We love every island in the Caribbean. But it’s often the very small ones that have that peculiar way of tugging at your heart. Maybe they’re small geographically, or they’re untouched, or they’re big islands with so few people that they somehow feel small anyway. These are some of our favourite “small” islands in the Caribbean right now — in other words, the ones you need to visit right now.
Terre de Haut
Some call it a mini-St Barth, but this little jewel in the Guadeloupe archipelago has a laid-back, sometimes quirky, always charming quality all its own. Easily accessible by ferry from the main islands of Guadeloupe, it’s equally satisfying for a day trip or a week-long stay. Simply put, you’ll feel like it’s an island designed just for you, and it’s one of our favorites anywhere in the Caribbean.
Saba
While it’s rather close to St Maarten, this Dutch Caribbean island has remained hidden away (in large part due to what is the smallest commercial runway on earth). But if you get there, you’ll find a beautiful, unspoiled place.
Isla Holbox
Set northwest of Cancun off the coast of the Yucantan peninsula, this is a rustic, tranquil place known more for whale sharks than mass tourism.
Cayman Brac
Explore beyond Grand Cayman to the eco-tourism retreat of Cayman Brac, a haven for diving, snorkeling and a kind of calm that’s a million miles away from even the most laid-back Caribbean island.
Ile a Vache
Haiti is now back in the consciousness of many travelers, but it’s Ile a Vache that’s the country’s best-kept travel secret. A small island off Haiti’s southern coast, it’s a true beach paradise.
Canouan
We’ve extolled the virtues of many of the small islands in the Grenadines in these pages before, from Bequia to Mustique. But Canouan is another wonderful SVG escape, with all the great beacehes, sailing and diving you expect from the Grenadines chain.
San Salvador
It’s thought that this was first island Columbus saw when he reached the Americas, and today it’s a hidden gem in the far reaches of the Bahamian archipelago. But with just 1,200 people, you’ll never meet any crowds.
La Desirade
While Terre de Haut is the most unabashedly charming place in the Guadeloupe Islands, it’s La Desirade that is the totally untouched natural escape. And, like the rest of the archipelago, it’s a haven for simply wonderful, seafood-focused cuisine.
North Caicos
Home to some of the best beaches anywhere in the wider region, the Turks and Caicos Islands are full of a host of largely empty, paradisiacal islands like North Caicos, which is gradually cultivating a decidedly luxurious air.