Sun-drenched, fueled by heat, rum, and coffee, the Caribbean Islands are a mythical playground for menacing pirates, and a historical hotbed of rampant colonization, by men and by the sea. People come here in droves — on cruise ships, by plane, on ferries, in their own tattered yachts. They come seeking sunshine, glittering stars and nightlife, deserted beaches and translucent lagoons. They find culture and revolutionaries, bustling markets and cloud forests, a diet of fresh fish, mangoes and black pineapples. They hole up in resorts, in multicolored beach shacks, in spas, in B&Bs, and in eco-lodges with howler monkeys. They bathe in waterfalls, in hot springs, in estuaries, in cays, or by anything needing a saltlick. They shark-dive, cave-dive, wall-dive, wreck-dive. They surf big breaks, sail catamarans, play dominoes and cricket. They windsurf, kitesurf, kayak, and climb. They hike active volcanoes, dance to reggae, salsa, calypso, soca, parang. They watch the sunset over the ocean, just to cross the island, and watch it come back up again.

If there were a definitive list of things to do in the Caribbean, there would be one fine experience for every spec of sand. But most people forego the options for a beer in a hammock, because, well, they can.

Contact a Global Escapes Travel Consultant for more information on Caribbean destinations, such as Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.