19 Secret Caribbean Islands You’ve Probably Never Been To

They’re the kind of islands you dream about without even knowing their names. Quiet beaches, whispering trade winds, a few fishing boats moored offshore. These are the places that live just beyond the edges of the travel map — little slices of Caribbean that feel like they’ve been kept secret for a reason. They’re mostly small, remote, and unforgettable. And they might just change the way you see the Caribbean.

How did we narrow it down? All of these Caribbean islands are inhabited — so no private islands (you can find more on those here) – and they all have at least one place to stay — whether a vacation rental or a proper hotel or resort. But they should be all on your bucket list — or on the tickets you’re about to buy.

Carriacou, Grenada

Carriacou is a place where time dissolves into sea spray. Known as the “Isle of Reefs,” it’s ringed by impossibly clear water and beaches that seem built for afternoons that never end. The island is dotted with tiny fishing villages, rum shops, and quiet stretches of sand where you can walk for hours without seeing anyone. Hills roll down to turquoise shallows, and the rhythm here is slower, softer — a world away from the bigger resorts of the region. But it’s the water — and the spectacular beaches — that you’ll never want to leave (along with beach bars like this). It’s an easy trip from “mainland” Grenada to here — but it’s a world away — and one of the great undiscovered destinations anywhere in the Caribbean.