Find Out The Top Safest Caribbean Islands & Which To Avoid

The islands of the Caribbean are always popular destinations for travelers, with their idyllic beaches and turquoise waters. However, especially when traveling with the family, it is important to know which islands are the safest, and which have a higher crime rate. Of course, there is also the matter of hurricanes, which must definitely be avoided if possible. Admittedly, the five islands listed below are wealthier Caribbean islands, but this helps them to be the safest to visit.

Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean

When heading to the Caribbean, Curacao is always a good choice. Meanwhile, the island is an autonomous Dutch territory and hosts residents of Dutch origin. Below the hurricane belt, and low in crime, this island is considered safe to visit all year round.

Moreover, the residents of the island speak a number of different languages, with Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamentu widely spoken. This makes it relatively easy to communicate with the locals on a vacation in Curacao. Meanwhile, most world travelers will need no visa to prove their identity.

Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

As with Curacao, Bonaire is also located below the hurricane belt and the island shares similar good weather with its neighbor. Here, travelers can pay with US Dollars and drive on the right-hand side of the road, just like at home.

Bonaire offers gorgeous beaches and rich marine life for divers. Moreover, the island hosts many creatures and birds in its beautiful Washington Slagbaai National Park. Meanwhile, Bonaire is known for its friendly Bonairean people and is renowned as being one of the safest islands to visit.

Saint-Barthélemy AKA St. Barts

The French island of Saint-Barthélemy is known popularly as St. Barts and is known to be a playground of the rich and famous. Most of the locals speak French, but it is relatively easy to find people who speak English.

There is little to no crime on the island, and it has a murder rate of zero, making St. Barts incredibly safe to visit. In fact, the locals leave their houses and cars unlocked as they have perfect trust, and you can too.

However, travelers should be aware that hurricane season here normally runs from June to November. When a hurricane does visit, the island recovers quickly, meaning the biggest danger here is overexposure to the sun.

Anguilla, Eastern Caribbean

For those seeking the best Caribbean beaches, Anguilla comes out top, while it is also one of the safest islands in the region. Meanwhile, the island is so tiny, that it is almost impossible to get lost and is extremely safe as crimes against tourists are almost non-existent.

While the crime rates are low, Anguilla doesn’t come up higher on the list of safest islands, due to the fact that it lies in the hurricane belt. However, after each hurricane, Anguilla bounces back very quickly.

While the island uses Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollars, it is easy, and sometimes cheaper, to use US dollars during your stay.

Montserrat, Lesser Antilles

The mountainous island of Montserrat forms part of the Lesser Antilles and is a British Overseas Territory. Meanwhile, the island is renowned as having the lowest crime rate in the entire region. However, the only reason why Montserrat doesn’t come up tops on the list is the Soufrière Hills Volcano.

Occasionally, southern winds blow volcanic gases and ash over the island, which can lead to flights getting canceled. However, as in places like Bonaire, the Montserratians are warm and friendly people that welcome visitors.

Which Caribbean islands are dangerous?

When it comes to extreme crimes, like murder, and crimes involving violence, Jamaica comes up as the most dangerous. Next in line are St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, Haiti is considered unsafe due to nature and disasters have happened here often in the past.

However, travelers should note that they are rarely targets of violent crime. If you take care during your stay and frequent typical tourist locations, it is relatively safe. It’s just a matter of always being aware, not visiting dangerous areas and hiding your valuables while on a Caribbean vacation.