Bermuda

It could be said that Bermuda is the Caribbean for those who don't want to travel to the West Indies. Bermudians, of course, will gently point out that their beloved islands are not in the Caribbean at all but in the Atlantic, about 900 miles east of North Carolina, as the seagull flies. Nonetheless, the place has the look and feel of a Caribbean isle, albeit a very genteel one – like a British-style Hamptons gone tropical.

You can certainly do as little as you wish on a Bermudian holiday, and stay in great comfort at long-established resorts or small, intimate hotels. However, for those whose idea of a vacation combines equal parts exercise and recovery, the island offers a veritable ESPN menu of activities. There's golf, horseback riding, and the national pastime of tennis, which you can play on the more than 100 courts. Offshore, divers can explore the 400-plus shipwrecks – some dating back to the 17th century – while enjoying visibility to 90 feet. And for the downtime between activities, you can always retreat to Bermuda's legendary pink-sand beaches to plan your next workout.