Right now we are on our first Carnival Caribbean cruise enjoying everything the ship has to offer. We could be in the spa right now or enjoying the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat. Or maybe we’re finding our inner child and zipping down the 320-foot-long Twister Waterslide. Whoa! Most likely we’re taking part in some awesome water adventures that we have lined up during our shore excursions. While we’ve travelled to the Caribbean several times before, it’s our first time cruising in the region. In the past we’ve been bound to one island, but now we have the opportunity to explore multiple destinations in one trip. We think that is one of the major perks of cruising: exploring several islands in a week. During our 8-day cruise, we are sailing from Miami to the Southern Caribbean to visit Grand Turk, Curacao, Aruba and La Romana Dominican Republic on the Carnival Breeze. Ooh la la.

Watch the talented cliff divers in Jamaica

Since Carnival offers a lot of choices for shore excursions, we thought we’d share our favourite Caribbean adventures that we’ve tried. During our cruise we’re going to be focusing on water adventures, so before we tell you all about that when we get home, we thought we’d highlight some of the best adventures we’ve experienced inland. Whether it’s a canopy tour over the rain forests, a hike to a volcano, or a safari to see the indigenous flora and fauna, going inland to explore the island is a must! And here are our suggestions for your next Caribbean escape.

Note: These activities may not be available as cruise excursions, but take a look at the activity options by destination to see what you can do.

Top 6 Caribbean Adventures

1. Jamaican Bobsledding

It’s the only place in the Caribbean you can go bobsledding and that’s because Jamaica is famous for its Winter Olympic bobsledding team! Way back in the 1980s a group of Jamaican athletes defied the odds and competed in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics in the bobsleigh event. Their story was immortalized in the film Cool Running’s starring John Candy. The Jamaican team has continued the tradition of competing in the winter Olympics and they even won the 2000 World Push Championships in Monaco. They are no laughing matter. To celebrate their athletes, Jamaica has opened a museum and adventure centre in Ocho Rios. You can drive your very own bobsleigh through the jungle. There’s zip lining, a swimming pool and displays showcasing all the talented Jamaican summer and winter Olympians.

Check out Two Cool Canucks and a Jamaican Bobsled

2. ATV Off Road Fun

If you’ve ever wanted to get behind the power of a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle, this is your chance. Countless Caribbean islands offer ATV excursions and they are a fun and adventurous way to explore the landscape and see the wildlife. ATVs can take you off the beaten path to remote villages, through farmland and sugarcane fields and up rocky and steep terrain for extraordinary views. We’ve taken a few ATV adventures around the world and in the Caribbean we always have fun! A featured destination is on Grand Turk where you’ll stop at John Glenn’s Capsule, and ride through old colonial buildings of the 1800s along the beautiful coastline. It looks like a great historical tour!

3. Canyoning Dominica

If you want to try something unique, Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic) offers Canyoning. Canyoning involves slipping and sliding through rocks and caves, rappelling through waterfalls, jumping into clear pools, and letting the current of the river whisk you away as you float along the water. Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous, you’ll be outfitted in wetsuits and life jackets along with safety helmets and all the proper harnesses and safety gear you need. All you have to do is follow your guide and enjoy the ride!

4. Zip Lining Adventure

Zip lining is offered in many destinations around the Caribbean and it is fantastic to get out in nature while having a heart pounding adventure. Zip lines are often a part of a canopy tour where you walk from platform to platform learning about plant life and animals of the area while hiking through the jungle and zipping over the treetops of dense rainforest. If you are new to adventure travel, this is the one for you! There’s one in St. Kitts we once took that was one of the fastest and most thrilling zip lines we’ve ever taken. Reaching 80km an hour, it’s a thrill of a lifetime. This zip line is located in Old Road Village, the first English Settlement in the West Indies. It’s not only an adventure, it’s a cultural and historical experience as well.

5. Cenotes of Mexico

Mexico offers many of the excursions we’ve mentioned, but something that is unique to the country is its extraordinary Cenotes. Located in the Yucatan Peninsula, these ancient underground caves are filled with quiet pools and mellow rivers. Travellers can explore them in many different ways, from snorkeling and swimming through the caverns, wading through the shallow waters, or scuba diving the more remote systems that can only be reached with aid of oxygen. There are also Cenote adventure tours where you can rappel and zip line inside deep dark holes underground, kayak through long narrow channels, and try your hand at cliff jumping.

The Rio Secreto adventure tour is a three-hour excursion located near Cancun offering the chance to explore this extraordinary attraction in a short amount of time!

6. Horseback Riding

Dave and I went horseback riding on the beach during our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. We’ve since learned to ride a bit better and have ridden horses around the world. We can confidently say there is nothing more romantic than riding horses on a Caribbean beach! Looking out over the beauty of white sandy beaches into the sapphire blue oceans will take your breath away. If you aren’t a skilled rider, being on the beach gives you the confidence to try a cantor or even gallop.

A horseback ride that looks very cool to us is in Montego Bay, Jamaica where you get to do a horseback ride and swim! Now that’s something we’ve always wanted to try.

Those are the top adventures we’ve had in the Caribbean, and we can’t wait to add to the list this week on our cruise! Make sure to follow along on our social media channels where we’ll be sharing our Caribbean adventure with the hashtag #CarnivalPartner.