Top 10 Best Caribbean Islands You Need On Your Bucket List

By Ramotsamai Itumeleng Khunyeli

News Americas, New York, Nov. 7, 2025: Whether you’re planning a winter escape or dreaming up your next getaway, TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best is out – and these are the Top 10 best Caribbean Islands you need on your bucket list.

1.    Aruba

Aruba ranks among the top Caribbean destinations in TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best Awards. The island is known for its consistently sunny climate, turquoise waters, and extensive white sand beaches.

Oranjestad, the capital, features pastel-coloured architecture and is a popular spot for shopping, dining, and cultural activities. Eagle Beach is recognized as one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful beaches, notable for its divi trees and soft sand. Aruba maintains a low crime rate, contributing to a safe environment for tourists, including those interested in nightlife.

The island offers opportunities for snorkelling, diving, and other underwater activities.

2. Cuba

Number two on this year’s rank is Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean. It is celebrated for its cultural depth and historical significance, with Havana offering a striking blend of colonial architecture and contemporary rhythm. The UNESCO-listed town of Trinidad anchors the island’s Spanish colonial legacy, while Viñales Valley and Varadero Beach showcase Cuba’s natural diversity across 3,500 miles of coastline. Outdoor adventures range from hiking and waterfall excursions to coral reef diving and countryside exploration.

Cultural immersion is central to the Cuban experience, with live jazz, salsa, and son Cubano animating plazas, clubs, and street corners. The island’s civic identity is shaped by music, resistance and artistic expression, visible in its architecture, festivals and everyday life. From Havana’s nightlife to Trinidad’s sugar mill history, Cuba invites visitors into a layered narrative of pride and transformation.

Cuban cuisine reflects a fusion of Spanish, African, and Caribbean traditions, served in paladares that preserve culinary autonomy and local flavour. Dishes are often simple yet symbolic, featuring rice, beans, pork, and tropical produce alongside the island’s renowned rum and cigars. Eating here is a cultural act, rooted in heritage, improvisation, and resilience.

3. Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic ranks at number three. It is the Caribbean’s most visited destination, drawing over 10 million tourists annually to its 900 miles of coastline and renowned beaches like Punta Cana, Bavaro, and Playa Dorada. Visitors explore Puerto Plata’s cable car to Mount Isabel de Torres, the nightlife of Cabarete, and the historic capital Santo Domingo – home to the UNESCO-listed Colonial Zone and the first cathedral in the Americas. Inland, the country’s geography spans rainforests, deserts, and Pico Duarte, the region’s highest peak, alongside natural wonders like the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua and Los Haitises National Park.

Cultural life is anchored in merengue and bachata, with music and dance festivals animating cities and coastal towns throughout the year. Santo Domingo and other urban centres pulse with vibrant nightlife, while heritage sites preserve centuries of indigenous, Spanish, and African influence. The Dominican Republic’s identity is expressed through rhythm, architecture, and civic celebration.

Local cuisine reflects this blend, with dishes like sancocho, mofongo, tostones and fresh seafood offering bold flavours and historical depth. Meals are often communal and celebratory, rooted in seasonal abundance and ancestral memory. Eating here is a cultural immersion, where every bite tells a story of migration, adaptation, and pride.

4. Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico came in at fourth this year. It is recognized in TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best rankings for its blend of nightlife, cultural heritage, and natural attractions. Old San Juan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features Spanish colonial architecture, museums and centuries-old forts.

El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System and offers hiking, waterfalls, and diverse wildlife. Isla de Vieques, especially Mosquito Bay, is known for its bioluminescent waters. Puerto Rico’s culture combines Taíno, Spanish, and African influences, celebrated through music, dance, and festivals such as Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián.

The island’s cuisine reflects this cultural heritage, with dishes like mofongo, arroz con gandules, and lechón asado representing a fusion of indigenous, Spanish, and African culinary traditions, and fresh seafood highlighting the island’s coastal roots. Regional festivals and traditions are found throughout the island, from Loíza to Ponce.

5. Jamaica

Jamaica, recently impacted by Hurricane Melissa, ranks at fifth. It is known as “the land of wood and water” and offers a seamless blend of relaxation and adventure across its beaches, forests, and mountains. Visitors flock to Montego Bay for snorkeling and shopping, unwind in Ocho Rios spas, and hike the UNESCO-listed Blue and John Crow Mountains. Negril’s Seven Mile Beach and Dunn’s River Falls remain iconic natural attractions, drawing over 2.5 million tourists annually.

Cultural life pulses through Kingston’s music clubs, street murals, and the Bob Marley Museum, while heritage sites in Trelawny and the Accompong Maroon Festival preserve ancestral memory. Jamaica’s identity is shaped by Rastafarian traditions, Maroon resistance, and a civic rhythm expressed through crafts, festivals, and live performance. The island’s hospitality is legendary, grounded in pride and cultural continuity.

Jamaican cuisine is bold and symbolic, with dishes like jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish reflecting African, colonial, and indigenous influences. Meals are often communal and celebratory, rooted in spice, story, and seasonal abundance. Eating here is a sensory immersion into Jamaica’s layered heritage.

6. St. Martin/Maarten

Saint Maarten/Saint Martin came in at sixth on this year’s rankings. It is a 37-square-mile island shared by Dutch and French governance, offering a rare blend of Caribbean, European, and African cultures. Its terrain is compact yet varied, with rain forest-like hills, limestone caves, and 37 beaches, including Maho Beach, Orient Bay and Grand Case; each known for distinct experiences. Urban centres like Philipsburg and Marigot feature colonial architecture, open-air markets, and vibrant art scenes.

The island’s cultural calendar reflects its dual identity: Carnival on the Dutch side, Mardi Gras on the French, and the Heineken Regatta unite locals and visitors through music, dance, and sailing. Artistic life thrives in both capitals, with galleries, murals, and live performances shaping a shared rhythm across linguistic and political lines. Language, music, and civic traditions reflect a layered heritage of French, Dutch, African, Latin, and Caribbean influences.

Known as the “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean,” Saint Maarten offers over 400 restaurants rooted in diasporic and colonial traditions. French technique meets Dutch comfort food, while Creole and Afro-Caribbean flavours infuse dishes with spice and symbolic meaning. Meals here are cultural expressions – blending European refinement with Caribbean abundance.

7. St. Lucia

Coming in at seventh is St. Lucia. When was the last time you went out for a casual drive and ended up inside a volcano? A surreal scenario comes to life at La Soufrière, one of the most popular attractions in St. Lucia. Pack your skin with the medicinal mud of Sulfur Springs for a DIY spa treatment. Continue your eruptive adventures with a guided hike of the two volcanic plugs known as the Pitons then ascend Morne Fortune to take in the sweeping views. For an intimate beach experience, hit the private black sands of Anse Mamin.

Host for the springtime St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, this place is special for music loving good-vibe hunters. Adrenaline junkies also share in that centre stage as VIPs; the island caters to their high using two volcanic mountains: the Gros Piton and the Petit Piton, known as ‘The Pitons’, as a delivery mechanism for an exhilarating climbing experience. Or an aerial ‘swoosh’ over and across the Chassin region’s rainforest – the ultimate high.

Honeymooners are not left out, sheltered by the island’s variety of isolated resorts on its white-powdered beaches and a littering of picturesque waterfalls, coral reefs and sulphur springs along its vista. This justifies its reputation as a top honeymoon destination. The cuisine exudes a cultural heritage epitomized by its namesake: Saint Lucy-of-Syracuse, who blesses your food as you eat like a local.

8. Curacao

Curaçao ranked at 8th out of 10 on the Top 10 List this year. It is a diver’s paradise, offering everything from deep wall dives to family-friendly snorkelling along its 35 beaches. The island’s capital, Willemstad, is a UNESCO World Heritage City known for pastel-coloured buildings, floating bridges, and vibrant districts like Punda and Otrobanda. Inland, Christoffel National Park provides hiking trails and wildlife encounters, while museums such as Kura Hulanda and Savonet preserve the island’s layered history.

curacao

Curaçao’s cultural identity is a fusion of African, Dutch, Jewish, Latin American, and Caribbean influences, reflected in its festivals, street art, and civic traditions. Events like Carnival and the Kaya Kaya Street Art Festival animate the island year-round, while local markets and galleries in Willemstad showcase contemporary expression. The island’s heritage is visible not just in architecture and art, but in the rhythm of daily life.

The cuisine, known as Krioyo, blends African, European, Caribbean, and Latin American flavours into dishes that are both hearty and symbolic. Meals often reflect Curaçao’s diasporic roots – featuring stewed meats, salted fish, and plantains prepared with layered technique and communal intent. Dining here is a cultural act, rooted in memory and migration.

9. Barbados

At ninth on the rankings is Barbados. The island, the birthplace of Rihanna, is know for romance and adventure are in the air on this lush West-Indian Island in the Caribbean, depending on your coast. To the west, you’ll find calm waters and good swimming. To the east, there are massive, competition-caliber waves. Wherever you stay, expect turquoise waters, fine soft sand beaches, catamaran cruises and delicious island fare.

The easternmost island in the Caribbean, Barbados is home to the world’s oldest commercial rum distillery – Mount Gay, where its most iconic rum is produced. The people of Barbados, known as ‘Bajans’, have preserved many British traditions such as afternoon tea, cricket, and horse racing, even after gaining independence in 1966. These customs have been blended with their native and West African heritage, creating a unique, composite way of life.

It’s low crime rate, a fact characteristic of the greater Caribbean region, supplements the experience of its varied amenities and excursions; one especially important for experiencing its vibrant nightlife also heralded by one of its homegrown – Rihanna.

10. Guadeloupe

Rounding out the Top 10 is Guadeloupe, the French Caribbean island. Its capital, Basse-Terre, is known for its colonial architecture, bustling markets and vibrant Creole culture. Annual festivals celebrate African heritage, Caribbean music and local traditions, while sites like the Memorial ACTe Museum and Fort Delgrès offer powerful insights into the island’s history of slavery and resistance. Nature is equally compelling, with La Soufrière Volcano, Guadeloupe National Park, and the Cousteau Reserve offering hiking, waterfalls, and world-class diving.

Local markets pulse with fresh produce, handmade crafts, and live Creole music and dance, creating a civic rhythm that blends commerce with cultural expression. The town’s artistic and historical layers are visible in everyday life – from street performances to museum exhibitions. Guadeloupe’s identity is rooted in resilience, celebration and ecological richness.

The cuisine reflects this blend, marrying Creole spice with French technique and Caribbean abundance. Dishes often feature fresh seafood, tropical spices, and locally grown ingredients, served in ways that honour both ancestral memory and regional bounty. Eating here is a sensory and cultural experience, grounded in place and history.

From Aruba’s sun-kissed shores to Guadeloupe’s Creole charm, the Caribbean remains a mosaic of colour, rhythm, and resilience. Each island tells its own story – of freedom, flavour, and unforgettable beauty – waiting for you to explore, taste, and dance your way through. Whether you crave adventure, serenity, or culture, these destinations prove that paradise isn’t a fantasy – it’s just a flight away.