TravelinVic

Could someone recommend an island in the Caribbean that doesn't cost a fortune for meals and hotel? (plan to visit first part of December). Found some reasonable hotels on Aruba and Puerto Rico but the food sounds expensive. I also enjoy short hikes, scenic places and a hotel around $100 or less if possible. Thanks for any input.

A_Traveller

Check out islands such as Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Belize, Cozemel which are generally considered less expensive destinations in the Caribbean. Food is always going to be on the pricey side on the smaller islands as everything has to be imported.

kfusto

Aruba can be very expensive and is chain restaurant heaven. Don't care for it at all.

PR is a great choice. Lots of small, local restaurants serving tasty food, easy to get around. Not sure about your price point but Priceline is a good option for a good hotel at a nice price.

PR has a beautiful rain forest, nice beaches and a great vibe. I think it is underrated.

travelhappyfamily

We found Puerto Rico (and Vieques) to be very reasonably priced. We ate at middle-of-the-road and high-end restaurants (preferred the mid-tier ones)...food was great and prices good. PR was cheap (less than $300) for a Delta ticket from NC (via ATL) this past November (Thanksgiving week).

Aruba was a similar situation for us - but we travel with kids, and don't eat expensive anyways (we don't do chains, but don't always go high end). Aruba was more expensive to fly to (two years ago).

Both have scenic places, obviously. Aruba is arid and desert (beautiful caves, stunning sunsets). Puerto Rico is a mix of green (El Yunque can't be beat), city (Old San Juan) and the blue of the water (Vieques is beautiful).

vinceygirl

Around $600-700 airfare but once you are there reasonably cheap
St. Vincent andn the Grenadines
www.svgtourism.com
www.caribbeantravelforums.com
www.bequiatourism.com
I stay at Tranquillity on St. Vincent $60-70/night efficiency apartment with a view that can't be beat.

ishkribbl

Did you look at Culebra. P.R.- very small island with little to no real nightlife but it meets what you said you are looking for-

mymoosie

Grenada! Just like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, airfare runs a little high, but you can find inexpensive accommodations and food.

doug_stallings

I think your budget is really low. The difficulty with the really cheap islands is that they are usually expensive to get to, which means you would have to pay more over all to save on food and hotels. The Dominican Republic is the cheapest destination in the Caribbean, but if you really want to save money, you need to look at Mexico. That's where the US dollar goes the farthest. And just be aware that the cost of travel will likely be more expensive this December than it was in 2007 because of fuel costs and energy surcharges.

murffdog

Most islands are basically the same, it's the airfare that kills you.