Caribbean Freebies

Caribbean hotels and resorts know that your vacation dollars are tight, so they'd rather put you up an extra night or two free than have you decide not to come at all. "Free nights" have become one of the most popular Caribbean travel bargains, with hotels and resorts offering four nights for the price of three, five for the price of four, and sometimes even two or more free nights when you pay for longer stays. Other variations on the hotel freebie deals include a second free room when you pay for one (often at family resorts), free stays or meals for kids, or even gratis spa services, activities, meals, or other amenities. Check out my deal sheet for all of the current "freebies" being offered by Caribbean resorts and destinations.

There's one thing you know for sure about the Caribbean: if it's an island, it has a beach. And for budget travelers, the other important thing to remember is that, with very rare exceptions, going to the beach is absolutely free on every Caribbean island. In other words, the number-one attraction for many Caribbean travelers won't cost you a dime to experience. Just remember to pack your bathing suit, sunscreen and beach towels so you don't have to pay resort prices for them once you arrive in your destination. If you bring your own snorkel gear to destinations like Bonaire, you can explore the reefs just offshore without having to pay for a guided excursion.

Hiking is perhaps the world's second-oldest form of recreation, and all it takes for a healthy, enjoyable and totally free hike in the Caribbean is a map, a hat, a bottle of water, some decent footwear and perhaps some bug spray. Bermuda's 18-mile Railway Trail provides a great overview of the island's topography, history and culture, tracing the path of a former commuter railroad from Somerset to St. George. In Montserrat, you can hike trails provide some breathtaking views of the smoldering Soufriere Hills volcano. You can explore the ruins of a sugar plantation on St. John, U.S.V.I., climb to the top of the highest peak on Curacao, walk the Mastic Trail on Grand Cayman, or join the Barbados National Trust for a free Sunday guided hike.

As in the U.S., some Caribbean islands offer admission to museums free of charge, or have free-admission days. In Trinidad, for example, the National Museum and Art Gallery, with its exhibits on everything from Amerindian history to Carnival, is free, as is admission to history Fort George in Port of Spain. The Botanical Gardens in Trinidad and Dominica also are free to visit, and you can enjoy Virgin Islands National Park on St. John and the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico without paying a fee, as well. The historic forts of Bermuda also are free, and there's also no cost to visit the Candy Striped Lighthouse on Abaco in the Bahamas, the famous El Morro fort in San Juan, or even Stingray City in Grand Cayman (if you have a boat).

Free shopping sounds like an oyxmoron, but not only does the Caribbean offer you free tours, sometimes you can get a free drink as well. Both the tour and the rum are free at the famous Bacardi Rum Factory tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and visitors to Casa Don Q in Old San Juan also are free to tour the small museum and sample the wares. On St. Kitts, you can visit the lovely Caribelle Batik factory, located amid the ruins of an old sugar estate that was once the home of Thomas Jefferson's great, great grandfather. Visitors can watch the colorful fabrics being made by hand. On Grand Bahama Island, you can tour a Perfume Factory in a replica of an old mansion; Aruba has an aloe factory with free tours in Oranjestad.

Marching in the Carnival parade in Trinidad can cost thousands of dollars, but there's no charge to watch the festivities during the best party in the Caribbean. Ditto the Caribbean's other major festivals, such as Cropover in Barbados and Vincy Mas in St. Vincent, not to mention the many other jump-ups and street festivals that are common throughout the region year-round. The Arawak Cay Fish Fry in Nassau, Bahamas, and the Oistins Fish Fry in Barbados, for example, are parties as well as culinary and cultural events. Sports-lovers will enjoy free Beach Tennis competitions on Aruba's Eagle Beach and watching the annual Bequia Easter Regatta in the Grenadines.

Old San Juan in Puerto Rico is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but also a National Historic Site, so visitors can take advantage of the great walking tours, maps, and free guided tours offered by the U.S. National Park Service. Guided tours of the Castillos San Felipe del Morro and San Cristóbal are available hourly when the forts are open, and the official tour maps also detail the fortifications and other historic structures of the historic old city. In Port of Spain, Trinidad, visitors can take a food and history walk around the central Queen's Park Savannah, taking in the views of "The Magnificent Seven" mansions and sampling local food from the stalls set up along the park's perimeter, such as doubles, roti, and cow heel soup.

Historic religious architecture abounds in the Caribbean, from the Bridgetown Synagogue in Barbados to Aruba's Alta Vista Chapel and the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the oldest church in the West Indies. Admission to these houses of worship is invariably free, and the cultural and historic perspectives they offer can't be beat, especially if you come when services are being offered (donations are always welcome). In Trinidad, travelers can visit the 85-foot-tall status of Hanuman Murti, located in the village of Carapichaima on the grounds of the Dattatreya Yoga Center in central Trinidad and thought to be the largest shrine to the Hindu god of wisdom, righteousness and strength outside India.

Nearly every island in the Caribbean has boating races, and visitors are welcome to watch events such as the Bequia Easter Regatta from a free island perch. In Aruba, you can watch beach tennis tournaments on Eagle Beach, or windsurfers performing stunts at Fishermans Huts. If you would rather do than watch, pack your baseball glove for a visit to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico or Curacao, or just ask to join a pickup soccer game, basketball, or beach volleyball match anywhere you travel.

The list of freebies goes on and on: Watch the sunset at Mallory Square in Key West or any other western-facing beach in the Caribbean ... bathe in the crystal-clear waters of Dominica, part of everyday life in the "nature island" of the Caribbean ... watch the flamingos at Gotomeer or the southern salt flats on Bonaire ... and so much more ...