St. Vincent and the Grenadines Granted, the St. Vincent international airport is not huge, so you'll have to take a feeder flight from San Juan, Barbados or one of the other nearby islands. That's actually a good thing, though, because it keeps the crowds away. Once you're there, you'll find that SVG is the undiscovered gem of the Caribbean. The relaxed attitude toward visiting divers can be refreshing. The dive operators run small, personal businesses and go out of their way to please. In fact, diving in SVG is often like going out in a friend's boat — fun, flexible and informal.

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Each island in the SVG group has its own diving personality. The big island, St. Vincent, has lovely shallow reefs adjacent to vertical walls. Among the healthy coral heads and smooth sand patches you can find a huge and diverse population of exotic macro critters — everything from frogfish with orange tiger stripes to yellow seahorses. Union Island's most prominent reef is Mayreaux Gardens, a long ridge with sloping reefs on two sides. Many of the reefs around Bequia drop straight down from the coast, leveling out in a series of terraces that are delightful to explore. The Tobago Cays, a small cluster of islands in the middle of the Grenadines chain, feature an extensive shallow reef that is excellent for both diving and snorkeling. Canouan Island is surrounded by interesting reefs. Sail Rock, an uninhabited island featuring superb diving when conditions permit.

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Topside, there is no end of things to do. Bike around St. Vincent with Sailor's Wilderness Tours, check out the historic Botanical Garden, visit Fort Charlotte, splash at the Falls of Baleine, hike the Vermont Nature Trail, swim the Salt Pond or picnic anywhere.