Free Coconuts in the Caribbean: How to Live Off The Land

A short instructional video on the very precise technique of collecting free coconuts in the Caribbean.

Actually there isn’t much science or skill to it at all, mostly just patience and perseverance. I mean, what else is there to do when you’re living on a small Caribbean island for a few weeks with no Internet and barely any electricity?

Coconut collecting became a fun hobby whenever we went to the beach. Miles of untouched Caribbean coast, all lined with overhanging coconut trees fresh for the plucking. I think, by the end of the trip, I’d become quite the expert, collecting dozens of coconuts and using their water and flesh for all kinds of recipes and cocktails.

First there was the fresh coconut bread that we’d bake daily using the drained water and some shaved coconut flesh. For dinner we’d get stuck into some coconut sticky rice, served up with fresh snapper from the day’s catch. Then to wash it all down, a deliciously fresh rum, pineapple and coconut cocktail.

And what’s better than free? All you have to do is find a nice quiet spot on the beach and begin the process. Assess the area, looking out for any useful tools like large rocks, long branches or old coconut husks. All it takes is perseverance and one perfectly accurate throw. As a local once explained to us, though, it is important to be careful not to damage the stems and destroy future harvests.

Then take all the coconuts to a jagged rock and start bashing in the ends like a caveman. There’s something that brings out the primal instincts in someone when they’re able to provide solely off Mother Nature. And it doesn’t get much rawer than living off the land in the Corn Islands.

Finally, after a day of coconut hunting, kick back with a fresh homemade piña colada.  Enjoy!