There's more here than 366 Beaches - Antigua, and its small sister island of Barbuda to the North, have a rich history and nautical past.

Sports:  Offshore wrecks and reefs make for great scuba diving and snorkeling on both islands, while the northern coast of Antigua is ideal for windsurfing.  Visitors will also enjoy great boating and fishing.

Things To Do and See:  English Harbor is rich in nautical artifacts; Indian Town is home to archaeological digs. On Barbuda, the Bird Sanctuary is home to 170 species.

Shopping:  Antiguan items and crafts include rum, silk-screened fabrics, native straw work, and crafts made from shells.  There's one-of-a-kind batik clothing and artworks and great duty-free shopping.

Festivals: The Antigua Sailing Week in April is one of the region's major sailing events.  Carnival, held at the end of July into early August, is one of the Caribbean's most elaborate celebrations.

Island Trivia:  During World War II, Antigua was selected as an American military base.

Language: English
Electricity: Most of the island is 220 volts.  The Hodges Bay area of Antigua and some hotels, however, are 110 volts.
Currency:  The Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), however, nearly all hotels and all but the smallest restaurants bills in U.S. dollars.

Luxury Inclusive Resort for Adult Couples Only
Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa

The Islands of the Bahamas is an archipelago of about 700 islands and more than 2,000 cays, but visitors need only go as far as the larger islands - Nassau/Paradise Islands to find gorgeous beaches, world-renowned fishing and sailing, and glittering casinos.

Sports: With a variety of barrier reefs, platform reefs and atolls, The Islands of the Bahamas offer exceptional scuba diving and snorkeling.  Other watersports include parasailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.  Sailors will find calm waters and  a wealth of marinas, while anglers can experience world class sport fishing for marlin, swordfish and bonefish.  There are also golf courses and stables for horseback riding in Nassau. Most of the big resorts have tennis courts.

Things To See and Do: Museums and small galleries are scattered throughout the islands.  The Pompey Museum in Nassau contains a collection by acclaimed Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson.  The new Pirates of Nassau Museum , also in Nassau, brings to life the islands' 17th-century pirate past.  There's a fine collection of historic architecture reflecting the island's rich history.  Notable structures include Nassau's Government House, an example of Bahamian British and American Colonial styles, and Balcony House, the oldest wooden residential structure in Nassau.  The islands' natural splendors are on view at national parks like Inagua National Park.  Casinos in Nassau, Paradise Island offer every game imaginable.

Shopping: Shopping runs the gamut from duty-free outlets to small, family-run shops and markets.  Nassau's Straw Market is filled with local hand-made crafts and products.  Recently opened Festival Place on Nassau's Prince George Wharf offers island-made souvenirs and crafts.

Festivals: Junkanoo is a Mardi Gras-style festival that starts on New Year's Day and features costumed participants celebrating their African heritage through parade, music and dance.  In July, Independence Week celebrations culminate on Independence Day, July 10.

Island Trivia: Several James Bond movies, the movie "My Father the Hero", as well as parts of "Splash" and "Cocoon" were filmed in the Bahamas.

Language: English
Electricity: 110 volts
Currency:  The Bahamian dollar, but U.S. dollars are also accepted.

Sandals Emerald Bay GOLF!

Luxury Inclusive Resort for Adult Couples Only
Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort & Spa
Sandals Emerald Bay

Jamaica is a diverse island whose stellar attractions range from beautiful beaches to lush jungles, a wealth of activities to a packed schedule of special events, a dynamic culture to fine cuisine.

Sports: Jamaica's north and west coasts are favored destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling.  Among the locations are Negril; Montego Bay, known for its wall dives, and Port Royal , with its sunken ships that are home to a variety of tropical fish.  There's terrific rafting on the Great, Martha Brae and Rio Grande rivers; beach or mountain horseback riding; deep sea fishing off Port Antonio, and bird watching at Rocklands Wildlife Station, where the island's 27 unique species include the vervian hummingbird and the Jamaican tody.  The island has several challenging golf courses including the newest and one of the Caribbean's most spectacular, the Ritz Carlton's White Witch of Rose Hall Golf Course in Montego Bay.

Things To See and Do: Cultural attractions abound in the island capital of Kingston. Among them are the Institute of Jamaica, a natural history museum; the National Gallery, devoted to native artists, and the Bob Marley Museum, the former home and recording studio of the famed reggae artist.  Outside of Ocho Rios is Firefly, the former vacation home of composer and performer Noel Coward.  Many Jamaican towns- like Mandeville, Port Antonio, Port Royal , and Spanish Town - are well worth a visit to see historic local sites and lovely architecture.  The island's vast natural attractions include the Blue Mountains and Dunn's River Falls.

Shopping: Hand-loomed fabrics, wood carvings, silk-screened items, resort wear, paintings and other fine arts are among the distinctive buys in Jamaica.  There are some tasty goods as well including Jamaican rum, the coffee liqueur Tia Maria, and the prized Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffees.  Visitors will also find duty-free luxury items.

Festivals: Filled with music and dancing in the streets, Carnival is held in April and May throughout the island.  Both established and new reggae artists how up for the Reggae Sunsplash International Music Festival in August.  Port Antonio's Blue Marlin Tournament in August is internationally recognized.

Island Trivia: Ten miles east of Port Antonio, the Blue Lagoon, a gorgeous cobalt-blue cove, was the location for the movie of the same name, starring Brooke Shields.

Language: English
Electricity: 110 volts
Currency:  The Jamaican dollar, but U.S. dollars are also accepted everywhere.

Luxury Inclusive Resorts for Adult Couples Only
Sandals Carlyln
Sandals Montego Bay
Sandals Royal Caribbean
Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa
Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Golf Resort
Sandals Royal Plantation (Ocho Rios)
Sandals Whitehouse

Luxury Inclusive Resorts for Everyone, All Ages
Beaches Negril
Beaches Ocho Rios (10 miles east of the town of Ocho Rios)

Green mountains dotted with thick jungle and sprawling banana plantations, rain forests, fertile valleys, honey-colored beaches and charming villages make St. Lucia one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

Sports: Hiking is a good way to experience the island's natural beauty.  There are numerous trails through the large rain forest covering the southern half of St. Lucia.  Among them, the Barre De L'Isle Trail features four panoramic look-out points.  Horseback riding - countryside rides, beach rides and plantation tours are also popular.  Scuba and snorkeling sites are impressive.  Anse Chastanet, on the southwest coast near St. Lucia's twin mountain peaks of Petit Piton and Gros Piton, has an underwater reef that drops to a stunning coral wall.  Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay are centers for bareboat and crewed yacht charters, while island waters are filled with king mackerel, barracuda, white marlin and dolphin.

Things To Do and See: Wrapped around a sheltered bay, the capital of Castries is a bustling place with one of the region's liveliest, most colorful markets.  Here country women, often dressed in traditional garb, sell luscious fruits and vegetables, plus local handicrafts. To the south, Morne Fortune (the Hill of Good Luck) was the site of several 18th century battles between the French and British.  There's a military cemetery, small museum, old cannons and spectacular look-outs.  Connected to the mainland by a causeway, the Pigeon Island National Historic Park has military ruins, a museum and interpretive center and two beaches.  The island's natural attractions include Mount Soufriere volcano, where visitors can actually walk into the millions-of-years-old crater; the Diamond Botanical Gardens, and the Fregate Island Nature Reserve.

Shopping: A wide variety of local handicrafts and products include artwork, wood carvings, clay pottery, clothing and house- hold items made from batik and silk-screened fabrics. straw hats and baskets, spices, coffee and bottled hot pepper sauces.

Festivals: International jazz artists perform at the St. Lucia Jazz Festival in May on Pigeon Island.  There's music and dancing, plus a costume parade band competition for St. Lucia's Carnival in July.

Island Trivia:  Historians believe that St. Lucia is one Caribbean island that Columbus never visited.

Language: English, French-Creole patois
Electricity: Most of the island is 220 or 230 volts.
Currency:  The Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), however, nearly all hotels and all but the smallest restaurants bills in U.S. dollars.

Sandals St. Lucia Golf Resort & Spa
Halcyon Beach Resort St. Lucia 
Sandals Grande St. Lucian Beach Resort & Spa

This paradise of more than 40 islands and small cays, only eight of which are inhabited, is a great escape for beach and sports lovers.

Sports: Scuba diving here ranks among the Caribbean's best.   For close-to-shore snorkeling, there's the White House Reef and Smith's Reef.  Opportunities for parasailing, wind-surfing and waterskiing abound.  Other activities include sailing Provo's reef-protected waters and deep-sea fishing.

Things To Do and See: Near Provo on Providenciales, guided tours are offered of the Caicos Conch Farm.

Shopping:  Local crafts include wood carvings, handmade dolls, metalwork, delicately woven baskets and polished conch shells.

Festivals: The Provo Summer Festival in late July includes carnival pageants, cultural shows and a beauty pageants.

Island Trivia: Modern-day treasure seekers still explore the numerous shipwrecks between West Caicos and Provo.

Language: English, Spanish, French and Creole
Electricity: 120/240 volts
Currency:  The U.S. dollar

Luxury Inclusive Resorts for Everyone, All Ages
Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa