Exuma | Coral Gardens Bed | Trinidad | British Virgin Islands

This one's a beauty for one overriding reason - mention Anegada (pronounced Ah-ney-GAH-dah) to most folks, and the reaction will be "Huh?" The island isn't even on some maps. But contrary to cartographers, the Soares' family-run Neptune's Treasure does exist, its guesthouses sitting just back from the beach near Setting Point, on Anegada's southwest shore in the British Virgin Islands. Walk west on the solitary beach, and the charted world falls away. (284-495-9439, www.neptunetreasure.com)

3 Trinidad: Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel
Rustic, yes, but a nature lover's dream. Perhaps you enjoy the sight of hundreds of yellowtail birds returning to their nests at dawn. Maybe you wish to stroll, directly out your door, the empty expanse of Grand' Rivière beach. Perhaps you want to watch others on the beach - Trinidad's northeast coast is the largest nesting site for leatherback turtles in the Western Hemisphere. During nesting season (March through August), the mothers lay their eggs in the sand just outside your room (all 13 rooms face the sea). From May through September, their hatchlings gush back to the sea. The city life of Port of Spain is more than 100 kilometers away, but you won't find many leatherback turtles there. (868-670-2216, www.mtplaisir.com)

4 Exuma, Bahamas:
Coral Gardens Bed & Breakfast
No one agrees on how many cays comprise the Exuma Cays - 300? 400? - but the quibbling ignores the important fact that most are uninhabited. You can camp on the cays - they are one of the world's top sea kayaking destinations - but you can also reside at the Coral Gardens Bed & Breakfast, the Exumas' most affordable lodging. Expat Englishfolk Peter and Betty Oxley offer B&B accommodations in their home - three rooms (worry not, there are private bathrooms) with hilltop views of the north and south coasts. (242-336-2880, www.coralgardensbahamas.com)