Table of Contents
- 1. Lend a hand in exchange for food/accommodation
- 2. Go local, with locals
- 3. Pitch (or rent) a tent
- 4. Eat the local foods
- 5. Couchsurf
- 6. Save on the wifi-bars
- 7. Team up
- 8. Explore Nature, it’s free!
- 9. Investigate the cheap stays
- Budget accommodation in Dominica:
- Budget accommodation in Saint Lucia:
- Budget accommodation in Grenada
- Budget accommodation in Tobago:
- Budget accommodation in Saba (Dutch Caribbean)
- Budget accommodation in St. Vincent & the Grenadines
- Budget accommodation in Bonaire
- Budget accommodation in Antigua
- Budget accommodation in St. Maarten
- 10. Avoid: island excursions at cruiseship rush hours.
- Bonus Tip 1: Travel as crew on a sailboat
- Bonus tip 2 Hike across Dominica on the Waitukubuli National Trail
- A few more thoughtful travel take-aways for your Caribbean islands budget travel trip
The Caribbean on a budget, is that even possible? Yes it is! Here are some Caribbean budget travel tips to be able to explore the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. 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. Travel the Caribbean in style with these Caribbean islands budget travel tips you’ll never leave the place.
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 Eastern Caribbean travels on a budget?
Here are some tips, insights and useful takeaways so you can jump in your Caribbean 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 four seasons in the Caribbean zone now. Every island is GREAT! Wherever you go, you probably want to stay forever…
So how to make your precious adventure travel budget last while having a blast?
1. Lend a hand in exchange for food/accommodation
Find out about volunteering opportunities on Woofing, Trustedhousesitters, WorkAway and HelpX. Once you’re in the area check out local Facebook groups, newspapers and posts on bulletin boards.
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 homestays.
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.
3. Pitch (or rent) a tent
- Camping in Dominica
- Beyond Vitality Eco Camp. Here you can pitch your own tent or rent a hammock in the shelters hammock hut. There are also cottages for rent. The place is one of a kind. Read all about it here. (Update: Beyond Vitality has been heavily affected by the hurricane and needs your help!)
- Rodney Wellness (10US/day If you have your own tent) 25US/day to rent a tent. I rented a tent here. Nice spacious with a good mattress in it. (Update: Rodney Wellness has been heavily affected by the hurricane and needs your help!)
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.
- 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$) and you get 10EC credit with it. For 20EC you get 1GB of data. Often the data works better than the wifi! You only need 1 SIMcard and it works across different Caribbean islands.
7. Team up
Accommodation goes per room. If you’re solo travelling you probably can negotiate a little bit of the price but not so much. If you’re 2 or more it’s way easier to find an affordable place to stay.
8. Explore Nature, it’s free!
Snorkel below the surface, walk the shorelines, hike the hills and go swimming in the waterfalls! The Caribbean is a natural paradise. Tip: Bring your own snorkel set so you don’t have to rent this! It’ll be worth it!
9. Investigate the cheap stays
Maybe you don’t feel like Couchsurfing, house sitting, camping, or chilling in a hammock. Where to find a budget place to stay? Budget hotels in the Caribbean are hard to find but don’t worry. They are out there, the cheap accommodation budget friendly places to stay in the Caribbean. Just not in the first place in google. Walking and asking around locally is the best way to find a place. And to support the local who needs it most! The coolest local places are not on the internet! In high season you might want to have a cheap room sorted for 1 or 2 nights. Check Booking, Homestay, HostelWorld, Homeaway, Flipkey, AIRBNB, and Trivago. All websites have different offers. There is not much hostel type accommodation in the Caribbean out there. Here are a few Caribbean Islands budget Travel places that I discovered. I’ve stayed at most of them or they’ve been recommended to me by fellow Caribbean adventurers.
Budget accommodation in Dominica:
- Comfort Cottages (Thibaud) 43 US$/night – Room
- 3 Rivers Ecolodge Dominica has dorm accommodation in Dominica option for 15US$ / night. A cool eco-lodge stay in nature!
- Soufriere Guesthouse Best place to stay Dominica! Supercool community of freedivers, hikers and lifestyle designers.
- Le petit paradis Yummy home cooked meal! And make sure you jump in one of the hot springs. You can pitch your tent here, take a hammock or just roll out your mat under the roof.
- Hibiscus Valley Inn I have not stayed here, but I was here, It looks awesome and the food is superyummy.
- Danglez Bed & Breakfast Homestay rooms in the Kalinago territory and De-Li-Cious home-cooked meals are available. We pitched our tent in his garden. It was perfect to charge the device, take a shower and have a healthy dinner and breakfast and zero waste trail snack (see film :)) Say hi to him from me!
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.
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!
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
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$/night.
Explore Booking and Homestay for last minute deals on hostels, hotels, guesthouses in the Caribbean. Sometimes by only booking a day in advance prices drops 50%. Don’t expect too much availability in high season though (December – March).
10. Avoid: island excursions at cruiseship rush hours.
The Caribbean is a popular cruise ship destination. These massive cities arrive in the morning. The +/- 3000 population invases the destination and leave in the afternoon to tick another from the ‘been there, done that’ list the next day. It’s an attraction in itself. Cruise ship-days are ‘bankdays’ for the locals. Prices for food, drinks and coconuts massively go up. Don’t go to the local market or ‘must see’ waterfall at times the cruise ship is in. You will be seen as a walking ATM and surely pay more for your banana. I’ve got priced coconuts for 10$US, haha! Neh, I’ll climb a tree myself.
Bonus Tip 1: Travel as crew on a sailboat
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 Caribbean 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, and explore the Ocean Nomads community to get connected.
Bonus tip 2 Hike across Dominica on the Waitukubuli National Trail
Not many people know about this long distance trail, and I highly recommend it for your next thru-hike. Not many people even know about the paradise country of Dominica (Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic). But this hike is being acclaimed as the longest hiking trail in the entire Caribbean region, with a distance of 180 Kilometers. Hiking this jungle trail is the most rewarding and also most budget friendly way to traverse Dominica, the nature island of the Caribbean. In 2023 I hiked the full trail. Here are some tips if you’re interested in doing that. And a movie:):
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. Especially after Hurricane Maria in Dominica and the recent Hurricane Beryl in the Grenadines, goodies are needed!
You may also like to read: What I bring Hiking & Camping in the Caribbean
- 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.
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
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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Hi Suzanne! I notice Barbados isn’t on your list! Barbados is actually one of the most expensive Caribbean islands in the eastern chain, but there are still ways to enjoy the island on budget. You definitely have to look for cheap places to stay, but they’re there! One good thing about Barbados is that there’s always a lot to do and a lot for free. Many cultural events are open to the public so you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy yourself. If you come to Barbados I’ll show you how to lime on a dime!
Hey Shana!
Thanks for your comment! Barbados is missing indeed… I have not been there (yet!) I would LOVE to! I have heard great things about it! I’ll let you know once I go there! Cheers from Carriacou!
Here’s an idea for you on a budget….
La Biosfera
Jinotega, Nicaragua
In the Nicaraguan (coffee country) mountains where it’s cool, hop, skip and a jump from Lago Apanas.
Suzanne Wopperer (owner operator) bunk house dorm or private room.
just a few km out of Jinotega, on the local bus route, or less than $5.00 by taxi.
Fresh air, beautiful view, quiet and peaceful.
http://www.hijuela.com/labiosferaretreat.html
Tell her Fred sent you.
Hey Fred! Thanks for your idea! I would LOVE to go to Nicaragua. Since I almost only travel by sailing boat, I take it one place at the time. When I make it to Nicaragua I will definitely check out La Biosfera!
Cheers, Suzanne
wow! love the content of your site. I know where to look for info next time i am planning a trip to Africa :)
This is a great post! So well written and I love he layout! I agree that nature is free and we should soak in every ounce of it! We also love he Caribbean! Cheers!
Amazing tips. Bookmarked this for later. Thanks!!!!
Thank you! Make the Caribbean dream happen :)
I recommend Grenada, as one of the safest.