5 Less Touristy Caribbean Destinations for a Relaxing Vacation

I was born and still live in the Caribbean and I think it’s an amazing place with interesting people. One of my goals in life is to visit all the Caribbean islands. Some places I even want to go back a second and third time because it was so good. But, sometimes on my travels I feel for a slower vibe where I could just kick my feet up and play a game on my phone and tell myself “In 5 minutes, I’ll head to the beach and have a martini”.

This article focuses on one angle of Caribbean travel. For a broader overview of the region, start with this Caribbean travel guide. And if you want to do Caribbean solo travel, my guide is a great way to learn how.

90% of my trips are full on adventure and road trips. Running here and there to do the next hike on the itinerary, climb the next volcano, try the famous food joint we planned to visit for months. Although that’s what I love to do and I love the adrenaline, sometimes I want a less touristy Caribbean destination for a relaxing vacation. In this travel guide I am going to talk about Caribbean destinations where tourism exists, but it hasn’t fully taken over the island just yet.

Flight | Hotel | Car

Dominica

Dominica is known as the nature isle of the Caribbean and it’s one of the best Caribbean destinations for adventure travel. From the first drive out the airport, something felt different. We rented a car and left the airport towards our Airbnb at 10pm. When we put the destination in Google maps, it told us to drive through the “interior”. That’s what the locals called it. After driving through the interior only for a few minutes, I realized there’s almost nothing here. No lights, barely any homes and surrounded by forest.

I stayed in a little beach town called Mero and it felt we were in our own little world. We would walk about 10 minutes to the beach. A little further down there was a grocery where we could get drinks and snacks and at night there was a local Pizza place only a short drive away.

The tourist infrastructure in Dominica is not dead, it’s just not flamboyant with the promotion and advertising as some other islands. Also, I personally think that having only black sand beaches and not any white sand and blue water beaches with resorts lining the shore makes people not consider here for their “ideal” vacation. A lot of people that come to the Caribbean want luxury in a hotel or a large resort, surrounded by hundreds of other tourists. Others, sometimes want an eco-lodge in the mountains and a river in your back yard, with no one else around.

I wasn’t surprised to learn that Dominica is one of the most peaceful and relaxing destinations in the Caribbean. It’s so peaceful and quiet that it was actually difficult to plan our activities when it got dark. Because everything would be closed. What Dominica has no shortage of is serene nature. I really like the waterfalls in Dominica, especially Salton and Emerald Pool.

The best way to experience Dominica for an adventure seeker is to rent a car and just go road tripping every day. Research things to do in Dominica, put it in Google Maps and drive there. Nothing is ever crowded nor does it have a complex system around it like lines, bookings and stuff like that. Dominica is basically for tourists who prefer nature rather than nightlife and crowded beaches.

There are some amazing things to do in Dominica. You can hike to waterfalls, go whale watching, snorkeling and scuba diving, fishing, atv off roading and many other adrenaline pumping activities. If you’re just here for one day my 1 day in Dominica travel guide is a good place to start.

Where to stay in Dominica

• Fort Young Hotel-Historic waterfront hotel in Roseau.
• Rosalie Bay Eco Resort-Eco-friendly retreat on Dominica’s southeast coast.
• Tamarind Tree Hotel & Restaurant-Quiet hillside stay overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

St. Vincent

I always say that St. Vincent is like mix of Dominica and Antigua. It has a lot of nice beaches in the Grenadines, good food and regular life going on in St Vincent with some nice hotels and resorts scattered about. It’s not as nature driven as Dominica and not as luxurious and beachy as Antigua, but somewhere in between. This is an island I could stay in for a long time.

When I visited St. Vincent I tried to experience plenty of every aspect of the country. I stayed in a tiny Airbnb in a beach town called Buccament. We met locals that showed us where the best beaches are, where to buy food and even carried us for breakfast one time.

The pace was slow and everyone would come outside to talk and “lime” with each other. You can can walk 5 minutes to the beach where there are cozy beach bars and restaurants right on the sand. Everything here is quiet, waves are crashing, slow Caribbean music playing and our stay is just 2 minutes walking distance away.

For a more lively and active experience we visited Sandals for a day, stayed at a beachfront hotel in Arnos Vale and indulged in nightlife and fine dining. St. Vincent literally has everything while not being overly touristy and crowded. You can switch it up easily. I have a full day by day St. Vincent itinerary for anyone to follow, showing the best things to do, places to stay and things to eat.

There was one time where we were at a beach and there was a large cruise ship in port. All those tourists from the ship came to the beach in front of our hotel and it was really crowded. But, that is not the norm here by any means. Besides, it’s fun to get some liveliness and excitement in between the calm vibes sometimes.

St. Vincent is another one of those islands where you should definitely rent a car and just drive to every amazing food place, beach, restaurant and attraction. We experienced a moderate amount of traffic coming in and out of the capital Kingstown. Especially when we were driving around in circles looking for a place to park in the city. Kingstown feels like a busy place during the day with lot’s going on with local everyday life.

When you go to the Grenadines, this is where you can have the utmost peace and calm while swimming in some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. The Grenadines are much less populated than the main island, St. Vincent. But, it also has more things that tourists would enjoy. There are beachfront hotels and resorts, restaurants, private islands, tours, watersports…all while not being crowded with other tourists. Even at Port Elizabeth in Bequia, you’d see sailboats, hotels and resorts and it’s still calm.

Bequia was hands down my favorite part of visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The best things to do in Bequia are visiting Princess Margaret beach, lower bay and exploring Port Elizabeth and the Belmont walkway.

Best places to stay in St Vincent & the Grenadines

• Beachcombers Hotel-Affordable beachfront hotel near Kingstown.
• Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina-Convenient mid-range stay with marina access.
• Sunset Shores Beach Hotel-Simple beachfront option with easy access to local attractions.

Tobago

Tobago is the smaller sister isle to Trinidad and Tobago and it’s a totally different vibe. I like Tobago much better than Trinidad except for the high prices. While Trinidad has a large population and population density, almost no tourism and high crime rate, Tobago has white sand turquoise beaches, slow pace, safe and much more of a tourist destination. Tobago is a very tiny island with most of the roadway being on the perimeter of the island. It’s just one big loop.

Whenever my family I go to Tobago, we would bring our cars across on the ferry and rent a villa somewhere. We’d visit every beach, hike to waterfalls and try every tasty looking street food we could find. My favorite beach in Tobago is Bucco Beach.

In my experience, nowhere in Tobago felt over touristy, even the popular beaches like Pigeon Point feel calm and spacious at regular times and most of the other beaches remain empty. There are a lot of tiny villages scattered around the island and it balances local life with tourism.

Tobago also has a lot of nature to offer. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve cuts across the island and limits large development. Rainforest, hills, and protected land keep the island from feeling crowded. Nature is obviously one of the deciding factors in feeling less overwhelmed with people and busy life.

Places to stay in Tobago

• Tropikist Beach Hotel & Resort-Budget-friendly beach resort near Crown Point.
• Blue Waters Inn-Relaxed seaside hotel on Tobago’s northeast coast.
• Coco Reef Resort-Mid-range beachfront resort with easy access to Pigeon Point.

Anguilla

Anguilla is one of the most luxurious destinations in the Caribbean with some of the best beaches and resorts. But, it still remains one of the least hectic and crowded destinations in the Caribbean. There are no cruise ships, no crowded towns, and no nightlife districts pulling in large crowds. Anguilla places a ban on large cruise ships visiting the island. They wanted to be known as an island that pulls high quality tourists instead of mass tourism coming in droves. This reason alone is why you should consider Anguilla. Although it is a lot more expensive than the other Caribbean islands on this list.

A lot of people come over on ferries from St. Martin for a day trip to Anguilla and then head back. So, a lot of the tourists here will actually be people from St. Martin. Anguilla is also known for having some of amazing food and water sport activities. Some of the best places to eat in Anguilla are Blanchards Beach Shack, SunShine Shack, Veya, Tasty’s, Ken’s BBQ.

A lot of solo travelers and digital nomads who work remotely come here as well because of how nice everything is as well as the peace and quiet. The resorts have really reliable and fast internet and when work is done people can snorkel as Anguilla has some of the best snorkeling spots. Definitely rent a car in Anguilla as well. Since most of these Caribbean islands are very quiet and lacking a large busy population, there really isn’t that many cars. taxis or buses. It will also be better to explore with a car for sure.

Best places to stay in Anguilla

• Malliouhana: Lunch here with one of the nicest views ever.
• Four Seasons Sunset Lounge: Go for sunset — drinks are expensive but view is nice.
• Cap Juluca: Day pass gives you access to the beach + credits for food/drinks.

Bonaire

Bonaire is known mostly for it’s snorkeling and scuba diving and really beautiful beaches. Bonaire is one of the ABC islands in the southern most Caribbean, so it’s outside the hurricane belt, which is great. It means you can travel here in the off season with no worries. Bonaire is the least populated of the 3 ABC islands. I was shocked by how amazing and beautiful it looked.

The island is very small. One of the best ways to have fun and get around the country at the same time is to rent an ATV and just drive around visiting all the amazing beaches. There’s never anyone around at all. There are many cruises but it’s limited. A lot of the coastline remains protected. This keeps the island from tipping into mass tourism.

There is just one main town in Bonaire called Kralendijk and here is where everything happens on the island mostly. Outside of Kralendijk everything is just a big open dry space with little development. You can stay in Kralendijk on the outskirts near the beach. Places like Harbour Village beach club has an amazing beach right in front of it. What makes Bonaire feel less touristy is its focus. Visitors come for specific reasons, and that attracts a quieter crowd. There is little party culture and little nightlife because of the Dutch influence here and that’s great for having more things to do.

Best places to stay in Bonaire

• Buddy Dive Resort-Popular mid-range choice with excellent diving facilities.
• Eden Beach Resort-Comfortable beachfront resort close to Kralendijk.
• The Bellafonte Bonaire-Smaller upscale property with oceanfront apartments.

Here’s a guide on the cheapest Caribbean islands to visit that you can combine with some of these less touristy destinations.