Living in the Caribbean
Stunning white-sand beaches, the tropical climate and a vibrant cultural scene combine to make the Caribbean a compelling destination for homeowners.
Popular with retirees from the likes of the UK, America and Europe, the islands are now attracting a younger cohort of expats too, with professionals lured by the low- or no-tax environment.
Each island offers multicultural living with residents from countries across the world, adding to each nation's usually English, Dutch, French or Spanish colonial influences.
This cultural melting pot extends to the Caribbean’s cuisine too, with kitchens across the islands fusing influences from Africa, Europe, Latin America and Spain into their food. Meat and seafood are widely consumed by the island nations, while coconut, potatoes, beans and tomatoes also feature heavily.
The friendly local populations regularly celebrate their culture, with music, food and traditional festivals punctuated across each island’s calendar.
Beyond big celebrations, the islands offer outdoor enthusiasts unrivalled diving and water sports, cricket, polo and horseracing, while families can explore beaches and indulge their sense of adventure on entertaining boat tours.
Inside the Caribbean
The Caribbean archipelago melds together beautiful scenery, exciting cuisine and favourable tropical weather.
Consisting of more than 7,000 islands, the Caribbean is generally divided into the Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles and The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Larger islands, including some in the Bahamas and Barbados, are among those with urban centres which often have thriving financial sectors alongside tourism-linked industries such as construction, retail and hospitality. Major exports tend to be agricultural, including coffee, tobacco, sugar and bananas, as well as natural resources including bauxite and oil.
Favourable tax arrangements in many of the Caribbean islands attract workers and corporations from across the globe.
A major consideration when considering living in the Caribbean is its hurricane season, which generally runs from the start of June to the end of November. Many homes are required to meet certain regulatory standards to help withstand the effects of strong winds.
Depending on the island you choose, the mix of languages will be different, but English is widely spoken across the Caribbean.
Landscape
Powder-sand beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters feature heavily across the Caribbean, but the geography of the islands is far more diverse.
Mountains, volcanoes, rainforests and coral reefs can all be found among the Caribbean islands. Duarte Peak, in the Dominican Republic, is the highest point in the Caribbean while thriving woodlands can be found in the likes of the Leeward Islands, and mangrove swamps along some coasts.
A large number of plant species in the Caribbean are indigenous to the region, which also boasts an abundance of exotic animals.
Education
Families moving to the Caribbean will have a wide variety of private and international schools to choose from.
The education system on most islands is heavily influenced by the British and Europeans, with primary school beginning at age 5 on English-speaking islands.
The most prestigious university in the Caribbean is the University of the West Indies, which made it into the top 600 in The Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings for 2020. Its four campuses are in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and an open campus serving 17 Caribbean island nations.
There are more than 60 medical schools across the Caribbean, too, with many securing accreditations that their teaching standards are in line with US requirements.
Activities and Entertainment
Living in the Caribbean means a life of virtually limitless outdoor activities.
Whether it's sailing, sunbathing or snorkelling on the coast or hiking, off-roading or bouldering inland, there’s an abundance of choice thanks to the archipelago’s climate.
On some islands, the likes of cricket, polo and horse racing are popular with residents and often make for excellent spectator sports.
Residents can get the full tropical experience in one of the many national parks, wildlife areas and gardens, seek out the many waterfalls or dive among the plethora of reefs in the Caribbean’s warm waters.
Families will love the choice of adventure and water parks scattered across the islands, as well as guided tours on all types of transport from horseback to canoe.
Art and Culture
The islands fully embrace a celebration with many boasting full events calendars to bring locals and expats together.
Whether it’s the elaborate costumes at the Abaco Love Rush Junkanoo Festival in the Bahamas or boat racing at the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, the islands have something to entertain everyone.
Thriving theatre scenes on some of the larger islands stem from the mix of indigenous and imported talent. English playwright Sir Noel Coward, an inspiration for many local playwrights, had a home on Jamaica near James Bond creator Ian Fleming. After a long career, Coward died on the island and was buried on Firefly Hill.
Recognition of the Caribbean’s wealth of painters and sculptors is most notably represented at the Gallery of Caribbean Art on Barbados. The gallery is the only one on the archipelago that promotes art from the entire region.
Food
Bold and hearty flavours epitomise Caribbean cooking, whose influences stretch from Latin America across the Atlantic to Europe and Africa.
From rich stews to spicy curries and marinades, Caribbean cuisine takes on distinct regional differences depending on the island.
Besides typical dishes such as jerk chicken and curried goat, the Caribbean is also famed for its wide seafood offering and inspiring vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Fried plantain, ackee, steamed cabbage, pepperpot and callaloo are just a few mouthwatering meat-free dishes routinely offered up at restaurants across the Caribbean, while flying fish, grouper and shellfish will delight pescatarians.
Iconic Local Produce
A nascent wine industry is undoubtedly emerging in the Caribbean, although the small amount produced means most bottles are still imported.
Nonetheless, since Cuba’s foray into winemaking at the turn of the century, some other islands have been able to follow suit.
Curaçoa launched its first wines in 2015 from grapes grown on the island, while a project in the Dominican Republic that initially began in 2008 exploited a micro-climate on the island to develop its own vineyard.
A small winemaking operation recently launched on St John – albeit using imported grapes.
The drink of choice on the archipelago is undoubtedly rum, with virtually every Caribbean island offering numerous locally-produced varieties ranging from white to dark ambers.
Accessibility
Each of the major islands in the Caribbean has an airport that connects with major international hubs such as London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
The busiest airports on the archipelago are Barbados and the Bahamas. Internal flights are scheduled to enable residents and visitors to access smaller islands.
The Caribbean is also a major destination for cruise ships, meaning easy access from Florida or a convenient way to island-hop.
If driving in the Caribbean, UK expats will feel at home because on the majority of the islands, cars drive on the left-hand side of the road.