation of a 16th-century Mediterranean–style village) in La Romana, this archaeology museum showcases artifacts and artwork from the days when the Dominican Republic and Haiti were known as Hispaniola. It houses thousands of pieces from this pre-Columbian era, many of which were excavated from the nearby region that borders the Chavón River.
Fort Montego is one of many 18th-century forts that were built to protect Jamaica from pirates and the Spanish and French navies. Luckily, this stone structure perched on a hill never had to use its four canons, and these days, the only potential invaders are benevolent travelers wandering over from the Hip Strip shopping district.
Visitors to Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport can wait for their flights at the gate, or upgrade their experience with a visit to the Club Kingston Airport Lounge—even if they don't have a high-end credit card or a business- or first-class ticket.
One of the first sugar and banana plantations in St. Lucia, the 18th-century Marquis Estate—along the northeast coast near Soufriere—offers a view into St. Lucia’s history and its stunning natural beauty. Visitors can explore the estate, from the ruins of historic buildings to the coast, on an all-terrain vehicle.
Perched on the scenic southeast coast of St John, Salt Pond Bay shimmers with crystal clear waters fronted by a rocky, white-sand beach. The beach offers an escape from the crowds of Cruz Bay, with calm waters for swimming, tide pools filled with marine creatures, and a coral reef in the middle of the bay for snorkeling.
Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman is renowned for its beauty. Sparkling Caribbean blue waters, soft white sand, and cloudless blue skies create a postcard that comes to life. The public beach spans miles of developed oceanfront and makes the perfect spot to relax with your toes in the sand, the traditional Caribbean way.
This 12-acre (5-hectare) park was dedicated in 1973 to the Groves who founded Freeport. Walk the idyllic botanical garden to take in the lush plant life, native animals (including macaws, alligators, and iguanas), and, of course, snap plenty of Edenic photos.
Bávaro Adventure Park is a sprawling outdoor amusement park in Punta Cana—a lush, idyllic space home to jungle flora and fauna and crystal-clear waters. Its 110 acres (44 hectares) are a one-stop shop for fun-filled outdoor pursuits, with numerous activities and installations available. Visitors can enjoy all-terrain-vehicle tours, ziplines, horseback riding, paintball, cenotes, and a natural river lined by limestone cliffs.
