CARIBBEAN

Imagine a perfect tropical island. Does it include lush volcanic peaks rising dramatically above the sea? Or maybe a palm-fringed beach with crystal clear water? Do you see, instead, a harbor dotted with yachts and lined with inviting restaurants and boutiques? Whatever your ideal island escape looks like, you are likely to find it in the Caribbean. The warm waters of the sea are host to some 7,000 different islands belonging to 28 nations. It is a varied lot in terms of topography—and culturally, too, with Americans, Dutch, English, French and Spanish, among others, having left their marks on this sun-kissed corner of the world. Now it’s your turn to explore it.