The Caribbean is not all sugar-white beaches and sapphire seas.
The hidden Caribbean awaits on a luxury yacht charter, full of wild and wonderful attractions to discover. From boiling crater lakes to swimming pigs and buried cities, the Caribbean holds many wonders.
What better way to see these spectacular, out of the ordinary attractions than on a Caribbean luxury yacht charter? Worth Avenue Yachts, the luxury yacht brokers and experts in Caribbean yacht charters have compiled the following top 5 Out of the Ordinary Caribbean Attractions.
The Valley of Desolation, Dominica
Put on your walking shoes for a 6-hour return hike into the jungle-covered volcanic mountains of Dominica, where tropical flowers bloom deep in the forest and mountain ridges bring Caribbean breezes and spectacular views.
Your destination is the Valley of Desolation- where a volcano erupted in 1880, leaving an Armageddon landscape of boulders, milky blue streams and bubbling mud pools. Trails of sulphur rise from the blackened earth, and steam hisses out of the ground and wafts over the valley. Dig handfuls of warm grey mud from the edges of bubbling pools and slather the mineral-rich mixture on your skin to dry- the world’s best natural facial. Wash it off under the cascading waterfall pools hidden under the trees, then hike a little further to the spectacular boiling lake of Dominica, the second-largest boiling crater lake on earth.
The wonders of Dominica don’t stop there. Cool off after your hike with a dive or snorkel at the famous Champagne Reef, swimming through streams of warm bubbles emanating from the sea floor. When night falls, soak in a natural hot pool under the trees, glass of spiced rum in hand and surrounded by fireflies, or return to your yacht and relax in the Jacuzzi, looking up at the mountains that you just climbed silhouetted against the starry night sky.
The Greedy Wildlife of the Bahamas
The Bahamas are well known for their blinding white sands and shallow, sunlit seas, but they also have some wildlife exhibiting some very odd behaviours that British naturalist David Attenborough would surely shake his head at. Begging, swimming pigs must feature as one of the most unusual attractions of the Caribbean, if not the world.
When the superyachts come to anchor, the pot-bellied pigs of Exuma Island read this, quite unequivocally, as ‘dinner bells’. They splash into the crystal clear water and swim out to the gathering yachts, their pink fleshy snouts above the water, pink trotters paddling furiously below. They then snuffle adorably and blink their heavy eyelashes coquettishly, putting on a performance for their dinner. It’s quite wonderful.
In case that’s not enough unusual animal interaction for you on a Caribbean yacht charter, you’ll also find sharks you can pat, dolphins you can swim with, and stingrays that float up to the edge of the beach to be fed!
The Buried City of Montserrat
In 1995, Soufriere Volcano erupted, burying the island’s capital city, Plymouth in a deadly mantle of falling boulders and ash. Today, the city and surrounding towns lie destroyed and abandoned, their inhabitants long evacuated and the still-active volcano rumbling and puffing ominously above.
Due to the ongoing volcanic activity, half of the island is an exclusion zone and you cannot enter- but you can still visit the forgotten mansions around the Olde Town on a 4WD tour, entering eerie buildings where abandoned dinner plates still sit on kitchen tables, left behind in that time of madness and fear, everyone rushing to get out before the mud and lava flows arrived and poisonous, choking ash filled the air.
Alternatively, you can charter a helicopter for a bird’s eye view of the angry volcano and the path of its destruction down to the sea. An unforgettable experience contrasting vividly with the blue seas and tropical beauty of your Caribbean yacht charter.
The Cloud Forests and Craters of St Kitts & Nevis
Once a plantation island of immense and celebrated wealth, the many wonders of Saint Kitts and Nevis were long forgotten, leading to its nickname of ‘The Secret Caribbean’. It is secret no longer, with a new superyacht marina at Christophe Harbour putting these gloriously pretty twin islands firmly on the Caribbean yacht charter map.
In Saint Kitts & Nevis, hike through the deep rainforest which clings to mountain peaks swathed in cloud. In the cloud forest, chattering green vervet monkeys scramble through the trees and tropical flowers bloom vivid in the thick jungle air. Break out of the jungle to the mountain summits, and climb down into the heart of a volcanic crater, walking the crater floor surrounded by plumes of steam issuing from cracks in the warm earth.
On a Caribbean yacht charter in St Kitts& Nevis, you can dive underwater hot springs or fly above the jungle canopy on vast ziplines, reaching speeds of up to 80 kilometres an hour. You can even have high tea at Princess Diana’s favourite retreat, the Montpellier Plantation Inn, or visit the cotton silk tree under which Lord Horatio Nelson was married.
The Incredible Street Festivals and Tropical Birds of Trinidad & Tobago
Deep in the south of the Caribbean Sea lie the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, twinned yet very distinct in character.
Music is the lifeblood of the Caribbean, and these islands are a music-lover’s heaven. Trinidad is the birthplace of Calypso music, and its streets erupt each year with vibrant festivals of colour and sound. A Caribbean yacht charter taking in the music and dancing of Trinidad will never be forgotten.
For those who like things a bit quieter, Tobago calls your name. Or perhaps that’s the birds calling: Tobago offers some of the best bird-watching on earth, as well as miles of deserted beaches under waving coconut palms. Behind the beaches, endless rainforest to explore.
The Caribbean abounds in exciting experiences, and this list is far too short. Whether it’s attending a voodoo concert in Haiti, exploring the sunken boats of Wreck Alley in the BVIs, or dining in a St Lucia cliff-top bar where your drinks are delivered by zip-line- a Caribbean yacht charter offers endless unusual experiences that will stay with your forever.
