Anywhere you turn in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas, you’ll find something to love: Anguilla’s powder-white beaches, Bonaire’s unmatched dive sites, Cuba’s dynamic music scene, the lush, rugged beauty of Dominica’s hiking trails. In this corner of the world, there’s no wrong choice. These islands may have palm trees and postcard-perfect beach vignettes in common, but each holds its own singular magic — and no one knows that better than the readers of Travel + Leisure.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Islands were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Natural attractions/beaches
- Activities/sights
- Restaurants/food
- People/friendliness
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
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What Readers Loved
Even within a single island, each reader seemed enamored by a different element of the experience — though common themes emerged. Nature was a big draw across the board, be it the soft sands of Grand Anse Beach in Grenada or the magnificent toothlike pitons of St. Lucia.
In Anguilla (No. 3), fantastic beaches and warm, welcoming locals were a throughline of reader feedback. “The beaches on Anguilla have some of the most clear, beautiful water I’ve ever seen,” wrote one visitor. “It’s remote, but truly a paradise to relax and read a book.” Multiple readers echoed the sentiment that the island is “a paradise,” with one swooning, “white beaches, blue clear water — once you visit Anguilla you don’t want to go home! One word: amazing.”
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, St. John (No. 5) stood out for its natural beauty and commitment to land conservation. “Since much of the island is USVI National Park, we can feel good about the character of the place staying intact for generations,” said a recent visitor. Another called it “our favorite place on earth,” writing, “We love to come here because of all the National Parks. We love to snorkel, and the peace and quiet of this island. We love the friendly people and the fact that so much of the island is a park.” Yet another traveler seemed to say what every St. John aficionado was thinking: “It was hard to say goodbye to this island.”
Three familiar spots re-entered the fray this year after dropping off the list — Cuba (No. 2), Bermuda (No. 19), and St. Croix (No. 25) — perhaps indicating that T+L readers have found a new appetite for delving deep into history, be it the colonial-era legacies and architecture that have so shaped Bermuda and St. Croix or the midcentury events of the Cuban Revolution which still loom large on the island today.
Read on for more on this year’s top pick, Dominica, plus the full list of the 25 Best Islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.
The Winner
Dominica
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This is the third year in a row the Nature Island has clinched first place in our annual rankings, with readers singing Dominica’s praises for its untrammeled expanses of wild land and off-the-beaten-path feel. One reader calls it an “incredible nature reserve like no other place left on the planet.” Another singles out the stellar opportunities for adventure activities like scuba diving and canyoning, while calling it a “very romantic destination” — perhaps the dream destination for getting your adrenaline pumping and reigniting that spark along the way? But one true aficionado put it most elegantly: “What a wonderful secret island to discover. If you want nature and the ability to explore your surroundings — as well as explore yourself — then Dominica is your getaway! Get here any way you can.”
T+L Reader
What a wonderful secret island to discover. If you want nature and the ability to explore your surroundings — as well as explore yourself — then Dominica is your getaway! Get here any way you can.
— T+L Reader
The Full List
1. Dominica
Reader Score: 92.47
2. Cuba
Reader Score: 90.61
3. Anguilla
Reader Score: 90.02
4. St. Lucia
Reader Score: 88.70
5. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Reader Score: 87.68
6. Aruba
Reader Score: 87.13
7. Turks and Caicos
Reader Score: 86.92
8. Harbour Island, Bahamas
Reader Score: 86.73
9. Vieques, Puerto Rico
Reader Score: 86.57
10. St. Bart’s
Reader Score: 86.44
11. Exumas, Bahamas
Reader Score: 86.30
12. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Reader Score: 85.80
13. Eleuthera, Bahamas
Reader Score: 84.77
14. Nevis
Reader Score: 84.48
15. Grenada
Reader Score: 84.46
16. Bonaire
Reader Score: 84.36
17. Cayman Islands
Reader Score: 84.19
18. Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Reader Score: 84.16
19. Bermuda
Reader Score: 84.05
20. Culebra, Puerto Rico
Reader Score: 83.35
21. Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Reader Score: 83.07
22. Jamaica
Reader Score: 82.74
23. St. Maarten/St. Martin
Reader Score: 81.81
24. St. Kitts
Reader Score: 81.51
25. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Reader Score: 81.44
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