Subregion

Caribbean

Pick one island base for a week, or two or three islands linked by a ferry or a 30-minute flight that actually runs that month; avoid August–October in the hurricane belt, or go south to Aruba and Curaçao.

23 countries22 full guide1 advisoryNot field-verified

Choose a country 23 ↓

Start from what you want

First trip
Easy arrival, easy transport, forgiving if plans slip.
Beaches and islands
Coast, diving and island time.
- One island base
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines → Grenada
Food first
Trips planned around what you eat.
On a budget
Lowest cost per day that still works.
Culture and history
Temples, old towns, museums.
- Cuba: Havana, Viñales, Trinidad
With kids
Short transfers, safe streets, family rooms.

Most complete right now

All 23 →

Actions

The Caribbean is thirty-odd island states and territories spread over 4,000 km of sea, with at least six currencies, four official languages and several different entry regimes. The map suggests hopping; the timetables often do not allow it: many island pairs have no ferry, and inter-island flights are small, expensive and prone to cancellation. The trips that fail book four islands in ten days, travel in September without insurance, or assume the island next door has the same rules. Choose by month first, then by what you want from the beach — reef, surf, hikes, food or quiet — and add a second island only on a line with a real ferry.

Choose

Which countries to combine, and when each works

Combine in one line

Overland order, not a checklist

If: One week, one beach, easy flights from North AmericaOne island baseAruba, Barbados, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic — fly direct and stay putOpen →

If: 10–14 nights, hikes, rum and French food, by ferryGuadeloupe → Dominica → Martinique (→ Saint Lucia)Pointe-à-Pitre → L'Express des Îles to Roseau → Fort-de-France → CastriesOpen →

If: 10–14 nights, sailing-style islands without a yachtSaint Vincent and the Grenadines → GrenadaKingstown → ferry Bequia → Union Island → cross to Carriacou → ferry Grenada (check post-Beryl schedules)Open →

If: 7–10 nights, colonial city and beaches, Spanish-speakingPuerto Rico (+ Culebra or Vieques)Old San Juan → El Yunque → ferry or flight to Culebra → San JuanOpen →

If: 7–10 nights, history and music, cash tripCuba: Havana, Viñales, TrinidadHavana 3–4 nights → Viñales 2 → Trinidad 3 → Havana; check power cuts and flights firstOpen →

If: Island hopping from one airportSaint-Martin / Sint Maarten hubSXM → ferry Anguilla, St Barth or Saba; Winair to Sint EustatiusOpen →

If: Autumn beach trip (Sep–Nov)Aruba or CuraçaoFly AUA or CUR direct; short hop between them — check current inter-island flightsOpen →

If: Two US territories, no passport for US citizensPuerto Rico + US Virgin IslandsSan Juan → fly St Thomas → ferry St John (Virgin Islands National Park)Open →

Countries

23 countries · cost per day is a 2026 backpacker estimate

SortPassport

23 of 23 countries

Antigua and BarbudaFull guide
Beaches and English Harbour; Barbuda by ferry
Cost / day
US$90–165
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
ArubaFull guide
Reliable sun all year, south of the hurricane belt
Cost / day
US$110–180
Best months
All year
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
BarbadosFull guide
Easy first island: buses, beaches, rum
Cost / day
US$90–130
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
5–10
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Cayman IslandsFull guide
Seven Mile Beach and wall diving; high prices
Cost / day
US$150–200
Best months
Jul, Nov–May
Nights
4–7
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
CubaFull guide
Havana, Viñales, Trinidad; cash, blackouts and US sanction rules
Cost / day
US$40–80
Best months
no clear peak
Nights
7–14
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
CuraçaoFull guide
Willemstad's harbour town and shore diving
Cost / day
US$75–135
Best months
Dec–Oct
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
DominicaFull guide
Rainforest hikes, hot springs, whales; few beaches
Cost / day
US$70–140
Best months
Dec–May
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Dominican RepublicFull guide
Santo Domingo, Samaná whales, Punta Cana resorts
Cost / day
US$45–65
Best months
Jun–Jul, Dec–Apr
Nights
5–10
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
GrenadaFull guide
Spice island beaches; Carriacou by ferry
Cost / day
US$80–110
Best months
Dec–Jun
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
GuadeloupeFull guide
Two wings of one island + Les Saintes and Marie-Galante
Cost / day
US$91–174
Best months
Dec–Jun
Nights
6–10
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
JamaicaFull guide
Blue Mountains, Kingston music, north-coast resorts; west still rebuilding after Melissa
Cost / day
US$60–80
Best months
Jun–Jul, Dec–Apr
Nights
5–10
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
MartiniqueFull guide
France in the tropics: rum, volcano, south beaches
Cost / day
US$91–174
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Puerto RicoFull guide
US rules, Spanish culture; Old San Juan and small islands
Cost / day
US$95–195
Best months
Nov–Jul
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Saint Kitts and NevisFull guide
Two islands, one short ferry; forts and plantations
Cost / day
US$90–165
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
4–6
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Saint LuciaFull guide
The Pitons, rainforest and resorts
Cost / day
US$85–165
Best months
Dec–Jun
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesFull guide
Ferry-hop the Grenadines from Kingstown
Cost / day
US$70–140
Best months
Nov–May
Nights
6–10
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Saint-MartinFull guide
French/Dutch island hub for ferry hops
Cost / day
US$110–209
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
4–7
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Sint EustatiusFull guide
Tiny, quiet, diving and a crater hike
Cost / day
US$100–180
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
3–5
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
The BahamasFull guide
Nassau plus one Out Island by air or mail boat
Cost / day
US$110–150
Best months
Nov–Jul
Nights
4–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Trinidad and TobagoFull guide
Carnival and food in Trinidad; reef and quiet in Tobago
Cost / day
US$70–100
Best months
Dec–May
Nights
5–8
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
Turks and CaicosFull guide
Grace Bay on Providenciales; reef and kiteboarding
Cost / day
US$165–285
Best months
Nov–Jun
Nights
4–7
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
US Virgin IslandsFull guide
St John's national park by ferry from St Thomas
Cost / day
US$115–240
Best months
Dec–Jul
Nights
4–7
JFMAMJJASOND
Open →
HaitiAdvisory
No trip line is published for Haiti.
No trip line: read the advisory page and your government’s advice first.
Open →

Seasons at a glance

Every country, month by month

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Antigua and Barbuda	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
Aruba	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go
Barbados	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
Cayman Islands	go	go	go	go	go	ok	go	ok	ok	ok	go	go
Cuba	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	ok
Curaçao	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	go
Dominica	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	ok	ok	go
Dominican Republic	go	go	go	go	ok	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	go
Grenada	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	ok	go
Guadeloupe	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	ok	go
Jamaica	go	go	go	go	ok	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	go
Martinique	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
Puerto Rico	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	go	go
Saint Kitts and Nevis	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
Saint Lucia	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	ok	go
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
Saint-Martin	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
Sint Eustatius	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
The Bahamas	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	go	go
Trinidad and Tobago	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	go
Turks and Caicos	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go
US Virgin Islands	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Compare the countries

Ranked from each country's own data

01Cubabackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$40–80
02Dominican Republicbackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$45–65
03Jamaicabackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$60–80
04Trinidad and Tobagobackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$70–100
05Dominicabackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$70–140
06Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesbackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$70–140
07Curaçaobackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$75–135
08Grenadabackpacker day: bed, food, local transportUS$80–110

Advisory countries are left out of every ranking.

Understand

Background, cities and what sits between them

Understand

Taíno and Kalinago peoples lived on the islands when Columbus arrived in 1492; within a century most had died from disease and forced labour. Spain, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Denmark then fought over the islands for sugar, worked by enslaved Africans. Emancipation came between 1834 and 1886; independence from 1804 (Haiti) to 1983 (Saint Kitts and Nevis). Many islands remain territories today.

Population: About 44 million (Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico hold most)
Hurricane season: 1 June – 30 November; peak Aug–Oct
Driving side: Left on former British islands (Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman, Turks and Caicos) and the US Virgin Islands; right elsewhere
Electricity: Varies by island: 110–120 V with US plugs on the US territories, Bahamas, Jamaica, DR, Aruba and Barbados; 220–240 V on the French islands and several Eastern Caribbean states — see each country page

Cities

From the country guides

St John's
Antigua and Barbuda
Capital and cruise port: market, cathedral, museum and the bus stations.
English Harbour / Falmouthplanned
Antigua and Barbuda
Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights, yachts and restaurants.
Oranjestad
Aruba
Capital and cruise port: Fort Zoutman, the archaeological museum, Main Street and the marina.
Palm Beach and Noordplanned
Aruba
High-rise resort strip with the calmest water and most restaurants.
Bridgetown
Barbados
Capital: Careenage, Parliament, Garrison and Carlisle Bay beaches.
Holetownplanned
Barbados
West-coast town of the first landing; shops and restaurants.
George Town
Cayman Islands
Capital, cruise anchorage, museum and Camana Bay nearby.
West Bayplanned
Cayman Islands
Northern end: Turtle Centre, Hell, dive sites.
Havana
Cuba
Old Havana, the Malecón, Vedado, music and museums; the only city with regular international flights in 2026.
Trinidadplanned
Cuba
Colonial sugar town with cobbled streets and the Valle de los Ingenios.
Willemstad
Curaçao
UNESCO harbour town: the Handelskade façades, Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo, with most museums and restaurants.
Westpuntplanned
Curaçao
Fishing village at the west tip; base for Playa Piskado, Grote Knip and Christoffel.
Roseau
Dominica
Capital: market, botanic gardens, museum and the gateway to the Roseau valley.
Portsmouthplanned
Dominica
Second town: Cabrits, Indian River and the yacht anchorage.
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
Capital; Zona Colonial, Malecón, nightlife and museums.
Punta Cana and Bávaroplanned
Dominican Republic
Resort coast and main airport.
St George's
Grenada
Capital: Carenage harbour, Fort George and the market.
Grand Anseplanned
Grenada
Main beach and hotel strip.
Pointe-à-Pitre
Guadeloupe
Economic hub: markets, Mémorial ACTe, cathedral and ferries.
Basse-Terreplanned
Guadeloupe
Prefecture at the foot of La Soufrière; Fort Delgrès.
Kingston
Jamaica
Capital; Bob Marley Museum, Devon House, galleries and the gateway to the Blue Mountains.
Montego Bayplanned
Jamaica
Main airport, Hip Strip and resort belt; recovering after Hurricane Melissa.
Fort-de-France
Martinique
Capital: La Savane, Schoelcher Library, cathedral, market and ferries.
Saint-Pierreplanned
Martinique
Old capital ruined in 1902; ruins, museum and black-sand beach.

Listed from the top cities of each country guide, most complete guides first.

Other destinations

Parks, bays, ruins and islands

Nelson's Dockyardplanned
Antigua and Barbuda · UNESCO naval dockyard
Georgian dockyard still used by yachts.
Shirley Heightsplanned
Antigua and Barbuda · Lookout and fort ruins
View over the harbours;
Arikok National Parkplanned
Aruba · Desert park
Cacti, caves with rock art, dunes, the Natural Pool and Boca Prins.
Natural Pool (Conchi)planned
Aruba · Rock pool
Swimming behind a lava wall;
Carlisle Bayplanned
Barbados · Bay and wrecks
Snorkelling over shipwrecks with turtles.
Harrison's Caveplanned
Barbados · Limestone cave
Tram tour through stalactite chambers.
Stingray Cityplanned
Cayman Islands · Sandbar
Stand among southern stingrays.
Seven Mile Beachplanned
Cayman Islands · Beach
Long public beach.
Old Havana (Habana Vieja)planned
Cuba · UNESCO old town
Four squares, fortresses and restored colonial streets.
Viñales valleyplanned
Cuba · Tobacco and karst
Farms, caves, horseback rides among mogotes.
Grote Knip (Kenepa Grandi)planned
Curaçao · Beach
The island's postcard cove;
Playa Piskado (Grote Berg)planned
Curaçao · Beach and turtles
Green turtles feed where fishermen clean their catch.
Boiling Lakeplanned
Dominica · Flooded fumarole
A steaming lake in a crater, via the Valley of Desolation.
Trafalgar Fallsplanned
Dominica · Twin waterfalls
Short walk;
Zona Colonialplanned
Dominican Republic · UNESCO old town
First cathedral, fortress and street of the Americas.
Saona Islandplanned
Dominican Republic · Island
Beaches and natural pool;

Listed from the excursion pages and the country guides' destinations.

Cross the borders

Entry, hubs, crossings, climate and money

Entry & visas across the region

Rules differ by passport — check the official page

Tiers below are for most EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports in 2026. Most islands are visa-free; Puerto Rico and the USVI follow US rules, the French islands French overseas rules, the Dutch islands their own. Several now want a free online form before arrival.

Country	Most Western passports	Stay	Arrival form / fee	Watch
Cuba	e-visaTourist card (e-visa or airline-sold card) for most passports	30–90 days by passport (check)	D'Viajeros online form before arrival	US citizens must fit one of 12 authorised categories under US sanctions — not tourism. Anyone who has visited Cuba since January 2021 can no longer use ESTA. Jet-fuel shortages cut many airlines' flights in 2026 — check. official ↗
Jamaica	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 90 days	Online C5 immigration/customs form (check)	Ammunition and camouflage bans; drug-mule sting operations at airports. official ↗
Bahamas	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 8 months for US, UK and Canadian passports; about 3 months for most others (check)	None (check)	US pre-clearance at Nassau on the way back. official ↗
Dominican Republic	visa-freeVisa-free; tourist card included in most air fares	30 days (longer stays pay an exit fee)	e-Ticket (free) online for arrival and departure	Overstay fees charged at the airport on departure. official ↗
Haiti	advisoryAdvisory — see the Haiti page	–	–	Most governments advise against all travel.
Puerto Rico	etaUS territory: US entry rules (ESTA or visa for non-US citizens)	90 days (ESTA)	ESTA before boarding	US citizens need no passport from the mainland. official ↗
US Virgin Islands	etaUS territory: US entry rules	90 days (ESTA)	ESTA before boarding	A passport is needed for the ferry to the British Virgin Islands and back. official ↗
Cayman Islands	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 30 days, extendable	Online arrival declaration (check)	Visa-required passports may enter with a valid US, UK or Canadian visa — check. official ↗
Turks and Caicos	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 90 days	Online arrival form (check)	Ammunition in luggage means arrest and a mandatory prison term — check the law.
Antigua and Barbuda	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 180 days for most Western passports (check)	Online arrival form (check); some nationalities need an Electronic Entry Visa	Camouflage clothing banned.
Saint Kitts and Nevis	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports; mandatory eTA since May 2025	Up to 90 days	eTA online (≈US$17 — check) at knatravelform.kn	Departure tax usually included in air fares.
Dominica	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 21 days on arrival, extendable (check)	Online ED card (check)	Ferry arrivals from Guadeloupe/Martinique pay a port fee.
Saint Lucia	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 6 weeks (check)	Online arrival form (check)	UVF (south) is the long-haul airport, 90 min from the north-coast resorts.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 30 days, extendable	Online ED form (check)	Clear immigration again when sailing between the Grenadines and Grenada (Carriacou).
Grenada	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 90 days	Online arrival form (check)	Carriacou–Union Island boats need exit and entry stamps.
Barbados	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 6 months (officer decides — check)	Online ED card before arrival	Camouflage ban; drones need a permit. official ↗
Trinidad and Tobago	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	Up to 90 days	None (check)	Check whether a state of emergency is in force — it changes curfews and police powers.
Martinique	visa-freeFrench overseas rules: visa-free for passports exempt from Schengen visas; the Schengen visa itself is not valid unless endorsed for the overseas departments	90 days	None	EU citizens enter with an ID card; everyone else with a passport. EES and ETIAS do not apply (check). official ↗
Guadeloupe	visa-freeFrench overseas rules, as Martinique	90 days	None	Ferries to Dominica and Saint Lucia leave the EU customs area: carry your passport. official ↗
Saint-Martin	visa-freeFrench side French overseas rules; Dutch side (SXM airport) Sint Maarten rules; open land border	90 days	Sint Maarten online EDcard for air arrivals (check)	Visa-required passports may need visas for both sides — check.
Sint Eustatius	visa-freeCaribbean Netherlands rules (not Schengen)	90 days	None (check)	Access via Sint Maarten: both sets of rules apply.
Aruba	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	30–90 days by passport	ED card online, mandatory, within 7 days before arrival	US$20 sustainability fee (ages 8+, once per calendar year) paid with the ED card; US pre-clearance on departure. official ↗
Curaçao	visa-freeVisa-free for most Western passports	30–90 days by passport	Digital Immigration Card online before travel	Visa-required passports may enter with a valid US, UK or Schengen multiple-entry visa — check. official ↗

Arrival forms are free on the official government sites; search ads push paid 'agencies' that charge US$50–100 for the same form.
Return or onward tickets are checked at check-in for almost every island.
Island-to-island trips count as international: every hop means exit and entry stamps and sometimes a departure tax.
Cruise passengers going ashore for a day need no separate visa on most islands but still carry passport or ship card.

Gateways and low-cost hubs

SJU

San Juan

US-rules Caribbean hub

Short flights to the USVI, BVI and Lesser Antilles; cheap from the US mainland.

Open →

NAS

Nassau

Bahamas hub, US pre-clearance

Out Island flights on Bahamasair and small carriers.

Open →

MBJ

Montego Bay

Jamaica's resort gateway

Damage from Hurricane Melissa in 2025 — check current operations.

KIN

Kingston

Jamaica's capital airport

Base for the Blue Mountains.

Open →

PUJ

Punta Cana

Dominican beach gateway

Most nonstops from Europe and North America in the Caribbean.

SDQ

Santo Domingo

Dominican capital

Colonial zone 35 min away.

Open →

HAV

Havana

Cuba gateway

Flights have been cut in 2026 fuel shortages — check.

Open →

SXM

Sint Maarten

Northern Leewards hub

Winair to Saba, Statia, St Barth; ferries to Anguilla.

Open →

ANU

Antigua

Leewards hub

Nonstops from London and North America.

Open →

PTP

Pointe-à-Pitre

French Caribbean hub (Air Caraïbes, Air France)

Nonstops from Paris; ferries south.

Open →

FDF

Fort-de-France

Martinique

Nonstops from Paris and some North American cities.

Open →

BGI

Bridgetown

Southern Caribbean hub

Flights to the Grenadines, St Vincent and Grenada.

Open →

POS

Port of Spain

Caribbean Airlines hub

Links Guyana, Suriname and the islands.

Open →

AUA

Aruba

ABC islands, US pre-clearance

Outside the hurricane belt.

Open →

CUR

Curaçao

ABC islands

Flights to Bonaire and Aruba.

Open →

Overland border crossings

Status changes: check before you commit a day to it

Crossing	Between	Mode	Visa at border	Trap
L'Express des Îles (Guadeloupe – Dominica – Martinique – Saint Lucia)	French Caribbean – Dominica – Saint Lucia	Fast catamaran, 1.5–2 h per leg	n/a	Rough in trade winds; runs a few days a week per leg — check timetable; passport needed.
Kingstown – Bequia – Union Islandcheck	Saint Vincent – the Grenadines	Ferries (Bequia 1 h, Union 3–4 h)	n/a	Union Island services changed after Hurricane Beryl (2024) — check.
Carriacou – Union Islandcheck	Grenada – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Small boats or scheduled ferry (check)	n/a	Immigration on both sides; clear out and in with stamps.
St Thomas / St John – Tortola / Jost Van Dyke	USVI – British Virgin Islands	Ferries, 30–60 min	n/a	Passport required both ways; BVI charges entry fees.
Sint Maarten / Marigot – Anguilla / St Barth / Saba	Saint-Martin – neighbours	Ferries 25–90 min	n/a	Saba crossing is rough; departure taxes collected at the dock.
Basseterre – Charlestown	Saint Kitts – Nevis	Ferry 45 min or sea bridge (car ferry)	n/a	Domestic; last boats early evening.
Port of Spain – Scarborough	Trinidad – Tobago	Fast ferry 2.5–3 h or 25-min flight	n/a	Domestic; book ahead at Carnival and Easter.
Santo Domingo – San Juancheck	Dominican Republic – Puerto Rico	Overnight car ferry (check operator)	n/a	US entry rules apply on arrival in San Juan.
Fort Lauderdale – Grand Bahamacheck	US – Bahamas	Day ferry (check operator)	n/a	Returning to the US means full US entry.
Haiti – Dominican Republic land borderclosed	Hispaniola	Road	n/a	Haiti is under advice against all travel; the Dominican side restricts crossings.

Climate by zone

Two systems: monsoon Indochina, equatorial south

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Greater Antilles and the BahamasCuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos	best	best	best	best	ok	hot	hot	storm	storm	storm	ok	best
Leeward IslandsVirgin Islands, Saint-Martin, Antigua, St Kitts, Guadeloupe	best	best	best	best	ok	ok	hot	storm	storm	storm	wet	best
Windward IslandsDominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Barbados	best	best	best	best	best	wet	wet	storm	storm	storm	wet	ok
Southern CaribbeanAruba, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago	best	best	best	best	best	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	wet	ok

best: dry, mildok: workablehot: short walking windowswet: daily rainstorm: typhoon or flood risk

Greater Antilles and the Bahamas: Cooler, drier winters; hurricane peak Aug–Oct. Northern Bahamas can be cool in Jan.
Leeward Islands: Trade winds keep the heat bearable; Irma (2017) hit this chain hardest.
Windward Islands: Rainy season from June; mountain islands (Dominica) are wet year-round inland.
Southern Caribbean: ABC islands are semi-arid and mostly outside the belt; Trinidad's rains run Jun–Dec.

Sargassum seaweed piles up on Atlantic-facing beaches in many years from April to September; check the season's forecast (USF satellite outlook) before booking an east-facing beach.

Money

2026 estimate

Country	Currency	Cash reality
Cuba	CUP (peso); tourists pay in cash euros or dollars	Visa and Mastercard stopped working in June 2026 — bring all funds in cash (check); street and official rates differ widely.
Jamaica	JMD	US dollars widely accepted in tourist areas; change comes in JMD.
Bahamas	BSD (1:1 USD)	US dollars used interchangeably.
Dominican Republic	DOP (peso)	Resorts price in USD; pay in pesos elsewhere.
Puerto Rico	USD	US banking and cards.
US Virgin Islands	USD	BVI also uses USD.
Cayman Islands	KYD (fixed at 1 KYD = US$1.20)	USD accepted; change often in KYD.
Turks and Caicos	USD	Among the highest prices in the region.
Eastern Caribbean states (Antigua, St Kitts, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada)	XCD (Eastern Caribbean dollar, pegged 2.70 to USD)	USD accepted almost everywhere at a slightly worse rate.
Barbados	BBD (pegged 2:1 to USD)	USD accepted.
Trinidad and Tobago	TTD	USD are scarce locally; use cards and ATMs.
Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin (French side)	EUR	EU cards work as at home; dollars accepted on Saint-Martin.
Sint Eustatius	USD	Caribbean Netherlands use the US dollar.
Aruba	AWG (florin, pegged to USD)	USD accepted everywhere.
Curaçao and Sint Maarten	XCG (Caribbean guilder, replaced the Netherlands Antilles guilder in 2025)	USD widely accepted — check change rules.

Cost per day above (2026 estimate): budget = guesthouse or apartment, local food, buses; comfort = 3–4★ hotel, restaurants, taxis. Islands are expensive: food is imported.
Taxis run on fixed zone fares on most islands; ask the fare before you get in.
Hotel taxes and service charges (10–25% combined) are often added to quoted room rates.

Stay safe

Safety hotspots

Where	Risk	What to do
Haitiadvisory	Gang control of much of Port-au-Prince, kidnapping, disrupted flights.	No trip line; read your government's advice.
Parts of Kingston, Montego Bay and Spanish Town	Violent crime; states of emergency declared in some parishes.	Stay in known areas; use hotel or app taxis; check parish advice.
Parts of Port of Spain and east–west corridor	Gang violence; a nationwide state of emergency ran March–September 2026 (check current).	Move by car after dark; follow local news.
Nassau 'Over-the-Hill' and some Freeport areas	Street crime, armed robbery.	Stay in tourist zones at night; watch jet-ski operators.
Cuba	Power cuts, jet-fuel and food shortages, suspended flights, no card payments; UK advises against all but essential travel (Sep 2026).	Check your government's current advice; carry medicines, torch and all funds in cash.
Beaches across the region	Rip currents, unlicensed jet-ski operators, theft from beach bags.	Swim at guarded beaches; don't leave valuables on the sand.

Plan

Routes, language and life on the ground

Itineraries

French Caribbean by ferry10–12 nights

Guadeloupe → Dominica → Martinique

L'Express des Îles; Dec–Apr.

Grenadines hop10–14 nights

Saint Vincent → Bequia → Union Island → Carriacou → Grenada

Check ferries after Beryl.

Cuba classic8–12 nights

Havana → Viñales → Trinidad → Havana

Viazul buses or taxi colectivo; check current conditions.

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands8–10 nights

San Juan → El Yunque → St Thomas → St John

US rules throughout.

Saint-Martin hub hops7–9 nights

Saint-Martin → Anguilla day → Saba or Statia

Ferries and Winair.

ABC autumn week7–10 nights

Aruba → Curaçao

Short flight; good in Sep–Nov.

Talk

English on most islands; Spanish in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico; French and Antillean Creole in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint-Martin's French side; Dutch and Papiamento in Aruba and Curaçao; Haitian Creole and French in Haiti. English creoles (Patois in Jamaica) are the everyday speech.

Where	Lingua franca	English	Note
Anglophone islands	English; English-based creoles	Native	Jamaican Patwa and Bajan are hard to follow at first; everyone switches to standard English.
Spanish Caribbean	Spanish	Moderate in Puerto Rico and resorts, low elsewhere	Caribbean Spanish drops final 's' sounds.
French Caribbean	French; Kréyòl	Low	Dominica and Saint Lucia speak a French-based Kwéyòl too.
Aruba, Curaçao	Papiamento, Dutch	High	Spanish widely spoken.

See

Old towns and forts

Old Havana · Cuba
Old San Juan · Puerto Rico
Santo Domingo colonial zone · Dominican Republic
Willemstad · Curaçao
Brimstone Hill Fortress · Saint Kitts

Mountains and volcanoes

The Pitons · Saint Lucia
Boiling Lake · Dominica
Blue Mountains · Jamaica
La Soufrière · Guadeloupe / Saint Vincent

Reefs and beaches

Grace Bay · Turks and Caicos
Seven Mile Beach · Cayman Islands
Trunk Bay, St John · US Virgin Islands
Statia Marine Park · Sint Eustatius

Choose a country Up to Americas

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Deep dive

3 min read · 5 chapters

The Caribbean is an arc of islands between two continents, shaped by volcanoes and coral, by the sugar economy and the Atlantic slave trade, and by the hurricanes that cross it every autumn. The five chapters explain why neighbouring islands have different languages and rules, what the islands' cultures grew from, and how to read the calendar and the sea before booking.

1Taíno, Kalinago and the first contact1 min

People reached the islands from South America in several waves, the last of them Arawak-speaking farmers whose descendants the Spanish called Taíno. They grew cassava, slept in hammocks and paddled canoes — all three words entered English from their language. The Kalinago (Island Caribs) held the Lesser Antilles and resisted Europeans for two centuries.

Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492 and founded the first lasting European town, Santo Domingo, in 1496. Disease and forced labour destroyed the Taíno within a few generations, though their genes and words survive. Dominica keeps the last Kalinago Territory in the region, with about 3,000 residents.

Santo Domingo founded: 1496
Kalinago Territory (Dominica): About 3,000 people

See itSanto Domingo colonial zone →Dominica →

2Sugar, slavery and five empires1 min

From the 1640s sugar turned small islands into the richest colonies on earth. Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain fought over them — Saint Lucia changed hands fourteen times. Plantations ran on enslaved Africans: millions were shipped to the islands, and most died within years of arrival.

Resistance was constant: Maroon communities in Jamaica's mountains signed treaties with Britain, and the enslaved of Saint-Domingue won the revolution that created Haiti in 1804. Britain abolished slavery in 1834–38, France in 1848, the Netherlands in 1863, Spain in Cuba in 1886. Indentured workers from India and China followed, especially to Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname.

Haitian independence: 1804
British emancipation: 1834, full freedom 1838
Indian arrivals in Trinidad: 1845–1917

See itBridgetown and its Garrison (UNESCO) →Brimstone Hill, Saint Kitts →

3One sea, many flags1 min

Independence came late and unevenly. Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti were independent by 1902; Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in 1962; most of the smaller British islands between 1966 and 1983. Others chose to stay attached: Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (bought from Denmark in 1917) are US territories; Martinique and Guadeloupe are French départements and part of the EU; Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Cayman, Turks and Caicos and others are British Overseas Territories.

For a visitor this decides everything practical: US or French or Dutch entry rules, the euro or the dollar, which side of the road to drive on, and whether your phone plan's roaming covers the island. Regional bodies soften some of it — CARICOM, and the Eastern Caribbean currency union shared by eight islands — but a two-island trip is still two sets of rules.

Eastern Caribbean dollar: Shared by 8 economies, pegged at 2.70 to the US dollar
USVI purchased: 1917, from Denmark

See itFort-de-France →Charlotte Amalie →Oranjestad, Aruba →

4Sound and table1 min

Island culture travelled the world: reggae and ska from Jamaica, calypso, soca and the steel pan from Trinidad, salsa and son from Cuba, merengue and bachata from the Dominican Republic, zouk from Guadeloupe and Martinique, reggaeton from Puerto Rico. Carnival season — Trinidad's before Lent, others in summer (Crop Over in Barbados, Spicemas in Grenada) — is the best and dearest time to visit.

Food blends African, Indigenous, European and Indian cooking: jerk from Jamaica, doubles and roti from Trinidad, flying fish and cou-cou in Barbados, accras and colombo curry in the French islands, mofongo in Puerto Rico, ropa vieja in Cuba. Rum is everywhere; the French islands make rhum agricole from fresh cane juice, with its own protected designation in Martinique.

Trinidad Carnival: Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
Martinique rum AOC: Since 1996

See itPort of Spain →Kingston →Havana →

5Storms, reefs and a changing sea1 min

Hurricanes form off West Africa and track west across the Atlantic from June to November. Recent storms rewrote islands: Irma and Maria in 2017 (Saint-Martin, Barbuda, Dominica, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands), Dorian in 2019 (the northern Bahamas), Beryl in 2024 (Carriacou and Union Island), Melissa in 2025 (western Jamaica). Rebuilding takes years; check that the hotel and the ferry you book are running.

The reefs that draw divers are under pressure from warming water, bleaching, coral disease and, in many recent summers, mats of sargassum seaweed. Several islands ban oxybenzone sunscreens and charge marine-park fees that fund protection. Use reef-safe sunscreen, don't touch coral, and pay the fees with a good grace.

Hurricane season: 1 June – 30 November
Peak: Mid-August to mid-October

See itSint Eustatius marine park →Grand Cayman →

Read, watch, wordsReading · Glossary · Sources3 parts

Reading

Wide Sargasso Sea — Jean RhysDominica and Jamaica after emancipation.
The Black Jacobins — C. L. R. JamesThe Haitian Revolution.
A Small Place — Jamaica KincaidAntigua and tourism, sharply.

Glossary

Term	Local	Meaning
CARICOM		Caribbean Community, the regional integration body.
Liming		Hanging out (Trinidad and the Eastern Caribbean).
Rhum agricole		Rum distilled from fresh sugar-cane juice, French islands.

Read for this deep dive

Background reading only: the text above is written by Voykit, not copied from these pages.

Sources

officialUS National Hurricane Center
officialCuba D'Viajeros entry form
officialDominican Republic e-Ticket
officialAruba ED card
officialCuraçao Digital Immigration Card
officialBarbados online ED card
officialFrance-Visas (overseas departments)
officialUS Treasury OFAC — Cuba sanctions
officialUK FCDO foreign travel advice
officialUS State Department travel advisories
secondaryWikivoyage — Caribbean