Things to Do in Caribbean

You can spend hours exploring the various sights and attractions at Romney Manor, a 17th century estate that was once a slave-holding sugar plantation. Today, it has been given new life as one of the island’s most beloved local craft shops, Caribelle Batik, where you can watch women expertly applying a traditional Indonesian style of fabric treatment that uses wax and dye to create beautiful patterns. Surrounding the main building, you’ll find one of St. Kitts’ best botanical gardens—six acres of tropical flowers and a 350-year-old saman tree. Also at this site, you’ll find large lava rocks carved with ancient Carib petroglyphs—reputedly these are fertility rocks that help bestow parenthood on those who touch them.

Built in 1521, The San Juan Cathedral (aka La Santa Catedral San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico) is one of the highlights of any trip into Old San Juan. The second oldest cathedral in the Americas, this historic landmark lies right in the heart of Old San Juan and boasts an impressive array of religious and historical artifacts including the tomb of notorious Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon and the mummy of St. Pio. An operational cathedral, you can attend mass here Saturdays at 7 pm, Sunday at 9 and 11 am, and weekdays 7:25 am and 12:15 pm. And experience a traditional catholic mass, or, when service isn’t being conducted, you can wander the nave free of charge, gaze at the huge stained glass windows, or marvel at the construction of the oldest church on U.S. soil.

Runaway Bay is located along the scenic northern coast of Jamaica in Saint Ann Parish, west of Ocho Rios and east of Discovery Bay. A quiet resort destination, Runaway Bay attracts visitors looking to escape the crowds in the busier port cities of Ocho Rios, Falmouth and Montego Bay. One of the best ways to experience the natural beauty and tranquility at Runaway Bay is to spend a few days at one of the resorts. If you’re pressed for time, shore excursions are a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time and often visit Runaway Bay en route to other island attractions.

Runaway Bay is home to excellent beaches and it’s one of the top snorkeling destinations on the island of Jamaica, due in large part to the coral reef that’s located just offshore. Visitors to Runaway Bay can enjoy a variety of watersports including windsurfing, waterskiing, snorkeling and scuba diving in the warm, clear Caribbean waters. Glass bottom boat rides, horseback riding on the beach and golf at the nearby resorts are also popular activities. Paradise Beach and Cardiff Hall Public Beach are two of the nicest beaches in Runaway Bay. Clothing is optional along select stretches of beachfront, so you’ll want to check first before taking the kids.

In addition to the beaches, there are several interesting attractions and things to do in and around the village of Runaway Bay in Jamaica. Visit the Columbus Park Museum, a large open-air park and museum space situated along the coast; the Seville Great House; and the nearby village of Nine Mile, once home to the legendary Reggae singer and Jamaican native Bob Marley. Other area attractions include the Pear Tree River and the Rio Bueno River for kayaking, rafting and tubing adventures along the rapids. Finally you’ll also want to check out the Green Grotto Caves, the largest and most accessible caves on the island of Jamaica and home to stalagmites, stalactites and a small underground lake.

Samana Bay is the heart of the Samana region in the far northeast of the Dominica Republic. Along its shores, you’ll find the famed Los Haitises National Park, protected tropical forest where you can explore caverns adorned with native Taino petroglyphs, spectacular tree covered islets, and idyllic mangrove lagoons. The bay itself is also a popular attraction for divers and snorkelers, and during the winter months it becomes a gathering point for migrating humpback whales, which come here from cooler climes to mate and birth their calves. During this time, whale watching tours practically guarantee sightings of these massive marine mammals as the jump and play at the water’s surface.

While Port of Spain is Trinidad’s political capital, the city of San Fernando is the industrial capital, and the center of Trinidad’s significant oil and gas industries.  Even though San Fernando is primarily an industrial area, there are still many good reasons to visit.  The Harris Promenade, at the city center, is an urban green space where you can find open air concerts. During the pre-colonial era, the natives called this area Anaparima, which means “one hill” and that single hill remains as San Fernando Hill, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Just south of San Fernando, you’ll find one of the island’s most popular attractions, Pitch Lake, the world’s largest naturally occurring tar pit, similar to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. You can walk on the semi-solid surface of the lake to explore the unique environment. To the east of San Fernando, you can find the strange mud volcanoes of The Devil’s Woodyard.

Rodney Bay, on Saint Lucia’s west coast, is almost completely enclosed but for a narrow channel leading out to sea. An ideal spot for mooring, in other words, and indeed this protected anchorage is Saint Lucia’s foremost marina. Consequently nearby Reduit Beach, a stunning white-sand stretch facing the Caribbean, is a noted hangout of the rich and famous.

Kite surfing is a local specialty if you can’t bring yourself to lie on the beach all day. In Rodney Bay itself, everyone heads for dining and dancing at Lime restaurant, and there are a number of bars and eating places around the marina.