In the Caribbean, paradise comes in a bewildering number of guises, with 31 islands and territories scattered across a region containing 7,000 islands in total.
To help guide would-be visitors towards the most captivating destinations in the Caribbean and save them hours, possibly days, of research, Which? Travel polled 647 people who’ve been there and asked them for their favourite spots.
The result is a ranking of the seven best islands, with one island named as the top under-the-radar gem.
Which? Travel says: ‘Caribbean sunshine lights everything up in technicolour, from the bold local markets and beach bars, to the shining Carnival costumes and the darting shoals of fish swimming through its reefs.
‘Here, everything feels as bright as a glass of freshly made rum punch and as hot as a scotch bonnet pepper.
‘Our guide gives you a tour of the most captivating destinations in the Caribbean.’
Scroll down to see the results. Which island is your favourite?
BEST FOR FOODIES AND TOP OVERALL – GRENADA. CUSTOMER SCORE – 82%
Grenada ‘has developed a name as one of the region’s great foodie destinations’. It comes top in the Which? Travel survey
Despite its small size, Grenada packs a punch, says Which? Travel, noting that it was rated the best Caribbean island overall.
The consumer magazine says: ‘It’s known as the Spice Island, due to the nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and ginger that thrive in its tropical soils. With flavours such as these flourishing, it’s no surprise that Grenada has developed a name as one of the region’s great foodie destinations.
‘While there is a selection of dedicated gastro tours around Grenada, one of the best is at the Belmont Estate, where you can enjoy a bean-to-bar tour of the cacao plantations and learn how to make your own chocolate.’
A mouthwatering prospect, and what’s more, remarks Which? Travel, ‘nowhere in Grenada feels overly touristy, allowing you to savour its five-star scenery’.
BEST FOR BEACHES – ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA. OVERALL – 80%
Antigua offers ‘enticing sands’ and fascinating Nelson’s Dockyard, while the satellite island of Barbuda is a ‘particularly great spot for birdwatchers’
‘The islands of Antigua and Barbuda claim to offer a different beach for every day of the year,’ notes Which? Travel. ‘And while it would be a fun challenge to test that out, most people visiting this tiny nation rightly make for the enticing wide sands of Half Moon Bay.’
The consumer champion also recommends visiting Nelson’s Dockyard, one of the Royal Navy’s biggest Caribbean bases during the Age of Sail and climbing up to Shirley Heights ‘for the best view in the islands’.
The satellite island of Barbuda, meanwhile, is ‘more than worth a day trip’. It’s a 15-minute hop away by light aircraft and is a ‘particularly great spot for birdwatchers’.
BEST FOR CULTURE – BARBADOS. OVERALL – 76%
‘Barbados’s intangible heritage is one you’ll enjoy on the plate and in a cocktail glass,’ says Which? Travel
Barbados is ‘blessed with picture-perfect beaches’ and ‘beautifully preserved historic architecture listed by Unesco’ can be gazed upon in its capital, Bridgetown, notes Which? Travel.
It adds: ‘But holidays aren’t made on pretty buildings alone, and Barbados’s intangible heritage is one you’ll enjoy on the plate and in a cocktail glass. No visit should be considered complete without a trip to the beachside village of Oistins, home to an enormous fish fry every Friday and Saturday.
‘Wash it all down with regional specialities from a local rum shop. As the first place in the Caribbean where sugar was grown, Barbados claims to be the spiritual home of the drink.’
BEST FOR WILDLIFE – TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. OVERALL – 73%
The rainforests and mangroves of Trinidad and Tobago ‘help make it one of the best birdwatching destinations in the Caribbean’
Inland Trinidad and Tobago is dominated by rainforests and mangroves ‘fringe the coastline’, notes Which Travel?, pointing out that ‘these habitats, along with the islands’ proximity to South America, help make it one of the best birdwatching destinations in the Caribbean’.
The travel guide adds that ‘if you’re not the sort to pack binoculars alongside your swimming costume, there’s plenty to enjoy here’, from hiking to ‘stunning waterfalls’ to ‘watching leatherback turtles laying eggs or as hatchlings scrambling into the sea’.
BEST FOR MUSIC – JAMAICA. OVERALL – 72%
The capital of Jamaica, Kingston (above), has done a lot of work to reinvent itself as a capital of the arts, notes Which? Travel
‘Jamaica is the one Caribbean island that comes with its own soundtrack already preloaded into your brain: Bob Marley,’ declares Which? Travel.
‘The man and the anthem One Love is everywhere you turn. The capital, Kingston, has done a lot of work to reinvent itself as a capital of the arts.
‘While it’s a destination deserving of that title, visitors who don’t want the big city buzz can find plenty of peace and quiet along the island’s northern coast by flying into Montego Bay.’
BEST FOR NATURAL SCENERY – ST LUCIA. OVERALL – 70%
If it’s ‘five-star scenery’ you’re after, St Lucia is a good bet. Above – the rocky towers of the Pitons
St Lucia is an island that ‘overflows with five-star scenery’, trumpets Which? Travel.
It explains: ‘This is thanks to a green and crumpled landscape formed by a great mountain range that erupts straight out of the Caribbean Sea and is pocked with idyllic bays lined with creamy sand beaches.
‘Soufrière in the south east is the deserved centre of St Lucia tourism, with its brightly painted wooden beachfront and old colonial architecture. From here, it’s the shortest of hops to the deliciously named Sugar Beach, where the white sand is dramatically set against the rocky towers of the Pitons, the giant crags that dominate this part of the island. Hiking up Gros Piton is a must.’
BEST FOR WHALE WATCHING – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. OVERALL – 65%
Some of the best whale watching in the world can be had off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Lying 1.5 miles off its coast is Saona Island (above)
The Dominican Republic’s Peninsula de Samaná ‘is home to some of the world’s best whale watching from January to March, when humpbacks can be seen breaching and lolling in their tropical breeding waters’.
Which? Travel adds that away from the whales, visitors can enjoy ‘big resorts, beaches and golf’.
There is also the option of ‘heading to the highlands and visiting coffee plantations’.
UNDER-THE-RADAR GEM – TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
Those polled who’d been to Turks and Caicos had ‘nothing but praise for the destination’
Not enough of those polled visited Turks and Caicos for it to be rated, Which? Travel explains, ‘but those few who did make the trip had nothing but praise for the destination’.
The magazine reveals: ‘It’s taken some time for the Turks and Caicos Islands to build up a tourism profile, so they’re so easy to miss: a set of 40 or so low-lying sandy cays fringed with reefs, just south of the Bahamas.
‘The capital Providenciales (or Provo as it’s universally known), on the main island of Caicos, is the gateway to Grace Bay, an extravagantly unbroken 12-mile stretch of perfect beach. This is where you’ll find the best hotels, resorts and restaurants, as well as chances to snorkel to coral reefs from the beach.’
For more from Which? Travel visit www.which.co.uk/travel.
