From the mid-Atlantic, you can get to Freeport, the Bahamas, as well as to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, on one tank of gas. That’s because the Carnival Pride offers cruises from Baltimore. What to do with the money you save because you don’t have to purchase airfare? Try kayak adventures.

Explore Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province in style from the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo. the nation's first real luxury property, the Four Seasons is within driving distance of a variety of eco-adventures.

Bermuda has glorious pink sand beaches, British panache and more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Stroll the beaches, dive wrecks and float with schools of rainbow colored fish, swim with dolphins and explore historic forts.

Fast, rhythmic and compelling, Caribbean music has echoes of steel pan, calypso, spouge and ska beats. One of the best places to experience Caribbean music is on Barbados during Crop-Over, a festival from mid-May to the first Monday in August. That’s when Barbados rocks to its island roots.

Water—creeks,rivers and the bay—define Virginia’s Northern Neck. The region, a lesser known jewel offers more than 1,200 miles of tidal coastline as well as state parks and 18th century plantations.

Roatan, one of Honduras´ Bay Islands, offers extraordinary diving and snorkeling. Another bonus: swim with dolphins and learn about them at Anthony´s Key Resort, home to a marine institute.

The islands of the Bahamas bloom with some of world’s loveliest sands. But the real jewel of your Bahamian vacation may be something you didn’t expect: sampling the local culture. Listen to indigenous Rake ´n Scrape music,tour the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas and visit local artists.

Explore Krakow with your teens. The city, a less “obvious” European pick than Paris or London, is also less costly. Yet Krakow still offers history, a castle, cafes and trendy shops, all must-haves for European tours with hard-to-please teens.

Glide Tarzan-style through thickets of bamboo on St. Lucia's zip line Treetop Canopy Adeventure. At night, dance with locals at Gros Islet's jump up, the island's legendary, outdoor street party.

Molt your city skin and morph into a Chesapeake Bay waterman for a weekend on Tangier Island, VA, the self-proclaimed soft shell capital of the world. As the sun glints off the bay, go out on a boat with a seasoned fisherman then tour the crab shanties.