ST. LUCIA
The island boasts long stretches of beach with white, golden, and volcanic sand. The verdant interior, meanwhile, is home to some of the region's best hiking.

Must-do: The hard-to-miss Pitons--St. Lucia's twin volcanic peaks--overlook Soufrière harbor. The larger Gros Piton is the only one you can climb. Self-guided treks are prohibited, but Gros Piton Tours leads four-hour hikes (758/489-0136, $25).

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Where to stay: A family-run guesthouse, La Haut Plantation has 13 hillside rooms. Like its infinity pool, most have a view of the Pitons (758/459-7008, lahaut.com, from $100). Ti Kaye Village Resort is 75 minutes from the airport, but you'll be rewarded with one of 33 ocean-view rooms and cottages, each with a veranda and a hammock (758/456-8101, tikaye.com, from $175, includes breakfast).

Did you know? Two Nobel laureates hail from St. Lucia: Derek Walcott (Literature, 1992) and Sir Arthur Lewis (Economics, 1979).

ST. MARTIN/ST. MAARTEN
About half the size of Washington, D.C., the island is the smallest landmass in the world to be shared by two countries: the Netherlands (St. Maarten) and France (St. Martin).

Must-do: At Loterie Farm, a 150-acre nature reserve on the French side, take a hike among mahogany and mango trees--or sail between the trees on zip lines in the Fly Zone (011-590/590-87-86-16, loteriefarm.net, admission $5, Fly Zone $40).

Where to stay: Right on the French side of the border, the family-run Les Balcons d'Oyster Pond rents bungalows with marina views (011-590/590-29-43-39, lesbalcons.com, from $120). Another winner, on the Dutch side, is the Pasanggrahan Royal Guest House, a former governor's estate. The name derives from an Indonesian word for "place of rest," and the four-poster beds and open-air dining options certainly make it feel that way (011-599/599-542-3588, pasanhotel.com, from $158).

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Trinidad, the larger member of the two-island nation, is home to the modern capital, Port-of-Spain. Sleepier Tobago has quiet beaches and towns. Just north of Venezuela, the islands are among the most ethnically diverse in the Caribbean.

Must-do: Scope out parrots and hummingbirds in the rain forest at Trinidad's Asa Wright Nature Centre (868/667-4655, asawright.org, $10). In Tobago, go snorkeling at Angel Reef, off the fishing village of Speyside (868/660-4888, tobagodiveexperience.com, $25).

Where to stay: Rooms at Coblentz Inn Boutique Hotel have themes reflecting Trinidad's heritage (868/621-0541, coblentzinn.com, from $180, includes breakfast and minibar). Pax Guest House, on a historic Benedictine estate along Trinidad's Northern Range, offers spectacular views of the rain forest (868/662-4084, paxguesthouse.com, from $45). On Tobago, Kariwak Village is a family-run holistic retreat where guests bliss out with outdoor yoga and tai chi sessions (868/639-8442, kariwak.com, from $125). Adventure Eco Villas is on a 12-acre organic fruit farm. The beach is a five-minute walk (868/639-2839, adventure-ecovillas.com, from $130).

Did you know? Trinidad and Tobago was the first country to proclaim a national holiday (Emancipation Day) celebrating the end of slavery.

TURKS & CAICOS
Despite an upswing in tourism in recent years, Turks and Caicos still feels off the beaten path. Even in high season, Providenciales (a.k.a. Provo), the most developed island, never feels crowded. Life is a beach for those who need nothing more than soft white sand and clear blue water.

Must-do: At Da Conch Shack, conchs are kept in underwater pens before being cracked, curried, or served raw in salad, right on the beach (649/946-8877, conchshack.tc, conch salad $10).

Where to stay: The sand is just steps away from every room at Sibonné Beach Hotel (866/644-1658, sibonne.com, from $125). The family-run Caribbean Paradise Inn is two minutes from Grace Bay Beach (649/946-5020, paradise.tc, from $208, includes breakfast).

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
No passport is required for travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands (or Puerto Rico, the other U.S. territory in the Carib­bean). The smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John, doesn't have an airport, but St. Croix and St. Thomas welcome nonstops daily.

Must-do: About two miles off St. Croix's northern coast, Buck Island Reef National Monument is best visited by day trip from Christiansted, St. Croix's capital. Take a half-day snorkeling trip aboard a 40-foot catamaran, run by Big Beard's Adventure Tours (866/733-4482, bigbeards.com, $60, with gear and beverages).

Where to stay: Built in 1829 by a French sea captain, the 14-room Hotel 1829 is on St. Thomas's Charlotte Amalie harbor (800/524-2002, hotel1829.com, from $125). On an islet in St. Croix's Christian­sted harbor, Hotel on the Cay is accessible by a free two-minute water taxi that runs 24 hours. The hotel has its own sandy beach, and each of the 53 rooms boasts an ocean view (340/773-2035, hotelonthecay.com, from $130).

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