lmmarie3945

Hi! I'm travelling with a family of five: two very fit and active parents and 3 active children, 21, 18, and 16. We are very into hiking and usually, that's what we do for vacation: travel to national parks! But this year we want to try something different! We've never been to an island, let alone a beach destination. So I was wondering if any of you had any advice on whether we should go to Dominica, Guadeloupe, or Martinique? We will be there for about 7-10 days this June. We do not like being with other tourists too much, so we will probably rent a house or cottage through VRBO or Airbnb. We genuinely like attempting to have a 'local experience' by going to local markets or eating at local places like residents of the destination do instead of staying at all-inclusives and aren't concerned about luxury.
My primary concerns are:
We HAVE to have other quality activities than just relaxing on beaches otherwise, we will not enjoy the trip. But, we would like to have nice beaches and waters (better than Central American countries beaches) otherwise, that would defeat the purpose of coming to the Caribbean instead of going to Costa Rica or Belize.

So, I was curious which island would have the best balance of adventure (hiking, snorkeling, etc.), Caribbean attributes (nice beaches, blue water, island vibe) and potentially charming towns (this would be more of a bonus than a necessity). Also, anyone knows anything about the quantity of wildlife of the island, let me know- we really love animals.
if anyone can rank the priciness of each island, I'd be very grateful.

I also understand that Dominica suffered damage from Tropical storm Ericka. Does anyone know how much this would affect a trip there- nature, hiking, and beach wise?

I have seen contrasting posts between people saying Martinique is more 'touristy' but 'wilder' than Guadeloupe and that the people are ruder but, that Guadeloupe has a volcanic part and limestone part which makes it better to explore. Anyone have experience or a strong opinion about either?

The primary things that are holding me back from booking a trip to Dominica are: the potential that the storm damage took too big a toll on the environment and the french culture of Martinique and Guadeloupe has proven to be very enticing.

So if you have been to all three islands, two islands, or even one, please feel free to share your experience! If you think that I should island hop from any of these three and spend like five days each in two of them, please let me know your opinion!
Thanks so much, I appreciate your advice and time.

eastenderusvi

Dominica: Tropical storm Erika was in August, 2015. The majority of damage was in the south east, not really a tourist area. While perhaps houses haven't been rebuilt, if you check, I bet most of the eco-tourism hotels/cottages (where I would recommend you look) are fine. There are hot springs, rivers, and hiking galore. Because of the mountains, the beaches will not be picture perfect.

Martinique: Has some beautiful beaches in the south. Fascinating history in St. Pierre (research the eruption of Mt. Pelee in 1902). French food! (Do you speak some French?)

Guadeloupe: Eh. I'm not sure it's what you are looking for. Although Isles des Saintes is one of my favorite destinations...

You didn't have St.Lucia on your list. It has most of the stuff you are looking for and is connected to Martinique by ferry. The south is wild hiking territory and the north has beaches...

Animals: St Lucia has parrots and snakes out in the sticks. Dominica has parrots. I can't think of any special animals for the other places, although there are more underwater than above.

In the Caribbean you have to give up something. The large green mountainous islands have tons of rain and run-off, leading to less clear blue water and darker sand beaches. The flat,scrubby islands have white, coral beaches, but don't have the look of Shangri-la.;-)

Whathello

Guadeloupe.
We did a lot of walks (helped by a stike of gas stations...), some snorkeling, one scuba diving, some visits inland (a zoo, some springs/falls, visited a very great park close to deshayes (former villa of Couche, french humorist).

French food but not as good as say in St Martin, people are probably nicer to US than french or frenchspeaking (if people don't like the French, I'm not going to explain the difference with a belgian).

Dominica - meaning dominican republic ? Didn't find it quite thrilling but maybe not seen in the best of ways.
Martinique is said to be nice (we've friends living there so it is on a to do list).

I'd recommend Cuba - but don't know if you can visit freely (seems US can't and you may be US).

We loved Saint-Martin - you may want to read my tripreport, we jsut spent 2 weeks there end of jan.

lmmarie3945

thank you for the input!

docjules

Of the three islands you mentioned I think Guadeloupe is the best option. It is generally less pricy than Martinique and offers a little more than Dominica, especially on the beach side. It is a good mix of upscale and down-to-earth Caribbean. The people are friendlier than in Martinique and you will probably get along easier there if you do not speak French compared to being in Martinique.
I believe it will be a great learning experience for your children. I travelled there in 1990 when I was 17 years old but have maintained connection. I plan to visit again. It is not tourist box St. Martin but it is real on all fronts. The wildlife there is similar to most of the Windward Islands(not overwhelming) but there is the added attraction of the zoological gardens. I am sure your family will enjoy the nature trails with those Indiana Jones type (rope and wood) bridges leading to waterfalls and natural plunge pools. Guadeloupe tends to be more embracing of the non-French Caribbean culture than Martinique and maintains close connection with Dominica and Antigua.
Do not rule out Dominica but you may have to find someone on the ground there that can give you an update on the Erika recovery. One thing about all the Caribbean islands, they tend to bounce back quickly from the effects of hurricanes; so I hardly believe Erika's effects are going to be a hindrance.

Whathello

Salut Jules

Just a remark : for me there is Saint-Martin - french side, still wild and Sint Marteen - full of shops, hotels and living from mass tourism.

mvg

Jimmie

I think St Martin is very different than what the OP is looking for.