The Caribbean’s Nifty Nine Whether Your Taste Is Cosmopolitan Or Minimalistic, There’s An Island In This Group For You

During a decade of Caribbean travel, two things have become apparent to me:

First, how different the islands are. While they share similarities, their history involves being bounced back and forth among the French, Spanish, British and Americans, affecting everything from the food to the character of the people.

They differ geologically, too. Some are coralline and scrubby (making for good beaches and little rain), while others are mountainous and lush (creating better opportunities for hiking and exploration).

The second thing I’ve observed is that most visitors, particularly first-timers, don’t study the region before selecting an island to visit. One vacationer who loves the cosmopolitan aura of St. Thomas might be unsettled by the Third World quality of Trinidad. On the other hand, I have little interest in shopping, and find St. Thomas overbuilt, while Trinidad is a tantalizing destination to me precisely because it is not besieged by tourists.

Here are nine islands I look forward to returning to soon. Big or small, celebrated or undiscovered, each provides an escape off the beaten track. Room rates reflect low-season summer discounts that lasts (at most properties) through mid-December.

Dominica

From the air, the island appears like a chunky, verdant emerald swathed in clouds. Hundreds of rivers plunge down precipitous slopes, and lavish foliage grows like weeds. If you come for sun and beaches, you may be disappointed, for sunlight competes with frequent drizzles, and the few beaches are black sand.

But a Dominica visit allows you the chance to swim beneath those waterfalls or dive the island’s steep underwater depths, among the best sites in the Eastern Caribbean. Or take an all-day trek to the Boiling Lake, a tumbling, rain-choked volcanic crater high in the mountains.

Tourism has developed slowly on Dominica and luxury accommodations are not to be found. The island used to be hard to get to, but American Eagle began service out of Puerto Rico last winter and, so far, the island’s no worse for the wear. Stay next to Trafalgar Falls (the island’s highest) at the Papillote Wilderness Retreat, a 10-room jungle lodge with doubles from $80; (767) 448-2287. Dominica tourist information: (212) 475-7542.

Grenada

Americans inevitably think of Grenada in conjunction with our military intervention 14 years ago. But my fondest memory is that of my olfactory senses getting a workout. A favorite: the scent of nutmeg, kicked up by my feet in a driveway (many islanders use nutmeg shells as ground covering). A number of other spices grow on Grenada, including cloves, cinnamon and turmeric, all sold at the colorful weekly market in St. George’s. This capital’s horseshoe-shaped harbor is perhaps the prettiest in all the Caribbean.

Much of the action centers on two-mile Grand Anse Beach, but don’t miss a trip around the island, and stop by the Rive Antoine Rum Distillery just north of Grenville.

One of the more unusual accommodations in the region is Twelve Degrees North, where your room comes with a kitchen stocked with fruits and vegetables, and a personal maid who prepares breakfast and lunch daily, and keeps your room and belongings in shape. Doubles are $130; (473) 444-4580. Grenada tourist information: (800) 927-9554.

Guadeloupe

The largest of the four French Antilles, Guadeloupe is an island of contrasting food, people and landscape. Shaped like two wings of a lopsided butterfly, one half is rolling fields of sugar cane, the other mountainous and primordial, rising to 4,813 feet at La Soufriere, the highest point in the Eastern Caribbean. Cool streams pour down the face of this gently smoldering volcano, beckoning hikers to explore the island’s extensive network of trails.

On Grand Terre, the flatter wing, a string of chic resorts line the beach-dotted southern coast. Just inland, life in the canefield countryside proceeds at a pace mimicking provincial France.

A popular destination for Europeans, Guadeloupe is catching on with Americans in search of something different. Stay at L’Auberge de la Distillerie, a lovely French country inn surrounded by a hillside of banana trees. Doubles from $102; (800) 322-2223. Toll-free Guadeloupe information: (888) 448-2335.

Jamaica

The Caribbean experience is distilled to its essence on Jamaica. Resolutely in-your-face and rich with contradiction, the island leaves many first-time visitors surprised by its intensity. But 11 years ago, Jamaica was my introduction to the Caribbean, and it left me hungry for more. Jerk chicken, Red Stripe and reggae have all made their way into the United States, but a trip to their birthplace is a vibrant experience.

The north coast is where most vacationers stay, around Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, where all-inclusives rule the day - mega-resorts that provide little incentive for guests to explore the island.

Instead, head for Jamaica’s eastern tip, where the Blue Mountains rise to 7,402 feet and yield fine soil for growing robust coffee beans. Port Antonio was once the hub of tourism on the island, seducing Hollywood luminaries in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Today the quiet port offers tourist pursuits of the laid-back kind - romantic trips down the Rio Grande River aboard rafts built for banana shipping, a swim at idyllic Frenchman’s Cave Beach.

Jamaica’s “Meet the People” program invites visitors to experience a home-cooked meal with islanders. More than 400 households have volunteered and the program provides insight into the real inner-workings of Jamaican families. Call the Tourist Board before your trip: (800) 233-4582. Immerse yourself into the Jamaican experience by staying in the Blue Mountains at the 12-cottage Strawberry Hill, one of the eclectic hotels owned by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. Doubles from $175; for reservations call (800) OUTPOST.

Nevis

Shaped like an immense coolie hat, Nevis offers a taste of the old Caribbean, displayed in 200-year-old plantation inns that recall a slower-paced era. One (Hermitage) is thought to be the oldest wooden structure in the West Indies, while another (Montpelier) was the site of Admiral Nelson and Fannie Nisbet’s wedding. The island also has a Four Seasons Resort sitting amid a coconut plantation bordering Pinney’s Beach, a velvety ribbon of sand stretching four miles. The golf course is one of the Caribbean’s best, and it snakes gracefully up the slopes of Nevis Peak to yield resplendent views of St. Kitts across the channel.

Curiously, Nevis is on its way to becoming the smallest nation in the Western Hemisphere, the result of an amicable secession from its sibling St. Kitts. No, it’s not some publicity stunt to increase the charm quota (Nevis has that in spades), but rather to ease out of a relationship that was forced upon it when England divvied up former territories into convenient rather than logical chunks.

Rooms at the elegant Four Seasons start at $250 per night; (800) 332-3442. St. Kitts/Nevis tourist information: (212) 535-1234.

St. Barthelemy

St. Barts (as it is commonly referred to in the U.S.), is a Caribbean anomaly. Its population is mainly white and affluent, the cuisine is French rather than Creole, and residents take pride in being unfriendly to cruise ship arrivals, going so far as to close their shops when a behemoth arrives.

Some might argue that the island’s haughty nature is simply an offshoot of its French heritage, but I think St. Bartians may have a point. At a scant eight square miles, the island is simply too small, and the gold card panache it has achieved so unique, that the onslaught of a cruise ship does upset the delicate balance.

Besides, islanders don’t mind daytrippers who ferry over from nearby St. Maarten, a few dozen at a time. It’s a good way to scope out the exclusivity without checking your charge card balance on a daily basis. An island tour takes only a few hours, but leaves time for a beach - several are among the region’s best - and to ask around to discover what restaurant currently ranks highest on everyone’s list. Lunch for two here might set you back up to $100, but it’s a worthy investment at spots like Le Tamarin, set back from the ravishing sands of Grand Saline, or the legendary (and just re-opened) Eden Rock Hotel, positioned on a quartzite promontory in St. Jean Bay.

For a dose of true luxe living on one of the island’s comeliest beaches, stay at Hotel St. Barts Isle de France where a double in the summer starts at $300; (800) 628-8929. Information on St. Barts is dolled out in the U.S. for 95 cents a minute at (900) 990-0040.

St. John

The smallest of the three U.S. Virgins is as unspoiled as the Caribbean comes. Almost two-thirds of the island (and much of its underwater territory) is part of Virgin Islands National Park, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Hiking options are extensive, as are the underwater opportunities. There’s no airport on St. John (visitors arrive by ferry from St. Thomas), but you won’t have to leave creature comforts far behind. A group of adventurous restaurants have developed, lively bars cluster around the bantam outpost of Cruz Bay, and an upscale shopping complex, Mongoose Junction, sells an array of local arts, crafts and clothing.

For such a small destination, the variety of accommodations on St. John is striking. On one end, there is the fine Caneel Bay, the island’s original (and recently refurbished) resort surrounded by seven fabled beaches, while on the other is Maho Bay Camp, an early foray into eco-tourism, and still a trendsetter. In between are bed-and-breakfasts, small inns and dozens of villas for rent. St. John took a beating from Hurricane Marilyn in 1995, leaving it even quieter than usual during 1996. But a year after the storm, the island is in terrific shape - greener and friendlier than ever.

The eco-tent/cottages at Maho Bay run $60 per night in the summer; (800) 392-9004. Or, wallow in the blue blood embrace of Caneel Bay for $250 per night (800) 928-8889. Tourist information: (800) 372-USVI.

Tobago

Until recently, the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago never spent much time chasing vacationers. Buoyed by oil revenue during the ‘70s, cosmopolitan Trinidad steered its few tourists to bucolic Tobago, the quiet and rural sibling to the north. But with oil prices less dependable in the ‘90s, the nation has pushed tourism onto the front burner, and three major new resorts opened on Tobago last year alone.

Virescent and languid, Tobago is slow-paced, even by Caribbean standards. The island’s hills are navigated by squawking parrots, its blue bays glided through by soaring manta rays (drift diving is a specialty). The deep scallops of the north coast provide tranquil swimming lagoons like Englishman’s Bay and Pirate’s Bay - both among the prettiest I have encountered. Visit the Tobago Forest Reserve, the oldest such park in the western hemisphere, where the delightful leaf-cutter ant can be found, its well-worn paths marked by the magical sight of penny-sized pieces of leaf “walking” across the hillsides in determined, single-file formation.

Of the new properties, Coco Reef best delivers the full resort experience without pretense, with rooms starting at $198 per night; (800) 742-4276. Toll-free tourist information for Trinidad and Tobago: (888) 595-4TNT.

Trinidad

Known best for its dazzling Carnival, a orgiastic blowout of music, parades and costumes held every February, Trinidad rarely gets its due. Racially dynamic (40 percent Indian and 40 percent African for starters), Trinidad is home to 1.2 million people, and the vast island is the center of the Eastern Caribbean’s commerce and trade. Despite this, and a prevalent oil economy, the island is pursuing eco-tourism as a potential new source of revenue.

Trinidad can deliver the goods. In the mountains, two hillside retreats offer bird-watching of such quality as to draw birders from around the world. From March through August, thousands of endangered leatherback turtles use Trinidad’s beaches for nesting. And the Nariva Swamp is a richly-endowed home to red howler and capuchin monkeys, red-bellied macaws, and the endangered manatee.

Overnight at the island’s oldest hotel, the rustic Pax Guesthouse on Mount St. Benedict, part of a 600-acre monastery complex amid forested slopes. Doubles with private bath are $85 including breakfast and dinner; (868) 662-4084.

MEMO: David Swanson is author of Fielding’s Caribbean and Fielding’s “Caribbean on a Budget.”