Here are some Caribbean islands budget travel tips. The image you have in mind from the Caribbean gets beyond confirmed once arrived. From Tobago tucked away in the south east corner, to little Saba up north, the islands are blessed with tropical rainforests, stunning reef drops, waterfalls and adventure potential. It is as scenic above as below the surface. The Caribbean is a truly amazing part of our planet, full of character!  Scenic wise with all the happy coloured buildings, the tropical flowers and happy bird sounds. But the real characters are the people. With these Caribbean islands budget travel tips you’ll never leave the place.

Caribbean Islands Budget Travel

When you walk the street, receiving “good day” and “good afternoon” is more the rule than the exception. Everyone has a good cheer and is happy to make a chat. There are more hairdressers than rum shops. And there are A LOT of rum shops. Looking around NO one has the same hairstyle. The people are kind, funny and 100% unique. Every single one of them. People walk slower, talk slower, live slower so they can be more. There are lots of entrepreneurs around hustling some business with their fish, coconuts, bread and fruits on boats, on the beach or on land near the streets. Reggae and soca music boosts from the speakers. You only know if it’s a house, bar or supermarket before you walk in there. I love it!

The Caribbean is not designed for budget travellers. The most expensive part of Caribbean Islands Budget is accommodation. But there are ways around it. With my curiousity and determination to explore and stay, I have figured out a way to adventure these paradise islands with little to pay.

How to maximise your Caribbean travels on a budget?

Here are some tips, insights and useful takeaways so you can jump in your Caribbean islands budget travel adventure! I’ve extensively explored Tobago, Granada, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, St. Lucia, Dominica, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten, Antigua, Saba, the British & US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. I’ve spent three seasons in the zone now. Every island is GREAT! Wherever you go, you probably want to stay forever…

10 tips

1. Lend a hand in exchange for food/accommodation

• Find out about these kinds of opportunities on Woofing, WorkAway and HelpX. Once you’re in the area check out local Facebook groups, newspapers and posts on bulletin boards.
  

  Caribbean Islands Budget Travel

2. Go local, with locals

Wherever you go, connect with the locals. The experience of the island will be determined by the interaction of the people you meet. Make an effort to understand the culture and place you are visiting. Why do they do things as they do?  Learn what drives them and how they see the world. You get way more out of your visit, out of your life! Be nice, be open and the locals will show you around, share a coconut, and invite you to their houses. No need to pay for taxis, buses, or tourist tours. Give back with your gratefulness and enthusiasm for their country.

You’ll meet them at your homestay, the market, street, in the bus, bar or beach. Check the calendar for festivals and celebrations and see if you can join. Meet locals through Couchsurfing forums, facebook groups, and Homestay.com.

Navigate local style. On every island, I’ve been taking local buses and hitchhiked. This works well, it’s safe and makes you meet the locals. There are no timetables. The bus stops when you raise your hand. Don’t be surprised when the driver takes a detour via the bakery, his cousin, or market to source or bring some groceries. If you think there’s place for 10 people, x2 that! Buses get loaded. Buses have a great character with colours, local music, awesome hairstyles and names like, ‘the determined,’  ‘Expect the unexpected.’   Do check the price when you hop on for the first time to avoid being overcharged. Bus prices range from 1 – 10 EC. Different per bus and bus line, they don’t run after 10PM-ish.

Everywhere it’s also easy to hire a car in the Caribbean, with or without a driver. Prices are around 50US/day. This is often cheaper than taking a taxi! Taxi’s from one side of the island to the other can costs up to 100US$ (In Martinique or Saint Lucia). In the other islands, I don’t know.

Caribbean Islands Budget Travel

3. Pitch (or rent) a tent

• Camping in Martinique:
  • Camping Municipal in Saint Anne 12 euro to pitch your own tent.
  • Tents for rent in Airstream paradise

4. Eat the local foods

The number 1 reason I love the Caribbean is coconuts and tropical fruits. Caribbean cuisine is simply amazing. The rich soils produce healthy nutritious fruits, vegetables and spices. No wonder why the Caribbean has one of the highest numbers of centenarians in the world. Breadfruit, cassava, pea soups, an abundance of greens, peanuts, and all the herbs, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cacao, turmeric, ginger, vanilla, and lots of coconut-based excitement.

How to enjoy the Caribbean food on a budget?

• Walk around the block and discover the local food shacks! Avoid the restaurants in the marina’s and tourism zones where you find mostly the international food restaurants. This can be expensive (& tasteless due to import).
• Get lost and pick your own plants, fruits and coconuts.
• Go to the local market, not the supermarket. Caribbean supermarkets have limited provision options. Most of it is imported from the US, or Europe when you go to Martinique, Guadeloupe or the ABC islands. A lot from that import contains crappy ingredients and dozens of plastic wrappers. There are way more exciting foods to be found on the street. Support the local produce and local vendor with his family. Try that local exotic fruits instead of the imported familiar apple. Engage in the experience! Best goods are to be found on the street and market. On every island, Saturday seems to be market day. While you can provision the other days of the week as well (except for Sunday), on Saturday Islanders from all across the country (read: other side of the island 20 km away ;)) make their way to the capital to sell their produce.

• • •  If there are certain foods you really can’t do without, bring them in advance. It’s hard to find ‘things’ in the Caribbean. If you may find that special shampoo or superfood, you will pay the price.
    • To the more outer islands you go, the more expensive it usually gets since foods have to be brought over. Plan ahead.
    • Get what’s in season.
    • What is Caribbean food? Rotis are popular in the Caribbean and go for 5-15 EC (Eastern Caribbean Dollar +/- 3 EC = 1US$/Euro/Pound). These are dough rolls filled with a curry of meat, fish or veggies. They come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are so huge, and it’ll be the only meal you need that day. Definitely, try a Callaloo soup. It’s a superpower veggie soup (sometimes with fish, double check if you’re vegetarian/vegan). At the roadside, you’ll find soupmasters and (breadfruit – corn – plantain) grill masters selling delicious things. Corn soups are great as well. The Caribbean is vegan heaven! I started a Pinterest board on Vegan Caribbean Food with all this yummy-ness.

• Also fish and lobster are popular on the local menu. Unfortunately, many endangered species are on the menu as ‘catch of the day’. Take it easy on the tuna, grouper, swordfish and marlin for your own and oceans health. It takes many years and dozens of pounds of other fish for these giants to mature and reproduce. There’s not much left.  The higher up the food chain and the older the fish, the more contaminated it is with mercury and other metals. The best fish choice is the Caribbean is Lionfish. It’s an invasive species in the Caribbean and devastates local plants and animals. You actually help the environment by catching and eating this fish. Young plant eating fish is the second-best choice. The very best choice is to explore some more and try the ‘Sea moss!’  A real superfood from the sea! This sea vegetable makes a delicious drink with the local cinnamon spices/ coconut/cacao and/or peanuts! It’s the purest source of omega’s and so much more.

• Have Farine for breakfast and you’ll only get hungry again the next day! Farine is derived from the cassava root. Super super powerful nutrition bomb! A bit boring in itself but you can pimp it with the tropical fruits, spices, and of course coconut!
• Indulge on the coconuts. You can actually live on just that for months. How much does a coconut cost? Here’s the coconut index 2017 (EC -> Divide the US$/Euro/Pound more or less by 3):
  • Dominica: 2 EC
  • Grenadines 3-7 EC
  • St. Lucia: 2 EC
  • Grenada: 3 EC
  • Tobago: 15 TT (= +/- 20US$/Euro/Pound)
  • Climb a tree yourself! It’s free!
• Average price for a beer in the Caribbean: 5 EC. Go to the local shack and get 3 for 10 EC. Go to the fancy bar and pay 8.

Obviously, I love coconuts ;)

5. Couchsurf

List your trip dates on Couchsurfing. In St. Lucia, Grenada and Dominica I’ve connected with locals on Couchsurfing and numerous hosts (both girls and guys) offered to show me around or even a place to stay. Couchsurfing is great to connect with locals. They often love the companionship and to share stories. While typing this I’m Couchsurfing, beachfront!

6. Save on the wifi-bars

Save on the wifi bars and get a local SIM card. Sometimes the local shacks sell them. Many towns have a Digicel or Lime shop. Simcard costs 15EC (+/- 5US$) and you get 10EC credit with it. For 20EC you get 1GB of data. Often the data works better than the wifi! You only need 1 SIMcard and it works across different Caribbean islands.

7. Team up

Accommodation goes per room. If you’re solo travelling you probably can negotiate a little bit of the price but not so much. If you’re 2 or more it’s way easier to find an affordable place to stay.

8. Explore Nature, it’s free!

Snorkel below the surface, walk the shorelines, hike the hills and go swimming in the waterfalls! The Caribbean is a natural paradise. Tip: Bring your own snorkel set so you don’t have to rent this! It’ll be worth it!

Caribbean Islands Budget Travel

9. Investigate the cheap stays

Maybe you don’t feel like Couchsurfing, house sitting, camping, or chilling in a hammock. Where to find a budget place to stay? Don’t worry. They are out there, the cheap accommodation budget places to stay in the Caribbean. Just not in the first place in google. Walking and asking around locally is the best way to find a place. And to support the local who needs it most! The coolest local places are not on the internet! In high season you might want to have a cheap room sorted for 1 or 2 nights. Check Booking, Homestay, HostelWorld,  Homeaway, Flipkey, AIRBNB, and Trivago. All websites have different offers. There is not much hostel type accommodation in the Caribbean out there. Here are a few Caribbean Islands budget Travel places that I discovered. I’ve stayed at most of them or they’ve been recommended to me by fellow Caribbean adventurers.

Budget accommodation in Dominica:

• Beyond Vitality (Castle Bruce): 21 US$/night – Hammock
• Comfort Cottages (Thibaud) 43 US$/night – Room
•  Big Banana Campground (Soufriere): 25$/night – Comfortable tent with mattress.
• SeaWorld Guesthouse 50$US/night Beachfront in Roseau. Lovely locals and a good place to meet fellow travellers.
• Rivers Dominica has dorm accommodation in Dominica option for 15US$ / night. A cool eco-lodge stay in nature!

Budget accommodation in Saint Lucia:

• Uptown Guesthouse in Soufriere (40 euro/night). Stunning views, an awesome town in Saint Lucia in the middle of all the adventure activities.

Caribbean Islands Budget Travel

Budget accommodation in Grenada

• Big Sky Lodge (Crochu, St. Andrews) 43 euro/night – Room
• Garden of Greneda
• Crayfish Bay Organic Estate (45 EC$) Local vibed between Gouyave and Sauteurs
• Willies Courts Apartments for 100EC$ / 2 persons, so more or less 15USD each.
• Bayaleau Point Cottages in Carriacou (Grenada) It can’t get better than this! When travelling in low season you can get good deals for million dollar views! Btw this cottage has the best kitesurf spot of the Caribbean in the front garden!

Caribbean Islands Budget Travel

Budget accommodation in Tobago:

• Two Seasons Guesthouse (Mt. Irvin Beach). 30Euro/night. THE place to be. You got to call. Dale, the lovely local owner doesn’t do the internet.  +1 868-792-9329. Say hi to Dale and all the other awesome local guys at the Mt. Irvin Office from me! I can’t wait to go back there.
• Millers Guesthouse (Buccoo). 40 euro/night. This guesthouse also has a dorm room for cheaper. Awesome location between hot spots Mt. Irvin Beach and Pigeon Point. Right next to the location of sunday school (which is a must must must!). Say hi to Winston from me! Lovely local guy.
• Candles in the wind (Close to Pigeon Point). 25 euro/night for (huge ass) dorm room. I met lots of solo travellers here! Cool place. Say hi to Andrew.

Budget accommodation in Saba (Dutch Caribbean)

• El Momo Cottages (70US/night) As low budget as it can get in Saba & eco.

Budget accommodation in St. Vincent & the Grenadines

• Dennis Hideaway in Mayreau (44US$ /night)
• Saint Josephs house in Union Island. Spectacular view from here and walking distance from town.
• Buttercutch Appartment in Kingstown on the main Island

The view of the Grenadines from the edge of Union Island.

Budget accommodation in Bonaire

• City Inn is the cheapest one out there (44US$/night) In town with a stunning beach just a step away
• I wrote a dedicated blog with more tips on the island of Bonaire here.

Budget accommodation in Antigua

• Media Luna Appartments in Saint Johns. 43US$/night. Basic but cheap and self-contained.

Budget accommodation in St. Maarten

• Over the Hill guesthouse in Gran Case 55US$/night.

Explore Booking, Homestay, HostelWorld, Homeaway, , AIRBNB, and Trivago for last minute deals on hostels, hotels, guesthouses in the Caribbean. Sometimes by only booking a day in advance prices drops 50%.  Don’t expect too much availability in high season though (December – March).

10. Avoid: island excursions at cruiseship rush hours.

The Caribbean is a popular cruise ship destination. These massive cities arrive in the morning. The +/- 3000 population invases the destination and leave in the afternoon to tick another from the ‘been there, done that’ list the next day. It’s an attraction in itself. Cruise ship-days are ‘bankdays’ for the locals. Prices for food, drinks and coconuts massively go up.  Don’t go to the local market or ‘must see’ waterfall at times the cruise ship is in. You will be seen as a walking ATM and surely pay more for your banana. I’ve got priced coconuts for 10$US, haha! Neh, I’ll climb a tree myself.

Bonus Tip:  Hitch-Sail!

How to get around between the Caribbean islands? Or even arrive in the Caribbean in the first place?Whether you take a flight or Ferry, travel between the islands is expensive the regular way. The windward chain is well connected with ferries. A ride between countries, often between 20-40 miles, can easily cost up to 100$US. Especially in the high season, between December and April, there are many sailboats island hopping the Caribbean. Many of them like to share the fun with fellow adventure seekers! There are more berths on a boat than friends they have to fill them with. Distances between the islands are short. You can usually see the next one already lying ahead of you. There is also fisherman willing to take you to other islands. This is cheaper, not always safer. Definitely more adventurous. You do need to make sure that you clear out and in of customs properly. The captain of a sailing vessel needs to put you on the crew list and get you off the crew list when cleaning in a new country. I’ve become a pro in hitch-sailing and have only arrived in the Caribbean by boat (here’s how). Learn more about this coolest way to travel in the hitch-sail section of this website.

Best Tip! Sail the Caribbean with me!

This winter 2022/2023 for the first time I organize sailing trips in the Caribbean! This may not be the most Caribbean Islands budget travel (on the short term) but I’ll be there on board to personally show and support you with all the tips and tricks I discovered on budget nomadding the world, while adventure sailing, kitesurfing and sailing, and freediving the Caribbean :) Learn more and jump on board. 

A post shared by Suzanne | The Oceanpreneur (@oceanpreneur) on Dec 9, 2016 at 2:33pm PST

A few more thoughtful travel take-aways for your Caribbean islands budget travel trip

• Slow down!

• I haven’t felt unsafe 1 single second. Be open and friendly and you will get the warmest welcome wherever you go.

• What to pack for a Caribbean islands budget travel trip?
  • A hammock
  • • In the Caribbean disposable plastic is the norm. Be prepared to refuse and reuse by packing a reusable Straw, Bag, Cup, take-away box and filter waterbottle
    • Biodegradable sunscreen
    • Pack for a purpose. See if there’s anything you can bring that can help someone out.

• • Make a positive impact. Not just for yourself but for the places and people that you’re visiting. Our travels can bring huge benefits to local communities; it can also destroy a destination. Learn what you can do.
  • No need to drag a guidebook around. Get an individual e-book chapter of the place you like to learn more on.
  • Spend local and support as much as you can.

Paradise when you give it a closer look. Im in the Tobago Cays: a protected marine reserve, which is great! And let’s assume, no one would litter here. Where does this trash come from? It’s washed up ashore. Today I find fishing lines, flipflops and bottles. Loads of bottles! Eventually they will break down by the sun and salt but this will never dissapear. We’re piling up plastic on the this planet and the only way to turn the tide without plastic is to say no to it and do our very best to use alternative options! Not easy. I know. But we got to for the sake of the oceans and our own health. Looking for ideas on zero waste travel? Check destinationXploration.com for 70 tips to travel with a positive impact.   A post shared by Suzanne | The Oceanpreneur (@oceanpreneur) on Jan 25, 2017 at 7:10am PST

Let’s have us paradise forever! We can solve 50% of the plastic challenge by saying no to single use plastic: bottles, cups, bags, styrofoam, straws! These things have an average lifespan of 15 minutes. It just doesn’t make sense. And it never disappears!   A post shared by Suzanne | The Oceanpreneur (@oceanpreneur) on Mar 7, 2017 at 3:07pm PST

This is also #Dominica Can we blame someone disposing trash in nature? Not really. Not everyone knows that some of this trash never ever disappears, gets eaten by fish, eventually gets loaded with toxics back into us again eating the fish. Not everyone has access to education and the internet! Stuff we don’t want in the western world or have prohibited ingredients, now gets shipped into more developing countries that don’t have ‘BPA’ or ‘microbead’ regulations in place yet. A country like Dominica with very little resources and very little waste management facilities in place has to stay somewhere with the stuff that ‘we’ have thrown in there. The crappy plastic wrapped ‘food’ is often sold cheaper than the locally grown fruits, veggies, spices and nuts. Because we desire those and pay for that so they export. I hope I’ll see more local people eating their ‘oh so delicious’ local produce, on a banana leaf, with a reusable fork. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But that’s how it used to be. And that’s how Dominica got so many centenarians. I’m not so sure how this works out with the next generation…    A post shared by Suzanne | The Oceanpreneur (@oceanpreneur) on Dec 30, 2016 at 7:33am PST 

Now time to lime and go on island time!

Disclaimer: All tips and recommendations in this Caribbean Islands budget travel blog are my own. Some of the links contain affiliate links and may give me a tiny commission at no extra cost for you. It’s a huge help to keep the content creation going.  

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Caribbean Islands Budget Travel