When people think of the Caribbean, they think of white sand beaches and turquoise blue waters. The Caribbean however is a mosaic of different cultures, languages, geography and attractions. There is something for everyone, you just need to know where to look.
If you plan to have a vacation property in the Caribbean, and you want to use your property a lot, you will want to choose an island that is not difficult to get to. If you need to take more than a couple flights, this will limit you to longer vacations as opposed to long weekends. If the cost of getting to your property is prohibitive as well, it’s something to keep in mind.
More popular islands in terms of visitors, should have more flights and better odds of having direct flights from your current home. If you plan to move to the Caribbean, location is likely won’t be as key to your decision.
Each island will have different activities that they are known for; scuba diving, sailing, surfing etc. Although the weather is great throughout the Caribbean, the same cannot be said for all activities in all locations. Knowing where to go is going to be key if activities are a big part of your decision process.
For most buyers, price is a factor when buying a vacation property. Although most islands will have a broad range of homes to cover every budget, some islands your dollar will go a lot further. If you have a limited budget, some locations will be better than others.
Knowing your financing options in each location may also be important to you. If you plan to finance a large portion of your purchase, research your options beforehand as some countries are extremely difficult to get a mortgage (ie French islands).
Obviously you are going to want to love the culture and people of where you want to go. Language is a big part of that, as you may experience challenges in some countries if you can’t speak the language. Many Caribbean countries are English speaking or English is prevalent enough for you to get by, but not all. You have to get off the resort and do your research.
Finding the best island for you will not be easy, but we can promise you will enjoy the research!