Holidays to Caribbean 2025: The best islands to visit unveiled - including the hidden gem, and the top hotspots for foodies and for best beaches

The result is a ranking of the seven best islands, plus one island named as the top under-the-radar gem. Which? Travel says: “Caribbean sunshine lights everything up in technicolour, from the bold local markets and beach bars, to the shining Carnival costumes and the darting shoals of fish swimming through its reefs.

“Here, everything feels as bright as a glass of freshly made rum punch and as hot as a scotch bonnet pepper. Our guide gives you a tour of the most captivating destinations in the Caribbean.”

BEST FOR FOODIES AND TOP OVERALL

Despite its small size, Which? Travel noted that Grenada was rated the best Caribbean island overall. The consumer magazine says: “It's known as the Spice Island, due to the nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and ginger that thrive in its tropical soils.

“With flavours such as these flourishing, it's no surprise that Grenada has developed a name as one of the region's great foodie destinations. While there is a selection of dedicated gastro tours around Grenada, one of the best is at the Belmont Estate, where you can enjoy a bean-to-bar tour of the cacao plantations and learn how to make your own chocolate.”

BEST FOR BEACHES

“The islands of Antigua and Barbuda claim to offer a different beach for every day of the year”, notes Which? Travel. It adds: “And while it would be a fun challenge to test that out, most people visiting this tiny nation rightly make for the enticing wide sands of Half Moon Bay.”

The consumer champion also recommends visiting Nelson's Dockyard, one of the Royal Navy's biggest Caribbean bases during the Age of Sail and climbing up to Shirley Heights 'for the best view in the islands'. The satellite island of Barbuda, meanwhile, is 'more than worth a day trip'. It's a 15-minute hop away by light aircraft and is a 'particularly great spot for birdwatchers'.

BEST FOR CULTURE

Barbados is 'blessed with picture-perfect beaches', notes Which? Travel. It adds: “But holidays aren't made on pretty buildings alone, and Barbados's intangible heritage is one you'll enjoy on the plate and in a cocktail glass.

“No visit should be considered complete without a trip to the beachside village of Oistins, home to an enormous fish fry every Friday and Saturday. Wash it all down with regional specialities from a local rum shop. As the first place in the Caribbean where sugar was grown, Barbados claims to be the spiritual home of the drink.”

BEST FOR WILDLIFE

Inland Trinidad and Tobago is dominated by rainforests and mangroves 'fringe the coastline', notes Which? Travel, which points out that 'these habitats, along with the islands' proximity to South America, help make it one of the best birdwatching destinations in the Caribbean'.

BEST FOR MUSIC

Which? Travel says: “Jamaica is the one Caribbean island that comes with its own soundtrack already preloaded into your brain: Bob Marley. The man and the anthem One Love is everywhere you turn. The capital, Kingston, has done a lot of work to reinvent itself as a capital of the arts.”

BEST FOR NATURAL SCENERY

St Lucia is an island that 'overflows with five-star scenery', trumpets Which? Travel. It explains: “This is thanks to a green and crumpled landscape formed by a great mountain range that erupts straight out of the Caribbean Sea and is pocked with idyllic bays lined with creamy sand beaches.”

UNDER-THE-RADAR GEM

The magazine reveals: “It's taken some time for the Turks and Caicos Islands to build up a tourism profile, so they're so easy to miss: a set of 40 or so low-lying sandy cays fringed with reefs, just south of the Bahamas. The capital Providenciales (or Provo as it's universally known), on the main island of Caicos, is the gateway to Grace Bay, an extravagantly unbroken 12-mile stretch of perfect beach. This is where you'll find the best hotels, resorts and restaurants, as well as chances to snorkel to coral reefs from the beach.”