Famed for its splendid coastline, beautiful white-sand beaches and year-round sunshine, Nevis is the smaller of the two islands that make up the West Indies nation of St. Kitts and Nevis. An ideal destination for fans of diving, hiking and the outdoors in general, the island offers over 40 dive sites, a slew of hiking trails—including the chance to ascend Nevis Peak, a dormant 985-meter-high (3,200-foot-high) volcano—and historical sites that hark back to its 19th-century sugarcane heyday. The island’s tiny capital, Charlestown, is a quiet, laid-back place, characterized by old stone Georgian buildings. In addition to checking out a museum dedicated to Horatio Nelson and the island’s past, travelers can drop in to the charismatic Café Des Arts, which promotes work by area artists, and—on Saturday mornings—explore the local market, which sells food as well as crafts. Visit during July and you can catch the spectacular Culturama, during which the island comes alive with calypso music and fashion shows, performances, dancing and more.