Caribbean Travel: Islands, Beaches, Food and Adventures
- Martin Hesp
- 3 hours ago
- 8 min read
There are few parts of the world that have tempted me back quite so often as the Caribbean.
I've been fortunate enough to travel around a number of the Caribbean islands, from Bequia and Grenada to St Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, Martinique, St Martin and tiny Petit St Vincent.
Perhaps it's the obvious things: the blue seas, white beaches, rum and sunshine. But after visiting quite a few Caribbean islands over the years, I've come to realise these aren't really the reasons I keep wanting to return.
The Caribbean is fascinating because every island has its own personality.
But after visiting quite a few Caribbean islands over the years, I've come to realise that these aren't really the reasons I keep wanting to return.
The Caribbean is fascinating because every island has its own personality.
Some are mountainous and covered in rainforest. Some are little more than rocky outcrops surrounded by impossibly blue water. Some have retained a distinctly British character, others French or Dutch influences, while many have developed cultures that are entirely their own.
And then there is the food.
Fresh fish, tropical fruit, spices, rum, chocolate, Creole cooking, Caribbean curries and dishes that tell the story of generations of people who have arrived on these islands from all over the world.
So this is my collection of Caribbean travel stories, gathered from my own journeys around the islands.
There are luxury hotels here, certainly, because I've been fortunate enough to stay in some spectacular ones.
But there are also markets, fishing villages, beach bars, rainforest walks and the sort of encounters that you simply can't manufacture.
The Caribbean islands I've visited
I've never been particularly good at simply lying beside a hotel swimming pool.
Give me a hire car, a small boat, a local guide or even a slightly dubious-looking track disappearing into the rainforest and I'm generally happier.
Over the years I've been lucky enough to explore a number of Caribbean islands, from the great favourites to smaller places where life appears to move at considerably less than normal speed.
Here are some of the stories.
Bequia is one of those Caribbean islands that seems to operate at its own speed.
I remember arriving by small island aircraft and being driven to the Bequia Beach Hotel in one of the ubiquitous pick-up trucks.
The whole island tour took only a few hours, but somehow we seemed to encounter beaches, viewpoints, little villages, restaurants, the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary and the wonderfully relaxed Port Elizabeth.
There was conch salad, strong rum punch and a beach that I rather rashly put into my personal top ten in the world.
Grenada is one of the Caribbean islands I remember particularly fondly because it offers so much more than beaches.
It has rainforest and waterfalls, the handsome little capital of St George's, Grand Anse, nutmeg and spices, cocoa, rum and mountains.
I drove around much of the island during my visit and discovered the sort of Caribbean landscape that makes you want to keep going simply to see what is around the next corner.
Read my Grenada travel story →
St George's, Grenada
I've also written separately about St George's, Grenada's colourful capital.
The town's steep streets, red roofs and beautiful harbour make it one of the most atmospheric towns in the Caribbean, while its history provides another reason to spend time away from the beach.
If there is one island that looks as though somebody has turned the colour saturation up too far, it is St Lucia.
The Pitons rise dramatically from the sea, the interior is thick with rainforest and there are beaches, fishing villages and the famous Gros Islet Friday night celebrations.
I've always thought St Lucia manages to combine spectacular scenery with a particularly strong sense of Caribbean character.
One of my St Lucia stories is really about food.
I spent time with chefs exploring the island's markets, gardens, herbs and local ingredients and discovered a side of Caribbean cooking that went considerably beyond the usual tourist clichés.
It's one of my favourite examples of how food can be a way of understanding a destination.
I have also written about the extraordinary Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet resorts.
When I first saw the place I thought it looked like somewhere James Bond might choose for a holiday.
Having subsequently stayed there, I decided I was probably right.
Barbados is rather different again.
It is sophisticated and prosperous, but there is still plenty of the old Caribbean character that makes the island so enjoyable.
I remember travelling along the Platinum Coast and seeing enormous villas belonging to the rich and famous sitting remarkably close to fish markets, rum bars and local restaurants.
That juxtaposition is part of Barbados's appeal.
Nevis is one of those islands where you quickly stop worrying about the clock.
There are beaches, rainforest, the looming bulk of Nevis Peak, historic Charlestown, former plantation houses, botanical gardens and some excellent food.
It feels quieter than many of the better-known Caribbean destinations.
And sometimes that is precisely what you want.
Martinique is completely different again.
This is the Caribbean with a French accent.
Mount Pelée dominates the north, there are dark volcanic beaches, lush rainforest and beautiful southern bays — but it is the combination of French and Caribbean culture that makes Martinique so fascinating.
And then there is rhum agricole, made from fresh sugar-cane juice rather than molasses.
I wasn't actually on Martinique for very long.
But I did once find myself being chased through a market after taking photographs.
Which, as travel experiences go, is difficult to beat.
They call St Martin the "Friendly Isle", which seems like a good start.
It is also one of the world's most unusual islands because it is divided between two countries.
The northern part is French Saint-Martin; the southern part is Dutch Sint Maarten.
There is also a serious food story here, with French, Caribbean and international influences all thrown into the same delicious melting pot.
Petit St Vincent is tiny. Very tiny.
But it is also one of those places where the size of the island is almost irrelevant because the whole point is to escape.
There are no televisions, no traffic and very little to interrupt the sound of the sea.
I wandered around feeling slightly like Robinson Crusoe, although admittedly Robinson didn't have quite such good food.
I've returned to the subject of Petit St Vincent in another piece, looking at the island through the eyes of those childhood fantasies many of us had about finding our own tropical desert island.
It's a little bit Robinson Crusoe. A little bit James Bond.
And perhaps, if I'm being honest, a little bit Martin Hesp's idea of heaven.
Caribbean food and drink
One of the things I love most about Caribbean travel is the food.
The islands are sometimes lazily lumped together as though they all eat the same thing.
They don't.
Every island has absorbed different influences and developed its own dishes, ingredients and cooking traditions.
In St Lucia, for example, I spent time exploring markets and working with chefs who were trying to rediscover local ingredients and traditional flavours.
In Grenada, the story is heavily influenced by spices, cocoa and rum.
In Martinique, French technique meets Creole cooking and rhum agricole.
And throughout the Caribbean, the sea inevitably finds its way onto the plate.
For me, food is one of the best ways to understand the Caribbean.
Caribbean hotels and island escapes
I've also been fortunate enough to stay in some extraordinary Caribbean hotels.
Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet in St Lucia are spectacular examples of hotels built into their environment rather than simply placed beside it.
The Bequia Beach Hotel gave me the chance to experience the much slower rhythm of Bequia.
Petit St Vincent offered something completely different: the fantasy of disappearing from the modern world altogether.
And that's another reason I enjoy writing about Caribbean hotels.
I'm less interested in whether a place has 300 rooms and five swimming pools than I am in what it feels like to wake up there.
Why I keep returning to the Caribbean
Perhaps it is because the Caribbean is so much more varied than the postcard suggests.
There are glamorous resorts and tiny fishing villages.
There are volcanoes and coral reefs.
There are French islands, British-influenced islands, Dutch islands and places where cultures have mixed together over centuries to create something entirely their own.
There are beaches where you can be completely alone and others where the rum punch is flowing and the music is loud.
And there are islands where the best thing to do is absolutely nothing.
That is probably why I keep going back.
More Caribbean travel stories to come
I've been fortunate enough to visit many parts of the Caribbean over the years, and this collection will continue to grow as I revisit some of my older travel stories and bring them up to date.
Some of the articles here are recent.
Others began life many years ago and have been refreshed with additional information.
But the important thing is that these are my travel experiences — the places I've visited, the people I've met, the meals I've eaten and the things that have stayed in my memory.
That's what I hope makes them useful.
Not because they tell you everything about an island.
But because perhaps one of them will make you want to go and discover it for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Caribbean Travel
Which Caribbean island is best for a holiday?
There isn't a single answer. Bequia, Grenada, St Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, Martinique and St Martin all offer very different experiences. The best Caribbean island depends on whether you want beaches, walking, food, culture, nightlife, luxury or simply somewhere quiet.
Which Caribbean island is best for first-time visitors?
Grenada and St Lucia are particularly good choices for first-time visitors because both offer a mixture of beaches, scenery, food, culture and activities rather than relying entirely on resort tourism.
Which Caribbean islands have the best beaches?
Many Caribbean islands have exceptional beaches. Bequia, Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and Petit St Vincent all feature prominently in my own Caribbean travels.
Which Caribbean islands are best for food?
St Lucia, Grenada and Martinique are particularly interesting for food lovers, although each has a very different culinary identity.
Which Caribbean islands are quieter?
Bequia, Nevis and Petit St Vincent are among the quieter destinations I've experienced. They offer a slower pace than some of the larger and more heavily visited Caribbean islands.
What is the Caribbean like for food travel?
Extremely interesting. Caribbean food combines Indigenous, African, European, Indian and other influences, producing remarkably different cuisines from island to island.
What is the best time to visit the Caribbean?
The Caribbean is warm throughout the year, but the generally drier period from around December to April is popular with visitors from Europe and North America. Weather patterns vary between islands, so individual destinations should always be checked before booking.
Which Caribbean islands have I visited?
This collection currently includes travel stories from Bequia, Grenada, St Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, Martinique, St Martin and Petit St Vincent, with further Caribbean stories to be added as the collection develops.
