What to Do

Ready, set, get wet.

Slip into the calm blue sea that, more than any other feature, unites this region. Every Caribbean island is surrounded by miles of liquid paradise. Whether your idea of enjoying that water means a leisurely afternoon paddle aboard a sea kayak or a night dive to look at fluorescent marine creatures in a sea as warm as a silky bath, the Caribbean has the spot for you.

Scuba diving is a top activity throughout many of these islands. Divers can swim through waters as clear as white rum and enjoy visibility that often tops 150 feet. Travelers are drawn by reef dives, with coral mounts dotted with sea flora and fauna as colorful as gumdrops, and wreck dives to explore the remnants of old pirates ships still preserved in these warm waters. Some of the top scuba destinations are the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos, Tobago, Bonaire, and Anguilla.

And if you don't yet scuba but would like to learn a new sport on your vacation, now's the chance. Many hotels offer resort courses and after a lesson and some practice in the pool, you can take the plunge offshore that same afternoon.

Or act out your Jacques Cousteau fantasies with a snorkel trip. One of the Caribbean's most popular snorkel sites is Stingray City on Grand Cayman. Here you can stand in about four feet of water and hand-feed southern Atlantic stingrays as gentle as big gray kittens. Don't want to get wet? Then the plunge aboard an Atlantis submarine for a look at the marine world 100 feet below the surface in Aruba, Barbados, Grand Cayman, or St. Thomas.

Boating is also a favorite activity in these waters. Sailors favor St. Martin/Sint Maarten, the Virgin Islands, and Antigua because of their competitions, charter operations, and good sailing conditions. And even if you're not a sailor, Sint Maarten is home to a one-of-a-kind operation: the 12-Metre Challenge, which offers first-time sailors the opportunity to compete aboard a genuine America's Cup yacht for a few hours.

ADVENTURES

The Caribbean presents a myriad of outdoor challenges on land as well: cycling, hiking, golfing, tennis, parasailing--just about any type of warm weather sport imaginable. The pace goes from mild to wild--whatever you choose.

One of the most challenging activities in the islands is an all-day hike up St. Kitts' Mount Liamuiga. Climb this dormant volcano to the mile-wide crater rim to view a spectacular cloud forest and steaming sulphur vents. The hike is a tough one, so come prepared with very good walking shoes and a can-do spirit.

How about something a little easier? The US Virgin Islands offer a whole range of adventures from high-energy shopping on St. Thomas, where poinciana-covered hills overlook streets filled with some of the Caribbean's finest duty-free shopping, to snorkeling at Buck Island Reef National Monument. Eco-tourists especially enjoy St. John, best known for the national park which covers two-thirds of this unspoiled island.

Bird watching is an increasingly popular activity in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago, Little Cayman, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Bonaire are some of the top birding spots. Take a guided cruise in Tobago to watch the evening roost of the brilliant red ibis or enjoy an afternoon visit at Jamaica's Rocklands Feeding Station where wild birds come in to be fed by hand.

For other travelers, adventuring might mean exploring the myriad of cultures that make up this region. Explore the intricacies of French cuisine in the French West Indies, the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barts, and St. Martin. Stroll streets lined with Dutch style architecture in the Dutch islands: Sint Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, or seldom visited St. Eustatius (also known as Statia) or tiny Saba.