Islands with minimal tourists
 

I have never been to the Caribbean before and am looking to plan a big trip as a reward to myself for graduating nursing school. Here's what I'm looking for in destinations:

1. Minimal tourists
2. Adventurous activity (hiking, rainforests, beaches, volcanoes)
3. Friendly cultures/ locals
4. Not interested in cruises, shopping, big resorts, tourist traps

Any suggestions??
Thanks friends, M

It's the Caribbean - it's all about tourists.

Forget Caribbean, you might like Costa Rica.

Or you have to give up something on your list, and trust me, places with your list will have tourists.

For example, not many tourists in Spanish Wells Bahamas, but no volcanos, hiking or rainforest
Saba not many tourists, no beaches

All volcanos attract tourists
All beaches attract tourists
Rainforrests and hiking you might have better luck

Dominica.

Dominica will fill all your requirements except the beaches - they are there but all black sand. Montserrat has an active volcano and you could combine Antigua with Montserrat - close proximity and you'd get everything between the two islands. St Lucia has a couple nice beaches plus the rainforest/hiking etc. You could of course try St Kitts & Nevis, 2 very nice sister islands with regular ferry service. Both have all your requirements.
To avoid the tourists try traveling out of season - avoid mid December to mid April/July and August. Out of season is also the cheapest time to travel.
You can get more info on all these destinations at www.destinationcaribbean.net.

St. Kitts cannot be described as having "minimal tourism" - it's been "discovered" and now gets numerous cruise ships. Nevis gets less tourists but like St. Kitts lacks "great beaches" - they are nice but not great. The volcanos on both islands are long dormant so if you are seeking active steam vents/lava flows you won't find them on St. Kitts or Nevis.

I agree with bajangirl that Dominica comes close to what you are seeking. You also might want to check out Grenada or St. Vincent - both of these have rain forests and very good to excellent hiking and there are areas where you won't see too many tourists but they will still be there.

You have to realize that most tourists are seeking the same things you are so they will be drawn to the places that offer rain forests, volcanos and, of course, beaches.

If you avoid the major islands like Jamaica, the dominican Republic, St. thomas, St. Martin, Aruba, etc. your chances of avoiding "tourism" increase dramatically but no matter where you go there will be tourists and "tourism - it's what drives the economy.

Good lucK choosing your "destination"

I do not believe there is any island in the Caribbean with no or even "minimal" tourists. It's simply too popular, too close geographically to the US, and basically what most of the islands' economies are based on. I would look instead to somewhere like Central America, Southeast Asia, Africa, if that's a requirement for your trip.

How bout going to Bequia in the Grenadines?

I know you said you weren't interested in Cruises...but this one you might be. www.islandwindjammers.com they have a 100 ft sailboat called the Diamant, it only holds 12 passengers. The ship is beautiful, the cabins are minimal but you have your own bathroom. The destinations are the Grenadines, you could go to islands like Bequia, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, St. Vincent...they get rave reviews...and if you want off the beaten path with a captain and crew to show you lovely islands, you might try them.

st lucia might work for you. has old volcano, rainforest with good hiking, some beaches although not the blindingly white sand people picture for the islands.
costa rica is a good idea. you can do a week interior doing volcano & rainforest stuff. check out arenal hot springs. then head to the west coast for beach time.
i solve the problem by renting houses rather than staying in resorts. you can be on a busy island & still feel away from everything when you get 'home'.
if you tell us what you will spend & where you fly from we can offer more specific suggestions.

Look at Monserrat, though beach options there are strictly limited.

St. Barth's has an airport that allows only planes with approximately 19 capacity, due to runway length.

I've been there 5-6 times. Great place.

Roatan, Bay Islands!! If you are traveling from the US direct flights are Atlanta & Houston Or Canada, Toronto. Enjoy the Caribbean!

I would suggest Grenada. It meets all of your criteria except "minimal" tourists. I would describe it as "moderate" tourists. No hotel may be taller than the palm trees, so that keeps traffic controlled. Yes, there are cruise ships that call here, but they are a fairly contained phenomenon. When you know the ship is coming, go away from the main beaches (like Grand Anse) and head into the rain forest or one of the windward beaches (La Sagesse or Bathways).

I would also second the suggestions for Central American destinations. Belize continues to feel like it's on the brink of being discovered, but it hasn't quite happened.

I second Grenada with a few days spent on the super friendly quiet island of Carriacou.
http://www.grenadagrenadines.com/dis...te-martinique/

Dominica, Saba and Montserrat for sure BUT Saba has no beach and the other two islands aren't know for theirs but they have the rest.

Of course what you consider minimal tourists and what another does might be different. May - October is quieter even with the more 'touristy' of the islands.

And, I can't believe I haven't suggested this before, but how about NEVIS? It actually meets all of your criteria, and even has some decent beaches. It takes a little bit of effort to get there -- either fly to St. Kitts and take the ferry over, or try (as I will soon) flying to St. Maarten and then taking a puddle jump over.

Depending on your budget, I highly recommend Nisbet Plantation as a place to stay. With about 30 units, it's one of the larger properties on the island, but that's an illustration of what kind of lodging is available in Nevis. Beyond the "touristy" Four Seasons, Nevis doesn't attract cruise ships, big jets, or seekers of all-inclusive resorts -- though many properties (including Nisbet) include meals in room rates simply because there are not that many places to go.

Nevis is a quieter island. The beaches aren't the best, but the hiking is great and the locals are extremely friendly.
Also, the private islands might be a good choice for you. Are you going by yourself?

Go to Saba. No beaches (well, one artificial beach that was built primarily for the residents's use but is open to anyone), but that means no resorts, no cruise ships. Fabulous hiking in rain forests and cloud forests, the island is a dormant volcano, some of the best reef diving in the Caribbean, friendly people, great food, quiet, peaceful and relaxing.

My husband and I originally went to Saba for the diving and went back for the people and the beauty of the place. You can find accommodations that range from luxury hotels to "rougher" accommodations that are more like cabin camping, and everything in between, including rental-by-owner villas and cottages.

Check out www.sabatourism.com - not the most user-friendly website but loaded with information including accommodations.

We will be there for three weeks later this summer, to see the Perseid meteor showers. Maybe we'll see you there!

Assuming you can settle for relatively moderate levels of tourism, I second the suggestions of Bequia, Grenada, and Nevis. They all offer hiking, beautiful beaches (albeit not always white sand ones), friendly locals, and enough of a tourist infrastructure to make it easy to get around on your own OR use local transport. They also take a bit more effort to get to (particularly Bequia), which by its very nature limits the number of tourists. You have to mean to go there, not just say you want a Caribbean vacation and randomly pick those locations.

You also might want to look into Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Island. St. Vincent might be of interest to you, too.

Though I've not been to Dominica, from what I've read, it also offers you what you're looking for.

As a radically different suggestion, but operating under the "relatively moderate" tourist density, you might also want to try to get off the beaten path on some of the larger islands. Puerto Rico is pretty big and if you stay away from the north shore beaches you're going to be off the beaten path. It's got the gorgeous Yunque rainforest and a bioluminescent bay on the "mainland" and an even better biobay on Vieques, the offshore island.

Then there's the south coast of Jamaica, arguably the most touristy island in the Caribbean (along with the DR and Aruba), but which is largely dedicated to sustainable eco-tourism. The Treasure Beach area is a great area (www.treasurebeach.net for more info). Great West INdian vibe, wonderful locals, a waterfall or two, and a side of Jamaica that few tourists experience. I can personally recommend Mar Blue as a good, comfortable place to stay with good food and walking distance to a couple of other places to eat. From there we took a daytrip up the Black River to see the crocodiles and out to the Pelican Bar, which is the coolest and funkiest bar I've ever visited. (It's offshore).

Isla Providencia, part of Colombia, but, located closer to Nicaragua. Very lush, only a few small hotels and restaurants.

Or, although, I haven't been (yet) the Corn Islands off of Nicaragua. They sound awesome, hope to be heading there this fall.