Hiking a volcano. Walking the cane fields of an organic rum distillery. Eating lionfish burgers at an oceanfront food truck; savoring a twilight mento concert; kayaking across a secret mangrove forest; riding a flats boat to an undiscovered sandbar.

They’re the reasons we come to the Caribbean, those once-in-a-lifetime experiences in which the Caribbean abounds, those chances to explore the communities and the natural beauty of the world’s most extraordinary place. (And yes, the beaches, too).

Our editors’ annual edition of the Best Caribbean Islands to Visit takes you on a layered journey across the far corners of the region, from the electric-turquoise waters of The Bahamas to hidden-away islands in the Eastern Caribbean and everywhere in between.

Think of it as an inspiration, as a guide, for an exciting year of traveling to the Caribbean — hopefully multiple times (for our regular readers, that goes without saying).

Here are our favorites for 2022.

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos It’s always been one of the most luxurious getaways in the Caribbean; now, travelers are discovering just how complete a destination Provo is, from the magnificent resorts on Grace Bay to the hip, sought-after sands of Long Bay; from marvelous local eateries like Da Conch Shack to gourmet food trucks like Cocovan; from world-class snorkeling to the best Caribbean golf course you’ve never heard of: the Provo Golf Club. Plainly, Providenciales has it all.