Bonaire

This small, arid boomerang of an island is a divers' paradise. Skeptical? Read the license plate on your rental car, pal. This isn't just tourist-bureau puffery either: Bonaire really does have some of the best diving in the region, most of it within the Marine Park encircling its shore.

Bonaire has gone to great lengths to preserve its natural resources. Until flippered folk discovered the island, its claims to fame were salt production and flamingos - hardly front page stuff - and Bonaire continues to keep a tight lid on tourist development.