Somewhere out there is a little slice of paradise with your name written in the sand. Here's where to find it.
Nine More Caribbean Vacations >>
Antigua and Barbuda: Explore an Eco-Nirvana
Leeward Islands
Boasting an almost continuous sand fringe and close to two dozen offshore islets, it has been said that Antigua has a beach for every day of the year. Guide Eli Fuller, a third-generation Antiguan, grew up boating all around the 108-square-mile (280-square-kilometer) island, especially among the cays of the rugged north shore. "When we were kids, those islands were our backyard," says the 34-year-old former windsurfing Olympian. He now runs Adventure Antigua, zipping adrenaline seekers around on his 45-foot (14-meter) performance speedboat for an informative ecotour. Stops include the Pillars of Hercules, to snorkel jutting boulders; the island's west side, to climb towering sandstone rock formations; and Great Bird Island, to watch for the red-billed tropicbird and the rare Antiguan racer snake.
But Fuller's got some competition. Antigua's smaller cousin, Barbuda, located 26 miles (42 kilometers) north, is starting to make noise—and it's not all coming from the enormous frigate bird sanctuary that is home to more than 5,000 of the fighter-jet-like creatures. (The birds have one of the largest wingspans—nearly eight feet—in proportion to body size of any bird in the world.) The 68-square-mile (176-square-kilometer) pink-and-white-sand gem also contains a wealth of prime diving wrecks just offshore that are ripe for exploration.
Make your home base Cocos, a resort perched on a cliff on Antigua's western side, just outside the town of Jolly Harbour. Hike up to it for fantastic views of the azure sea—even from the outdoor showers. Each room is equipped with a hammock strung across an open-air balcony as well as slatted windows that open to welcome in the tropical sunrise. (Note: If you're looking for peace and quiet, steer clear of Antigua during Sailing Week, April 29 to May 5. The island is packed with sailors from around the world who gather to celebrate the island's long-standing nautical heritage.)
Base Camp: Cocos, North Sound, Antigua
Activity: Ecotouring
Stats: All-inclusive Cocos has 19 suites ($165; www.cocoshotel.com), each with a large terrace and an outdoor shower. A daylong ecotour with Adventure Antigua (www.adventureantigua.com) is $90.
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Baja California: Paddle Five Islands in Nine Days
Mexico
In Baja California, action brims at the water's edge—brown pelicans inhaling schools of mackerel, pods of bottlenose dolphins leaping 15 feet (5 meters) in the air, and migrating humpbacks and gray whales surfacing so close to your kayak that you can feel their spray. On the ultimate Baja California kayaking safari, Sea & Adventures' nine-day La Paz–to–Loreto expedition brings you to ground zero for burgeoning marine life. Camp on five islands (Espíritu Santo, San José, Santa Catalina, Monserrat, and Danzante) off Baja's southeastern coast—a dramatic landscape of smooth, red sandstone cliffs, fossilized beaches, giant barrel cactuses, and immense sand dunes. Motorized skiffs transport you from island to island, where you can explore every little nook and cranny by kayak, fin, and foot.
After arriving in La Paz, your first night is spent on the mainland at Posada LunaSol, a secluded Mexican inn about a block and a half from the launch. Enjoy the quiet because splashing dolphins in the Sea of Cortez will soon be your wake-up call—you'll be sleeping in roomy nylon tents set up on white-sand beaches just steps from the lapping waves. Plan to get up early and fish for dorado, sea bass, and sierra mackerel, and stash your catch on ice for dinner. But be sure to make it back in time to enjoy camp breakfast: a hearty serving of huevos Mexicanos (eggs scrambled with tomatoes, peppers, and onions). "After breakfast each day we load up our skiffs and cross to a new island," says Baja veteran and Sea & Adventures founder Mary Harter. "You never know what you're going to see. Recently we got into a pod of about a hundred pilot whales and everybody jumped in the water. The whales' clicks and vocalizations were mind-blowing!"
On the San José Island paddle, sit back and take in the geologic wonders—rock arches and caves that could be in Moab if they weren't surrounded by so much water.
Evenings are reserved for dining on direct-from-the-sea ceviche and carne asada tacos with fresh salsa and guacamole, drinking ice-cold Pacificos, and practicing your Spanish. The hard part? Saying adios back at the town of Loreto.
Base Camp: The Islands of the Sea of Cortez
Activities: Kayaking, whale-watching, beach camping
Stats: Sea & Adventures leads nine-day sea-kayaking safaris ($1,150; www.kayakbaja.com) from October through May.
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Bora-Bora: Swim a Teeming Aquarium
French Polynesia
Bora-Bora was once a far-flung hideaway for famous recluses such as Marlon Brando and Michael Jackson. Now the über-iconic South Pacific island is easier to get to for the rest of us. International carrier Air Tahiti Nui recently increased its nonstop flights to French Polynesia from New York City (12 hours direct to Papeete, Tahiti, plus a 40-minute hop to Bora-Bora) and from Los Angeles (getting West Coasters there in under eight hours—faster than to most parts of the Caribbean).
Bora-Bora is surrounded by some of the clearest water on the planet, making it one of the top spots in the world for divers—and voyeurs. Peering into the glassy depths is like looking into an aquarium (the area was the first to introduce stilt bungalows). Lagoons abound with hundreds of species of tropical fish and are breeding grounds for manta rays. "The rays are like puppies, they like to be petted," says local guide Patrick Tairua, who will take you by boat to nearby Motu Tenanau to swim with the mantas. Just slip into the water with a snorkel and watch as locals hand-feed the big boys only inches away. Meanwhile, onshore, Tairua prepares a traditional Tahitian barbecue of fresh fish garnished with mangoes, papayas, and star fruits picked from his own backyard.
Stash your flip-flops at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa, set on its own private isle, Motu Toopua, a mile (two kilometers) out into the Bora-Bora lagoon. Stilt bungalows fit for a Tahitian chief sit above a still, lucid sea. Rooms have yucca-wood floors, private ocean terraces, and glass-top coffee tables that open up so you can feed the fish from the comfort of your sofa.
Base Camp: Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa, Motu Toopua
Activities: Diving, snorkeling
Stats: Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa has 80 bungalows ($603; www.boraboralagoon.com). Tairua's Mao-Nui Tours leads manta ray feeding trips ($350 per half-day; patrick.bora@mail.pf), as well as combination land and sea tours.
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Tortola: Bareboat a Blue-Water Heaven
British Virgin Islands
After swimming to the beach from your anchor in Tortola's Cane Garden Bay, it's hard to imagine soaking up a sweeter scene—sinuous islands dotting the horizon, a crescent of sleepy surfside restaurants, and soft, white sand caked between your toes. You'll start to entertain dangerous notions of never returning your charter. The British Virgin Islands' consistent 15- to 20-knot breezes, line-of-sight navigation, and countless easy anchorages make it one of the best places in the world to launch a bareboating excursion. Most islands are within five miles (eight kilometers) of each other. "You don't even need a GPS," says Melvin Fraser, supervisor at the Moorings, a yacht-chartering company. "You can just look out and see exactly where you're headed."
Tortola, the biggest of the BVI, is an ideal launchpad, with over 70 bareboat rental outfits. Rest up at the Edenic Sugar Mill Hotel, in Little Apple Bay, just steps from the infamous Bomba's Surfside Shack (which, if you're lucky, you might hit on a full moon when revelers from all over the islands show up and dance till dawn). But don't overdo it: The next morning you can choose a monohull or even a catamaran from the Moorings, in Road Town—with or without a captain or flotilla—to bareboat through the BVI's best circuit.
After hoisting the mainsail, set an easy course for the island of Jost Van Dyke, one of the Caribbean's most popular anchorages. This four-mile-long dollop of sand is picture-perfect, with hammocks strung between palms, lush mountain paths, and a disproportionate number of bars for such a small island. Moor at Great Harbour, then take a dinghy or walk to White Bay's Soggy Dollar Bar for conch fritters and a Painkiller (a notorious rum drink rumored to have first been concocted here). Then hike or take an ATV to the top of 1,054-foot (321-meter) Majohnny Hill, Jost Van Dyke's highest point, for awesome 360-degree Caribbean views.
Next, head to Virgin Gorda, docking at North Sound's Bitter End Yacht Club to swap sailing tales over lunch and map your route to nearby Fallen Jerusalem or the Dog Islands. These Technicolor snorkeling and diving outposts are part of the BVI National Parks Trust.
Just 15 miles (24 kilometers) beyond Virgin Gorda is unsung Anegada, a pancake-flat coral-and-limestone atoll with an 18-mile (29-kilometer) fringe of reef. Navigating here is challenging (some bareboat charters don't allow you to sail in without a trained captain), but the island's rainbow coral is the most impressive in the BVI and worth the extra effort. Take up locals on invitations to go bone-fishing or to beachside barbecues where the island's signature Anegada lobster is cooked over an open driftwood fire.
Base Camp: Chartered Bareboat Out of Tortola
Activities: Sailing, snorkeling, off-roading
Stats: The Moorings' bareboat charters ($2,000 a week; www.moorings.com) require some experience, or you can hire a crewed vessel ($1,300 a day for four to six guests). On land, stay at Tortola's Sugar Mill Hotel ($325; www.sugarmillhotel.com) and Virgin Gorda's Bitter End Yacht Club ($830; www.beyc.com). BVI Sea & Land Adventure Sports, on Jost Van Dyke, rents ATVs ($65 an hour; www.bviadventure.com).
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Cocos Island: Live Aboard a Luxe Dive Boat
Costa Rica
After a 36-hour Pacific Ocean crossing from the Costa Rican city of Puntarenas, looming Cocos Island is a welcome sight: Situated 300 miles (483 kilometers) off the mainland, its jungly volcanic cliffs rise straight up from the sea. The main event here, however, lies beneath the surface. Cocos, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, is known for big marine life and big action. On a typical dive you'll encounter hundreds of schooling hammerheads, giant manta rays, and white-tipped sharks.
The live-aboard dive boat Okeanos Aggressor, a former Italian research vessel, is your ride in. And you won't lack for creature comforts: Its ten single or double-berth staterooms with private baths are surprisingly roomy and an onboard chef serves the fresh catch of the day. Captained Zodiacs make excursions to pinnacled playgrounds—most notably, deep-sea scuba trips to Submerged Rock, where spotted eagle rays feed, and night dives in the shallows of Manuelita Island. "Each hour is packed with activity," says Okeanos trip coordinator Alan Roberts. "There are dives morning, noon, and night."
In the little downtime that's left, zip ashore to explore the island's dramatic waterfalls, some as high as 200 feet (60 meters), on the humid and empty isle (save for a few park rangers, Cocos is uninhabited).
Base Camp: The Dive Boat Okeanos
Activities: Deepwater diving, waterfall hiking
Stats: The Okeanos Aggressor's eight-day voyages cost $2,895 (www.aggressor.com) and include hotel transfers at the port in Puntarenas and five days of diving.
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Curaçao: Bike a Rugged Desert Isle
Netherlands Antilles
Off-road biking may not be the first activity that comes to mind when you think "island escape," but the ten-mile (16-kilometer) Jan Thiel Lagoon Trail—a packed-clay path that runs past salt flats, colonial forts, and the flamingo-filled Jan Thiel Lagoon itself—is such a perfect route that Curaçao hosted the Mountain Bike World Cup last year. "It's a rugged and beautiful place," says guide Han Geurtsen. "Oceanfront biking doesn't get any better than this."
Check in to Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club, perched on 350 acres (142 hectares) between the coral cliffs and powdery beaches of Curaçao's mountainous west side. The next day sign on with Geurtsen's Curaçao-Actief to bike Jan Thiel or nine other world-class trails or take a jeep tour to the wide-open flats of the Hato Desert. Stop to climb through Kueba di Brua, an ancient cave of stalagmites and stalactites, once used by slaves for voodoo ceremonies. Then lose the cave dust with a swim in Ascension Bay, one of the few places on the island where you can spot sea turtles.
Prefer to strike out on foot? Hike 1,230-foot (375-meter) Mount St. Christoffel (Curaçao's highest peak), situated in a 4,450-acre (1,800-hectare) garden and wildlife preserve bordering Lodge Kura Hulanda. Before retiring to your airy, rattan-furnished room, visit the lodge's Watamula Restaurant for a Curaçao Sunset cocktail (made with the island's eponymous citrus liqueur).
Base Camp: Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club, Westpunt
Activities: Mountain biking, hiking, caving
Stats: Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club has 75 rooms ($210; www.kurahulanda.com). Curaçao-Actief leads two-and-a-half-hour trail rides ($25; $20 a day for bike rental; www.curacao-actief.com).
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Isla Los Roques: Kiteboard an Island Chain
Venezuela
Not just one deserted island, but an entire archipelago? That's what you'll find—complete with aquamarine water, unspoiled beaches, and dozens of uninhabited keys—at Archipiélago Los Roques National Park, just a 45-minute flight from Caracas. "The water is so warm and shallow in spots you can lie in the sand and touch two islands at once," says Karl Williams, reservations manager at Vela Windsurf Resorts.
Bunk on the main island of Gran Roque, where a few dozen locally run posadas line charming car-free sand streets. At Posada La Gaviota—one of only a few inns located right on the beach—roll out of bed and head to the rooftop patio to watch pelicans and seagulls dive for fish as you sip a bold Maracaibo-blend coffee. It will prep you for the action to come: steady east-northeasterly trades make Los Roques one of the best kiteboarding spots in the Caribbean.
Vela Windsurf Resorts, on neighboring Francisquí Island, has cutting-edge boards, sails, and wave gear, as well as seasoned instructors to help you barrel to dozens of private "McIslands." New to kiteboarding? There isn't a better place to learn. "Anyone who knows how to swim can do it," Williams says, and, with water temperatures above 80 degrees (27 degrees Celsius), "you can leave your wet suit at home."
Post-boardsail, Posada La Gaviota's staff can motor you by panga (along with beach chairs and a stocked cooler) to a hideaway key.
Base Camp: Posada La Gaviota, Gran Roque
Activities: Kiteboarding, windsurfing
Stats: Posada La Gaviota ($175; www.posadalagaviota.com) has seven rooms. Visit www.explorepartners.com/posadas for listings. Vela Windsurf Resorts teaches kiteboarding ($90 a day; www.velawindsurf.com).
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Lanai: Grounded in Paradise
Hawaii
Lanai, which was previously owned by Dole and once grew a whopping 75 percent of the world's pineapples, is redefining itself as Hawaii's newest adventure outpost. The comma-shaped island's coast rises up in sheer volcanic cliffs from the ocean and is less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) at its widest point. It's a mere 45-minute ferry ride from Maui, but couldn't be farther away in spirit: There are no traffic lights, no shopping centers, and only a few paved roads, all of which makes this rugged island a 4x4 wonderland.
There are only three hotels on the island, but the Hotel Lanai, built in 1923 for visiting Dole VIPs, is the most affordable. Overlooking the island's lone town, Lanai City, the mountain retreat's plantation-style rooms are bright and comfortable, with hardwood floors, handmade quilts, and ceiling fans.
From here, it's easy access to the Monroe Trail—a 9-mile (14-kilometer) trek that winds up forested slopes to 3,366-foot (1,026-meter) Lanaihale, the island's highest point. Rent a jeep or a mountain bike and head 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of town to reach the wind-eroded Garden of the Gods, a bizarre Mars-red plateau of encrusted lava with views of the Hawaiian Islands. Four precipitous miles (six precipitous kilometers) beyond is Polihua Beach, a secret strip of sand that stares across the Kalohi Channel to Molokai. Says Adventure Lanai Ecocentre owner and guide Michelle Sunke, "There's no smell of Coppertone in the air. Even when Lanai's hotels are full, anywhere you go, you'll be the only one."
Base Camp: Hotel Lanai, Lanai City
Activities: Off-roading, trekking, mountain biking
Stats: Hotel Lanai ($115; www.hotellanai.com) is one of Hawaii's few inland hotels. Rent jeeps ($129 a day) and mountain bikes ($49 a day) from Adventure Lanai Ecocentre (www.adventurelanai.com).
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Moho Cay: Hut-Hop to a Marine Reserve
Belize
When you land on Ken Karas's tiny airstrip in southern Belize, you're greeted by a rarely visited world, vast and carpeted in green, with the Maya Mountains jutting in the distance. From the tarmac, local Maya guides shuttle you to Indian Creek Lodge, your first stop on a multilodge hop.
Karas's Belize Lodge & Excursions customizes trips in what he calls a "jungle-safari-camp" format: Guests stay in up to four properties on the way to the Caribbean Sea. The independent filmmaker turned ecolodge entrepreneur got the idea while shooting a documentary about the Maya people there 11 years ago. "I'd heard that 60,000 acres (24,281 hectares) of privately owned land was about to be clear cut," Karas says, "so I jumped in." He may have been first in, but he's not the last: A paved highway leading from Belize City into the largely wilderness-protected Toledo District is nearly complete, priming southern Belize for a tourist influx.
Heading south from Indian Creek, you hit Ballum Na. Slated to open mid-March, the lodge is nestled in the Golden Stream watershed—home to the highest concentration of jaguars in the world—with rooms sitting above an enclosed section of the big cats' habitat.
At the third lodge, Jungle Camp, explore an extensive trail network and a canopy platform set 120 feet (37 meters) high in a giant ceiba tree. From there a pontoon boat takes you to the mouth of the Caribbean, where ocean-sail kayaks await. Trade winds usher you to the Robinson Crusoe–inspired Moho Cay Lodge. "You won't believe how remote this place is," Karas says of the tiny camp, located in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. "Each safari tent has its own beach and veranda extending over a blue tropical paradise." Grab the island's Hobie Cat and in ten minutes you're snorkeling among the park's manta rays. At the southernmost tip of the Belize Barrier Reef System—only a boat ride away—is the pristine Sapodilla Marine Reserve, where you can swim with giant whale sharks.
No time—or patience—to overland it to your place in the sun? Central Belize's Adventure Island on Glover Reef Atoll is a closer outpost, just two hours by boat from Belize City.
Base Camp: Belize Lodge & Excursions Huts
Activities: Kayaking, jaguar-watching, snorkeling
Stats: Belize Lodge & Excursions' packages start at $365 a day (www.belizelodge.com). Adventure Island (www.slickrock.com; $1,050 for four days) is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Turks and Caicos Island: Bask off the Grid
West Indies
Despite the gold-rush mentality that has recently gripped the Turks and Caicos Islands, Pine Cay remains surprisingly unaffected. The sand-lined 800-acre (324-hectare) private island—a tiny oasis where iguanas are the only year-round residents—hosts only one other main attraction, the Meridian Club. The 12-room, one-cottage resort accommodates both vacationers and long-term seasonal guests. While nearby Providenciales (Provo) Island has been built up to within an inch of its life, "[Pine Cay is] one of the few places that hasn't changed much over the years," says Meridian Club board member Terry Smith. "And that's the way we want it—secluded, low-key."
The state of mind here? In a word, unplugged. There are no cars, and the community-oriented club—set in one of the most pristine curves of white-sand beach you'll ever leave prints on—has no air-conditioning, TVs, or phones in the rooms. All the action you want is just beyond your screened porch, where a ten-second sprint gets you to Pine Cay's iridescent bay and to world-class diving, snorkeling, and dolphin- and stingray-watching. Just five minutes offshore sits Caicos Bank, a huge shallows several square miles long, threaded by channels; it has some of the best bone- and reef-fishing, as well as bottom- and deep-sea fishing, in the Caribbean. "The variety is unusual and easily accessible," says Smith, who first spotted the Meridian Club from his speedboat while on a bone-fishing expedition in 1988 (he immediately joined).
The Meridian Club can organize deep-sea excursions for marlin, wahoo, and mahimahi, or you can just wade out and cast a fly from the beach. Bring your catch back to the defiantly unpretentious two-story clubhouse (it's rumored there was a necktie sighting two years ago), where the chef will cook it up for dinner.
Base Camp: The Meridian Club, Pine Cay
Activities: Fishing, snorkeling, diving
Stats: The Meridian Club (www.meridianclub.com) is open November through July. Doubles start at $715, which includes flights to and from Provo for stays of a week of longer.
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