by James Johnson

Created on: June 22, 2008   Last Updated: June 24, 2008

Most North Americans know about the Appalachian Trail that runs from Georgia up to Maine, or hiking the Continental Divide through the Rocky Mountains. European Hikers are all familiar with The Pennine Way or trekking through the Alps. South America is known for Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Few realize that there is also a wide variety of exciting hiking in the Caribbean Islands, but there is!

These islands are now trying to promote eco-tourism and are setting aside nature areas with numerous trails, as well as guides, going into them. The volcanic islands have steep terrain for climbing rugged peaks and journeys into remote valleys. There are old ruins and settlements waiting to be explored, and they can only be reached in many cases on foot. The flatter islands are setting up trails through mangrove swamps and along beaches used by nesting sea turtles. The nice thing is that it is all "safe" hiking, no snakes to worry about; no "lions and tigers and bears oh my", and you are close enough to get rescued if you have an accident!

Most of these islands have hiking. There are the Pitons in St. Lucia, Concord Falls in Grenada, and the Quill in St. Eustatia. Mount Misery is in St. Kitts. The hiking varies from island to island, but there are several good choices. Here are three with some of the best variety and largest number of trails:

1) Dominica has some of the more spectacular hikes as it is very rugged and still volcanic. The trip through Desolation Valley to Boiling Lake is amazing (and it is the only known boiling lake in the Western Hemisphere)! There are also a lot of shorter, easier hikes for the less adventurous, places such as Emerald Pool or Trafalgar Falls. It is also the wettest place in the Eastern Caribbean, so nice and cool with 365 streams running through it!

2) Nevis Trails aren't as impressive, but the guides are listed as exceptional by numerous magazines, including National Geographic Traveller Magazine. Nevis Peak is extreme (but shorter than Boiling Lake), but numerous shorter trails will take you into remote valleys with giant rain forest trees or adventuring through bat caves amongst hidden ruins. The rain here is less and the beaches easier to access, for cooling off after the hike.

3) Trinidad is wonderful, with some lovely swamps. It has developed several birding preserves as many of the birds from South America nest here because it doesn't have as many dangerous creatures. There are also several eco-lodges available.

So the next time you are checking out places to go hiking, consider the Caribbean Islands, there is a lot available! It will be a new adventure that your buddies may have missed.

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