Southern Caribbean with Barbados and Tortola

The oldest city under the American flag, San Juan vibrates to a lively salsa beat. There's an unmistakable zest in the air here. Perhaps it's the stunning natural setting: the verdant peaks, tropical forests, and gleaming white-sand beaches. Or maybe it's Puerto Rico's mix of cultures, the blend and occasional clash of four centuries of Spanish heritage overlaid with a century spent as America's only Commonwealth. Whatever the reason, San Juan is one of the most enticing ports in the Caribbean, and it only gets lovelier with age.

Tortola, the largest island of the British Virgin Islands, is a peaceful getaway for nature lovers. Tortola is Spanish for "Land of the Turtle Dove," so named for the shape of the island. Characterized by rugged mountain peaks, white-sand beaches, banana trees and clusters of palms, this sailor's paradise has a distinct nautical charm and West Indian flavor.

Jagged volcanoes soaring above azure and turquoise seas, dense rainforests in myriad shades of green, rolling fields of sugarcane--welcome to St. Kitts. Along with its neighbor, Nevis, St. Kitts presents an exotic landscape more common to Polynesia than the Caribbean. The islands' terrain, rich soil, and climate made them ideal locations for raising sugarcane. In fact, St. Kitts and Nevis were once the crown jewels of the Caribbean. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Spain, France and England vied for control of the islands, with the English finally winning out in 1787. Today, British and French heritage is evident on both islands. Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts, boasts fine, restored colonial buildings. Impressive Brimstone Hill Fortress, called the "Gibraltar of the West Indies," is one of the most impressive fortresses in the Caribbean.

Lying between Guadeloupe and Martinique is the island of Dominica--an unspoiled Caribbean paradise. The vibrant, rich rainforest is home to rare birds, including Sisserou and Jacquot parrots. Streams tumble down mountain slopes and thread fertile valleys on their short route to the sea. Dominica is also home to the last Carib Indians. When Columbus made landfall on his second voyage of discovery, this fierce tribe managed to keep the explorer at bay. And while the island proved a lure for both British and French planters, Dominica somehow managed to escape the trammels of civilization. This former British possession, independent since 1978, today lures visitors from around the world with its unspoiled beauty. As the islanders fondly say, "Apres Bondi, c'est la terre" (After God, it is the land). Tours may travel narrow, winding roads.

Grenada is the Caribbean's "Isle of Spice" -- one of the world's major producers of nutmeg, mace, clove, cinnamon, and cocoa. Indeed, the fragrant aroma of spice seems to envelop the island's emerald hillsides, tropical forests, and sun-drenched beaches. Grenada is truly a feast for the senses. Americans, of course, may remember the island from the 1983 U.S. military intervention. Over two decades later, Grenada is again an ideal vacation spot. No building here may be built higher than a coconut palm. The majority of hotels are small and family owned. St. George's Harbor is a picture-perfect postcard of an idyllic Caribbean anchorage.

Barbados is one of the few Caribbean islands solely colonized by one nation. It's no wonder Bajans describe their country as being "more English than England sheself," surnames like Worthing and Hastings abound. But look around and you know you're not in England: rich and fertile tropical fields meet a glistening, azure sea. The soft pastels of old chattel houses blend with the vibrant reds, oranges, and greens of roadside fruit stands. In short, Barbados exudes a charm all its own. Perhaps it is due to Bajan culture, that celebrated blend of English tradition and the African heritage brought to the island by slaves imported to work the sugar plantations. The potent brew which results flavors every aspect of island life, from music, dance and art, to religion, language and food.

The oldest city under the American flag, San Juan vibrates to a lively salsa beat. There's an unmistakable zest in the air here. Perhaps it's the stunning natural setting: the verdant peaks, tropical forests, and gleaming white-sand beaches. Or maybe it's Puerto Rico's mix of cultures, the blend and occasional clash of four centuries of Spanish heritage overlaid with a century spent as America's only Commonwealth. Whatever the reason, San Juan is one of the most enticing ports in the Caribbean, and it only gets lovelier with age.