Bridgetown, Barbados' UNESCO-listed capital, blends colonial history, rich culture, and white-sand beauty. At The Careenage, pastel buildings overlook the Constitution River, with a plaque marking the city's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Nearby Carlisle Bay offers turquoise water, soft sand, and shipwreck dives with turtles and tropical fish. Explore street food, Broad Street shopping, rum bars on Roebuck Street, and Nidhe Israel Synagogue and museum.

Bequia Island is a rustic, unspoiled Grenadine gem: virgin beaches, quiet bays, rum shacks, and a laid-back feel with only about 6,000 locals. Admiralty Bay is a stunning natural harbor, and tiny Port Elizabeth has a market, turtle sanctuary, and model-ship stalls. Hike Mount Peggy for views, then relax on Princess Margaret Beach or other golden-sand coves. It's a place to slow down, swim, read, and enjoy fresh catch, barbecue, and rum cocktails at beach bars.

Grenada, the "Isle of Spice," blends lush scenery and rich flavor: nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa fill the air at St George's market, while jungled hills, rainforest waterfalls, banana and cocoa groves, and the Grand Etang caldera showcase its fertile interior. The capital features a charming waterfront of Georgian buildings and terracotta roofs, and the coast offers white-sand beaches, turquoise seas, Grand Anse, and hidden palm-fringed coves. Enjoy it all with a local spiced rum punch.

Stroll colourful Oranjestad, Aruba's capital, and enjoy some of the Caribbean's sunniest shores: white sands, gentle waves and divi divi trees. Swim, snorkel or dive in warm waters, or take a catamaran or submarine out further. Inland, see Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins and Aruba's Natural Bridge site, where Baby Bridge remains. Hooiberg rises above the island; climb its 650 steps for views to Venezuela. Shop boutiques and local crafts, then try Aruba's Dutch, Asian and Caribbean fusion cuisine.

Willemstad, capital of Curaçao, is famed for its brightly painted, UNESCO-listed waterfront and Dutch colonial architecture. Set around the narrow Sint Anna Bay channel and Schottegat harbor, it features Rif Fort, the 1888 Queen Emma Bridge linking Otrobanda and Punda, a floating market, the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, and the historic distillery. Curaçao's beaches are "dushi": sandy, turquoise, and great for snorkeling with fish and sea turtles.

Bonaire's small, tidy capital, Kralendijk, is 5 minutes from the airport. Main streets-J. A. Abraham Boulevard/Kaya Grandi, Kaya L. D. Gerharts, and waterfront Kaya C. E. B. Hellmund-hold most shops, boutiques, restaurants, supermarkets, piers, and Ft. Oranje. The produce market sells fresh Venezuelan produce; cruise ships arrive Dec-Apr. Get the tourist-office brochure for a map.

Martinique, the largest Windward Island, lies 4,261 mi (6,817 km) from Paris but feels distinctly French with West Indian flair. Its cuisine blends French and Creole influences. The island is lush with tropical flowers, fruit trees, banana and pineapple fields, sugarcane, mountains, and rain forest. Hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, tanning, and duty-free shopping are popular, and cruises often visit St-Pierre, buried by ash from Mont Pelée's 1902 eruption.

St Lucia is a vivid Caribbean island of turquoise seas, green volcanic Pitons, jungle waterfalls, and bright coral reefs. Its beaches and dive spots are rich with colorful fish, while marigot Bay, once a backdrop for Doctor Dolittle, adds cinematic charm. Spot parrots in the palms and dolphins offshore, relax on Vigie Beach, and photograph the dramatic Pitons. In Castries, visit the Cathedral Basilica and the lively market for spices, bananas, and mangos.

Bridgetown, Barbados' UNESCO-listed capital, blends colonial history, rich culture, and white-sand beauty. At The Careenage, pastel buildings overlook the Constitution River, with a plaque marking the city's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Nearby Carlisle Bay offers turquoise water, soft sand, and shipwreck dives with turtles and tropical fish. Explore street food, Broad Street shopping, rum bars on Roebuck Street, and Nidhe Israel Synagogue and museum.