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Insider guides to the Caribbean

From the little-known islands of St. Kitts and Nevis to Bermuda – here, insider guides to all the places in the Caribbean you can’t wait to get back to or visit next year.

Read all 107 Insider Guides from around the world here.

93. St. Kitts & Nevis

Insider: Racquel Brown, CEO, St. Kitts Tourism Authority, on the best swimming spots to be found in this blissful two-island country floating in the Caribbean Sea

St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Kitts & Nevis… a blissful two-island country floating in the Caribbean Sea.

All of the beaches in St. Kitts & Nevis are public and there’s quite a few that are popular with locals and less frequented by visitors.

Frigate Bay

Frigate Bay with its tranquil waters and golden sand is a popular choice. The beach at Frigate Bay is undergoing beach renourishment to prevent erosion and keep it beautiful for all who love to frequent.

Stop by the Beach Bar at Frigate Bay.
Stop by the Beach Bar at Frigate Bay.

South Friars

South Friars is a beautiful beach with clean waters. Rent chairs and an umbrella from Carambola Beach Club or check out one of the other beach bars and grills, and take in the view with some light bites and refreshing drinks.

Sandy Bank Bay

Sandy Bank Bay offers beautiful views and unusually calm waters for the Atlantic. With no restaurants or water sports companies in the area, Sandy Bank Bay is one of the island’s most secluded beaches.

Cockleshell Bay

For sparkling turquoise waters head to Cockleshell Bay. From here, take in the beautiful views of St. Kitt’s sister island Nevis while you sip on a fresh drink from the popular Reggae Beach Bar, the renowned Spice Mill Restaurant, or one of the other beach bars.

94. Bermuda, Caribbean

Insider: Nicole Golden, owner of lifestyle store Urban Cottage

What is the ultimate reason people should visit Bermuda?

Bermuda is unlike anywhere else in the world. Not only is the island a beautiful paradise, but the history and culture is rich and vibrant. We are this tiny isolated rock in the middle of the Atlantic that has been a key part of the world for over four centuries.

Bermuda
Bermuda is unlike anywhere else in the world.

What are the classic things first-time visitors to Bermuda shouldn’t leave without seeing/doing?

Getting out on a boat to go for a cruise, listen to music and watch the sunset is a perfect day any time of the year.

The historic town of St. George is over 400 years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the cobblestone streets, learn about Bermuda’s incredible history, and explore the centuries-old buildings including the oft-photographed Unfinished Church!

the Unfinished Church in the historic town of St. George.
Find the Unfinished Church in the historic town of St. George.

And what would you recommend that only locals might know about?

A raft-up is a uniquely Bermudian event. Boats tie up alongside each other and we have a party in the ocean. There can be as few as three boats or several dozens, but it’s an experience like no other.

Exploring Bermuda
The colourful houses of Bermuda are a sight to behold.

The fish sandwich is a bit of a foodie staple in Bermuda; can you describe what this is and where we might find the best ones?

The Bermuda fish sandwich is local fried fish served on raisin bread, and then you add whatever toppings you like. (Most prefer coleslaw, hot sauce and tartar sauce!) Popular spots are Mama Angies in St. George’s, Seaside Grill on North Shore and Woody’s in Somerset.

How does your store Urban Cottage, based in the capital city Hamilton, reflect the spirit of Bermuda?

Urban Cottage is a unique space as it is an eclectic mix of the old and new. The URBAN is our fashion forward apparel and collection of unique new finds. We are also known as a social hub, with our unique pop-up events and on social media outlets, mainly Instagram stories.

Urban Cottage in Hamilton Bermuda
Urban Cottage is an eclectic mix of the old and new

The interior decor of the shop is what I call the COTTAGE, it’s outfitted with antiques and family heirlooms. Many of the trunks and decor that litter the store are from my great to great great grandparents. Many visitors to the store get a little part of Bermuda’s history as well a bit nostalgic for days gone by.

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8 grand journeys across Latin America

    Continue
    From camping along alpine meadows in Patagonia to cruising the Amazon, these are the best Latin America journeys to tick off your bucket list.

    1. The Q Circuit in Patagonia

    Travelling with: Emma Ventura

    the Torres del Paine mountains in Patagonia, Chile
    A turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks at Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park. (Image: Getty/ MBPROJEKT_Maciej_Bledowski)

    Tolkienian peaks, pristine lakes and snow-bloated rivers are highlights for most visitors spending a couple of days in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. But for the more intrepid, the real rewards come from a 10-day solo circumnavigation of the Q Circuit, camping along tracks that become more sparsely trodden the further you head into the park’s astonishingly diverse landscape – think glacial passes and granite spires, alpine meadows and forest paths. Five-star lodges might provide a break from Patagonia’s infamously feisty weather, but there’s nothing like carrying your own kit, a chance encounter with an elusive puma, and a crackling wood stove in a remote refugio for delivering the kind of fulfilment that money just can’t buy.

    2. The jungles of Central America

    Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

    women traversing the Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
    The Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna are perched above the forest floor.

    Emerging from the seas millions of years ago, the isthmus that is Central America is a tropical sanctuary of jungle-clad volcanoes, thunderous waterfalls and mist-shrouded rainforests, fringed by coral reefs. At its heart, Costa Rica is the land of pura vida (pure life), a tiny country that is home to six per cent of the world’s biodiversity – think toucans, macaws, anteaters, tapirs, jaguars, sloths – with verdant rainforest carpeting more than half the country. It’s a land to explore on two feet, two wheels and with two paddles. Do all three on Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Costa Rica: Hike, Bike & Raft tour and G Adventures’ 16-day Costa Rica Adventure.

    a toucan in the rainforest of Costa Rica
    A rainbow-billed toucan in the rainforest of Costa Rica. (Image: Getty/Freder)

    3. Dance across Latin America

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    samba dancing in the street, Brazil
    Put on your dancing shoes in Latin America. (Image: Getty/Pollyana Ventura)

    Don your tassels and get flirty cha cha-ing in Havana. Feel the heat dancing Argentine tango at a milonga in Buenos Aires. Hear the pulse of percussion as you samba in Rio. In Latin America, movement is an expression of culture, celebration and passion. You don’t have to be a professional to partake, and there are plenty of dance schools where foreigners can learn the basics. It’s easy as one-step, two-step, cha-cha-cha.

    4. Hike to Colombia’s Lost City

    Travelling with: Sarah Reid

    the terraces of Lost City, Colombia
    The Lost City is Colombia’s best-kept secret. (Image: Getty/Charly Boillot)

    Reaching the ancient ciudad perdida (‘Lost City’) of Teyuna hidden within the steamy jungles of northern Colombia is a surreal moment, amplified by the challenging three-to-five-day return trek to get there. Built by the Indigenous Tairona People around 800 CE, this labyrinthine complex of stone staircases and circular platforms has only been partly excavated since treasure looters stumbled upon it in 1972. Limited tourism infrastructure adds to the Indiana Jones vibe. Intrepid Travel’s new Lost City Trekking in Colombia tour includes a respectful visit to a Wiwa community to learn more about their Tairona Ancestors and traditional way of life.

    5. The Galápagos Islands

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    the Observation Lounge at the top of the Silversea ship
    Visit the remote Galápagos Islands on a Silversea cruise.

    Expect the brackish air around the Galápagos Islands to be mixed with the gritty odour of bird droppings and pungent tang of sea lion BO. Twist your binoculars until the black eye of the giant Galápagos tortoise fills the other end, and you might imagine yourself to be quite the adventurer centuries after the inhabitants of these islands inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Get onboard a cruise with operators like Silversea, HX Expeditions, Celebrity Cruises and Metropolitan Touring to see the remote archipelago of 19 islands loom into view just 900 kilometres off the coast of mainland Ecuador.

    a blue-footed booby on the Galapagos Islands
    A blue-footed booby on the Galapagos Islands. (Image: Getty/Bruce Campos)

    6. Pantanal, Brazil

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    a Jaguar walking on the banks of a river, South Pantanal, Brazil
    Spot a jaguar in the world’s largest tropical wetland. (Image: Getty/ Dgwildlife)

    Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is reportedly one of the best places on Earth to spot jaguars. This vast landscape of flooded plains and savannahs also shelters more than 650 species of birds (such as the toucan and hyacinth macaw) as well as various reptiles including the yellow anaconda and cold-blooded caiman (a type of crocodilian). Add capybaras, giant anteaters, maned wolves, giant river otters and South American tapirs to your wildlife bingo card, too. And find a tour that includes piranha fishing, if you dare.

    7. Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    the salt flats in Bolivia
    Immerse yourself in the world’s largest salt flats. (Image: Getty/ Olga Gavrilova)

    Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni covers more than 10,500 square kilometres, making it the world’s largest salt flats. The salt flats of Uyuni were formed more than 40,000 years ago when several prehistoric lakes dried up and left a bed of rich minerals behind. Stay at Luna Salada, where the walls and furnishings are made from dense bricks of packed salt, so you can immerse yourself in this ethereal landscape. Visit southern Bolivia during the dry season when the salt crystallises into mesmerising shapes and patterns.

    8. The iconic sites of Peru

    Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

    scarlet macaws at a cliff in the Amazon
    The Amazon is home to diverse birdlife such as wild scarlet macaws.

    Hiking the Andes. Cruising the Amazon. It’s the stuff of legends. From the vast expanses of Lake Titicaca to the archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu to the Amazon Basin, one of the greatest remaining wildernesses on Earth, you can stitch Peru’s epic sites together on tour with andBeyond or Abercrombie & Kent. To sweeten the experience, both luxury operators are launching new state-of-the-art vessels on the Amazon River in September 2025 and July respectively.

    the superior suite onboard andBeyond Amazon Explorer
    Stay in a superior suite onboard andBeyond Amazon Explorer.