Sure, arriving anywhere in the Caribbean is a romantic experience. The small airport, the palm trees, the ocean in close proximity … it’s always an adventure. But there are certain places in the Caribbean where the arrival is that much more, well, interesting — whether it’s the difficult nature of the landing or the quaint character of the airport. These are some of the most interesting places to land in the Caribbean.
Saba
Yes, Saba has the shortest commercial runway anywhere in the world, located at Juancho E Yrausquin Airport. That’s because the island is almost entirely a volcano called Mount Scenery, meaning landings here are, well, interesting. It’s too short to receive jet planes, but that makes island hopping here just that much more romantic.
St Barth
The beautiful, exclusive island of St Barth is also notable for its rather short, 650-metre runway. Landing here is a well, intriguing, experience, and this airport is frequently ranked among the world’s most difficult places to land. Thankfully, once you get here, you’ll see it was more than worth it.
Union Island
This little island in the Grenadines chain is (for now) largely a stopping-off point for luxury destinations like the nearby private islands Palm Island and Petit St Vincent. But arriving here, which usually involves (what feels like) nearly skimming a shingle off of some of the nearby homes, is a thrilling, adventurous experience. And its tiny, tiny airport is something you’ll never forget.
Christiansted
Landing in the charming capital of St Croix isn’t about the runway or the airport — that’s because you arrive on the water. Seaborne operates daily seaplane flights between St Thomas and St Croix, meaning you arrive in eminent style on the shores of St Croix.
Nevis
This is good, old-fashioned island hopping. The small, seaside Vance W Amory International Airport can be reached by a number of carriers, from Cape Air to Tradewind Aviation, and arriving here means instantly being transported to a rustic, raw, Caribbean experience, in plain view of Nevis peak and, most likely, a goat or two.
Dominica
The largest airport on this list, Dominica is notable for one of the more picturesque landings in the Caribbean. Arrival at Melville Hall Airport means descending into the heart of a narrow valley — and into one of the most naturally beautiful places anywhere in the region. It’s easily accessed on airlines from Seaborne and LIAT to Winair and Air Antilles Express.
Vieques
The mechanics of landing on this Puerto Rican island aren’t that exciting, but this charming little airport reminds you of the jetsetting of the 1960s that brought island hopping into the public consciousness. And if you stay at the W Vieques (the island’s largest resort), you even get your own private arrival terminal.