By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
Modern mega-ships can take you to marquee Caribbean ports such as San Juan, Puerto Rico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and St Thomas in the USVI. But the region’s lesser-known cruise stops are worth a look, too. Book a cabin aboard small-ship lines such as Windstar Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club or Star Clippers, and you’ve got a ticket to untrammeled, under-the-radar ports that those behemoths can’t access. Most have small piers and only simple port facilities, so you’ll likely have to drop anchor offshore and tender in. But when you disembark, Old Caribbean charm, historic sites, and natural assets that you can have practically to yourself await. Browse our top 10 small Caribbean cruise ports and then start packing.
Gustavia Cruising is probably the most economical way to experience this notoriously pricey French-Caribbean destination. Lines such as Windstar Cruises and SeaDream Yacht Club feature day-long and overnight stays here, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore St. Barth’s 22 winsome beaches, lively restaurants and the shops lining the capital’s main drag. And since the island is only roughly 10 square-miles, renting a car is a viable (and recommended) option.
Terre-De-Haut Stepping off the ship and onto this island, one of a pair in Guadeloupe’s archipelago known as Les Saintes, is like stepping into a French-Caribbean storybook. Boutiques and restaurants line the tiny waterfront village’s streets, where ladies dressed in colorful national costume sell fresh-baked pastries from straw baskets. Clean and quiet beaches are mere steps away from the pier, and practically anywhere else you want to go is just a scooter ride away.
Barbuda Only 62 square-miles, Antigua’s little sister captivates with miles of pink sand at Low Bay (the 17-mile strand where Lighthouse Bay resort, the island’s best-known hotel, sits) and Dulcina Bay, which borders the pier you’ll arrive. But before you spread out your beach blanket, take an excursion through the sleepy town to Codrington Lagoon, a marine sanctuary where rare frigate birds roost.
Charlestown Caribbean towns don’t come much more charming than Nevis’ capital, where colonial-era buildings line the waterfront and stray donkeys roam the streets. Don’t miss the chance to see where Alexander Hamilton was born, or the opportunity to soak in the reputedly healing waters at Bath mineral springs, on the grounds of what was the Caribbean’s first resort.
Culebra San Juan is a major Caribbean cruise hub but this island, 17 miles east of the mainland, sees a mere fraction of Puerto Rico’s visitors. Which means that you’ll have little competition to snap the obligatory selfie with the Sherman tank on Flamenco Beach (the island was a U.S. Navy gunnery and bombing practice site for several years). The playas at Zoni and Tamarindo are also blanket-worthy.
Jost Van Dyke Cruise to this British Virgin Island on SeaDream and you’ll enjoy caviar and champagne, served to you from atop a floating surfboard by white-coated chefs standing waist-deep in the warm waters just offshore. But whichever line you cruise with, you’ll enjoy the string of classic Caribbean beach bars (including the famous Soggy Dollar) that line the sandy sweep of White Bay.
Kralendijk Bonaire isn’t just for divers – although the Dutch-Caribbean island’s 89 stellar dive spots certainly attract them. Disembark in the tiny capital of Kralendijk and you’ll find chic boutique shopping lining the main street, Kaya Grandi and superb windsurfing and kitesurfing at Sorobon, on the breezy east coast. Beach bums can buy a day pass to Harbour Beach Village, the island’s biggest and arguably best resort, and soak up the sun in style.
Little Bay It’s been a while since Montserrat received cruise calls so you’re sure to be welcomed warmly to this island, best known for the devastating eruption of its Soufriere Hills volcano back in 1995. Tours of the exclusion zone have just resumed and should be top of your to-do list. But save time to swim at Rendezvous Bay and have lunch on the patio at the late Beatles producer Sir George Martin’s island home-turned-B&B, Olveston House.
Roseau Dominica’s airlift from the U.S. isn’t the most convenient, so cruising is a good way to sample the pleasures of “The Nature Island” minus multiple flights and layovers. Hike and bike the 289-square-mile isle’s rainforest terrain; snorkel and dive its fish-filled waters; or take a stroll to one of several waterfalls to marvel at the Instagram-ready cascades.
Virgin Gorda This BVI cruise stop is a must-see for the gigantic granite boulders scattered along the shoreline at The Baths. Enjoy a gentle hike through crystal-clear seawater pools formed by the only-in-the-Caribbean oceanfront monuments, then reward yourself with an hour or two of sunning on the sand at Devil’s Bay beach.