Things to Do in Caribbean

The quintessential white sands, turquoise water and colorful architecture of the British Virgin Islands (BVIs) have long been part of every Caribbean cruiser’s dream. There are 60 islands in all, but the most popular for a day in port are the main island of Tortola, Virgin Gorda with its famous rock formations known as the Baths, and the laidback beach-bum favorite, Jost Van Dyke.

Snorkeling, sailing, fishing and beach shore excursions can take you from one island to another. Alternatively, explore the island you dock at on your own, checking out local markets and historic attractions from the time of European settlement, or doing absolutely nothing on one of those perfect beaches.   

How to get to Tortola

You’ll most likely dock in Road Harbour, Tortola (depending on your cruise line, you may end up at Virgin Gorda or even Jost Van Dyke). From there, you can walk to Road Town and visit most of its sights on foot. To go elsewhere on Tortola, take a taxi from the dock area; to visit Virgin Gorda on your own, take a ferry from the ferry terminal just south of the Folk Museum.

One Day on Tortola

Before hitting the beach, start with a little bit of Caribbean culture and history in Road Town. Browse the gift and souvenir offerings at the Crafts Alive market, next to the cruise pier area, and then head across Main Street to the Folk Museum.

Next, either take a cab to Sage Mountain National Park (named after the highest peak in the BVIs) for some hiking with sea views, or walk to JR O’Neal Botanical Garden for a flatter walk amid orchids and other tropical plants.

Spend the rest of the day at Smuggler’s Cove, one of the many beaches that line the north side of the island. Grab a bite to eat from the snack bar and sip on a frothy, fruity rum concoction as you dig your toes in the soft white sand. Now, you’re in heaven.

Caneel Bay is one of the first beaches you come to as you drive up North Shore Road out of St John’s main port, Cruz Bay. Much of the coastline here is monopolized by an extensive resort, but they guarantee access to Caneel Bay and their restaurants adjacent to the beach are accessible also.

The area was once a plantation and the ruins of the old sugar works make an atmospheric detour. The beach itself is a three-dimensional postcard, while snorkelers will delight in sting rays, barracudas and other sea life.

Named after Catalonian expatriate Andres Brugal, a visit to the Brugal Rum Center offers visitors a chance to see the magic of turning sugarcane into one of the Dominican Republic’s chief exports – rum. From golden brown to crystal clear, the rum you’ll see, smell, and taste at the Brugal rum center will open your eyes to the possibility of what a refined drink rum can be.  Families enjoy the wondrous automated distilling and bottling process and marvel at the mechanics of turning sugarcane into the nectar of the gods. An excellent escape from the ordinary while in Puerto Plata, take some time to explore a local icon and learn a bit about distilling in the process.

The volcanic hot springs of Boiling Lake lie at the end of a 7-mile (11 km) hiking trail in World Heritage Site Morne Trois Pitons National Park. The hot springs here are the second largest in the world.

You need to hire an official guide to do the day-long hike to Boiling Lake, which takes you up and down the park’s forested highlands. It’s a demanding and physically challenging trek, but one that’s well worth it – as much for the destination as the rewarding views along the way. The trail is well-maintained and one of the best ways to experience the Caribbean’s rainforest, with plenty of tropical birds and other rare species to be spotted. The walk also leads through a volcanic area with a stream passing through it known as the Valley of Desolation, where the air becomes steamy and moist and is filled with sulphuric vapours and gases.

Formed from a flooded volcanic fumarole, the crater is filled with grey-blue water shrouded in mist. Look past the whirling mass of steam and you’ll see the lake’s bubbling water surrounded by steep cliffs. This huge bubbling hot springs lake sees temperatures reach almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and is most often seen with a cloud of vapour rising dramatically from it.

The best time of year to do the hike is in the drier season from March to May.

Off the southwest tip of Antigua, Cades Reef is Antigua’s most popular diving and snorkeling spot. A section of the reef has been designated as an underwater park, and visitors can find more than a dozen dive sites throughout the inner and outer sections of the reef. One of the popular spots on Cades Reef is The Chimney, a dive site on the outer reef, where huge pillar corals create a staircase formation that descends from 40 to 80 feet deep. You can swim through a tunnel in the rock face where you can sometimes spot sleeping nurse sharks. On calm days, visibility at Cades Reef can be 100 feet, and the reef attracts all the usual Caribbean reef fish, including parrotfish, trumpet fish and barracuda.

The coral reefs of Tobago, so crucial to the island’s economy and the biodiversity of the region, are under threat. But sensitive tourism needn’t harm the environment as the island’s largest such site, Buccoo Reef, demonstrates. It is one of the most spectacular reefs in the world, now under protection as a marine park, and is a magnet for scuba diving, snorkeling and sustainable fishing.

Tours in a glass-bottomed boat ensure that even the less active will be able to marvel at this undersea wonderland of colorful coral and tropical fish. The warm, shallow waters of the natural “Nylon Pool”, named by Princess Margaret for its translucent waters, make for one of the great swimming spots of the Caribbean.