The 6 Best Caribbean Beaches And Islands To Visit In 2027 According To Travel Experts

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As the travel world moves its focus toward 2027, major publications are dropping their highly anticipated destination lists (keep an eye out for ours soon!).

Lonely Planet just released their Best in Travel 2027 lineup this week, and they highlighted some incredible spots across Latin America and the Caribbean. They gave shoutouts to Bariloche and the Lakes in Argentina, and the beautiful, historic colonial city of Granada in Nicaragua.

But when it came to their actual Caribbean and coastline picks? They nailed it with the volcanic island of Montserrat and Panama’s Bocas del Toro.

I spend a huge chunk of my year scouting the tropics for Travel Off Path, so I decided to take their expert picks and round them out with my own.

If you want to experience some of the best the Caribbean has to offer, here are the 6 best Caribbean beaches and islands to visit in 2027.

1. Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines – The Sailor’s Haven

Located just a short ferry ride south of mainland St. Vincent, Bequia (pronounced beck-way) is a protected historic sailing outpost that operates on a slow and peaceful rhythm.

• The Vibe: Holding a strict Level 1 safety advisory from the U.S. State Department, Bequia is a legendary safe haven for international yacht crews. The island has practically zero violent crime, making it one of the most secure islands in the Windward chain.
• The Highlight: Walking the Belmont Walkway. It is a stunning narrow stone path that hugs the coastline, connecting quiet, secluded beaches directly to small open-air rum bars right on the water.

Tip From The Editor (me): As an avid scuba diver, I can tell you the shallow reef dives right off Admiralty Bay are underrated and incredibly clear. But for lunch, walk all the way to the end of the Belmont Walkway and grab a table at Jack’s Bar. Order the fried conch. It is light, perfectly crispy, and the best way to refuel after spending the morning underwater.

2. BBC Beach (Morne Rouge), Grenada – The Editor’s Pick

Lonely Planet may have picked Granada, Nicaragua, but my heart firmly belongs to Grenada in the Caribbean. Having lived on the “Spice Isle” twice for six months at a time, I can tell you that this island ruins you for other destinations.

While most tourists immediately flock to the famous two-mile stretch of Grand Anse, my favorite spot on the island is BBC Beach (Morne Rouge), tucked just one bay over. It literally was my front yard during my first stint on the island and I still dream about it.

• The Vibe: It is a sheltered, horseshoe-shaped cove. Because the water here is protected from the ocean swells, it is as flat and clear as a swimming pool.
• The Highlight: There are no giant hotels dominating the sand. You just walk down the beach, grab a cheap, ice-cold Carib beer from La Plywood beach bar, and watch the sailboats bob in the harbor until the sun goes down.

Tip From The Editor (me): When you order your drink at La Plywood, always ask the bartender if they have the fish tacos that day, they are cheap and AMAZING. Also, sunset here is the perfect time to bust out a 35mm film camera—the golden hour light bounces off the enclosed bay in a way that digital just can’t quite capture.

3. Montserrat – The Volcanic Survivor (Lonely Planet Pick)

Lonely Planet got this one right. Known as the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,” Montserrat is one of the most rugged, visually staggering, and overlooked islands in the entire region. A family friend bought a house down here 2o years ago and now lives half the year there, it is that good!

• The Vibe: In the 1990s, the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted, burying the southern half of the island and the former capital city in ash. Today, the northern half is a thriving, fiercely protected eco-paradise that feels frozen in time.
• The Highlight: You aren’t coming here for white sand and all-inclusive buffets. You come to hike dense rainforest trails, explore dramatic jet-black volcanic beaches, and take a guided boat tour to safely witness the staggering scale of the buried city of Plymouth.

Tip From The Editor (me): If you are going to hike the Jack Boy Hill trail for the panoramic views of the volcano observatory, leave your gym sneakers at home. The jungle trails get slick from the ambient humidity. I wear my trail-running Hokas here because the aggressive grip is the only thing keeping you from sliding down the mud on the descents.

4. Bocas del Toro, Panama – The Eco-Paradise (Lonely Planet Pick)

Alright alright you got me… this isn’t the Caribbean. BUT, if you want the Caribbean aesthetic but crave the biodiversity of Central America, this Panamanian archipelago is exactly where you need to book your 2027 flights.

• The Vibe: Bocas del Toro spent years as a legendary stop on the global backpacker trail, but it is evolving into an eco-luxury hub. It is a boat-dependent community where water taxis replace Ubers.
• The Highlight: Head to Isla Colón to spot sloths in the jungle canopy, or take a panga boat out to Starfish Beach, where the ultra-shallow crystal-clear water is carpeted with bright orange starfish.

Tip From The Editor (me): Skip the overcrowded “booze cruise” catamarans. Head down to the main dock on Isla Colón and negotiate directly with a local panga captain to take you out to the Zapatilla Cays early in the morning. Just make sure you keep your camera or any decent electronics secured in a heavy-duty dry bag—the open water boat ride gets choppy, and the sea spray will soak everything you own.

5. Cat Island, The Bahamas – The Pink Sand Secret

The Bahamas is seeing unprecedented tourism growth right now, pulling in record-breaking numbers driven heavily by Gen Z and Gen Alpha travelers who are actively ditching mega-resorts for raw, authentic Out Islands. Cat Island is the crown jewel of this movement.

• The Vibe: There are zero traffic lights, zero cruise ships, and a local population of barely 1,500 people spread across 150 square miles of pristine island.
• The Highlight: Head to the southern end of the island to walk Greenwood Beach. You get eight uninterrupted miles of pale pink sand—tinted by crushed microscopic coral—and you will likely walk the entire stretch without seeing a single set of footprints other than your own.

Tip From The Editor (me): Mount Alvernia is the highest point of elevation in the entire Bahamas. When you make the quick rock scramble to the top to see the miniature stone monastery (The Hermitage), go right at sunrise before the midday heat sets in. I always pack a buynch of water, sit on the stone terrace, and watch the sun come up over the water. It is the quietest, most surreal morning you will have in the islands.

6. Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe – The French Caribbean Dream

If you want the safety and infrastructure of the European Union with the climate and pricing of the Caribbean, you need to head to the French overseas territories. Marie-Galante is a flat, rural island off the coast of Guadeloupe famous for its sprawling sugar cane fields and historic windmills.

• The Vibe: Because it is an overseas department of France, it operates with European standards of emergency services and holds a Level 1 safety advisory (better thand France itself!). It is a rural farming and fishing community where crime is an afterthought.
• The Highlight: Renting a scooter and driving the empty coastal roads to Plage de la Feuillère, one of the most untouched stretches of white sand in the French Caribbean, before grabbing a $2 pour of the island’s world-famous Rhum Agricole.

Tip From The Editor (me): Renting a scooter is non-negotiable for exploring here, but make sure you pull over at the Habitation Murat ruins in the late afternoon. The shadows casting across the old 19th-century sugar mill stones are incredible for photography. Afterward, pull up to a local roadside shack for a traditional Ti’ Punch—just be warned, they pour the rum dangerously strong on this island.

The walled-off mega-resorts aren’t going anywhere, but the window to experience these undiscovered coastal gems in their raw, authentic state is narrowing by the day. 2027 is the year to finally lock in those flights before the rest of the world catches on.

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