Best Caribbean Islands to Visit
News

The 10 Best Caribbean Summer Getaways

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - July 10, 2016

Choosing the Best Caribbean Islands to Visit this summer might come down to an even larger question: Why vacation in the Caribbean during the Summer?  Well, at Caribbean Journal, we view the Caribbean as a full-fledged year-round destination, with something to offer at every time of year. And while there are plenty of reasons to visit the Caribbean during the summer, one overshadows all else: it’s all about the beach. If you love the beach, the water and the ocean you simply must visit the Caribbean in the Summer.  The water is warmer, clearer and calmer  and everything you do in and around the water is better in the summer, whether you’re kayaking, paddle boarding, boating or just bobbing with a rum punch in hand. And unlike most southern cities in the US during the summer, you can dine al fresco at night thanks to cool ocean breezes.  That’s in addition to smaller crowds, lower rates, more availability and more last minute options. Yes, for many people, the Caribbean is an even better destination in the summer. Here are 10 islands we think you’ll love right now.

Best Caribbean Islands

Virgin Gorda It’s remarkable that this island in the British Virgin Islands still manages to have remained under the radar after all the years. In many ways an English-speaking St Barth, this archipelagic outpost is beautiful, luxurious but decidedly relaxed. And there are so many ways to enjoy it, whether in a hillside bungalow at the Bitter End Yacht Club, a cliffside suite at Oil Nut Bay, or renting a jeep and a villa and simply exploring the wonders of the island, from The Baths to Savannah Bay.

Best Caribbean Islands

Cayman Brac There’s something special about this place, which is just a short flight from “mainland” Grand Cayman. It’s quiet, it’s tremendously friendly and its landscape is something to behold. This is an island for a summer escape, for fleeing hustle and bustle. And if you come to The Brac, as it’s known by locals, there are several good accommodation options: the Brac Reef Resort, a dive resort with a lovely little beach, and the recently-expanded Le Soleil d’Or boutique hotel with an emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine.

Best Caribbean Islands

Staniel Cay The Exuma chain of the Bahamas has perhaps the most beautiful water on earth. While locals describe it as “Windex” colored, it changes so often during the day that it often defies description. This is a destination to be enjoyed on the water, and that’s what makes it such a perfect summer destination. But for a classic Exuma experience, head to Staniel Cay and the wonderful Staniel Cay Yacht Club hotel, located just a short flight from Nassau and a slightly longer one from Fort Lauderdale. It’s a collection of bungalow hotels, some of which even come with their own boats.

Best Caribbean Islands

St Barth St Barth is a true French Caribbean paradise. And while going in the height of tourist season can mean extravagant prices, if you head to the island in the summer you get all of the luxury and beauty, but often at a steeply reduced price. There’s really nowhere in the Caribbean like it, whether you’re looking to do some luxury shopping, beach hop or people watch. Try the warm, charming Le Village hotel in St Jean or the ultra-luxe Le Guanahani. And don’t forget to rent a Mini Cooper convertible.

Best Caribbean Islands

Aruba It’s outside of the hurricane belt, a quality that has long made Aruba one of the best Caribbean summer destinations, but Aruba has far more to offer than calm waters. The Dutch Caribbean island’s summer circuit is full of terrific festivals, from music to windsurfing, and then there’s Aruba’s burgeoning culinary scene, with stalwarts like Screaming Eagle and Wilhelmina. The island’s best hotel is the adults-only Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts, with the Aruba Marriott a splendid option for both couples and families.

Best Caribbean Islands

Hermitage Bay, Antigua

Antigua When an island has 365 beaches, it seems to get more beautiful every time you visit. And that’s particularly true in Antigua, where the beaches are calm, soft and almost always offer the feeling of privacy. But the island also has one of the Caribbean’s best collection of all-inclusive resorts — just not the ones you’re used to. These are authentic, luxurious hotels that put no barrier between you and ultimate Caribbean enjoyment, from the luxe Galley Bay to the clubby Curtain Bluff resort to the boutique Hermitage Bay.

Best Caribbean Islands

Martinique What’s the best way to cool down on a summer afternoon in the Caribbean? Rum. And there’s simply nowhere better in the Caribbean than Martinique, the world’s rum capital and the envy of the West Indies for its artisanal, spectacular rhum agricole, made from fresh sugarcane juice. But there’s a lot more cool on the island than that, from the fascinating capital of Fort-de-France, which just saw the debut of the new Simon waterfront boutique hotel to beachfront resorts like Cap-Est. It’s all part of what makes Martinique not just one of the Best Caribbean Islands to Visit during the summer, but any time of year.

Best Caribbean Islands

Bocas del Toro Why travel to just one island? Panama’s Caribbean epicenter is this, the islands called Bocas del Toro, a tiny archipelago that contains nine main islands and a host of cays. It’s a throwback to the Caribbean of yesteryear, with aquatic island hopping and small lodges and bungalow hotels — and yes, that includes overwater bungalow hotels like the Azul Paradise resort.

Best Caribbean Islands

Nevis Yes, this Caribbean still exists. Yes, there is a place where there are no traffic lights and no stop signs and goats on the road and deserted beaches and miraculously warm people. This is Nevis, the tiny spot in the Eastern Caribbean filled with old sugar mills and lovely little plantation inns. And while it’s small, there’s every kind of getaway here, from a romantic escape to the Montpelier Plantation and Beach to a family adventure at the Four Seasons Nevis Resort to a villa vacation at Paradise Beach. Just make sure you spend some time with the Nevis Turtle Group helping protect the island’s turtle population while you’re on the island.

Best Caribbean Islands

Providenciales Sure, you’ve heard of Grace Bay Beach, the impossibly wide and long stretch of beach on Providenciales. But this island in the Turks and Caicos Islands is so much more than that, from luxury hotels like Grace Bay Club, Point Grace and Amanyara to best-kept-secrets like Ocean Club Resorts to legendary Caribbean beach bars. (Yes, you know Da Conch Shack, but it’s time to try others like Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl.

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts aruba usvi beach

From the US Virgin Islands to Aruba, Caribbean Travel Is Booming

First there was the breakout after restrictions were lifted. Then there was all that pent-up travel demand. Through each phase of the post-pandemic period, travelers have continued flocking to the Caribbean.  It’s the sign of a resilient global destination, and […]


Frontier Is Adding a New Nonstop Flight to Los Cabos 

nobu los cabos

It’s one of the most popular hotel destinations in Mexico: Los Cabos, which has seen a broad boom in recent years with the entry to market of brands like Nobu, Thompson, Marriott and Waldorf Astoria, among others.  That has led, […]


This Former Caribbean Rockefeller Resort Is for Sale

caribbean rockefeller resort

In 1986, Laurance Rockefeller, the founder of Rock Resorts, developed 27 acres of prime beachfront land into what was for decades one of the sought after places to stay in the Caribbean. Now, the four-star, 150-room resort is for sale, […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You