This canal-laced city is a far cry from its spring break party image of the past. Following renovation and renewal, upscale stores and restaurants have replaced fast-food stands and T-shirt shops.

A beach-lover's paradise, this Caribbean island's interior boasts desert, but the coasts are filled with picture-perfect, powdery white sand and tranquil sapphire waters.

South Beach, or SoBe, is Miami Beach's buzziest bit. The vibrant area, with its pastel-hued buildings, hip nightclubs, trendy shops and see-and-be-seen restaurants, attracts socialites and their satellites year-round.

The Dominican Republic lies in the same waters as Cuba and Puerto Rico, taking up the eastern two-thirds of the island it shares with Haiti.