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.

Stories, tips and experiences from specific countries in The Caribbean 

Antigua and Barbuda - Aruba - Bahamas, The - Barbados - Bonaire - Cuba - Curaçao - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Grenada - Haiti - Jamaica - Puerto Rico - Saba - Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Lucia - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Sint Eustatius - Sint Maarten - Trinidad and Tobago