Hello. Can anyone recommend an island to visit for a first-timer to the Carribean? Looking for a nice place to relax, beautiful beaches, as well as other scenic beauty as I enjoy nature photography. My husband likes to snorkel. We recently went to Hawaii and loved it there but being from the East coast we are looking for something a little closer. Planning to travel in March.

Well...the options are virtuallly limitless. It kind of depends on what you like--or more importantly--what you don't like. Do you want night life? Good restaurants? Shopping? Casinos? Do you like mountainous terrain with interesting flora and fauna or do you just care about beaches? How much local culture do you want, or are you happy with a mostly American experience but in a tropical locale? How much do you want to spend? Do you like riding around on boats to see things, or are you looking to stay on shore? Do you like larger resorts with more activities, or smaller places with a quieter feel?

These are a few questions to start asking yourself because the Caribbean if full of contrasts.

Personally, I like the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, the Grenadines, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. But then, even these places are as diverse as any.

So many to choose from. Have you considered Puerto Rico? If you like nature and photography you would love El Yunque, P.R's rain forest. Its one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. And there is alot to offer as well such as Old San Juan, the magnificent Spanish forts from which the view of SJ harbor is amazing, as well as night life, golf, beaches, etc. Other islands with natural beauty that come to mind are St. Lucai and martinique which also has a raon forest and a town buried by and recovered from a volcanic eruption in 1910 I think. Lots to choose from. What kind of accomodations do you want and what about nightlife, excursions, etc?

Grenada all the way. You have the beauty of Grande Anse Beach (one of the best in the Caribbean), the friendliness and safety associated with the locals and the availability of a variety of tours (rainforest, dormant volcano, waterfalls and snorkelling). Have you considered Costa Rica? While not a Caribbean island you would have a variety of activities available (rainforest tour, volcano, hot springs, beaches on the Pacific side, wonderful locals)

Agree with Grenada. Also consider Dominica and St. John-USVI ( both with great snorkeling ). Click on each island on Fodors and search for trip reports. This should give you a feel for where you may want to go. Also don't forget the good old hard copy guide books.

For a first time visit to the Carribean, I would highly recommend St. John. My husband and I ended up choosing it for our first Carribean vacation (after being overwhelmed with all the options) and it was incredible. Now, after going other places, we still like St. John the best and am so glad we ended up choosing it ... we will definitely be going back!

It's very scenic with a lush mountainous interior and incredible cove-like beaches with great snorkeling. It is also relatively safe ... you can rent a jeep and explore the whole island. Also, 2/3 of the island is Nat'l Park, so there is plenty of hiking. There are some old sugar plantations that were fun to explore. There's not much for nightlife but there is a neat town, Cruz Bay, that has some shops, restaurants and bars. If you are into serious shopping you can just take a 20 minute ferry ride to St. Thomas.

There are not alot of choices in the way of accomodations. Caneel Bay is the premier resort on the island ... extemely expensive, but worth it because of it's setting and all the beaches on the property are at your footsteps. Then there is the Westin which is OK, but its beach is manmade and more of a port than a swimming beach (but their pool area is nice). The Westin is much more reasonable in price and can be used as a home base for exploring other beaches. I've also heard good reviews on Gallows Point, right outside Cruz Bay ... It's on the water, but I don't think there is a beach. Cinnamon Bay and Maho Bay offer camping (Cinnamon) and simple tent/cabin (Maho) accomodations. Maho Bay actually goes up a hillside along the water with incredible views. Both are on beautiful beaches. Lots of people rent villas which range in price and often have pools.

Don't wait too long to decide and book as March is a popular month.

Do a search on this site under St. John and you will get lots more input ... you'll find that almost all of it will be positive because it's a great place to go.