5 Thrilling Natural Wonders in the Caribbean
What a sight! Such exotic flora is only possible in tropical forests. If you like this and want to see many more such unseen flora, myriad marine lives, incredible and thus-far-not-eaten fruits, hidden but roaring waterfalls, Immaculate beaches, swimmable lagoons, thrilling water sports, and jaw-dropping geographical and natural wonders make the Caribbean islands ever luring.
People visit the West Indies for memorable holidays that promise sun and sand, rum and tender coconut waters, Indian and Portuguese cuisine mixture, and a long siesta.
Five Natural Wonders in the Caribbean:
Some islands in the Caribbean surprise with us incredibly stunning natural wonders. We will visit such amazing attractions in the Caribbean in this blog post.
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El Yunque National Forest
The diverse flora in any tropical island contributes in a big way to its tourism. Visiting a forest doesn’t mean examining the leaves and flowers under a microscope.
Walking through the silent jungle, listening to the calls of birds and insects, the riffle you create when you tramp on the dried leaves, the roars of wild animals, and the sound of waterfalls will engage us for hours together.
El Yunque National Forest is one of the big crowd puller in Puerto Rico, one of the larger Caribbean Islands that is located some 1600 + km southeast of Miami Beach, Florida.
You should go with a local guide who will show you the lush, dark, and evergreen Sierra Palm Tree Forest.
Don’t turn a blind eye to this extraordinary natural scene, buddy. You will never see another one like this in your lifetime.
Other major forests found within the El Yunque National Forest region:
- Tabonuco Forest
- Palo Colorado Forest
- Cloud Forest
Strangely, it is also called the ‘Dwarf Forest’.
There is no answer as to why this forest alone is home to dwarf trees whereas the neighboring forests have tall trees.
Such lush rainforests are wonderful habitats for a range of birds some of which are endemic to Puerto Rico. An example is the Puerto Rico Parrot.
You may find quite a few waterfalls that are truly hidden behind lush foliage.
I think this site of waterfall alone is enough for me to contemplate my dream trip to Puerto Rico.
El Yunque National Forest is one of the true natural wonders in the Caribbean.
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The Baths
The Baths is actually a beach on the Virgin Gorda Island, one of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Now, do you understand why it is called the ‘baths’ from the picture above?
There are a series of underwater grottos that are formed naturally after eruptions from surface volcanoes. Generally, the volcanic craters are always filled with clear water with medicinal properties.
Apart from swimming and splashing around, the Baths offer wonderful scope for snorkeling.
The Britishers consider the Baths is one of the natural wonders in the Caribbean.
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Bonaire National Marine Park
Don’t brush aside thinking about what can be so wonderful about a marine park.
Look at the photo below of the marine life in the Bonaire Marine Park and think again.
This photo was taken during snorkeling only. Imagine what else you can discover if you know scuba diving.
This fantastic national marine park is located off the shores of Bonaire Island and Klein Bonaire, a small piece of floating land. Bonaire Island is the ‘B’ of ABC islands in the Caribbean Sea. The ‘A’ and ‘C’ point to Aruba and Curaco islands in the Caribbean Sea. All these three islands are part of the Dutch Overseas Territory.
The marine park is a habitat for diverse and colorful coral reefs and seaseagrass. Diving is highly recommended to see marine creatures underwater. To facilitate a large number of scuba divers, the marine park authorities have established as many as 86 diving locations.
Other rare marine lives that a scuba diver can spot include:
- Queen Conch
- Flamingo Tongue Snail
- Turtlegrass
- Surgeonfish
- Reefperch
- Wrass
These extraordinary and rare marine creatures are the reason for the formation of Bonaire Marine National Park. Truly, this is one of the great natural wonders in the Caribbean.
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Bioluminescent Bay
What an eerie but fantastic sight! This marine phenomenon is spotted in Mosquito Bay, Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.
The world goes ‘gaga’ over the sighting of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), an astronomical phenomenon that occurs near the North Pole.
Similarly, the bioluminescence is equally a natural wonder in the Caribbean. Unlike the Northern Lights which can be viewed only during a certain period, the bioluminescence can be seen throughout the year.
The bioluminescent bay is part of Vieques Island near Puerto Rico. The micro-organisms (plankton) in the water emit the glow that is reflected in the water giving an eerie blue.
Kayaking in the bay is needed to watch the bioluminescence. It is a magical experience if you swim or float on the water, the blue light all over you, projecting you as an alien!
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The Twin Pitons
On the left, the ‘piton’ is called ‘Petit Piton’ and the larger one on the right is known as ’Gros Piton’. Don’t they look like natural wonders in the Caribbean?
These volcanic pitons are seen off the shores of St. Lucia Island. The twin pitons come under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They appear small but actually, they occupy around 8000 acres of land! That is truly phenomenal.
Being volcanic in nature, these pitons have a few natural fumaroles.
Both these pitons are targets for mountain hikers. It is a common practice for ardent hikers to trek up to the summit of the pitons.
If I were to rank these 5 natural wonders in the Caribbean, I would give the number 1 rank to the El Yunque National Forest.
