Things to Do in Caribbean

The palm tree-lined sand and turquoise-blue water await you in Lemon Lagoon Bay. Known for dreamy water , beautiful coastline and one of the best beaches in all of the Domincan Republic, Lemon Lagoon Bay is a paradisiacal escape into the virgin sun. Underwater coral reefs house abundant tropical wildlife and so Lemon Lagoon Bay is a popular place to spend the day snorkeling, kayaking, lounging by the beach, or even romping through the sand on a bumbling dune buggy exploring the beautiful coast.

At the northern end of Grand Cayman's popular Seven Mile Beach, West Bay is a laid-back residential area of the island that offers a great escape from the upscale hustle of George Town. The town is home to Barker's National Park, the first national park established in the Cayman Islands, where you can hike, horseback ride and birdwatch. 

Located on the west coast of Saint Kitts, just to the south of Middle Island, Old Road Town was settled in 1624 by Thomas Warner, his wife, and a small group of settlers interested in trying their hand at tobacco farming. Though dwarfed in size and significance by the capital Basseterre, Old Road is nonetheless blessed with healthy tourism and farming industries, including a massive local investment from the Taiwanese government in a new fisheries complex that has modernized the local industry.

Just outside of Old Road are a number of interesting Carib petroglyphs, testifying to the once dominant native population. Area residents are more approachable and laid back than in more bustling parts of the island. While visiting Old Road, be sure to stop off at Wingfield Estate, recipient of the first land grant given by the King of England in the entire English-speaking West Indies and an active archeological and historical site.

Originally constructed in the late 1700s for slave auctions and council meetings, the public square in Basseterre was officially rechristened in 1983 to commemorate the independence of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis from Great Britain. In darker days, human chattel were kept in tunnels under the Georgian House (now a gourmet restaurant) on the south side of the square before being brought up for bidding. Today the space is a gathering place for promenaders, family outings, impromptu gatherings, and any number of parades, parties and festivals.

Adorned with a large fountain at its center, the formerly named Pall Mall Square is surrounded by excellent examples of British Colonial architecture. The perimeters are bordered by old stone buildings and period appropriate wooden structures painted in white and pastels that make Independence Square one of the central hubs of the cultural life of the region.

The twin Trafalgar Falls are a star attraction in Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Surrounded by thick rainforest vegetation, the falls tumble into refreshing pools. Access is relatively easy, though take care on the slippery rocks.

Follow the 10-minute trail to the viewing platform from the visitor center, cool off in the smaller waterfall or seek out the taller fall's hot springs for a natural spa bath.

Vacationers in search of some sand and surf will treasure the undeveloped beaches of the southeast peninsula of St. Kitts. Among these, Turtle Beach offers opportunities for stalking monkeys and swimming within sight of neighboring Nevis. Open-air cafes offer margaritas, buckets of chilled Carib beer, grilled mahi mahi and other local favorites just feet from the water, and while the service can be a little slow, the food and the views are well worth the wait. A menagerie of chickens, goats and local legend Wilbur the pig, who is famously friendly to fault, is on hand.

One of the smallest popular beaches on the island, Turtle Beach nonetheless has live local music on Sunday afternoons. Pleasure seekers looking for unspoiled paradise may be disappointed due to the crowds of tourists and hawkers pushing massage and braided hair extensions, but travelers interested in soaking up some local color along with an allotment of sun should head straight for Turtle Beach. 

Laudat is a tiny village of about 300 people in the interior of Dominica. Because it sits just at the edge of the boundary of the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Laudat is considered the gateway to the park, and it is the jumping off point for many tours and attractions in and around the park, including the boiling lake, Titou Gorge, the Valley of Desolation, Middleham Falls and much more. At 1,200 feet above sea level, Laudat is one of the island's wettest areas, getting about 350 inches of rain per year. It has a cool, misty atmosphere, nestled deep into the Dominican rainforest.

Crystal clear Caribbean water, white sand beaches, incredible snorkeling, and a balmy breeze await you in Palomino Island. Only 1.2km long and 525 meters wide, this isn't the closest thing to a tropical escape "“ it is the quintessential tropical island you've been looking for. With not much to do except explore the island's coral reefs, seagrass beds, and beautiful craggy coastline, visitors come to Palomino Island for peace, relaxation, and a chance to feed the islands wandering Caribbean iguanas.

Archive, research library, gift shop and museum collection all in one, the Turks & Caicos National Museum is housed in one of Grand Turk's most impressive colonial buildings, Guinep House.

The history of the Turks & Caicos islands is explored in the museum's exhibits, which include stamps, coins and photographs. Best of all is the fascinating Message in a Bottle collection, revealing the often poignant messages sent from sinking ships and shipwrecked sailors.

Don't miss the display on the Molasses Reef Wreck, the oldest shipwreck to have been excavated in the Americas. Artifacts retrieved from the early-1500s wreck include cannons, surgical implements, bowls and tools, along with the vessel's hull.

You'll also see tools and artifacts formed from shells, and displays on the island's original Lucayan people.

More recent exhibits look at NASA's Space Program and the personal memories of astronaut John Glenn, who splashed down just offshore in 1962 and was the first American to orbit the earth.

Special guided tours are held for cruise visitors, expanding on shipwreck history, the island's salt industry and the John Glenn exhibit.

The museum is housed in the whitewashed and red-roofed Guinep House, a historic colonial building constructed almost 200 years ago from the salvaged timber of shipwrecks.

After browsing the exhibits, head to the Museum Shop to buy locally crafted jewelry, sea salt, coffee, woven baskets and guidebooks.