top of page

Events Calendar

The Caribbean is one of those destinations you seem to always want more of. The more you explore it, the more it seduces you. There are an infinite amount of festivals, activities, and adventures that happen year-round throughout Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico that will make falling in love pleasurable. Check out the events calendar for each island and plan your trip!

Haiti

 

From a Haitian Jazz Festival in Port-au-Prince to zip lining over the water in beautiful Labadee in Cap-Haitian, Haiti is an extraordinarily, culturally rich country of which is unexplored and misrepresented.



Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean after Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Hispaniola (the land Haiti and the Dominican Republic share) was first ruled by the Spanish. After realizing that Haiti was not filled with gold they let French pirates and the king of France, Louis XIV, take control of the island, eventually becoming France's richest colony. The French Revolution reached Haiti in 1789, inspiring a slave rebellion that ultimately led Haiti to become the first independent island in the Americas in 1804. 

Dominican Republic

 

As diverse as any island can get, the Dominican Republic is a world all on its own. From whale watching in Samaná to watching a baseball game in San Pedro de Macoris, the other half of Hispaniola is an adult's playground.


Even though the Spanish allowed France to take control of Haiti, the Spanish maintained control of the Dominican Republic which suffered from neglect. In the 1700s and 1800s, Haiti tried to take over the whole island many times but the abundant Spanish population maintained their individuality. The island gained independence in 1844, making it the second-oldest independent country in the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico

 

 

An enchanting island, La Isla del Encanto is American land with a Caribbean flare, maintaining its own language, culture, and stylo. From celebrating the Three Kings Day to commemorating King Herod's attempt on killing baby Jesus at the Hatillo Mask Festival, Puerto Rico couldn't be more full of paradoxes.



Puerto Rico is the smallest island of the Greater Antilles but attracts the largest tourism. The island was also ruled by the Spanish who hoped to find gold but after some years the idea faded and they found it more feasible to use the island as a military outpost and build massive defenses such as fortresses. Spain began to lose its power in the 1800s. Its continued weakness allowed the United States to intervene leading Spain to sign a peace treaty, giving the U.S. control of Puerto Rico. In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed an act that granted Puerto Ricans citizenship. Today, Puerto Rico is still under the control of the United States.

Backpacking the Caribbean

ABOUT

Hi Everyone! 

 

​I decided to create this website when I was researching how to backpack the 'authentic' Caribbean on a budget but instead I found scattered information on various websites. I wanted to concentrate all of my knowledge I gathered throughout my experiences on one website. I hope you enjoy it and it helps in your travels! 

 

Damaly Gonzalez, Founder of Backpacking the Caribbean 

Follow US

  • Facebook Social Icon

FACEBOOK

  • Twitter Social Icon

TWITTER

  • Black Instagram Icon

INSTAGRAM

  • Pinterest Social Icon

PINTEREST

Destination

HAITI



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC



PUERTO RICO

 

CUBA *coming soon

© 2013-2016 This website was completely created by Damaly Gonzalez. All pictures are solely for the purpose of this website. 

bottom of page