CARB

Situated on the southwest tip of Tobago is Pigeon Point, one of the Caribbean's best beaches, with picture-postcard vistas stretching along its powdery, palm-fringed sands. A scenic coastal drive will take you to Pigeon Point and its thatched-roof jetty where a glass-bottom boat awaits to ferry you to the amazing underwater world of Buccoo Reef. Gliding along crystal-clear waters toward the reef, you'll marvel at an array of colorful coral gardens and fascinating marine life.

With its luxuriantly forested mountains, waterfalls and wealth of wildlife, Tobago is a nature lover's paradise. You'll appreciate the island's natural beauty during a scenic drive on Windward Road, tracing a path along Tobago's southern shoreline to the town of Roxborough, where you'll enter the Main Ridge Forest Reserve. Here, within the oldest protected rainforest reserve in the western hemisphere, fortunate birdwatchers might spot white-tailed sabrewing hummingbirds, blue-backed manakins and more on a brief naturalist-guided stroll through lush vegetation.

After a short flight over the gorgeous Virgin Islands, you will find yourself on the 30-foot-high coral island of Anegada. On your ride from the landing strip to your final destination, keep an eye out for the elegant flamingos that call Anegada home. Once you have arrived at Cow Wreck Beach, your only task is to sit back and enjoy the day on one of the British Virgin Islands’ most spectacular beaches. Fall asleep under a palm tree cradled in the powdery white sands, or snorkel in the crystalline turquoise waters.

Break up your beach-centric vacation with a hike up to the highest point in the British and US Virgin Islands. Soaring to a magnificent 1,716 feet, Sage Mountain is considered a hiker’s paradise complete with majestic overlooks and an old growth forest that has remained untouched for over 500 years. BVI’s first national park, Sage Mountain was established in 1964 thanks to Laurence Rockefeller, who purchased 86 acres from farmers and donated the land to the government. Large boulders and lush rainforest on the north side are in stark contrast to the old pastures on the south.

Plan to spend the day camped out on a chaise lounge besides an infinity pool, stretched out on a talcum beach, or gazing out at breathtaking panoramas from a sky-high spa oasis while expert hands soothe your body and soul. Or perhaps you would prefer hiking up a mountain, kayaking across a turquoise sea, or sailing into the sunset with a breeze at your back. Come get carried away to tropical bliss at the 5-star Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, a member of the Five Star Alliance collection.

It’s the island you’ve been looking for, the one in your dreams: a tiny speck of green afloat in a turquoise sea, encircled by a 360° white beach and a lone palm tree waving in the trade winds. Cruising aboard a catamaran, you’ll cross the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Tortola and sail along the coast to Jost Van Dyke. Soak in the gorgeous seascapes as your friendly crew chats about this beautiful island group with its historic lore of piracy and privateering.

It would be a shame to leave without seeing at least a few of the highlights of Saint Martin like the atmosphere Quartier d'Orléan and the French and Dutch capitals. You’ll visit Philipsburg, capital of the Dutch St. Maarten, where you can stroll along the boardwalk, relax in a sidewalk café, tour some of the historic sites, or browse through shops for last-minute souvenirs.

Enjoy a cruise through the tranquil waters surrounding Turks and Caicos to its remote outlying islands. Along the way you’ll glide across a vast system of coral reefs clearly visible in the crystalline waters. Dock at Salt Cay island for a relaxing few hours on a secluded beach and keep an eye out for the herons, egrets and ospreys that call the island’s mangroves and waterways home. Swim and snorkel in the warm, shallow waters where tropical fish dart in and out of reefs, take a walk on the powdery white sand beach or drift off to the sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore.

When driving a dune buggy, you can traverse narrow marl tracks and rocky coastlines, which allows for a deeper exploration of the island of Grand Turk. Enjoy scenic views of Gibbs Cay and the surrounding Turks Islands from the cliffs high above the shores. On a stop at the famous Grand Turk Lighthouse built in 1852, head to Cliffhanger Lookout for a spine-tingling view of crashing waves 80 feet below. Continue further down the coast to see the salinas that were once used to harvest salt, and if you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of pink flamingos wading in the shallow waters.