5 Virgin Gorda: The Wheel House
Even on Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands - where accommodations are often aimed at well-heeled travelers - there is hope. It comes in the form of The Wheel House - 12 clean, neat rooms located in Spanish Town, directly across from the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. Long a favorite of yachties who possess panache but want to save some cash, this hotel also has a restaurant serving equally affordable fresh seafood and West Indian cuisine. (284-495-5230, www.bviguide.com/stay.html)

6 Dominica: Beau Rive
Located on the lush and wild Atlantic side of Dominica, Beau Rive is still a secret - it just opened in 2003. If you are looking for a beach vacation, look elsewhere (the Atlantic shore is rough and rocky, though the island has 300-plus rivers to swim in). If you are looking for the charming, unspoiled Caribbean, come here. Six suites share a breathtaking panorama (Beau Rive sits more than 200 feet above the sea). Englishman and chef Mark Steele owns the place; after dinner his mom, Josie, often plays the piano. (767-445-8992, www.beaurive.com)

7 Puerto Rico: Hacienda GripiÑas
Paradores are country inns, and Hacienda Gripiñas, near the town of Jayuya in the central mountains, is the real deal; a restored 19th-century coffee plantation and a simple, hospitable home where you might converse on the breezy veranda, absorb a drumming tropical rain, or revel in the sounds of Caribbean countryside. At night you might want to use earplugs - the tiny Puerto Rican tree frog sings through the night. (787-828-1717, www.haciendagripinas.com)

8 St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: Maho Bay