Where Is The Most Beautiful Caribbean Island Located?
Everyone will tell you that the Caribbean is a beautiful place to visit. But where should you vacation? Where is the most beautiful Caribbean island? Whether you travel for the Instagram pictures, the once-in-a-lifetime experiences, or to see more of this big, beautiful world, you have many options for incredible sights in the Caribbean.
Where Is The Most Beautiful Caribbean Island Located?
The most beautiful Caribbean island is located in the Windward Islands within the southern end of the Lesser Antilles. This island is St. Lucia; it is considered the most beautiful island in the Caribbean due to the fact that it has the Pitons, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Caribbean does not only have one kind of beauty. The most beautiful beach is located in Grenada, which is about 100 miles north of Venezuela.
The most beautiful location for hiking in the Caribbean is the Virgin Islands National Park in St. John. The cities of Willemstad and Old Havana are considered home to the most beautiful man-made architecture.
Sources include The Planet D, St. Lucia Loop News, World Atlas, Travel and Leisure Magazine, TravelSavvy, National Geographic, Architectural Digest, U.S. News, World Reports, and UNESCO.
What is the Most Beautiful Island in the Caribbean?
No matter where you decide to travel in the Caribbean, you will find beaches, nightlife, outdoor adventure, and contemporary culture. You simply can’t go wrong on a Caribbean vacation. However, if you really press both locals and travel writers, everyone will tell you that St. Lucia is the most beautiful island in the Caribbean.
There are a few things that set St. Lucia apart from the other islands in the Lesser Antilles, namely the Pitons, the variety of natural beauty, and the marriage of the environment with man-made innovation.
What Should I See in St. Lucia?
When you plan a trip to St. Lucia, be sure to set aside a day to hike the Pitons. These are towering volcanic spires that are located on the southwest side of the island. The Petit Piton is 2,438 feet tall and the Gros Piton is 2,530 feet tall; they can be seen from everywhere on the island. The Pitons are each designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their history and unique beauty. Within the Piton Management Area, there are 2,162 acres of sea where colorful coral reefs are preserved.
If the Pitons are too challenging of a hike St. Lucia has other beautiful attractions with less elevation change. Visitors can also visit Pigeon Island National Park, where untouched forests rise over white sand beaches and are home to a variety of natural flora and fauna.
The Diamond Botanical Gardens is also ideal for visitors because it is home to a color-changing waterfall.
For water lovers, St Lucia, like every island in the Caribbean, has excellent snorkeling. In 2017, the Anse Chastanet Reef won the USA Today Readers Choice Tourism Award.
What sets St. Lucia apart from other islands is that it is home to the Sulphur Springs where you can relax in natural geothermal hot tubs and enjoy the healing properties of sulphurized water.
In terms of man-made attractions, there is Marigot Bay, which is a fixture of both Hollywood movies and classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novels. The bay combines the natural beauty of the ocean and the palm trees with the chic seaside architecture and the magnificence of sail boats on the horizon.
Where Is the Most Beautiful Beach in the Caribbean?
You will have an incredible experience at any beach in the Caribbean, but the most stunning of them all is Grand Anse Beach in Grenada. It is located on the southwest coast of Grenada, which is around 6 miles from St. George’s.
Grand Anse Beach is a 2 mile long stretch that has almost creamy white sand and pristine water. If you look out into the bay, you can watch colorful fishing boats cruise the water. On the other side of the beach is an assortment of locally owned restaurants, hotels, and shops that are a shining examples of classic Caribbean architecture.
What sets Grand Anse Beach apart from the other beautiful beaches and snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean is the Underwater Sculpture Park. Visitors can rent diving gear or take a snorkeling tour to see the underwater art museum.
It was originally created to help the underwater ecosystem thrive after the coral reefs were devastated by hurricanes; now, the Underwater Sculpture Park is a key part of the beach’s unique charm.
Where Is the Most Beautiful Caribbean Island Hike?
The Virgin Islands National Park located on the island of St. John holds the title for the best hiking in the Caribbean. The national park covers over 60% of the island and has several different types of terrain.
When travelers explore the 20+ winding trails, they will be able to walk under the rich canopy of the rainforests and then step into the sun on the white sand beaches.
The national park has hikes for all skill levels and travelers of all ages; you can pick a flat hike or scale the rolling hills.
What makes the Virgin Islands National Park so unique for hiking is the fact that the rainforests are not completely untouched. Hikers can stumble upon hidden gems, like abandoned cabins, an abandoned sugar mill, and an abandoned mine. These sites are a window into the island’s past and a beautiful marker of how nature eventually takes everything back.
Where Is the Most Beautiful Architecture in the Caribbean?
Most tourists come for the beaches and then fall in love with the architecture and the people. Architecture in the Caribbean is something to behold because it marries Art Deco, Georgian, and Dutch Colonial architecture together while adding the color and energy indigenous to the Caribbean.
There are 2 beautiful cities that are shining examples of the best Caribbean architecture. They are Old Havana in Cuba and Willemstad in Curaçao; both historic sites have been preserved as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Old Havana, Cuba
Since so many cruise ships dock in Havana, it is easy for tourists to come see the historic part of the city. Whether you are coming off a relaxing cruise or on a self-guided tour of your own, you will love the colorful and bold plazas that capture the best of baroque and art deco design.
There are a few features that make Old Havana one of the most beautiful areas in the Caribbean. The most eye-catching is the range of color that covers each of the 5 plazas and the surrounding buildings.
The style of the windows came out of the enlightenment period in Cuba; in place of stained glass, the colorful window designs are made from wood, lead, and iron to mimic the appearance of stained glass in churches. These windows offered both style and pre-air conditioning ventilation.
Willemstad, Curaçao
Willemstad in Curaçao is another beautiful and colorful Caribbean city that is designed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architecture strongly represents the Dutch colonization of the island, but includes touches that are unique to both Curaçao and the Caribbean as a whole. Willemstad remains a time capsule of the cultural exchange that took place in the 1700s. Several buildings in the preserved area are still in operation, including Sint Anne Bay, Fort Amsterdam, and the United Protestant Church.