The 10 best-value Caribbean islands

Whether it’s the rhythms of the Caribbean that draw you in, its history, wildlife or the glorious white-sand beaches, our research shows you can experience those island vibes for 50% less than the going rates. The secret? Pick the right destination.

A week for two in many Caribbean locations could easily set you back upwards of £6,000. But we’ve scoured flight and accommodation prices to find the ten most affordable islands across the entire region, where you can escape for around half of that - without skimping on quality.

Delve into Martinique’s unrivalled foodie scene, discover the revolutionary history and colourful capital of Cuba, or simply kick back and relax on one of the Dominican Republic’s many beaches for less. Plus, we’ve included a money-saving tip for each destination to help you stretch your holiday spends further while you’re there.

10. Antigua - Best for naval heritage

• Return flight: £710
• Hotel price per night: £277
• Holiday price: £3,359

You could drive around Antigua in little more than half a day if you wanted, but when you’re in the Caribbean, who’s really in a rush? And this tiny nation has a surprising amount to pack in. 

Beach lovers are naturally drawn to the wide sweeping delights of Half Moon Bay, and the long stretch of sand that runs from the marina at Jolly Harbour to Cades Reef – the best place to base yourself. 

Even the most casual of birdwatchers will find themselves enchanted by the frigate bird sanctuary at Codrington. However, it’s Antigua’s naval history that makes the island stand out. English Harbour is home to the immaculately restored Georgian-era Nelson’s Dockyard, one of the Royal Navy’s most important bases during the age of empire. Admission includes entrance to Shirley Heights, a hilltop lookout and battery on the hills above the harbour. Come here on a Sunday for the barbecue held in one of the old guardhouses, accompanied by a live steel band. 

Money-saving tip: High-end hotels dominate Antigua, but private apartment rentals are one of the best ways to extend your budget, bringing prices down as low as £80 a night for a couple.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Antigua.

9. Barbados - Best for colonial architecture 

• Return flight: £623
• Hotel price per night: £297
• Holiday price: £3,325

Britain colonised Barbados in 1625, and the nation is still referred to as Little England (though it recently announced its intention to become a republic). The island has plenty of excellent-value places to stay in the south, such as Oistins or Christ Church parish, so steer clear of the big money resorts of the west coast and Speightstown. 

The capital, Bridgetown, is one of the Caribbean’s loveliest, and its Downtown and Garrison areas are so rich in well preserved architecture that they have been World Heritage listed – so more than worth exploring on foot before taking a day cruise along the coast. Barbados also has a strong sporting streak and regularly provides the spine of the West Indies team – a heritage on show at the excellent Cricket Legends of Barbados museum at Fontabelle just outside Bridgetown. 

For local flavour, visit the aforementioned Oistins, which hosts its famous open-air fish fry every Friday and Saturday, with dozens of food stalls, music and dancing. 

Money-saving tip: Find the best deals on local tour operators and accommodation through the locally owned booking site bookbarbados.com.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Barbados.

8. Jamaica - Best for character and culture 

• Return flight: £766
• Hotel price per night: £230
• Holiday price: £3,142

Name a Caribbean superstar and you probably think of Bob Marley or Usain Bolt. Jamaica is a country full of big characters, with a sweet reggae soundtrack. Kingston has long overcome its rough reputation and is in the middle of an arts renaissance, but the main beach attractions are strung like pearls along the northern coast. 

Montego Bay’s international airport means that most people stay in the west between ‘Mobay’ and Negril, but many of the big attractions such as Dunn’s River Falls, the Blue Mountains or lazing on a bamboo raft on the Rio Grande are much farther east, so consider staying closer to Ocho Rios. Your money goes further here too. Another great-value option is Portland, Jamaica’s greenest and most ruggedly beautiful parish. 

Book lovers should make a beeline for Treasure Beach and its biennial Calabash festival – probably the most laid-back literary festival in the world. 

Money-saving tip: Forget the expensive resort restaurants: eat at a beachside bar-restaurant (around £7-£8 per person) for fish straight off the grill and doused with lime juice, or jerk chicken or pork, slowly smoked over pimento wood.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Jamaica.

7. Aruba - Best for resort choice

• Return flight: £804
• Hotel price per night: £208
• Holiday price: £3,064 

The competition driven by large numbers of American cruise passengers seeking Aruba’s winter sun makes your money go a long way. 

There’s more than a hint of Amsterdam-in-the-Caribbean here, with the candy-coloured gable ends of the city’s Dutch architecture, plus a lively and eclectic dining scene. 

Tourists flock north to the white sands of the Aruba Resort Area, where you’ll find the cheapest accommodation. You can escape the crowds by taking excursions to see the street murals of San Nicolas or to explore The Natural Pool in Arikok National Wildlife Park, a dramatic coastal reserve threaded with day hiking trails. 

Money-saving tip: While the resorts are often your best option, even staying a 10-minute walk away from the beach can cut the price of your room by around a third.  

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Aruba.

6. Puerto Rico - Best for salsa dancing 

• Return flight: £808
• Hotel price per night: £199
• Holiday price: £3,009

Puerto Rico’s recent economic crisis and slow recovery from 2017’s Hurricane Maria has made it thirsty for tourists, with deals on hotels and resorts making it better value than ever. 

This is an island that dances: salsa is the Puerto Rican rhythm that conquered the dancefloors of the world. Enjoy it at its best in the island’s Spanish-flavoured capital, San Juan, where the historic quarter offers late-night dancing and cabaret with the full big band salsa experience. 

Culebra and Vieques offer some of Puerto Rico’s loveliest beaches, with snorkelling in bioluminescent waters. This is where you’ll find the best-value private apartment rentals – expect to pay from £50 to £60 per night. 

Money-saving tip: Drop into a traditional panaderia bake house, where a delicious (and filling) meal costs about £7.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Puerto Rico.

5. St Kitts and Nevis - Best for tropical landscapes 

• Return flight: £773
• Hotel price per night: £200
• Holiday price: £2,946

Small, scenic and coated in rainforest, St Kitts and Nevis has a reputation as one of the Caribbean’s most high-end islands, but excellent self-catering options (around £80 per night) make your money go further than expected. 

You don’t have to travel far to get a sense of the twin islands’ history. Old windmills on long-abandoned sugar plantations recall the days of slavery, while the Unesco-listed Brimstone Hill Fortress, St Kitts, is one of the best-preserved British outposts in the Caribbean. 

On Nevis, you can explore the fascinating museum dedicated to the life of the island’s most famous son Alexander Hamilton, subject of the smash-hit Broadway musical. The museum is in Charlestown, the best place to base yourself.

Money-saving tip: Visit in November, just after hurricane season, and you’ll find hotel prices are around half of December’s £314 peak-season rates.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in St Kitts and Nevis.

4. Dominican Republic - Best for whale watching 

• Return flight: £619
• Hotel price per night: £197
• Holiday price: £2,617

In its dozen cobblestone blocks, the Zona Colonial of the capital Santo Domingo shows off its history: Christopher Columbus’s son laid the foundation stone of its cathedral in 1514. Five centuries later, the Dominican Republic has embraced mass tourism, with a northern coast dotted with beach after gorgeous beach and myriad all-inclusive resorts and golf courses. But those in the know can take advantage of cheap seasonal charter flights to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, then head away from the crowds to experience a different side of the island. 

Stay around Peninsula de Samaná and between January and March you can take a boat trip to see humpback whales breaching off the coast. It’s one of the best places to see these graceful giants as they celebrate their long annual migration from the north Atlantic feeding grounds. 

Alternatively, head inland for a gentle hike in the green mountains around Jarabacoa, taking in a tasting session at one of the many coffee plantations or rum distilleries. The central highlands have an excellent selection of inexpensive and boutique guesthouses, all of which will tempt you to linger and explore village life away from the crowded resorts.

Money-saving tip: Tostadas (flat, toasted filled tortillas; about £2) are the favourite street food and make a delicious and very cheap way to eat out. 

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Dominican Republic.

3. Martinique - Best for local cuisine

• Return flight: £748

• Hotel price per night: £118
• Holiday price: £2,322

Seafood will be high on the menu wherever you travel in the Caribbean, but Martinique has elevated its local cuisine to a fine art, with a distinctly Gallic twist. You’ll eat well thanks to the savings afforded by Martinique’s cheap private hotels and guesthouses, costing from just £60 per night for a double room. 

The town of Les Trois-Îlets has the broadest range of accommodation for all budgets. 

Take a driving tour from one delicious restaurant to the next along the scenic Route de la Trace, stopping at picturesque fishing villages, secluded beaches, and the Jardin de Balata, an extraordinary rainforest botanical garden. 

Money-saving tip: Return flights can be pricey, peaking at £1,178pp in February. But go in early May after the tourists leave but before the rains, and the average is £565.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Martinique.

2. Trinidad and Tobago- Best for wildlife encounters 

• Return flight: £689
• Hotel price per night: £134
• Holiday price: £2,316

Big-money tourism has never been a priority for Trinidad and Tobago, two islands strung out on the very southern tip of the Caribbean rim. Instead it’s put its economic focus on the rich gas fields it shares with its nearest neighbour Venezuela. This general lack of package tourists has left a market well served with mid-range and budget accommodation. 

The islands punch far above their weight in terms of attractions. Every February on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, it seems like the entire country descends on the capital, Port of Spain, for the region’s greatest carnival. It’s an exuberant spectacle for spectators as well as participants, and the month running up to the big event is a great time to visit, with costume-making events, live music and children’s parades. 

For those who prefer quieter pursuits, Trinidad and Tobago is quite simply the best birdwatching destination in the region. Its rainforests and mangroves are rich with birds from both the Caribbean and South America, and you’ll spot them while hiking near one of the country’s many beautiful waterfalls. 

Base yourself on the northern coast near the beaches of Grande Riviere to watch leatherback turtles either laying their eggs (from March to August) or emerging as hatchlings to make their way to the sea (May to September). Take a plantation and factory tour with one of Trinidad’s artisanal chocolate makers beforehand to load up on essential supplies. 

Money-saving tip: Take maxi-taxis (public minibuses) for some trips – rides cost less than the equivalent of £1.

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Trinidad and Tobago.

1. Cuba: The cheapest Caribbean island, best for revolutionary history

• Return flight: £712
• Hotel price per night: £123 
• Holiday price: £2,285

Cuba looms large over the Caribbean, both in terms of its great mass but also in its oversized impact on the region’s politics over the past 60 years. Even before you arrive, Che Guevara’s image is instantly recognisable. Today, the nation’s semi-closed economy makes this the best-value Caribbean island, with family-run guesthouses and eateries a bargain. A three-course meal in one of the country’s new private restaurants will set you back about £20. 

At 750 miles from tip to tip, Cuba is impossible to explore in a single hit, so it’s sensible to concentrate on a small area. The faded glory of the capital Havana is understandably at the top of most people’s wish list. This is Cuba as shot by a thousand photographers: beautiful buildings from the 1920s and 30s lit up like a dream in the bright Caribbean sun, 1950s American cars driving along the Malécon (promenade), and corner bars spilling out on to the street. 

Havana has plenty of good resorts within striking distance, including Playa del Este, Jibacoa and the stunning Varadero peninsula. Further afield, Santiago de Cuba is the country’s capital of culture. It was here that the Buena Vista Social Club made their international breakthrough, and live music pours from the bars every night. 

Money-saving tip: All-inclusive resorts offer good low-season deals. But make sure you spend a few nights in a homestay (casa particular). Double rooms can cost as little as £20 a night and let you experience Cuban life up close. 

Check with booking.com to easily compare and find accommodation deals in Cuba.

When is the best time to visit the Caribbean?

High season in the Caribbean is December to April, with the hottest driest weather, and peak prices for flights. Rains tend to arrive around June (later in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago) – you’ll have greyer skies, although the rain tends to fall in short bursts so you can still enjoy the beach. Leave it later than that and you run the risk of hurricanes, any time from July until around October. 

Our research

We asked Kayak for the annual average price of three to four-star hotels in 2019, the last full year of data not skewed by the pandemic, for a selection of Caribbean islands. We asked Skyscanner for the average cost of a return flight for the same period and the same islands. From this, we calculated an overall average holiday price for a couple, for a seven-night stay including flights and accommodation, and featured the 10 islands with the lowest holiday prices.