Grenada

Grenada is the Spice Island, and that is not just a marketing slogan. This tiny volcanic gem at the southern end of the Caribbean chain produces more nutmeg per capita than anywhere on Earth - it is the world's second-largest producer after Indonesia, and the nutmeg is right there on the national flag. Walk through any Grenadian market and the air is thick with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, turmeric, and cocoa. The chocolate alone has put Grenada on the world map, with bean-to-bar producers making some of the finest dark chocolate in existence.

The island is lush, volcanic, and gorgeous - waterfalls tumble through rainforest, crater lakes sit in old volcanic calderas, and the coastline alternates between white sand and dramatic cliffs. Grand Anse Beach is regularly ranked among the best in the Caribbean. Beneath the waves, the Moliniere Underwater Sculpture Park was the world's first, an eerie and beautiful collection of submerged statues that have become living coral reefs. Grenada is small - just 344 square kilometers with 125,000 people - but it delivers an intensity of flavor, both literal and figurative, that islands many times its size cannot match.