Reggae and joie-de-vivre, perfect beaches, golf courses, the Blue Mountains and coffee - that's Jamaica. At the same time, Kingston struggles with the problems of an overflowing metropolis. Barbados, the most British of all, is unconventional enough to move its carnival to the summer to avoid competition from Trinidad, whose carnival is an unbeatable spectacle. Saint Lucia and Grenada tempt you with bizarre volcanoes and spice plantations; Antigua and Barbuda offer fine beaches and the spectacular Sailing Week. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are outstanding diving venues.

Guadeloupe and Martinique have a very French feel, with excellent food to complement the beaches and the beauties of the natural world. There's one Caribbean phrase you learn right from the beginning: "soon come" means "take it easy".

Negril, one-time capital of flower power, has kept its reputation as an alternative paradise, even though the hippies have long since blended into the establishment. Beach life and reggae still set the tone for this town on the west side of the island. Its heart beats in Kingston, with its luxury and poverty, distinctive art and crass commercialism side by side. Music fans make their pilgrimage to the Bob Marley Museum to pay homage to the legendary musician. Most of the big concerts take place in Montego Bay - but anyone looking for some peace and quiet can visit the mysterious mountains of Cockpit Country.

The Route de la Traversée in the irresistibly beautiful Parc Naturel de la Guadeloupe offers a world of adventure. Spectacular views, strolls with raccoons or physically demanding trips to the crater of La Soufriere - the wilderness fascinates young and old alike. Le Gosier offers high life under the palms: over a glass of Ti-Punch, the national drink, you can get even closer to the Caribbean spirit. The far-from-morbid cemetery of Morne à l'Eau is a veritable city of the dead. Also dedicated to the past is the Musée Archéologique Edgar Clerc, which preserves a colorful record of the island's colonial days. The cultural highlight of this party-loving island is the "Fête des Cuisinieres" in August, when the cooks parade through the town in their finest costumes.

From Fort-de-France, the Route de la Trace, the most beautiful road in Martinique, heads North into the mountains. Nobody with a penchant for unusual architecture should miss the Bibiliothèque Schoelcher, before making for the fascinating highlands outside the town. "All about bananas" could be the slogan of the banana museum on the east coast, on the former sugar plantation known as the Habitation Limbé. The cultural history of the yellow fruit is documented here, from cultivation to shipment. Picturesque coastal roads lead toward the south, where magical coves and sleepy fishing villages appear around every bend in the road.

An excursion in the footsteps of Robinson Crusoe along the east coastis magnificent. Bridgetown, the capital, is thrilling - not for its office complexes but rather for the peaceful co-existence between modernity and tradition. In the middle of it all is the synagogue, the oldest Jewish place of worship in the New World, lovingly restored by the National Trust. The whole spectrum of exotic tropical plants is assembled in the Botanical Garden. Not far from this idyll is Bathsheba, once a fishing village but now known mainly for Soup Bowl beach, a mecca for surfers who come here to measure themselves against the ocean.

Introspection and nature are the keynotes on Tobago. Divers flock to Buccoo Reef, one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world and home to countless tropical fish - a masterpiece of nature. In the enchanting Englishman's Bay, time seems to have stood still. Here, you can easily give in to the illusion that palm trees, sandy beaches and waves constitute perfect happiness. Guided tours are organized by the Asa-Wright Nature Center in Trinidad, a former plantation of incomparable beauty right in the heart of the rainforest.

The trip to Soufriere is an experience in itself, and the little town is a perfect gem - pure Caribbean. There is sulphur in the air as you approach Sulphur Springs crater, jokingly described as a drive-in volcano, bubbling away quietly to itself. Everyday island life can be experienced in Castries, where the small farmers bring their colorful produce to the covered market on the weekends - a feast for the senses!

A magnet for tourists is the Nelson's Dockyard National Park in Antigua, a unique naval base turned into a living museum. It's a treasure trove for anyone fascinated by the turbulent history of the island and its seafaring past. A must for sailors is the Antigua Sailing Week in early summer, one of the most spectacular regattas in the world. More contemplative, but no less impressive, is a tour to the Nature Reserve of the Frigate Bird on Barbuda, where thousands of these great birds nest - and turn a beady eye on their visitors.

The mighty tree ferns in the Grand Etang National Park are positively eerie, with splendid orchids blazing forth beneath them. Mona monkeys are friendly companions, and grandiose bird songs are a constant accompaniment. No wonder then that strange legends surround the crater lake. The island's gold is in its nutmeg forests, whose fruits are processed mainly in the fishing port of Gouyave - where you can watch and admire. In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan raged across the island and left a trail of devastation. Work soon started to repair the damage, but the process could take some time.

One of the few sights is Wallblake House, the oldest plantation house on the island, now owned by the Catholic Church. The art and culture of the colonial period are documented in the National Museum, an initiative of the Anguilla National Trust. Anguilla has been a bastion of shipbuilding since the 18th century. Even today, colorful wooden boats bear witness to the artistry of the locals, and no festival is complete without an exciting regatta.

El Yunque on the Eastern side of the island, one of the most accessible rainforests in the world, offers wonderful walks with spectacular sights right by the path, an unforgettable adventure guaranteed. At Parguera, the sparkling Bahìa Fosforescente surpasses any full moon, as tiny micro-organisms light up the night. Especially charming too is Ponce with its old shrines, attractive old town and fantastic views over mountains and ocean.

Neat and proper with its colorful gable-houses, but nonetheless thoroughly Caribbean, the island capital of Willemstad takes visitors straight to its heart. Its wonderfully preserved architecture from colonial times has earned it a place on UNESCO's list of world cultural sites. One magnificent experience is the floating market, particularly on a Saturday, when traders from nearby Venezuela offer their produce on old wooden barges. All the creatures of the sea can be viewed in the Curaçao Underwater Park - feeding allowed!

Away from the really entrancing sandy beaches, there are a couple of little gems well worth an excursion. In the caves of Fontain and Guadirikiri, Indians have left traces of themselves that are still not completely understood. In Sabana Besora, Italian builders in the beginning of the last century decorated some apartment houses with pretty ornaments. Another adventure is a dive to the ghost ship Antilla, which has lain off the northwest coast of Aruba for sixty years, and is now home to iridescent fish and gaudy corals.