A Caribbean primer

BY CINDY LOOSE AND GARY LEE | The Washington Post

2:44 PM EDT, October 12, 2007

Boats off a beach in Barbados. (Barbados Tourist Office)

It's hard to go completely wrong in choosing a Caribbean island. Every one of them, after all, offers warm water, beautiful views, sunny skies and soft breezes. Even the most remote island is likely, at the very least, to have a steel-drum band playing at one place or another on a given night.

To get the most out of a Caribbean vacation, you need a matchmaker. We've broken travelers' major areas of interest into 10 categories and named our choices for the best islands in each. Although you might find happiness on any island, we're hoping this will help you find a perfect match.

THE BEACHES
Beaches are what the Caribbean is all about, and you can find good to great ones on most of the islands. It's easier to note the ones without a wealth of good beaches: Saba, Dominica, St. Eustatius and St. Vincent.

But even among the great, there are standouts. Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman is as long as its name indicates; just know that it is lined with hotels. When it comes to mileage, Negril Beach in Jamaica can match the longest one in Grand Cayman.

St. Martin's Baie Orientale gets rave reviews for its long stretch of white sand. Some argue that Eagle Beach in Aruba, with its powdery strand, is the best beach in the Caribbean, although if you visited years ago and loved it because there was little development, you're in for a big surprise.

Half Moon Beach and Grace Bay on the island Providenciales in Turks and Caicos also have been discovered; still, many of the hotels are low-rise, and other islands in the chain have beautiful, nearly deserted beaches.

If you're looking for something unusual, the Baths on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands has grottoes. Or, look for pink sand beaches on two of the outer islands of the Bahamas, Harbor Island and Eleuthera. St. Barts is known for beaches covered with seashells, a rarity in the Caribbean. If you like to mix it up and enjoy gentle beaches while still catching some waves, Barbados has a calm Caribbean side and crashing surf on the Atlantic side. For pristine little coves, check out St. John.

Antigua's boast of having a different beach for every day of the year is true only because it includes some so-so beaches, but there is no question the island has a lot of beaches, many of them quite good.

Anguilla has miles of brilliant beaches that tend to remain uncrowded. Other contenders in the race for best wide, white beaches: the Grenadines and two of the British Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda and Anegada.

GOLF
And the winner is, six under par: Dominican Republic. The island has 23 courses and more under construction. Only four golf courses in the Caribbean made Golf Digest magazine's list of "100 Best Golf Courses Outside the U.S." in 2005, and two are in the Dominican Republic.

Teeth of the Dog at the Casa de Campo resort is widely considered the best course in the Caribbean and was ranked 17th on the magazine's list. It is challenging and windy, says Peter Finch, a senior editor at Golf Digest. He adds that two other Pete Dye-designed courses at the resort -- the Links and the unfortunately named Dye Fore -- are first-rate as well. The Dominican Republic is also home to Playa Dorada, part of the Wyndham resort in Puerto Plata.

Nearby, the Cap Cana development's Punta Espada course, designed by Jack Nicklaus near a dramatic coastline, is a new competitor. Two other Nicklaus-designed courses are planned at the site.

Jamaica has long been a popular golf spot, but the opening of the White Witch at the Ritz-Carlton in the past decade "really put the island on the golf map," Finch says.

Barbados is best known for its classic course, Royal Westmoreland. It was the only significant course there until the opening of three courses at Sandy Lane resort: the Green Monkey, the Old Nine and the Tom Fazio-designed Country Club Course. The resort is where Tiger Woods had his wedding.

NATURE
Every island has its own natural attractions: No matter where you go, you'll find lots of water sports and most likely good hiking. But if you're mainly seeking nature activities that don't involve water, choose wisely.

Puerto Rico, one of the Caribbean's largest islands, has lakes, rivers, a rain forest and wide-open spaces with an array of activities. Hikers and mountain bikers head to El Yunque, a national forest. Horseback riding is popular, and there are a number of ranches from which to choose. A bioluminescent bay lights up at night in Bahia Mosquito in Vieques, a Puerto Rican island that until recently was a U.S. military base. The island also has a huge underground river system that makes for great spelunking.

Jamaica is similar to Puerto Rico in that it is relatively large and its natural attractions are easily accessible. The lush Blue Mountains, famous for coffee growing, attract hikers and birders in equal measure, although guided tours are recommended. River rafting, canopy tours and horseback riding are among the soft adventures offered.