The Caribbean in a conch shell

We have picked some islands from Footprint's Caribbean Islands for a post Christmas recovery, whether you want to chill out on the beach or dive in the glassy waters.

We have chosen a couple of islands that are off the tourist trail and for those who are after a bit of excitement, we recommend Cuba highly. Footprint tells you what to do.

Cuba
The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba has rolling green sugar cane land or flat cattle plains, forested mountains, lakes, caves, beaches and swamps. Travellers come for the vibrant culture, music, dance, art and the people. The island's turbulent political past and its current communist stability is of interest to many. Colonial towns are unspoilt by advertising and American influence is minimal: Cuba is Cuban.

Things to do
Go private, stay with a Cuban family, eat at a paladar for a taste of the real Cuba.
Work your way through your barman's list of cocktails; mojito, daquiri, zombie, cubanito, or even a Cuban libre.
Seek out the Casa de la Trova in any city for the best of traditional Cuban music.
Pay homage to Che Guevara at his mausoleum in Santa Clara.
Go back in time with a stroll through the cobbled streets of Trinidad.
For the ultimate party, hit Santiago at Carnival time in July.

Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
The diving here is among the best in the Caribbean, with pristine reefs and wonderful visibility as there are no rivers to muddy the waters and it is out of the hurricane belt. Windsurfing is also excellent. The climate is dry and the vegetation little more than scrub and cactus but it is prized by birdwatchers.

Things to do
Diving and more diving, in pristine conditions and with excellent facilities.
Some 11,000 flamingos also think this is top spot; see their conical nests on the salt pans and watch them taking off at sunset in a huge pink cloud to overnight in Venezuela.
In this arid climate the springs at Fontein are a surprising sight, with fresh water pouring through the walls of a cave into pools where you can plunge and soak.
You'll find cool jazz on warm Bonaire when the Bonaire Jazz Club meets.

Saba, Leeward Islands
This tiny Dutch island, an extinct volcano, rises out of the sea, green and lush. The underwater landscape is equally spectacular and divers treasure the marine park. Walking is rewarding too, and ancient trails weave their way around the island, the most stunning being the steps up Mount Scenery. Lodging is in small, friendly hotels, guesthouses and cottages, where you won't need a key - there is no crime.

Things to do
When 2 - 3m tarpon and 1 - 1.5m barracuda are just around that rock and colourful fish and coral abound, what else should you do but dive, dive, dive?
When you've done with diving, try walking the 1,064 steps up Mount Scenery to get your heart and lungs pumping and enjoy the view of neighbouring islands across the sea.
Don't miss the highest hotel in the Kingdom of the Netherlands! Willards of Saba offers peace and quiet with glorious views, but it's quite a hike to get up there.

Sint Eustatius, Leeward Islands
Few tourists make the effort to visit this Dutch outpost which has a rich colonial history and a prosperous past, when some 3,500 ships visited each year. Having made its fortune in the 18th Century out of the slave trade and commerce in plantation crops, it lost it in the 19th Century and has never really recovered. The main town, Oranjestad, still has the fortifications and remains of warehouses from its heyday. There are walking trails up into the rainforest of the extinct volcano, the Quill, and diving is good in the marine park.

Things to do
Hike up the Quill, a dormant volcano with lush rainforest in its crater; tree ferns, bromeliads, mahogany and begonias, where locals hunt for land crabs by flashlight at night.
Dive the wrecks and reefs in the marine park where there are lots of big fish to bump into but very few other divers.
Visit the ruins of the 18th Century synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery to get an idea of Statia's colonial and prosperous past.
Go beachcombing at Zeelandia Beach, a 3 km stretch on the windward side of the island. Great after a storm to see what has been washed up from Africa.

Reproduced by kind permission of Footprint Books.

You can order the following Footprint books, quoting the offer code GWGFP1:
Caribbean Islands £15.99 plus p&p
Central America & Mexico £16.99 plus p&p
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