You can get to Bermuda from a number of East Coast cities, including New York, in just a few hours. Though not technically in the Caribbean (the island is in the Atlantic Ocean), Bermuda can offer visitors many of the same experiences. Here, you'll find crystal-clear waters and swaying palm trees — with the added bonus of pink-sand beaches. 

Fortunately, for Americans, traveling to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands doesn't require a passport or an enormous departure from the comforts of home. In Puerto Rico, you can mix up lazy days on the beach with with the cultural attractions of Old San Juan and the historic forts. In the USVI, you can choose from the lush, green St. John; the off-the-beaten path St. Croix, or the big resorts of more commercialized St. Thomas.

Known as "the Nature Isle," Dominica features pristine rainforests, valleys, and waterfalls. Popular activities include trekking though the mountainous 17,000-acre Morne Trois Pitons National Park (a UNESCO site), and hiking to Boiling Lake, which culminates in one of the world's largest hot springs. Something you won't find much of in Dominica, however, is pretty beaches. This destination is perfect for adventure lovers and active travelers, rather than those who'd rather stretch out on the beach.

You can't get much more laid back than Jamaica. In Negril, you can spend your days blissed out on the soft sand and in the gentle waters of Seven Mile Beach before heading to a bar for a Dirty Banana. Of course, there's plenty of activities on offer, too (scuba diving, cruising, banana plantation tours) — but you'll be excused for just taking it easy.

The most Gallic of the Caribbean islands, Martinique, is an enticing blend of French and Caribbean culture. Along with the typical Caribbean beaches, waterfalls, and rainforests, you can indulge in the more sophisticated pleasures of shopping and gourmet dining in the capital, Fort-de-France.

St. Lucia offers lush mountain scenery, an interior thick with rainforest, and wide white-sand beaches; but if you just want to spoil yourself in a beautiful hotel, there's plenty of that too. Jade Mountain is set within a 600-acre estate with two soft-sand beaches and room categories that include infinity pool sanctuaries. Viceroy's Sugar Beach resort offers secluded hideaways in its freestanding villas, and is set on a white-sand beach.

Divers are spoiled for choice in the Caribbean. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, you can dive into the Bat Cave, the Japanese garden, and three shipwrecks. The pristine reefs around Bonaire are accessible for less experienced divers, the British Virgin Islands are home to the 1867 wreck of the HMS Rhone, and Grenada is home to the world's first underwater sculpture park.

With a strong love of music and color, the party never really ends in Trinidad and Tobago. During Carnival, however, the islands explode with festivities and two days of music, parades, and masquerade parties. If you want to join one of the biggest carnival celebrations in the world, though, you had better make your flight and accommodation bookings well in advance.

The lucky "A.B.C." islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) all lie outside of the hurricane belt and virtually guarantee a storm-free vacation at any time of the year. For the rest of the region, hurricane season runs from June through September and, while you're more likely to find a bargain during those months, you may end up spending a couple of days watching the rain from your hotel room.