The Caribbean is a big place, with more than 700 islands and roughly 44.5 million people spread across 33 political entities—13 sovereign states, 12 dependencies, one historical disputed territory, and seven other overseas territories. While travelers tend to lump the region into “the Caribbean,” there’s a rich tapestry of cultures, cuisines, experiences, and waters across the 1.06 million square miles of the Caribbean Sea.
We decided that, instead of divvying this list by island, we’d select different experiences, accessible only by boat. They range from exploring sunken shipwrecks to getting a taco on a floating restaurant in the middle of turquoise waters to diving stunning ecosystems, to enjoying some of the best sportfishing in the world.
The list isn’t exhaustive by any means, but it does show the range of possibilities in this beautiful, and often remote region, even after the spring-breakers have left and it moves into the much-less crowded summer season—which is often the best time to visit.
Here are 10 of our favorite island experiences.
