Picking your island retreat is like bing in a candy store! Take your pick. Friendly Puerto Rico offers a combination of beach resorts and colonial heritage. From the hospitality of Jamaica, home of reggae, to the more exotic feel of Turks & Caicos. From the divi divi trees of Aruba, with world-class windsurfing and water skiing, to the elite elegance of St. Barts, the golf courses and villas of Antigua, the lush landscape of St. Lucia, and everything in between. Swimming with dolphins, whipping around in a dune buggy or riding horseback at sunset are the experiences that will make for special memories. The Dominican Republic serves up 1000 miles of beaches, 16 national parks and 28 golf courses.

With so many diverse cultural influences, you'll find different specialties on different islands. Conch is popular in Cayman Islands and Bahamas and Bonaire and often served as fritters. In Jamaica a popular dish is with jerk, a spicy dry or wet rub applied to chicken or other meat. In Puerto Rico, lechón asado, is spit-roasted suckling pig. Pepperpot, or souse in the Bahamas, is a thick stew with meat and pretty much anything else, while fungi (cornmeal dumplings) – add texture. Cabrito is the hearty goat stew served in Aruba. In Puerto Rico, mofongo is mashed fried green plantains flavored with garlic and pork rinds, which can be served with meat or as a side. Whatever island you castaway on, ask to try the local specialty.

Caribbean (J. Michener), The Middle Passage (V.S. Naipaul), An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude (A. Vanderhoof), Hurricanes & Hangovers: And Other Tall Tales and Loose Lies from the Coconut Telegraph (Dear Miss Mermaid), Island People: The Caribbean and the World (J. Jelly-Schapiro), Empire's Crossroads : A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day (C. Gibson), The Rum Diary (H. S. Thompson).

James Bond for starters: Dr. No, Thunderball, LIve and Let Die... The Island, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cool Runnings, Haven, The Mighty Quinn, The Harder They Come, How Stella Got Her Groove Back.