Backpacking through the Caribbean

• Only on the somewhat larger islands such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica or Puerto Rico you can backpack or make a tour around. Other than that, you can go island hopping through the Caribbean mainly by air.
• Characteristics: special atmosphere, super-relaxed, not really budget-friendly (except for the bigger and Dutch islands) but nice living.

Traveling through the Caribbean

• You can really only travel through the Caribbean by (cruise) ship or sailboat. If you choose a particular island, you will soon taste the local island atmosphere and your daily worries will seem very far away.
• Nature and island spotting: beaches of Anguilla, Antigua or the Turks & Caicos Islands, nature on St Lucia or Dominica, the underwater world of Bonaire or the Cayman Islands, the volcanic environment on St Eustatius or St Kitts and Nevis.
• Animal spotting: dolphins, iguanas, hammerhead sharks, rays, manatees, sea turtles, whales.

Internship on a Caribbean island

• Internship sectors: health care, education and tourism, among others.
• Internship cities and islands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominican Republic.
• Learning skills: communication, empathy, flexibility.

Studying on a Caribbean island

• Studies: in principle, forms of higher education can be found on all islands, the number of subject areas may be limited.
• Study cities and islands: Kingston (Jamaica), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), St. Croix (Virgin Islands), Willemstad.Learning Spanish: Cuba, Dominican Republic.

Volunteering on a Caribbean Island

• Volunteer projects: particularly in the areas of conservation, medical care and social development.Animal projects: especially protection of coral, fish species and pets.
• Characteristics: volunteering possible from 1 or 2 weeks to several months.

Working on a Caribbean island

• Jobs: paid temporary work can be found mainly in tourism and hospitality.
• Work culture: varies by island and sector but in some sectors it is hard work, the time difference with Europe can affect working hours as well as the temperature.
• Work skills: commitment, empathy, patience, flexibility.

Working as a digital nomad on a Caribbean island

• Favorite cities and islands: Antigua & Barbuda (visas), Barbados (visas), Bermuda (connection, vibe), Dominica (visas, nature), Jamaica (livelihood), Netherlands Antilles (language, visas).

Living on a Caribbean island

• Language: Six official languages are spoken on the Caribbean islands: Creole (Haitian), English, French, Dutch, Papiamento and Spanish.
• Favorite islands: Aruba, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands, St Lucia , Turks & Caicos, St. Croix, St.Kitts and Nevis.
• Living climate: healthy life, warm weather all year, good air quality, relatively high political freedom.
• Characteristics: limited crime (except on some islands or locations), tax favorable, however, many islands are not very suitable for limited budgets, transportation between islands is often by air, good internet. 
• Health care: varies by island but in general, serious accidents and illness will require flying to the US or your home country. Insurance: seek advice on insurance policies that provide sufficient coverage for proper care and also repatriate in case of emergency.