10 of the best lesser-known Caribbean escapes

Umbrella-lined beaches in Nassau and crowded all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic have shaped the classic Caribbean travel experience.

But many of the Caribbean’s most memorable experiences are found on islands offering an alternative style of stay — one where you can walk along volcanic black-sand beaches, hike inland to hidden blue holes and dig into local food with recipes rooted in Indigenous traditions, all with fewer crowds.

While living in the Caribbean for one wonderful season, I was lucky to visit so many islands that I lost count after two dozen. What I’ve gained is an appreciation for places that have preserved their unique charm, among so many others that strive toward replicating the playbook of Punta Cana. These are some of the best lesser-known islands in the Caribbean.

1. Saba

Arriving at the tiny volcanic island of Saba is an adventure in itself, from the 15-minute prop-plane ride from St. Maarten to landing on the world’s shortest commercial runway, tucked along the shores at the base of the volcanic cone at the island’s center. 

With just 2,000 residents spread across four quaint villages, locals on this Dutch Caribbean island will be calling you by name after the first few days, whether you spend your visit hiking to the top of Mount Scenery or diving into underwater canyons and around ancient lava flows hidden beneath the waves. 

The recent debut of the new Scenery Hotel raised the island’s total number of hotel rooms to just 140, meaning you’ll feel like you cross paths with far more locals than other visitors as you explore.

2. Andros Island, The Bahamas

Even though Andros Island is the largest island in The Bahamas, it’s also the most sparsely populated, drawing more fishermen who flock here to stalk bonefish in the island’s untouched shallows than vacationers.

Despite a few local landing strips where prop planes touch down from Nassau and even South Florida, much of Andros’ shoreline remains blissfully bare, its interior hiding cenote-like blue holes and just three main towns. A handful of boutique hotels now dot the shores for visitors who want to truly disconnect, including the luxe Caerula Mar Club, which remade a forgotten beachfront resort property into a design-driven gem.

3. Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Having only opened its international airport in 2017, St. Vincent and the Grenadines remains one of the least-visited island nations in the Caribbean, but it’s certainly not for lack of appeal. Just a short ferry ride south from the archipelago’s main island of St. Vincent, Bequia packs an impressive concentration of white-sand beaches into an island so small it can be crossed on foot. 

Those who know of this lesser-visited gem speak in whispers of its classic Caribbean beach bars and bluffs with gorgeous views stretching toward Mustique and the Grenadines, hoping that word doesn’t get out and an influx of visitors changes its charm.

4. South Caicos, Turks & Caicos

Sugar-fine sands on Providenciales have made Turks & Caicos a sought-after destination for years, but venture to some of the archipelago’s lesser-visited islands for similar beauty and just a fraction of the visitors. 

Just a half-hour flight or 90-minute ferry ride from Providenciales, South Caicos already feels a world away, though the eight-square-mile island known for its beautiful beaches welcomed its first direct flights from the U.S. since the 1980s in March 2025 and is easier to reach than ever. A few new luxury outposts like Sailrock South Caicos dot the sands, but despite increased interest in and access to the island, many of the beaches still remain bare, and the pace is decidedly slower than on Providenciales.

5. Sint Eustatius

Also known as Statia, the eight-square-mile Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius is similar in size to neighboring Saba but offers big potential for travelers looking for an active escape. The island of just a little over 2,000 residents is crisscrossed with hiking trails and dotted with historic monuments, with peaks offering sweeping views. It’s also surrounded by renowned dive spots and even a few wrecks, served by a few local dive shops and Golden Rock, a sustainable boutique property spread across 40 acres at the base of the island’s soaring volcanic cone. 

6. The Berry Islands, The Bahamas

Despite sitting midway between Freeport and Nassau, two of the busiest and most built-up destinations in the region, the Berry Islands remain a mostly uninhabited cluster of 30 islands and islets that preserve the blue waters and natural beauty of The Bahamas in a way few islands can. 

Cruise ships pass by the archipelago’s more peaceful islands on their way to CocoCay and Great Stirrup Cay, skirting past spots known for their world-class billfishing and spectacular snorkeling and diving among corals and blue holes. Even as visitor numbers to The Bahamas continue to grow at a breakneck pace, the Berry Islands still embody the laid-back feel of the country’s so-called “Out Islands.”

7. South Water Caye, Belize

While Ambergris Caye continues to draw nearly 30% of all visitors to Belize, equally stunning islands along the country’s coast like South Water Caye continue to slide under the radar. 

South Water Caye sits 14 miles from the coastal city of Dangriga and among the protected waters that hide the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world. The island has a few understated places to stay, but with island-hopping excursions to nearby Tobacco Caye, flights over the Great Blue Hole and even snorkeling right from the beach, it’s unlikely visitors will want to spend much time in their rooms.

8. Guna Yala, Panamá

White-sand islands fringed with palms welcome visitors to Guna Yala off the coast of Panamá, an archipelago that has intentionally turned away from mass tourism in favor of a community-first focus that feels wholly unique in the Caribbean. 

Formerly known as San Blas, these islands are still cared for and overseen by the Guna Indigenous community that has called them home for centuries and now stewards each visit in a way that has helped keep profits local.

For travelers, this means understated eco-friendly accommodations and locally guided island-hopping experiences, plus plenty of traditional island food that can’t be found anywhere else. It is a bit of a trek to get to Guna Yala, with a two-hour drive from Panama City before hopping on a speedboat to the islands’ main town of El Porvenir, but the unique experience is well worth the travel time. 

9. Anegada, British Virgin Islands

The low-lying coral atoll of Anegada feels like an unexpectedly classic Caribbean beach escape amid the craggy volcanic islands of the British Virgin Islands. However, its relative distance from the rest of the archipelago has kept it off most visitors’ radar. 

One of the island’s main attractions remains its mountains of conch shells towering above the waves, built up over centuries as fishermen discarded shells after harvesting the meat. Ferry and water taxi services from nearby islands dock at Anegada’s Setting Point, where local waterfront restaurants serve freshly cracked spiny lobster, the ultimate island specialty.

10. Mayreau, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Home to fewer than 300 residents and measuring only one-and-a-half square miles, Mayreau may be the ultimate off-the-beaten-path island in the Caribbean. Most visitors to this far-flung eastern corner of the Caribbean know it for its proximity to Tobago Cays Marine Park in the heart of the Grenadines, a protected patch of sea that hides some of the region’s best snorkeling and dive sites. But once the catamarans head home from the horseshoe-shaped Salt Whistle Bay at sunset, visitors are left with a charming island that still feels like the Caribbean of old.