Guadeloupe has the most to offer one-stop island visitors, from a massive Parc National with impressive rainforest flora and hiking trails and ample beaches , to a phenomenal dive site and four remarkable offshore islands , including the charming Terre-de-Haut .

Martinique , in contrast, suffers somewhat from overdeveloped package-tour-oriented resort towns, like flashy Pointe-du-Bout , but less developed areas, like the Presqu'Île Caravelle still exist. Resort-bound visitors can also explore more authentically Martiniquan pockets like the charred ruins at St-Pierre and the superb Habitation Clément rum distillery, both of which evoke something of Martinique's past, and escape the sun-worshipping throngs by hiking on Mont-Pelée.

For those who can afford it, tiny St-Barthélemy (St Barts) is the ultimate getaway - a decadent beach-trimmed isle with a luxurious, self-pampering mindset, and nothing to do but lie on the sand by day and eat sumptuously at night. While you may go home broke, you'll be completely rejuvenated.