WASHINGTON — U.S. News & World Report has ranked the U.S. and British Virgin Islands among its Top 5 of 17 Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean.
The annual report awarded St. Lucia the No. 1 spot, followed by the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The BVI, which was closed to non-residential visitors for the better half of last year, and is now reopened, received the No. 2 with the description “posh is the best word to describe the British Virgin Islands.” Describing the territory as “the most-exclusive and least-developed islands of the Caribbean,” the report recommends the BVI as a getaway for those seeking solitude and “opulent exile.”
The ranking touts the U.S. Virgin Islands as a trifecta of “pampering, undisturbed nature and colonial history jammed into one vacation.”
St. Thomas was praised for its luxurious store fronts and megayachts; St. John as a quiet getaway for nature lovers; and St. Croix for its lessons on colonial history.
U.S. News & World Report ranked more than 1,100 travel destinations around the world with categories ranging from best family vacation, to top spring break destinations, noting “the U.S. News travel site, for one, has seen vacation research traffic explode to levels higher than even pre-pandemic times.”
The lists are updated annually and use a combination of “expert analysis and user opinions,” to determine the rankings.
Both the USVI, and the BVI dropped one position in 2021.
According to U.S. News & World Report, it’s still up to travelers to pick their vacation spots, noting “the best options for you may not be those ranked No. 1 or No. 2. Travel experiences are personal ones. Nonetheless, we hope that our rankings can serve as helpful guideposts as you plan your next trip.”