Everyone loves to spend a week on the beach with no responsibilities or stress. However, sometimes some of the most beautiful tropical destinations in the world have higher than normal crime rates.
This can cause a ton of unneeded stress and the whole point of heading to the islands in the Caribbean is to take a break from the stresses of everyday life and rewind and rejuvenate.
To relieve your anxiety about traveling to a remote tropical island, we have created this list of the safest Caribbean islands to visit.
Consider visiting a destination on this list and watch your stress fade away.
You shouldn’t have to go on vacation and worry about your life or your items. Get ready to relax in some of the world’s safest beach and resort conditions.
Keep reading for the list of Caribbean Islands with the safest conditions. One thing to keep in mind is that, for the most part, the safest islands are also the most expensive islands because they’re more luxurious and have better security.
Even if your to any of these Caribbean islands costs a little more money, it’s worth it for your safety and sanity.
Another thing that contributes to safety is visiting smaller and less well-known islands. For example, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas receive millions of tourists yearly, bringing in opportunistic criminals.
These large islands in the Caribbean can often be less safe because they’re more visited and criminals live here waiting for tourists to pry on.
Some smaller island nations are safer because they receive fewer tourists each year.
List of the Safest Caribbean Island Destinations to Visit
St.Barts
Anguilla
The Virgin Islands
The Cayman islands in the Caribbean
St. Lucia
Barbados
Antigua and Barbuda
Grenada
Montserrat
Bonaire
Curacao
Top Safest Caribbean Islands to Visit
1. St. Barts
The island of St. Barts (Saint-Barthélemy) is French-owned and very safe. It has one of the absolute lowest crime rates out of all the Caribbean islands.
All you need to worry about is sun exposure and keeping up with your sunscreen. Seriously, you don’t have to be very cautious here.
However, it’s always important to pay attention to your surroundings, but you don’t have to be as on edge on this Caribbean island.
Another reason that this island is so safe is that it mostly caters to luxury travel and is a hot spot for mega yachts and their owners to visit.
The island is bringing in a ton of money, and everyone is happy. You can expect a crime-free experience but be prepared to pay the price for this luxury.
It’s one of the priciest Caribbean islands, with hotel rates averaging more than $200 per night.
Of course, it’s important to always be alert and aware but this is the safest place you could visit in the Caribbean.
St.barts is also the only place in the world that has a zero percent murder rate, now that is impressive.
2. Anguilla
The US considers Anguilla to be one of the safest places in the Caribbean. The threat level is 1, which is the lowest number possible.
Anguilla is an independent British commonwealth nation, which is one of the reasons it is so safe here.
The only concern you need to worry about is petty theft, but as long as you have some common sense about your belongings and leave important items in your hotel room or at home, you don’t need to worry about any crime.
I also love traveling with this diversion sunscreen safe. It is perfect for when I want to go for a swim on the beach and not leave my valuables exposed.
Like St. Barts, Anguilla is a more expensive island to visit. The hotel rooms cost about $250 per night, and living expenses are higher too, so if you plan to stay at an Airbnb and do some grocery shopping, expect to pay a little more in that department.
But on the other hand, if you purchase groceries instead of going out to eat for every meal, you’ll save a lot of money during your trip.
This is a great way to hedge costs by going to a beautiful but more expensive island and keeping costs down a bit.
The white sand beaches on this island are like no other and definitely worth visiting. It is also the perfect island if you are a solo female traveler and want peace and quiet on the beach.
3. The Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands consist of islands controlled by two countries, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The UK-controlled islands are commonly referred to as the British Virgin Islands, which helps distinguish the regimes. There are plenty of fun activities to do on the BVIs.
Even though these islands are divided by their governing countries, they’re surprisingly pretty similar in terms of culture, cost of living, and crime rates.
The only thing you really have to worry about here is petty crime. Though this is still a burden and annoyance.
It’s not the worst crime to be a victim of compared to some other scarier crimes. The best way to stay safe on these islands is to leave your valuables at home or in your hotel room.
Another option is avoiding crowded areas and paying attention to your items and surroundings.
The low crime rate and the fact that you can visit the US virgin islands without a passport make it a popular tourist destination.
The three most popular and largest US Virgin Islands are St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. The US Virgin Islands also consists of about 50 smaller islets and cays.
4. The Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory consisting of three islands Grand Cayman, Cayman Grac, and Little Cayman.
Grand Cayman is most well-known for its beach resorts, so it’s most likely the island you’d be staying on.
One of the things that make the Cayman islands so safe is the strict gun laws. There are less than 1,000 licensed gun owners living on the islands, with a population of more than 65,000.
That’s just over 1% of the population with guns. So while there will be petty crimes almost everywhere, like theft, the Cayman Islands are a relatively safe place.
Just to put that in perspective for you, in the United States there are 120 guns per 100 people 😳
5. St. Lucia
St. Lucia is one of the safest Caribbean islands to visit when the weather is good. However, the biggest safety concern in St. Lucia is inclement weather.
You’ll want to avoid visiting this island in the summer and fall, particularly from August to November, which has the highest chance of hurricanes.
The official hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th, so it’s best to avoid this entire time period if you don’t want to chance being on vacation at the wrong time.
Another negative about St. Lucia is this country has outlawed same-sex relationships, so those of you who are part of the LGBTQ+ community may not want to visit this island or may want to proceed with caution.
Other than that, St. Lucia is relatively safe. This should go without mentioning, but petty theft is always possible anywhere you go.
You’ll want to be careful walking alone late at night. If you plan to stay on the resort, you should not experience any issues in St. Lucia.
7. Barbados
Like St. Lucia, the biggest downfall of Barbados is that homosexuality is illegal. LGBTQ+ visitors may want to take extra precautions or avoid this island altogether and visit one that is more accepting.
Besides, that is an island paradise full of soft sandy beaches.
Barbados is generally a family-friendly destination with top-notch security systems in tourist areas.
The most common type of crime is petty theft. Other than that, visitors don’t have to worry much if they stay at the resort and don’t go out on nighttime excursions.
Stay alert and avoid overly crowded areas, and you’ll be safe. One last unique thing about Barbados is it has a very high life expectancy.
It’s higher than any other Caribbean island and even higher than the United States at 79.5 years. So they must be doing something right and keeping a low-stress level thereby keeping it safe.
Just another reason that it is one of the more popular vacation destinations in the Caribbean islands.
8. Antigua and Barbuda
This nation consists of two islands, Antigua and Barbuda. They’re known for their colorful buildings, busy ports, and beautiful beaches.
Petty crimes are the most popular types of crimes against tourists, especially theft. It’s encouraged to keep your valuables at home or in the hotel safe.
The more significant problems include drug dealing and corruption, but this isn’t a huge threat for tourists as long as they stay on the resort and make smart decisions.
They are beautiful islands in the Caribbean sea and worth checking out. Again, you don’t have to worry about violent crime here, but be smart about your belongings.
9. Grenada
Like most countries on this list, the biggest threat to tourists is petty theft, but other than that, Grenada has a comparatively low crime rate.
Grenada is a beautiful volcanic island, with more to do than just sit on a pretty beach. There is plenty of great hiking and river rafting to explore and enjoy.
While you are here the best thing you can do to avoid petty theft is to dress casually, don’t wear expensive or flashy jewelry, and leave your valuables behind, reducing your chance of being targeted.
Grenada also has one of the lowest costs of living in the Caribbean, which means it’s both affordable and safe. A win-win in our book.
It would make for a great retirement destination. Since the island only receives roughly 200,000 visitors each year, there aren’t many opportunistic criminals which keeps it pretty safe.
Also, it is below the hurricane belt, so it is a great one of the islands in the Caribbean to visit during hurricane season.
10. Montserrat
This British Territory is one of the least-visited Caribbean islands. It only receives about 20,00- visitors each year compared to the Bahamas, which receives over 7 million tourists; that’s a vast difference.
It is surprising, this beautiful island doesn’t receive more visitors, but that’s what makes it special.
It’s less commercialized and developed than the other islands.
So if you’re looking for a more authentic place to visit, this is a great option and it feels like a hidden secret.
It’s also an English-speaking destination that is enticing for visitors from the US and other English-speaking countries.
Because of the low number of tourists, it’s a safe country to visit. Violent crimes are very low; the most common crime involves petty theft.
The only major concern to safety on this island is the active volcano, Soufrière Hills. Visitors must be ready to leave in case of an eruption.
This active volcano became active again in 1995, and the eruptions caused more than half of the island to be uninhabitable and destroyed the capital city, Plymouth.
As a result, most of the population has left the island. So, though it’s safe in terms of crime, a volcanic eruption is a possible concern.
11. Bonaire
Bonaire is a municipality of the Netherlands and a member of the ABC islands, which includes Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire.
One of the main reasons this island is safe to visit is because it’s located outside of the Hurricane belt, so it is safe to visit during Hurricane season.
Bonaire is so small that there aren’t any traffic lights. People drive slowly by car or scooter around the island.
The Bonaireeans are very friendly accompanied by the low crime rate means this is one of the safest Caribbean islands to visit.
12. Curacao
This tiny island is a perfectly safe vacation destination. The size and remoteness mean there are not many criminals around.
This island doesn’t receive as many tourists as other Caribbean islands, so it doesn’t create a breeding ground for criminals.
This island is small but mighty in beauty. It’s the perfect destination for your next Caribbean vacation.
It is also a great Caribbean island to visit if you want a little more sophisticated culture. It is owned by the Netherlands, although an independent country. So it has a lot of European influence, which you don’t also find in the islands in the Caribbean.
It is full of great cafes and is an excellent spot for scuba diving. It is a great island to visit in the Caribbean region.
Bonus Information!
Worst Caribbean Islands To Visit
I hate making a list of the worst islands to visit. I always try to find beauty everywhere that I visit, but you might want to avoid some of these Caribbean Islands.
Some of the most dangerous Caribbean Islands to visit are Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago, and surprisingly Puerto Rico.
These islands have more crime in general, and you should visit with increased caution. It doesn’t mean they can’t be visited, but you should take extra precautions.
Some of the mildly dangerous islands include The Bahamas and Jamaica.
The main reason for the increased crime is that there are millions of visitors each year. This creates more of an opportunity for crime.
Things to Consider When Visiting the Caribbean
When picking one of the Caribbean islands to visit, it is important to consider crime rates as well as the activities you want to enjoy while on vacation.
Some islands in the Caribbean are known for their beautiful beaches, while other Caribbean islands are great for scuba diving.
To get the most out of your vacation, it is a good idea to plan how active you want to be during your holiday and what activities you want to be involved with.
Do Caribbean Islands have high crime rates?
Some Caribbean islands do have a high crime rate, which is why it is better to avoid these islands. Especially if you are traveling alone or worried about your safety.
Picking a Caribbean island on this list is a great way to ensure that you will have a safe vacation and you won’t have to worry as much.
However, no matter where you travel you should always be aware of your surroundings and don’t make yourself a target for violent crimes.
Conclusions on the Safest Caribbean islands to visit
There are so many great Caribbean Islands worth visiting; for the most part, these tropical destinations are fairly safe for visitors.
You should be safe if you use normal common sense and stay aware of your surroundings. Be sure not to go out at night alone, don’t wear flashy items that make you a target, and keep your valuables locked away.
If you follow these precautions, you should be in for an exciting tropical vacation.
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