Which is the best popular Caribbean island for a holiday?

Tamara Hinson

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Planning a Caribbean^* escape but not sure which island to set your sights on? Don't panic; we've donned our matchmaking hats and come up with the ultimate guide to the best islands for every type of holidaymaker, whether you're travelling with kids in tow or craving a romantic getaway.

Getting to the Caribbean: Find a stylish adults-only holiday with Sandals^*, which has luxury properties across the Caribbean.

Best for foodies: St Lucia

St Lucia^*, in the eastern Caribbean, has it all; family-friendly resorts, a fantastic food scene and some of the Caribbean's most striking beaches (all of which are public), despite being just 43 km long and 23 km across at its widest point.

A visit to a rum distillery should also be on your radar; we recommend Roseau Valley's St Lucia Distillers, which produces 25 varieties. Seafood reigns supreme here; try lambi (conch stew). For visitors with a sweet tooth, it's got ot be paime, a creole dessert made with coconut and cinnamon.

And when it comes to offsetting those calories? Tackle one of the trails which weaves up the side of the Pitons, two mountains on the island's west coast.

Our top tip? Never write off the rainy season, between June and November. Any showers will usually be short and sharp, and this is when hotels offer their lowest rates.

Climate in St Lucia

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	28	28	29	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	29	29
Hours of sunshine (daily)	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	7	8	8
Days with some rainfall	17	13	13	11	15	19	21	20	25	18	19	18
Sea temperature °C	27	26	27	27	28	28	28	29	29	29	28	28

Find out more about the climate in St Lucia.

Best for spectacular backdrops: Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic's beaches are some of the best in the Caribbean, and our favourite stretches of sand include Playa Encuentro, in the north, and Playa San Rafael.

A word of warning, the waves can quickly become rough at the latter, but then again, that's what makes the Dominican Republic special; its beaches, like the rest of its landscape, are wonderfully diverse.

This is a place where you can hike through stunning national parks (try the easy-going Valle de Dios trail, which weaves through Montaña La Humeadora National Park) or explore ancient rainforests; doing so doesn't mean basing yourself in remote corners of the island.

Stay in the tourist hotspot of Punta Cana, for example, and you'll be close to the beach as well as several coffee plantations which offer guided tours, and you'll also have the beautiful Anamuya Mountains as a backdrop.

Exploring these forested peaks is easy; most hotels and resorts offer guided tours or Jeep rides.

Climate in the Dominican Republic

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	29	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	31	30
Hours of sunshine (daily)	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	7
Days with some rainfall	14	11	10	9	12	12	14	15	14	16	14	15
Sea temperature °C	27	26	26	27	27	28	28	28	29	29	28	27

Find out more about the climate in the Dominican Republic.

Best for a crowd-free coastline: Grenada

Dreaming of a Caribbean holiday free from crowds but which still provides ample opportunity to feast on local cuisine, check out some seriously swanky spa hotels and connect with nature?

Grenada^*, in the eastern Caribbean, is famous for its wonderfully wild landscapes (its national parks include Grand Étang National Park, which has four of the island's highest peaks) and crowd-free beaches.

Our favourite hiking routes in Grenada include the nutmeg-lined trail, which starts in the village of Concord, on the island's west coast, and weaves past three waterfalls: Fontainebleau, strong>Concord and Au Coin.

Currently, boutique beach resorts and hotels still outnumber chain hotels here, although Sandals Grenada^* near its southern tip offers some serious adults-only luxury.

Climate in Grenada

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	29
Hours of sunshine (daily)	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	8	7	7	7	7
Days with some rainfall	14	9	10	7	13	17	20	18	17	17	20	18
Sea temperature °C	27	27	27	27	27	27	28	29	29	29	28	28

Find out more about the climate in Grenada.

Best for the range of resorts: Jamaica

This vibrant island of Jamaica^* is famous for its gorgeous coastline, rainforests and delicious cuisine, but it's also a magnet for those who simply want to stay put.

Why? It's got a staggeringly wide range of hotels and resorts, whether it's all-inclusive properties designed with family fun in mind (Beaches Negril^*, near the western tip of the island, is a fantastic example) or romantic retreats perfect for couples craving an exclusive escape.

Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios are all great destinations for holidaymakers, and all have a wide range of resorts, although we'd flag Negril as one of our favourite spots.

This is where you'll find the stunning Seven Mile Beach, which is lined with some of the island's liveliest bars; although families should consider heading for resorts near the quieter northern end.

Climate in Jamaica

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	31	30	30
Hours of sunshine (daily)	7	7	8	8	7	7	7	7	6	6	6	6
Days with some rainfall	7	6	6	7	11	12	13	13	14	16	11	8
Sea temperature °C	27	27	27	27	28	28	28	29	29	29	29	28

Find out more about the climate in Jamaica.

Looking for an affordable Caribbean escape? Don't miss our research-based guide to the Caribbean's cheapest destinations.

Best for adrenaline junkies: Dominica

Another eastern Caribbean island, Dominica, is famously diverse, although it's especially popular with hikers, including the growing numbers who come here to hike the 185-km Waitukubuli Trail, which is the longest hiking route in the Caribbean and can also be easily broken down into shorter sections.

The island is a magnet for snorkellers and divers, many of whom come here to spot sperm whales (which can be seen here year-round) and explore Champagne Reef, where underground vents fill the seawater with hot and cold bubbles of air. The best time to visit Dominica is between January and April, when it's warm and dry.

Climate in Dominica

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	29	29	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	31	30	29
Hours of sunshine (daily)	7	7	8	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	7	7
Days with some rainfall	18	14	15	14	17	19	21	20	23	19	19	19
Sea temperature °C	27	26	26	27	28	28	28	29	29	29	28	28

Find out more about the climate in Dominica.

Best for families: Aruba

Less crowded than the majority of Caribbean islands but just as easily accessible and with hotels for every budget, this southern Caribbean island, 29 km north of Venezuela, is a brilliant destination for families.

Accommodation options range from local guesthouses to luxury beachfront properties near the island's northern tip (our favourites include the Ritz-Carlton, which has a brilliant kids' club, and the Barcelo Aruba, where the lobby bar is the setting for nightly live music).

The island's varied landscapes are another crowd-pleaser. Cave-filled Arikok National Park is great for hikes and bike rides, while Aruba's western coastline is where you'll find its most enchanting beaches.

These include Eagle Beach, with its calm turquoise waters, and Mangel Halto Beach, a popular snorkelling spot. Head beneath the waves here to spot species such as angelfish, lionfish and blue tang.

Climate in Aruba

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32
Hours of sunshine (daily)	8	8	8	8	8	9	10	9	9	8	8	7
Days with some rainfall	8	5	4	3	4	5	7	6	6	9	10	10
Sea temperature °C	26	26	26	26	27	27	27	28	28	28	28	27

Find out more about the climate in Aruba.

Best for beach bums: Barbados

It's the sheer diversity of Barbados's beaches that makes this island's coastline so special. Rockley Beach, which is close to Bridgetown, has calm waters perfect for snorkelling and is a surefire hit with kids, who can hunt for crabs in its rockpools before cooling off in the shade of the casuarina trees.

Water sports fans will love Christ Church's Silver Sands Beach (one of the most popular surf spots in Barbados) and Bathsheba Beach on the east coast, while Alleynes Bay is a brilliant spot for sundowners; grab a seat at JuJu's Beach Bar and order one of the famous rum punches.

As for where to stay, if you're planning on spending most of your holiday on the sand, it's hard to beat the twin resorts of Sandals Barbados^* or Sandals Royal Barbados^*.

Climate in Barbados

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	28	29	30	30	31	31	30	31	30	30	29	29
Hours of sunshine (daily)	9	9	8	9	9	8	8	8	8	7	8	8
Days with some rainfall	13	8	8	7	10	15	18	16	15	15	17	14
Sea temperature °C	27	26	27	27	28	28	28	28	29	29	28	28

Find out more about the climate in Barbados.

Best for couples: Antigua

It doesn't get more romantic than Antigua^*, at the northern end of the Caribbean's Leeward Islands.

Despite its popularity, it's easy to escape the crowds here, whether it's with a sunset snorkel over its majestic coral reefs (the most spectacular of which line its south-west coast) or leisurely explorations of Nelson's Dockyard, a quaint UNESCO World Heritage site.

There's also a large number of adults-only hotels in Antigua, including Sandals Grande Antigua^*.

Climate in Antigua

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	28	28	29	29	30	30	31	31	31	30	30	29
Hours of sunshine (daily)	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	7	7
Days with some rainfall	16	13	12	11	14	14	16	16	17	17	17	17
Sea temperature °C	26	26	26	27	27	28	28	28	29	29	28	27

Find out more about the climate in Antigua.

Best for a culture fix: Cuba

A beautifully captivating island with a fascinating history, delectable cuisine and countless UNESCO World Heritage sites, Cuba should be on every traveller's hit list.

Start with Havana, Cuba's cigar-scented capital, but make sure you venture further afield to places like the UNESCO-listed Valle de Viñales, famous for its limestone peaks and quaint plazas, and coastal towns such as Baracoa, with its backdrop of waterfall-drenched mountains.

Our top tips for travellers heading to Cuba? Keep a roll of toilet paper to hand (it's in notoriously short supply here, especially in public facilities), steer clear of unofficial money exchanges (estafas, or forged notes, are common) and avoid confusion by remembering that most streets have two names; a modern one, and a pre-revolutionary one used by locals.

Climate in Cuba

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	26	26	28	29	30	31	32	32	31	30	28	27
Hours of sunshine (daily)	7	7	8	9	9	8	9	8	10	9	7	7
Days with some rainfall	6	7	5	5	9	13	10	11	13	13	9	7
Sea temperature °C	26	25	26	26	27	28	29	30	29	28	27	26

Find out more about the climate in Cuba.

Found your perfect Caribbean island? See the latest offers on luxurious breaks with Sandals.

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Tamara Hinson

Tamara Hinson is a freelance travel writer who loves getting off the beaten path. Specialising in adventure travel, she often covers outdoor activities such as snowboarding, mountain biking and scuba diving. Tamara's work features regularly in newspapers such as The Telegraph and The Independent along with numerous travel websites.

Posted on Tuesday 10th June 2025 in: Beach Caribbean Compare Luxury Winter sun

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