You can have a wonderful time anywhere in the Caribbean. But for the more adventurous, why not try some good old-fashioned island hopping? Use one island as a base and try out one, two, three or more islands all within easy reach. It’s a throwback to the jetsetting golden age of Caribbean travel — and it’s more than doable today. Thankfully, there are lots of places where you can do it. These are some of our favourites, with an emphasis on islands that have multiple nearby islands within easy reach (by air or by boat) — your “hopping off points.”
Puerto Rico
You can get pretty much anywhere in the Caribbean from San Juan (thanks to regional carriers like Cape Air and Seaborne), and a number of islands are even closer by ferry and plane — like Culebra, Vieques and the US Virgin Islands. (Above: Vieques)
Guadeloupe
You can do all the island hopping you want in the Guadeloupe Islands and stay within the same territory. That’s because this beautiful archipelago has five islands within easy reach by ferry and air from the main island of Grande Terre/Basseterre, each with its own character and flavour, from tiny Terre-de-Haut to beach paradise Marie Galante. (Above: Terre-de-Haut)
St Martin/St Maarten
One of the region’s air hubs, St Martin/St Maarten has it all for island hoppers, with easy ferry access to Anguilla, St Barth and Saba, and air service across the region. (Above: St Maarten viewed from the ferry dock in Anguilla)
St Vincent
Arrive in the main island of St Vincent and the Grenadines and you have 32 islands to hop to, including better-known Mustique, Union Island and Bequia. SVG Air is a very efficient air option within the islands, and, of course, you can also head to nearby Grenada.
St Thomas
Fly direct into St Thomas from major cities in the US and you have not just nearby St Croix and St John at your disposal, but the British Virgin Islands chain, too.
Tortola
Use Tortola as your hopping-off point for all of the British Virgin Islands, taking boats and ferries across the chain from Anegada and Virgin Gorda to places like Jost Van Dyke, Cooper Island, Peter Island … the list goes on.
New Providence
Use the main island of the Bahamas and Nassau’s beautiful new airport to fly to just about every inhabited island in the Bahamas, from the Exumas to the Abacos to the Inaguas and more.
Curacao
Smack in the middle of the ABC islands, Curacao is the perfect place to hop around the Dutch Caribbean, with easy flights to both Bonaire and Aruba.
Martinique
Enjoy the wonders of Martinique, then use efficient and reliable ferry service that can take you to Guadeloupe, Dominica and St Lucia, with each trip about two hours or less.
Antigua
Head to Antigua, enjoy its 365 beaches, then start hopping. You can get to nearby Barbuda by ferry or air, or head to untouched Montserrat or charming St Kitts and Nevis by air.
Trinidad
The southernmost island in CARICOM has a great “airbus” service on Caribbean Airlines to Tobago (along with regular ferry service), and you can also take flights to nearby places like Isla Margarita in Venezuela. (And Grenada isn’t too far, either). There are also a number of small islands off the coast of Trinidad, from Monos Island to Gaspar Grande Island.
Providenciales
The tourism capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands is a great island hopping hub. Hop along to tiny cays and islands like Salt Cay, West Caicos and South Caicos, among others.