Aruba

Aruba trades the lush greenery of most Caribbean islands for something stranger and more striking: a dry, desert-like landscape of divi-divi trees bent sideways by constant trade winds, a cactus-studded interior, and rock formations near Arikok National Park. Eagle Beach's wide white sand and calm, brilliantly clear water are considered among the best in the region, and the near-total lack of rain makes sunny days close to guaranteed. Add a lively strip of casinos in Oranjestad, and you get a Caribbean island that feels reliably sunny and a little different.