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Looking for more than just relaxation on your next Caribbean vacation? If you want to experience awe-inspiring outdoor adventures on stunning tropical islands, add these Caribbean destinations for adventure to your travel list.
From a stunning, secluded national park in the Bahamas and a tropical rainforest in the Dominican Republic to remote islands where the Caribbean meets the Gulf of Mexico, these Caribbean destinations for adventure are truly bucket list worthy.
Best Caribbean Destinations for Adventure
Lucayan National Park, The Bahamas
So many people visit the Bahamas and miss this incredible national park on Grand Bahama Island. Lucayan National Park is located about 30 minutes from Freeport and features a gorgeous golden beach, huge conch shells and cool caves.
Lucayan National Park contains one of largest charted underwater cave systems in the world and remarkable Bahamian biodiversity.
Caves at Lucayan National Park
Lucayan National Park is named after the indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas and the park preserves Lucayan remains in some of its caves. You can visit two of the caves, Ben’s Cave and Burial Mound Cave, via a short nature trail just off the parking lot.
Along with the caves, the park is home to Gold Rock Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Bahamas, as well as coral reefs, mangrove creeks and pine forests.
Gold Rock Beach at Lucayan National Park
Across the street from the parking lot, a boardwalk trail will lead you to stunning Gold Rock Beach. Scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed on Gold Rock Beach and at low tide, long stretches of sand forms ripples known as the island’s “welcome mat.”
When our family visited, this breathtaking Bahamas beach welcomed us with huge conch shells sitting in the golden sand and clear, calm waters that were oh so inviting.
How To Get to Lucayan National Park
To get to Lucayan National Park, our family rented a jeep from the cruise port in Freeport. If you go, make sure to bring cash for the park entry fee. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for kids 12 and under.
Private Grand Bahama day tour experiences are also available. The Grand Bahama day tour guide will pick you up at the cruise port or your hotel and take you to Lucayan National Park and other top places to visit in Grand Bahama.
Looking for a lovely hotel in Grand Bahama? Check out Pelican Bay, the happiest hotel in one of the best Caribbean destinations for adventure.
Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic
A refreshing alternative to the tourist resort areas of the Dominican Republic, the Samaná Peninsula is an undeveloped paradise. An off-the-beaten-path Caribbean destination for adventure with untouched beaches and waterfalls hidden inside a mountainous, tropical rainforest, the Samaná Peninsula is one of most natural, wildly beautiful places I’ve ever explored.
If you want to stay in a Dominican treehouse village or ecolodge by the beach with mountain views, Samaná is your kind of Caribbean adventure destination in the DR. You can also visit Samaná on a cruise like my husband and I did, or take a Samaná adventure day trip from Punta Cana.
Amazing Adventure Tours in Samaná
No matter how you get there, exploring the wild beauty of the Dominican Republic’s Samaná Peninsula is one of the greatest adventures you can have in a Caribbean destination.
When we visited, we booked a Samaná ATV tour that took us to a waterfall, coffee and cacao farm, and to the breathtaking “secret beach” of Playa El Valle, a wild, natural beach that’s hidden between two mountains.
Other adventurous activities in Samaná include horseback riding to El Limon waterfall, buggy excursions to Playa Rincon and zipline adventures through the rainforest in El Limon.
If you visit Samaná between January and March, you can even take a humpback whale watching tour in Samaná Bay. This amazing winter adventure in the Caribbean also includes a visit to the Dominican Republic’s famous Bacardi Island, Cayo Levantado, for swimming and relaxing in a picturesque island paradise.
You can also visit Bacardi Island on a Samaná day trip from Punta Cana that includes horseback riding to El Limon Waterfall too. A top Caribbean destination for adventure and relaxation, Bacardi Island also features the luxury, all-inclusive Cayo Levantado Resort.
Dry Tortugas National Park, the Caribbean Destination of Florida
When I’m asked about the greatest family travel adventures I’ve experienced with my kids, I immediately think of Dry Tortugas. It’s not easy to get to this remote national park located where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, but our family thought it was well worth the effort.
Accessible only by private boat, ferry or seaplane from Key West, the seven small Dry Tortugas islands seem like a mirage in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
With blue-green waters that will take your breath away, opportunities to snorkel with amazing marine life and a cool Civil War-era fort to explore, Dry Tortugas National Park is an awe-inspiring bucket-list travel experience and one of the most incredible adventures in U.S.
My kids loved snorkeling and swimming in the crystal-clear waters after touring historic Fort Jefferson and getting their junior ranger badges during our Dry Tortugas day trip from Key West on the Yankee Freedom ferry.
Dry Tortugas Day Trip From Key West
The Dry Tortugas day trip from Key West on the Yankee Freedom ferry features incredible views on the water, snorkeling equipment to use at the park, a guided tour of Fort Jefferson, and breakfast and lunch on the boat. Make sure to bring your swimsuit, water shoes, towels, sun protection and a change of clothes.
The Dry Tortugas ferry ride takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes each way. Dry Tortugas day trips on the ferry are available all year round, but make sure to plan ahead as the ferry often books out weeks in advance.
For even more time to explore and enjoy sunset and stargazing on a Dry Tortugas trip, you can also reserve a primitive campsite at Dry Tortugas National Park. Keep in mind that reservations to transport campers on the ferry are very limited and can book out months in advance. The Dry Tortugas seaplane does not transport campers due to the added weight of camping gear.
Looking for the best waterfront hotel in Key West close to the Dry Tortugas ferry terminal? Check out Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa.
Family Travel Guides to the Best Florida Destinations for Adventure
For more on the greatest adventures in the Florida Keys for families, check out our Key West family travel guide.
For even more Florida destinations for adventure, check out our guide to amazing Florida outdoor adventures beyond the beach and all of our Florida family adventure guides.
If you’re looking for the best Florida adventure tours and things to do during a Florida vacation, check out Adventure-Seeking Mom approved Florida travel experiences on Viator.
Follow along on Instagram for even more adventure inspiration.
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