We asked Eric Michael, editor of Sport Diver Magazine, for tips and recommendations for the best snorkeling gear around.

Compact + cool = five of our favorite boutique hotels

Few places in the world boast as many idylic settings for golf as the Caribbean. With seaside holes replete with alluring vistas, you're going to want to schedule a tee time in paradise.

Las Terrenas, the heart of the action on the Samana Peninsula, offers natural beauty and boho sophistication in equal measure, with little in the way of the DR’s typical sprawling resorts and their attendant crowds. Here, the focus is on the fun and funky, with an international crowd drawn to the expat-owned hotels, cafes and bars that have laid claim to the one-time fishing village’s primo locale and carefree spirit.

The oft-overlooked enclave of Las Terrenas is ready to move beyond its fishing-village roots and into the spotlight as a fun and funky destination. 

For a family-friendly, no holds barred all-inclusive experience, keep it classic with Club Med Punta Cana. This amenity-laden, activity-filled resort brings people together in a joyful, energetic, and multicultural environment.

Paddling a kayak over transparent Caribbean water is a rare pleasure, and though the region has no shortage of excellent tour operators and rental outfits, there’s something to be said for the joys of impromptu exploration. For that, you need to bring your own boat, and to do that, you need an inflatable. 

In the Turks and Caicos, a fair-weather water-sports enthusiast attempts stand-up paddling — and not making waves.

From snorkeling to lounging on the sand, here are our five favorite beach activities—and the best places to do them.

Day Trip: Fish Finding in Cozumel.

Attention, Caribbean reefs: Something hungry this way comes.