These Incredible Caribbean Adventures Don’t Include an All-Inclusive

As the cold weather creeps in, we all love to start fantasizing about taking a Caribbean holiday, but so often vacationers end up away from the action at an all-inclusive resort, eating from the same buffet, sipping the same piña colada and sitting on the same beach, day after day. For intrepid sun-seekers who prefer hidden lagoons to heated pools, TourRadar, the world’s largest online travel agency for multi-day tours, has nearly 150 alternative Caribbean vacation ideas designed to showcase the best of island life, so to get your (rum-spiked) juices flowing, here are just a few tropical adventures that go way, way beyond the beach:

Best for… a crash course in ecotourism  

Get away from the tourist (and cruise-ship) hubs of Puerto Rico with the 7-day Real Puerto Rico adventure. Starting in San Juan and ending in Mayaguez, visit local restaurants for some authentic Puerto Rican cuisine in the historic city of Ponce before visiting the El Yunque National Forest, the only rainforest in the US federal park system. Hike to La Coca Falls for a dip in the cool waters and to see the biodiversity of the island firsthand; later, visit a coffee plantation to sample some locally-crafted brews. On your last day, hang out with locals at a chinchorro, enjoying a sampling of alcapurrias, empanadillas, bacalaos, and more.

Starting from $679 per person; departures running until December 2019

Best for… a buccaneering ocean voyage 

Hoist up the anchor and go Sailing the British Virgin Islands – Tortola to Tortola on this 7-day voyage. Explore uninhabited islands, visit the world-famous Willy-T floating bar, snorkel over the wreck of the Rhone, and enjoy a rum punch (or two!) while taking in the sunset from Saba Rock. Along the way, learn the ropes of sailing on your 40 foot catamaran by trying your hand at jibing and tacking, or catch and prepare your very own fresh mahi-mahi for lunch. Sample local fare including lobster and conch stew during on-shore dinners, and celebrate the journey with your sailing mates at an island beach party.

Starting from $1,189 per person; departures running October 2019 – April 2020

Best for… connecting with local communities

Dive into daily life in the Dominican Republic outside the tourist hubs on the 8-day Heart & Soul of the Dominican adventure. Work alongside local people to learn how they are building bottle homes—homes made out of plastic bottles—to clean up waste and promote environmental awareness. Visit the Haitian-Dominican community of La Grua to learn about modern-day relations between the two island regions. Later, hike the nature reserve and freshwater lagoon in Dudu Ecological Park and explore the beaches and snorkeling holes of Cabarete, on the Dominican Republic’s northern coast.

Starting from $2,420 per person; departures running year-round