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Ocals may like their food hot and spicy - jerk chicken, curried conch - but there’s fresh fish, seafood and vegetables too. Think callaloo (leafy vegetable), plantain, mahi-mahi, kingfish, lobster, blacktip shark - plus several varieties of beer and rum t

One of the best ways to eat like a local is to join them. Several islands hold weekly fish fries where grilled seafood sizzles alongside steel pans and soca music. Dance to the Bajan beat at Oistins Friday Night Fish Fry in Barbados and tuck into lip-smacking barbecued seafood, or lime (hang out) with the locals at Sunday School in Buccoo, Tobago, and enjoy crab cakes and conch.

Fish fries also take place weekly at Anse La Raye and Gros Islet, Saint Lucia; in Turks and Caicos; and on every island in The Bahamas and many more.

In Trinidad, locals and visitors alike head to Richard’s Bake and Shark in Maracas Bay for beach food. Bakes (fried flatbreads) are stuffed with marinaded shark or kingfish and served with spicy sauces - tamarind, garlic, Bandanya (herb), - mango, pineapple or coleslaw. Cheese and potato pies (alloo) are popular too.

Ask any of the bartenders at Shirley Heights, Antigua, if the barbecue takes place every Sunday and they’ll say, “yes, like church!”. Jerk chicken and tasty ribs are accompanied by rum punch and steel band vibes. On Thursday afternoons, it’s reggae’s turn when a Caribbean-style barbecue is joined by local crafts.

At True Blue Bay Boutique resort, Grenada, you don’t have to leave the hotel as vendors from around the island are invited to showcase their specialities at a weekly street food night.

Similarly, at Mckenzie’s Conch Shack on Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas, guests can enjoy conch salad and a traditional Junkanoo parade.

Curaçao. It’s where adventure lies and passion, pride, and spirit rule the land. Nestled in the Southern Caribbean, this gem of an island boasts over 50 nationalities, 35 beaches, 4 spoken languages, and 1 feeling unlike any other. Those who visit enjoy a distinct blend of European and Caribbean culture that comes to life through the people, food, and breathtaking views. With an average temperature of 29 °C and an average water temperature of 28 °C, Curaçao is perfectly primed for all activities and encourages indulgence in all the right ways. It’s an island that’s better felt than explained. So make your way to Curaçao, and feel it for yourself.