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Travel + Leisure
5 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Caribbean Island Just Ranked the Safest in 2025 For Its Low Crime—and It's a Hurricane-free Destination, Too
With its laid-back charm and crystal-clear waters, the Caribbean often feels like a living postcard. And while many of the islands live up to that image, recent U.S. travel advisories have raised concerns for travelers—with U.S. travel advisories citing rising crime, civil unrest, and limited health care. Enter Aruba, a refreshing exception to the trend. This sun-drenched island not only defies those warnings but has also earned top honors in the Caribbean Island Safety Index 2025, released on July 14, 2025 by Always All Inclusive, a team of Sandals Resorts experts. The index evaluated U.S. travel advisories, local crime data, hurricane risk, and health care readiness to determine the safest destinations in the region—and Aruba claimed the No. 1 spot. To those familiar with the island, the ranking comes as no surprise. Known as "One Happy Island" thanks to its warm, welcoming culture, Aruba boasts low crime rates and a robust focus on tourism safety. The island is compact and easy to navigate, with well-maintained roads and reliable public transport. It's also blessed with a location that's safely situated outside the hurricane belt and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year on average. But Aruba's appeal goes well beyond safety. Nearly 20 percent of the island is preserved as Arikok National Park, home to volcanic hills and natural wonders like the Conchi Natural Pool, a natural saltwater tide pool that's big enough to swim in. The park offers a striking contrast to the island's famed coastline, where Eagle Beach and Palm Beach—both consistently ranked among the world's best—boast powdery white sand and shimmering turquoise waters. Beyond the beach, visitors can explore attractions like The Butterfly Farm and experience the island's vibrant culture through the Aruba Carnival, a lively celebration dating back to 1954. The festivities begin in November and peak in January and February — making it a perfect escape during the U.S. winter months. In the 2025 safety index, Aruba received a perfect score for its U.S. Travel Advisory status (Level 1, the safest rating) and non-existent hurricane risk. The island also scored 9 out of 10 for its low crime rate and 8 out of 10 for health care access, which adheres to high Dutch medical standards. The index compiled data from sources like the U.S. State Department, local law enforcement, NOAA, and WHO. Rounding out the top three on the list were Barbados at No. 2 and Grenada and Curaçao tied for No. 3. The full list, along with each destination's final safety score (higher is better), is included below: 1. Aruba Score out of 10: 9.3 2. Barbados Score: 9.2 3. Grenada Score: 9.0 3. (tie) Curaçao Score: 9.0 5. Antigua & Barbuda Score: 8.1 6. Puerto Rico Score: 7.6 7. Dominican Republic Score: 7.0 8. Saint Lucia Score: 6.8 9. The Bahamas Score: 6.5 10. Jamaica Score: 5.5
The Sun
20-07-2025
- The Sun
Tiny Caribbean island that's still a secret to most tourists with famous bioluminescent bay
DESPITE the Caribbean being one of the most popular long-haul destinations for Brits, there are still a few islands you might not have heard of. One of those is Vieques, off the coast of Puerto Rico and while it should be on everyone's bucket list, it remains fairly uninvited by tourists. 5 5 Vieques is a relatively small island in the Caribbean and is around eight miles away from the mainland of Puerto Rico. The island's name is a Spanish spelling of a Taíno and it has the nickname Isla Nena, usually translated as "girl island" or "little girl island", alluding to it being as Puerto Rico's little sister. Vieques is known for its untouched beaches and its wildlife refuge, which is the largest in the Caribbean. The island has over 15 beaches which have both white and black sand bays. Some of the most popular are Playa La Chiva (Blue Beach) and Playa Caracas (Red Beach) which are consistently ranked as top choices by visitors . There are lots of wild horses on the island, the number of free-roaming horses, is estimated to be between 2,000 and 6,000. The horses are descendants of those brought by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Vieques is also home to Mosquito Bay, the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world, and holds the Guinness World Record for it. It's nicknamed 'bio bay' by locals and gets its bright lights produced by living organisms in the ocean. To see the bioluminescence in the bay, you have to visit after dark. And for maximum effect, it's advisable to go during the dry season from December to April. There are many tour operators around Mosquito Bay that will take groups kayaking on a glass-bottom boat to see the phenomenon, and it's well worth the visit according to travellers. One wrote on Tripadvisor: "The bay is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen; it shone brightly. It's a dream you have to live the experience because it's unique." Another added: "It was so bright and the jumping fish on the water made it magical. Staring up at the endless sky full of stars was a bonus, but the guides, info and bioluminescent lights were the real stars of the show." Other activities that are popular on the island include snorkelling and kayaking through mangrove forests as well as boat tours and sunset sails. The Fortín Conde de Mirasol is another tourist spot on the island that's a restored art gallery. 5 It's notable as the last Spanish fort constructed in the Americas. If you head up there, it's on a cliff top so you get incredible views across the island. To get to Vieques from the UK, travellers will need to head to New York, to San Juan and onward to Vieques. And don't expect many chain hotels too, with mainly B&Bs and home rentals on the island. Here's the closest Caribbean island to the UK that has Maldives-like overwater villas. Plus, the Caribbean island with UK flights and world's best beaches. 5
