Set smack in the center of the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, a two-island nation, offer visitors the best of England’s charm, great diving and a wealth of enticing resorts.

Antigua, a 108-square-mile island home to 76,000 people, is the largest of the two, and of the Leeward Islands. Its capital, St. John’s, is the hub of tourist activity with a bustling cruise-ship terminal, duty-free shops, full-service dive shops, fast food and gourmet restaurants. Formerly a thriving sugar cane producer, the island has given way to a booming tourist industry since its independence from the British ... [read more]

Bermuda is cricket matches and neighborhood pubs, afternoon high tea and regimental guards – all blended with sunny island charm. Hear it in the rhythm of calypso music. See it in the pastel-painted cottages. Feel it in the soft pink sand under your feet.

Home to the triangle, white sandy beaches and plenty of rum, this popular cruise stop is only a hop, skip and jump away from mainland North America. A top wedding, honeymoon, golf and scuba-diving destination, this island’s a place for fun in the sun. The list of actitives continues ... [read more]

Hawaii’s six main islands Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii are unparalleled in beauty, with volcanic mountains, swaying palms, wild orchids, exotic plants and spectacular black and white sand beaches. Inland, sugarcane plantations and pineapple fields stretch for miles.

Located 120 miles southeast of Oahu (40 minutes by air), Hawaii is the largest island of the archipelago. The birthplace of King Kamehameha, the best known ruler of the islands, it is also the location of the islands’ only active volcanoes. Molten lava still flows to the sea. More ... [read more]

Both above and beneath the sea, Bonaire is a colorful island. The south is flat, blessed with 15,000 resident flamingos (2,000 more than the number of people) and miles of pink coral-rock beaches. Kralendijk, its capital, sparkles with bright, pastel buildings. To the north, narrow roads wind through green mountains and cactus-laden deserts where more than 190 species of tropical birds reside. Rare species include bright green Amazona parrots, ruby-topaz humming-birds, pearly-eyed thrashers, and Caribbean parakeets. At the island’s southern tip, home of the Antilles International Salt Company, mountains of glistening white salt offer a striking contrast to the blue ... [read more]

Bora Bora lies 150 miles northwest of Tahiti in the leeward Society Islands. The main island, home to 4,225 inhabitants, is in the center of a multicolored lagoon, surrounded by offshore “motu” islets inside a protective coral necklace. There is only one navigable pass, facing the principal village of Vaitape. 18 miles of partially paved road circles the island, passing colorful villages, archaeological sites, old Army bunkers and cannons left over from World War II. Matira, the public beach, has white sand and warm, shallow water. Bora Bora’s lagoon is world-famous for ... [read more]

Cozumel, Mexico’s largest island and top Caribbean dive destination, lies 12 miles off the Yucatán Peninsula, separated by a 3,000-ft-deep channel. Dense jungle foliage covers most of this island’s interior, but its surrounding coast welcomes visitors with miles of luxuriant, white sand beaches.

Topside tourist activity centers around San Miguel, the island’s cultural and commercial center, which boasts an impressive seaside maze of shops, cantinas and restaurants. An ultra-modern cruise-ship terminal accommodates daily-arriving ocean liners and ferries from the mainland.

When you’ve had your fill of the glitzy shops – and people – rent a scooter ... [read more]

The Bahamas, some 700 islands and 2,000 islets, lie scattered like a broken string of pearls across the northern Caribbean and offer literally thousands of opportunities for adventure. Go deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking or just kick back and relax in the sun.

Freeport, on Grand Bahama Island, is the second-largest city in the islands. With a steadily growing population, now more than 50,000, Freeport, which adjoins the Lucaya Beach area, is a more modern city than Nassau. Grand Bahama, through the efforts of dedicated individuals and institutions ... [read more]

Fort Myers enjoys a reputation as Florida’s fun center. With activities including golf, tennis, scuba diving, snorkeling and more, it’s easy to see why. Visitors to Fort Myers can also visit Edison’s winter home, which is shaded by Florida’s largest banyan tree; and the winter home of Edison’s former next door neighbor, Henry Ford.

If you want to relax, search out nearby spas with amenteties such as massages, whilpools, saunas, facials, wraps, scrubs, yoga, personal trainers and more. Of course, there’s always the white sandy beach, vibrant sun and cool, clear water as well.

For ... [read more]

Dubbed “The Islands that Time Forgot” by the Saturday Evening Post in the early 1950s, the Caymans today have become one of the world’s top dive-travel destinations. Some 480 miles, and an hour’s flying time, south of Miami, this Caribbean trio entertains more than 200,000 visitors each year. Physically beautiful, each island is blessed with an extraordinary fringing reef, superb marine life and sparkling, palm-lined beaches.

Underwater Cayman is a submerged mountain range complete with cliffs, drop-offs, gullies, caverns, sink holes and forests of coral. The islands are the visible above-the-sea ... [read more]

The Bahamas, some 700 islands and 2,000 islets, lie scattered like a broken string of pearls across the northern Caribbean and offer literally thousands of opportunities for adventure. Go deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking or just kick back and relax in the sun. Whether it’s gazing at a sunset across the ocean or sitting in the white sand and looking at the waves, the Bahamas are sure to seduce you into her laid-back, worries free spell.

Georgetown, often referred to as the Southern hub of the Bahamas, offers, along with ... [read more]

Nestled in the eastern Caribbean, Grenada – the largest of a three-island nation that also includes Carriacou and Petit Martinique – is the most southerly of the Windward Islands and is the gateway to the Grenadines. Renowned for its deep, sheltered harbors, the island has long been a favorite stopover for yachts and cruise ships. St. George’s, the capital city, boasts a superb harbor, shaped like a horseshoe, that was formed partially out of the crater of an extinct volcano.

The island’s perimeter is blessed with 80 miles of white sand beaches. Its coastline ... [read more]

Touted by Jacques Cousteau as “one of the world’s 10 best diving spots,” Guadeloupe combines the cultural and cosmopolitan charm of a European vacation with fabulous diving on reefs untouched by all but a minimal group of discriminating dive-travelers. Named for Our Lady of Guadeloupe by Christopher Columbus in 1493, this charming French island is blessed with miles of beautiful white-sand beaches and spectacular sub-sea attractions. The Afro-French style is warm and welcoming and the offshore islands are excellent for exploration and relaxation. This rum-producing country will also provide you ample opportunities ... [read more]

Discover secret coves and hidden lagoons in and around the nine sparkling bays of Huatulco (wah-tool-co). As the hemisphere’s first eco-tourism resort, Huatulco remains pleasingly primitive. Explore 22 miles of nearly virgin Pacific coastline, exotic wildlife and fantastic hiking, or enjoy a variety of traditional land and water sports including snorkeling, swimming, water skiing, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, kayaking and boating. In Huatulco you’ll find that unique combination of deluxe accommodations and modern amenities in an unspoiled, natural setting.

There are four parts to this resort town, all within a mile or two: Santa Cruz, a small town with the ... [read more]

A necklace of islands that begin just south of Miami, the Florida Keys are connected by the Overseas Highway’s 42 bridges one seven miles long over the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The area is divided into five regions: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. Most dive and snorkeling vacations center around Key Largo, Big Pine Key and Key West. The area offers a number of animal-based attractions including Wild Bird Sanctuary, Dolphin Research Center and sunset snorkeling cruises.

Key West, the nation’s southernmost ... [read more]

The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean’s second largest island, Hispaniola (between Cuba and Puerto Rico), with Haiti. Located on the eastern half of the island, the Dominican Republic, with an area of 19,376 square miles, is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Its central portion is sculpted by four great mountain ranges with peaks over 10,000 ft. Its coastline varies from rocky cliffs to sandy beaches. Reefs and ancient wrecks surround much of the shoreline.

La Romana thrived as a sugar port years ago, until the ... [read more]

The Bahamas, some 700 islands and 2,000 islets, lie scattered like a broken string of pearls across the northern Caribbean and offer literally thousands of opportunities for adventure. One of the most popular, and easiest to reach, island destinations near the United States but there’s enough sand and sun to go around. Water sports include snorkeling, parasailing, windsufing, water skiiing and of course, scuba diving.

Nassau, located on the island of New Providence, boasts a population of more than 175,000 people. In times gone by, Nassau was an international playground ... [read more]