I like hiking and snorkeling when in the Caribbean, sometimes on the same day. There’s something about getting all sweaty on a hike, then cooling down in the ocean. After a day of hiking and snorkeling you can be sure you’ve burned enough calories to enjoy a couple of rum drinks in the evening.

The Caribbean islands that feature the best hiking often are the most mountainous. The most mountainous islands in the Caribbean drop off steeply into the sea.

For the best snorkeling you want depths between five and 25 feet.

The best snorkeling spots are on islands that are flat and featureless. So, not very much hiking and the hiking that is there is flat as a pancake.

So basically the islands with the great hiking don’t have great snorkeling and the islands with the great snorkeling don’t have great hiking.

It is rare in the Caribbean for islands to have great hiking and also feature great snorkeling.

These 9 Caribbean islands have it all, they feature great hiking as well as fantastic snorkeling.

St. Maarten

Hiking – Pic Paradis, Ft. Amsterdam, Grandes Cayes, Le Sentier des Froussards, Petites Cayes

Snorkeling – Happy Bay, Turtle Reef, Tintamarre Island, Creole Rock, Baie Rouge

St. John

Hiking – Reef Bay Trail, Lind Point Trail, Ram Head Trail, Petroglyph Trail, Caneel Hill Trail

Snorkeling – Watermelon Cay, Trunk Bay, Haulover North, Salt Pond, Jumbie Bay

Antigua

Hiking – Jones Valley Trail to Carpenter’s Trail Loop, John Hughes – Falmouth, Middle Ground Trail, Mount Obama and Ridge Trail, Rondavous Bay via Wallings

Snorkeling – Cades Reef, Bird Island, English HarborWreck, Long Bay, Green Island

St. Lucia

Hiking – Gros Piton Trail, Fort Rodney and Signal Hill, Tet Paul Nature Trail, Edmund Forest Reserve, Petit Piton

Snorkeling – Anse Chastanet, Anse Piton Marine Reserve, Jalouise, Reduit Beach, Anse Couchon

St. Kitts

Hiking – Mt. Liamuiga, St. Kitts Waterfall Hike, Valley of Giants, Dos D’ane Pond Hike, Radio Tower

Snorkeling – Sandy Point National Marine Park, White House Bay, Frigate Bay, White House Bay

Dominica

Hiking – Boiling Lake, Waitukubuli National Trail Section 5, Trafalgar Falls Trail, Freshwater Lake to Boeri Lake Trail, Waitukubuli Trail Section 4

Snorkeling – Champagne Beach, Douglas Bay, Scotts Head Marine Reserve, Coral Gardens, Solomon Reef

Grenada

Hiking – Shoreline Trail, St. Margaret’s Trail, Morne LaBay Trail, Morne Gazo, Wondering Soles

Snorkeling – Underwater Sculpture Park at Moliniere Bay, Levera National Park, Grand Anse Beach, Morne Rouge Bay, La Sagesse Beach

Guadeloupe

Hiking – La Soufriere, Cascade Paradise, Le Chutes Carbet, Isle-Des-Saintes, Maison de la Foret

Snorkeling – Plage Leroux, Pigeon Island, Malendure, Petite Terre, Plage du Pain de Sucre

Jamaica

Hiking – Blue Mountain Peak Trail, One Love Trail, Mount Zion Trail, Oatley Mountain Trail, Mayfield Falls River Hike

Snorkeling – Runaway Bay, Doctor’s Cave Beach, Rockhouse, Coyaba Reef, Royal Reef