Southern Caribbean

Although large-scale tourism dominates the island (read: luxury resorts from here to sunset), there are still undeveloped areas on the exposed northern coast, and much of the interior is inhabited by nothing more substantial than goats and contorted divi-divi trees. In this region, the triple whammy of a dry climate, salt-loaded sea spray and relentless trade winds has created a wonderfully surreal landscape with more than a passing resemblance to the images Pathfinder sent back to Earth from Mars.

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Tourism is big business on Barbados, and most visitors who come to the island are looking for that comfortable mix of the familiar peppered with just enough local flavor to feel 'exotic.' So if you're looking for a Caribbean island with plenty of amenities, water sports and nightlife, Barbados fits the bill. Travelers wanting to explore undeveloped areas and get off the beaten track should start looking for another island.

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The majority of visitors to Bermuda come from North America for short stays, and most consider the island to be quaintly British; the Brits, on the other hand, come in much smaller numbers but tend to consider the island highly Americanized. It is, of course, uniquely Bermudian - a product of nearly four centuries of British colonial history and an equally long reliance on American trade.

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More low-key than its Latin-influenced big sisters, Aruba and Curaçao, Bonaire has gone to great lengths to preserve its natural resources. Until flippered folk discovered the island, its claims to fame were salt production and flamingos - hardly front page stuff - and Bonaire continues to keep a tight lid on tourist development.

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The good news is that it's still possible to enjoy Colombia's colorful swirl of myth and mysticism. As long as you avoid all overland travel and stick to major cities and touristed areas, pay attention to the news, and keep your wits about you at all times, you'll get a safe and healthy dose of what is arguably the most underrated travel destination on the continent.

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But if trudging through knee-deep streams for hours on end to catch a glimpse of some lazy three-toed tree-hanger isn't your idea of a good time, don't write Costa Rica off as a waste of 51,100 sq km (19,929 sq mi). Not surprisingly for a country which is mostly coastline, Costa Rica has some of the region's best surfing, beaches galore and a climate that encourages slothfulness in all species.

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Dubbed the Caribbean's 'Nature Island,' Dominica has a lush mountainous interior of rainforests, waterfalls, lakes, hot springs and more than 200 rivers, many of which cascade over steep cliff faces en route to the coast. The only way to really experience this fabulous terrain is to pull on your hiking boots and start walking. Get ready to test your calf muscles because the island has the highest mountains in the Eastern Caribbean; the loftiest peak, Morne Diablotin, is 4747 feet (1447 m) high - not bad for an island measuring only 29 miles (47km) by 16 miles (26km).

Apart from its natural splendors, the island has an interesting fusion of British, French and West Indian cultural traditions, and is home to the Eastern Caribbean's largest Carib Indian community.

Nature Island of the Caribbean, illustrated information, booking service for island-wide accommodation, car hire, activities - bird watching, hiking, whale-watch, scuba diving and more

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Martinique's capital, Fort-de-France, is a chic, modern city of 100,000 people, the largest in the French West Indies. Urbanization has spread to much of the island, and most of Martinique's large towns feel like modern suburbs. Nevertheless, nearly a third of Martinique is forested and other areas are given over to pineapples, bananas and sugar cane fields. You can still find fishing villages and remote beaches untouched by development, and there are plenty of hiking trails into the mountains.

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The reality is a proud prosperous nation that honors its seven Indian tribes and its rich Spanish legacy and embraces visitors so enthusiastically that it's difficult to leave without feeling that you're in on a secret that the rest of the traveling world will one day uncover.

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Most visitors fly into St Kitts, which on a clear day provides a glimpse of the island's mountainous interior, the patchwork of cane fields that carpets its lowlands, and the rugged hills, salt ponds and deeply indented bays of its southeastern peninsula.

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What really makes Tortola special though are its great bays and beaches. The best spots to lay down your beach towel or don a mask and flippers are on the northwest coast at Cane Garden Bay, Smugglers Cove and Brewers Bay. When you tire of being horizontal, there are fine views of the surrounding islands from the Sage Mountain National Park, though not from the dense scrub at the 1780ft (534m) peak. The North Shore Shell Museum in Carrot Bay is about as cluttered and chaotic as a museum can get; as well as thousands of shells, there are boats and various dibbets of craft crammed in among scores of homilies painted on driftwood.

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