17 The stogies

When the bougainvillea and hibiscus are in bloom, it’s time for a cigar. The Habano Festival lights up Havana every February, and the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba fills up with aficionados rolling into town for the five-day-long celebration. The Whiskey and Cigar Challenge puts a whole new spin on pairings, while cigar tastings, factory tours, plantation visits and grand dinners are all on the agenda. This year, cigar producers Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey, Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo all celebrate special anniversaries.

February 21–25, Havana 527-204-0510 www.habanos.com

18 Conch You See I’m Hungry?

In the Turks and Caicos, you can sample conch, the national mollusc, in a salad (Anacaona, at the Grace Bay Club), as spicy fritters (at Tiki Hut) or as ceviche, fried or boiled (at the little counter called Boogaloo on Blue Hills Road). They’ll even let you take the shell with you. (No, you can’t really hear the sea inside.)

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos 1-800-946-5757 www.gracebayclub.com

Marina de Turtle Cove, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos 649-941-5341 www.tikihuttci.com

19 world-class Wine

Graycliff was once the mansion of Captain John Howard Graysmith, a true pirate of the Caribbean. He installed a prison in the belly of the building that’s now home to the third-largest wine collection and one of the oldest bottles (a 1727 Rüdesheimer Apostelwein) in the world. “It’s worth a quarter-million dollars,” says Graycliff’s owner Enrico Garzaroli as he hands over the dusty bottle. That particular vintage is not for sale, but if you open up the gold-plated door adorned with a lion’s head and step into the tasting room, you have 250,000 other choices.

8-12 W. Hill St., Nassau, Bahamas 242-302-9150 www.graycliff.com

20 Spa and Shop

On St. Barts, if you don’t mind sweating a tad more than you would normally, you can literally enjoy a warm welcome at the recently renovated hammam in the Hotel Guanahani. Or hit the boutiques, a source of local pride; you’ll find it hard to resist the wares on Gustavia’s Rue de la République, like jeweller Fabienne Miot’s creations.

Grand Cul de Sac, St. Barts 590-27-66-60 www.leguanahani.com

83, rue de la République, Gustavia, St. Barts 590-27-73-13

21 The Beaches

Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, for its famous white sand, coral reefs and fantastic diving.

Little Dix Bay Beach, Virgin Gorda, BVI, for its Wi-Fi access, courtesy of Little Dix Bay resort.

Manzanilla Beach, Trinidad, for its wild surroundings (mangrove swamps, rough Atlantic seas and wildlife like vultures, egrets and herons).

Harrismith Beach, Barbados, for its privacy and secluded location.

22 Bubbling Under

On Dominica, you won’t find air conditioning, hip night spots or chi-chi hotels. The real charms here are underwater: some of the world’s most prize snorkelling and scuba-diving sites, like famous Champagne reef, where volcanic gases bubble up from the bottom, attract novice as well as experienced divers. And the local cuisine (fish and chicken rule) will more than satisfy your appetite.

www.dominica.dm