Caribbean Island Photography

Travel Photography

ANTIGUA // GRENADA // SAINT LUCIA // BARBADOS // SAINT KITTS // SAINT MAARTEN // TORTOLA – Caribbean Island Photography: My First Impressions

The Caribbean…A dream destination that’s been on my bucket list for a very long time!

2024 was the year I turned 30 and what better time to take the leap and finally book a cruise to the West Indies. I like to think that I’m fairly well travelled, with countries such as New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, America, Canada, Europe and South East Asia (Singapore, Bali, Thailand, Malaysia and The Philippines) under my belt. Travelling is always something that’s been close to my heart from a young age. I am by no means a “Blogger” but I am a photographer, so I thought I would share my initial thoughts (and photographs of course) of the Caribbean islands I visited in December 2024. I hope you enjoy my Caribbean island photography and find this blog post useful!

Antigua: The island of 365 beaches!

Our first stop on the 15th December was Antigua, an island known to have a beach for each day of the year! We had previously booked trips for each destination with our cruise line prior to travelling and the first was a Jeep safari around the island with a beach stop. A bumpy ride led us through winding roads full of potholes – just like home, to a viewpoint on the South side of the island. The journey consisted of colourful shacks, fruit for sale along the roadside, many mango trees (they have 25 different types of mango) and banana trees, which are known as figs on the island. We also passed a building where they make steel drums. This is one of my favourite sounds and I was in my element whenever I heard them across the islands. We saw the Antigua Zip-line through the lush rainforest which would have been great fun if we’d had more time. The other interesting view in the distance was the Rastafarian houses. Our driver explained how they keep themselves to themselves on the island. They are allowed to grow marijuana but are limited to 15 grams at any one time, anymore than that is illegal – Perhaps not a great addition to my Caribbean island photography blog!

Further along our journey, the driver pulled over to pick some fresh lemongrass. I can honestly say that I have never smelt lemongrass so fresh, it was incredible! After stopping at a viewpoint with a strong and fruity rum punch, we headed to one of the 365 beaches for a swim. Turners beach was stunning! It is still one of my favourites from all of the islands. The water was a beautiful azure blue and very warm. There was a strong pull on approach, but just enough for a gentle sway once in. It wasn’t at all overcrowded and we could have easily spent the entire afternoon there. All of the beaches are open to the public but since there are so many, they don’t get over crowded. After the trip, we took a stroll from the port to the colourful main street for the shops. As with all of the islands, they have the typical tourist traps full of souvenirs, duty free alcohol and of course a Diamonds International. (DI stores, Del Sol and Effy shops were on most of the islands, selling jewellery and colour changing merchandise that reacts to the sun).

As we were on a cruise, we visited Antigua for a second time on the 28th December. We decided to join a trip with one of the local tour guides to Nelson’s Dockyard and Shirley Heights Viewpoint. Both of which had been recommended to me by my grandparents who have been on many cruises. It was a long drive to the opposite side of the island but it was worth it. Not only for the history but the scenery also. We found Antigua to be more run down than we imagined but the dockyard is very well kept as it’s still in use today! I’d seen many photos of Shirley Heights Viewpoint and if you Google Antigua it’s the first thing you see – It did not disappoint! The view down to Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour really was stunning – a great scenic view to add to my Caribbean island photography blog. We also stopped at a lower viewpoint where our guide pointed out Eric Clapton’s house on a cliff in the distance. On the journey back we had a brief stop at Darkwood Beach, which was also beautiful. Me being an animal lover noticed a ‘Turtle Crossing’ sign (releasing baby turtles is another thing on my bucket list!) We spotted a mongoose on the road side which were introduced to the island to get rid of the snakes but they’re now considered pests! For any cricket fans, there is a cricket stadium near the airport and Antigua is the hometown of famous cricketer – Viv Richards.

The weather – During our first day while in the Jeep, we were graced with a relatively short but heavy downpour which the locals like to call ‘Liquid Sunshine!’ For the rest of our time in Antigua, we had glorious sunshine and the weather ranged from 28-30 degrees throughout our two week stay.

Images below – Please note, the first images were taken on a Sony A7iii and rest on an iPhone 16.

Grenada: The island of spice!

On the 17th December we were greeted with a cloudy and rainy morning. We had booked a snorkel trip to see one of the UNESCO Underwater Sculpture Parks. I never got to see them in Bali, so this was a ‘must see’ for me! Unfortunately due to the rain over night, the visibility was terrible and unless you could dive down deeper, you could barely see the outlines. Luckily my partner managed to do so with my phone so I could see some of the statues, but the Image quality wasn’t quite good enough to add to my Caribbean island photography post. They ranged from 5 to 8 metres deep and as our tour guide said, usually the visibility is very clear but on this occasion we were unlucky.

In the afternoon we joined the Grenada Highlights bus tour and explored the islands lush hilly terrain, filled with valleys of colourful houses. One of the most expensive hotels in The Caribbean is called ‘Silver Sands’ located on Grand Anse Beach. On the island they used to speak Creole and some of the older generation still do. However they never taught the younger generations so they could have secret conversations! Grenada is only 12 miles wide and 21 miles long with 126 thousand inhabitants. Some of its beaches consist of white sand which originates from the coral and others have black sand, from the volcanoes. The lowest temperature on the island is 19 degrees, which they find cold! The colours of the Grenadian flag symbolise different things. Yellow represents sunshine and friendliness, green is for lushness and agriculture, red is for courage and will for independence and white is for the beaches. The 6 stars represent different parishes and the 7th star is symbolic of the two inhabited islands that make up the tri-island country.

After a very steep and windy road, our first stop was Grand Etang Lake, up high in a National Park. It is a crater lake in a volcano and provides 60% of the towns water which comes from rainfall. The view there was very pretty with lots of colourful plants. We didn’t spot any Mona Monkey’s but we did buy a rum punch. We were asked if we preferred low, medium or strong and if that’s how strong the medium is, then I can only imagine what their version is like – the locals drink 70/75% rum! On our way back, we stopped at a shop selling souvenirs and spices. We bought a colourful basket filled to the brim with herbs and spices and were tempted by the banana ketchup – one of their delicacies! There was a lady carrying a basket full of fruit on her head, which was also available to buy…this image was a must for my Caribbean island photography album, but I had to pay for $1.00 for the privilege.

Our next stop was a spice and herb garden which was fascinating! There are so many flowers, plants and spices but to list a few, they have peppermint, tarragon, basil, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, bay leaves, blue tea, lemongrass, damsel, sour fruit which helps with Cancer, Noni fruit which is good for you but smells and tastes unpleasant, Chadon Beni which smells like coriander but can soothe cold and flu symptoms and Moringa which is packed with iron and zinc. Our guide let us smell many of the leaves and we tasted Cacao, which is used to make chocolate. It had a strange white texture, almost like mucus and was very sweet but tasted nothing like chocolate! They also have Sorrel flowers which are red and when mixed with cinnamon it creates a spiced Christmas drink, also known as Hibiscus Tea. Bread fruit is used as a vegetable and is similar to a potato and they also have a yellow fruit called Star Fruit which is used in fruit salad or eaten straight from the tree. You will also find Eucalyptus, bamboo, jackfruit, mango and Papaya.

The weather – After the morning downpour, the clouds cleared and the sun appeared for the rest of the day.

Saint Lucia: The volcanic Island!

The 18th December was where I discovered one of my favourite Caribbean islands. In fact I loved all three Saints, St.Lucia, St.Maarten and St.Kitts! It was here that we saw the gorgeous Marigot Bay from our catamaran, which is the featured image in this Caribbean island photography blog post. It is a luxurious bay, complete with expensive yachts and idyllic palm trees. Many movies have been filmed in there, including Pirates Of The Caribbean and the original Dr.Dolittle. I was glad I’d packed my camera as this stop was a goldmine for Caribbean Island Photography!

St.Lucia is known as the volcanic island because of its twin peaks – The Pitons. They are two extinct volcanoes which we viewed from our boat trip and also later on land. The island is very pretty, luscious and mountainous with lots of colourful buildings. Further round from Marigot Bay, we stopped to snorkel at a secluded cove. There were some colourful fish, small clownfish and even smaller yellow and blue ones by the rocks. On our way to Soufriere, our boat guide pointed out Anse La Raye which is French for The Bay Of Rays, however sting ray no longer grace these waters, as they’ve all been eaten! Soufriere was another scenic bay, albeit not quite as fancy. It was here that we boarded a minibus to the Diamond Estate and Botanical Gardens. We were guided through the rainforest and introduced to more flora and fauna as we approached the Diamond Falls waterfall. The rocks behind it were an interesting rusty orange colour. We also walked to view a dormant volcano near some mud baths that is being monitored by scientists. You could smell it before you saw it, that strong sulphur scent bubbling amongst the burnt orange rocks – the same colour as the waterfall. On our way back to the port we stopped at a couple of viewpoints. The first was bad timing as the heavens opened for around 5 minutes just as we wanted to view the majestic Pitons. Unfortunately due to bad weather, this must see shot didn’t make my Caribbean Island Photography blog, however, the final vista made up for it. It was full of luscious greenery with the deep blue sea in the distance. Our only complaint about this trip was that we spent a lot of time on the bus, it was a long journey!

Our second day in St.Lucia was on the 23rd December and we opted for the Soufriere by speedboat tour. This enabled us to spend less time on a bus, plus the snorkel stop was said to be fantastic. I am definitely a sun worshipper and I love to snorkel, so this tour I was excited for! Our tour guide, whose nickname is Lion, was incredible. He made this trip unforgettable with his great sense of humour and love to party. The mud baths were included in this trip and we had a great time covering ourselves from head to toe in mud and clay before soaking in the hot mineral baths. The baths are said to help with sun burn and other skin conditions whilst making you look younger! Our skin felt so smooth afterwards. Next, we visited a small, pretty bay where we saw some of the most colourful fish and coral that I have seen. There really was a whole other world of marine life here! The speedboat was a thrilling ride too and a drone would have been the perfect addition for any Caribbean Island Photography enthusiast, but due to privacy on the islands they are not permitted. On the return journey, we had a singalong with Lion while he handed out what seemed like endless amounts of rum punch and bottles of Piton beer, as we dried off in the sunshine.

The weather – We had a very short rain shower on the catamaran trip, followed by the five minute downpour later on during our first day in St.Lucia, but the second was dry and sunny.

Barbados: The hometown of Rihanna!

We spent the 20th and 21st of December in the infamous Barbados. The first day we boarded a catamaran to snorkel round a shipwreck and swim with turtles. From a snorkelling perspective it was great to see the shipwreck so close to the surface despite it being deliberately sunk in 2002. However it was for a good cause, to help with the coral reef. The guides threw bread in to entice the fish to swim around us. We were surrounded by black, grey and yellow striped fish also known as Sergeant Major’s. The second stop was disappointing as we only saw one turtle but it was no surprise really as there were too many tour boats for the turtles to stick around. We did see some sting ray and another fish that was 4/5 foot long. On our way to a beach stop, our tour guide pointed out another one of the most expensive hotels in the Caribbean costing 15k per night and the minimum stay is one week – Rihanna has stayed there. We went for a stroll along the beach and spotted a small white crab racing along the sand. The water was a beautiful turquoise colour and the beach itself wasn’t at all crowded. Our guide also pointed out the hotel that Tiger Woods hired for his wedding. He also mentioned a few other celebs, including one of the band members of 60’s rock band ‘Yes’. We didn’t see it ourselves, but were told about the house that Rihanna grew up in and how the street is now named Rihanna Drive, which would have been an exciting addition to my Caribbean Island Photography album!

Our second day in Barbados was spent at the Copacabana beach. We made our own way there via taxi and got to see more of the island itself this time. Barbados, on arrival isn’t the most attractive from the port. It is very industrial with lots of shipping containers, but the island itself is certainly wealthier. There were lots of Christmas trees along the river and in a nearby park. Bridgetown is certainly pricier and they have their own Barbadian Dollar, as do the other islands. Barbados also consists of 95% coral as opposed to volcanic rock, like the previous islands we’d visited. The beach was beautiful but pretty packed with sun beds. Today was one of the hottest days so we hired a sun bed each and were glad to be able to dip in and out of the sea. The water, as usual was lovely and warm. There was a man walking along the beach with a wheel barrow full of coconuts. He carved them with a machete and we couldn’t resist sharing one. For lunch, we bought fish tacos from the local beach bar and enjoyed several rum punches. The restrooms were air conditioned and of a much higher standard here. There was a beautiful blue building by the beach bar that caught my eye, with striking graffiti and on a nearby fence we spotted a vibrant green lizard with beautiful emerald markings.

The weather – There were two short rain showers during the catamaran trip but for the rest of our time in Barbados, we were blessed with sunshine.

Saint Kitts:

The 24th December – Christmas Eve was spent in St. Kitts, which is short for Saint Christopher’s. Here we had booked a Jeep safari to explore the rainforest. On our drive, the views included black sand beaches, created by volcanic ash. The island itself was flatter compared to others and the roads were wider. It reminded me of a holiday resort and it was evident that there is more money on the island. A lot of investment had gone into the port and other resorts around the island. We noticed an abundance of goats and cows grazing along the verges and avoiding them while driving seemed to be the norm. Much like the other islands, St.Kitts is very green and colourful. Our driver shared some insight into the vegetation, including the Neem Tree which is primarily an anti – inflammatory, but also as a morning-after pill! We saw cashew trees, avocado, coconut, breadfruit, mango, bananas, papaya and Pigeon peas which are related to chickpeas.

The weather was sunny near the dock, but as we ascended higher there was a mist that covered the mountain tops. Our guide mentioned that the mist we were experiencing was Saharan dust and doesn’t usually make an appearance until later in the season – that’s climate change! We stopped at a view of the port, but visibility was limited. Our guide brought us to another vantage point in the opposite direction which overlooked luscious green fields. We were hoping to spot some vervet monkeys but they were too shy to make an appearance. After the tour, we explored the shops by the port which were beautifully set against colourful flower beds. Local performers in vibrant costumes danced in the street, adding culture to the island. Inspired by all of the fresh fruit growing on the island, we bought a mango smoothie and a passionfruit smoothie, both deliciously sweet and fresh! We enjoyed these in the sun while listening to the outdoor karaoke bar full of tourists singing their hearts out, while drinking lots of rum! The rest of the afternoon was spent sunbathing on the ship.

The weather – A morning mist could be seen in the distance and we experienced a 10 minute downpour in the afternoon at the port, during which we sheltered in the shops. Thankfully, the majority of the day consisted of sunshine.

St.Maarten:

We spent Boxing Day on another much loved island – Saint Maarten. Much like St.Kitts it was very well kept and its infrastructure reminded me of America with larger roads and impressive resorts. The port in particular was very modern, with sleek fencing and high security, showing the islands wealth. Expensive yachts lined the marina and the roads were bordered with pineapple shaped palm trees. The island is divided into two countries: the French side and the Dutch side. It is the smallest island in the world split between two nations! We docked on the Dutch side, which is 16 square miles, while the French side is 21 square miles. The island has changed ownership 16 times and each side operates its own police, fire departments, and schools. Salt used to be their main industry but construction and tourism have now taken over. According to our guide, fishing and making babies are the two most popular industries now! To live there you have to speak multiple languages and it is the only island we visited where they drive on the right side of the road.

Our tour took us to the French side of the island for a cooking class at 978 Friars Bay. It was a beautiful little spot with a great view of the beach. The local chef that lead the cooking demonstration had a great sense of humour and made the experience very fun. We tasted cod fritters also known as ‘Jacks’ or fried fish, with a spring onion, garlic and chilli dipping sauce – absolutely bursting with flavour! For dessert we sampled flambéed bananas in a caramelised cinnamon and vanilla sauce, equally as flavourful as the first course! We ended the class with a rum tasting session. One of which was Guava berry rum, the islands signature drink – a beautiful red colour. The locals drink it in one go, rather than sipping it, as it’s more about the after effects than the flavour – it is said to have aphrodisiac properties for the men! She warned us ladies to watch out after the men had had a glass. She also informed us that Yellow Sage is the national flower, the brown pelican is the national bird and their national dish is conch with dumplings. After a few more rum samples, we stepped onto the beautiful 978 Friars beach and went for a swim. We really wished we’d had more time here. It was stunning and very peaceful.

Back at the port, we indulged in some shopping. The area once again reminded me of America with neat concrete flooring, tall palm trees, impressive shop fronts and green mountains in the background. Longing for more beach time, we took a water taxi to the nearest beach. It was a lot larger than the previous beach and packed with sun beds for hire. It was possibly one of the most touristy places we’d seen with many more shops, restaurants and other attractions. It took us quite some time to walk to the opposite end of the beach to find a patch in the sand to lay down in, but it was worth it to find a quieter area. I soon fell asleep in the sun – my happy place! After an afternoon on the beach we caught the water taxi in time for our 5.30pm boarding.

The weather – Non stop beautiful sunshine all day!

Tortola – British Virgin Islands:

Our penultimate location was on the 27th December before returning to Antigua and we were looking forward to visiting the Virgin Gorda Baths. We boarded a large catamaran for a 45 minute journey over to Virgin Gorda. Once we arrived, a large group of us followed our tour guide through the winding pathways and large rock formations to get to the beach. It was a long walk and involved crouching and climbing over various rocks and wading through water to reach the baths. It was great fun if you’re adventurous, although a little challenging for some. The first beach was gorgeous! It was fairly small with large rocks lining the shore and crystal clear waters. Snorkelling here was fantastic! As soon as we entered the water we could see a variety of fish swimming near us, unnerved by our presence. We spent a good amount of time exploring before venturing deeper into the caves to the second beach. The water was blue and turquoise with bigger boulders and the snorkelling was even more amazing. We saw an even larger array of fish, some small and others up to a foot long. I even spotted a squid for the first time! There were shoals of tiny fish and larger fish and the beach was beautiful. The current was strong near the rocks but we saw some colourful coral, including a large white piece proudly perched on one of the rocks. The second beach had a bar and a couple of souvenir stalls. After we’d snorkelled, we enjoyed a rum punch, before climbing onto some rocks to capture the view. Despite it being a ‘must-see’ location, it wasn’t as busy as I thought it would be, which made the experience even better, especially for scenic Caribbean Island Photography shots!

Back in Tortola, we wanted to explore more of the island itself. It was another attractive port, very built up and touristy but again well maintained. There were many shops and a large grassy area featuring live music. I had read about the colourful streets of Tortola, particularly ‘Main Street’, so we decided to make our own way there on foot. We avoided the taxi trips for a more authentic experience in the sun. We came across a street filled with large air-conditioned shops selling clothes and trainers, another pleasant reminder of my time in Florida. However, we struggled to find any particularly colourful streets like I had previously read about. We stopped to ask one of the locals advice and they pointed us in the direction of some colourful wooden market stalls. They were very pretty but not quite the vibrant streets I had in mind! Another lady directed us to ‘Main Street’ but from what we saw, it was fairly disappointing. It appeared to be a run down back street full of houses, not colourful in the slightest. By this point we were rather hungry and I was determined to try some traditional ‘Roti’ before leaving the Caribbean. We found a nearby restaurant selling Roti and decided to go inside. It was a long wait but the food was absolutely fantastic. We decided not to venture any further into my quest to find a colourful street. It was hot and we’d already walked pretty far. I did, however get some nice images of the market stalls on our way back, with an array of bright colours set against a moody sky, that have in fact made it into this Caribbean Island Photography post!

The weather – The morning was cloudy but luckily the sun came out just in time for our arrival at the Virgin Gorda Baths and it continued to shine throughout the day.

Summary:

The Caribbean really does have an array of mesmerising beaches and each island is unique. The brightly coloured buildings are unmissable and the people are all so friendly and welcoming. I loved my time there and enjoyed my little taster of all 7 islands. I really don’t think I could pick a favourite. From the spices of Grenada to the beautiful bays of St.Lucia and from the Virgin Gorda Baths in Tortola to the 365 beaches of Antigua, the charm of each island is undeniable. And not forgetting the infamous Barbados, which just speaks for itself with more beautiful beaches and impressive celebrity homes. Then there’s St.Kitts and St.Maarten, which if you’re looking for a little more luxury and fantastic shopping, are not to be missed. I could never tire of hearing the soothing sound of the steel drum or the rum punch that’s good for the soul!

Thank you for reading my Caribbean Island Photography blog! I hope you enjoy browsing through my photos. If you’re planning a visit to The Caribbean – or even a wedding abroad – I would LOVE to be part of your journey!

Take a look at my wedding photography packages here https://www.hannahbrodie.co.uk/wedding-photography/

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