Madonna has La Isla Bonita, but the rest of us have La Isla Chiquita, a nickname for this little island just east of the Puerto Rican mainland whose coat of arms features a scepter and a snake. As if that weren’t cool enough, Culebra’s most attention-grabbing feature is its day-glo blue waters, made particularly clear and brilliant by the absence of any run-off. And with its miles of sandy beaches, some evocatively peppered with disused American military hardware, this is a mighty pleasant isle to run off to. This onetime pirate’s lair is now the domain of nesting green sea turtles, brown boobies ,and savvy visitors who know that it’s just an easy ferry ride from Fajardo (on Puerto Rico) that transports them to this Caribbean dream.

For more trip-planning information, see our Puerto Rico Travel Guide, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on cruises, flights, hotels, and more travel deals.