The Caribbean Sea boasts warm and clear waters almost year-round so if you're hankering for a bit of diving or snorkeling, this is your jackpot. This chapter gives a rundown on the best sites in the Caribbean, including spots in St Lucia, Tobago, Antigua, Grand Cayman and more.

Get the lowdown on the friendly populace who embrace with equal fervor their churches, the pagan exuberance of Junkanoo carnival, and the American dollar, and discover the most enthralling diving for both the experienced and novices alike.

Need some tips on what to bring and how to stay healthy while diving in Belize? Want to know how Belize's dive industry works, and perhaps even where to spot some wildlife - including jaguars? This overview has it all.

Before getting wet off Ambergris Caye, you'll find the locals are laidback and there's a mellow, musical beach scene. And the diving? It caters to experts and novices alike, with some colorful reef walls just offshore, plus more distant, deep-blue atoll caves.

This laid-back party island measures just a mile across. Caye Caulker is a fun base for snorkelling day trips, easy reef and drift diving and manatee tours. It's also only a short ride from big-name sites like Blue Hole.

Relatively close to the mainland, the Turneffe Islands feature mangrove fish nurseries, along with atoll reefs whose swim-throughs and extreme walls let you drift-dive through huge shoals of snappers, rays, grouper and jacks.

Remote Lighthouse Reef is home to the stunning Blue Hole whose deep water and sheer-sided formations riddled with swim-throughs are best tackled from a live-aboard dive boat.

Tobacco Caye is easily reached from Belize City and yet it's not swamped with tourists. It's ideal for a first dive or short trip - you can get up close to giant barrel sponges, barracuda, seahorses and rare, seasonal loggerhead turtles.

South Water Caye is an idyllic patch of sand offshore from Hopkins with good underwater visibility. Snorkel or drift dive through 'cuts' in the reef - get lucky and you'll see turtles, large rays, grouper, morays, sharks and even dolphin.

Glover's Reef hosts an onshore bird sanctuary and Mayan remains, while underwater some shallow lagoons and abyssal drop-offs mean you've the chance of seeing everything from young fish and seahorses to dolphins, manta rays and whale sharks.

Placencia Lagoon is the Southern Cayes' most offbeat draw, home to manatees and dolphins. Out to sea, there's action featuring whale sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads - chill out afterwards with great beaches and laid-back restaurants.

You'll probably be bringing along your dive computer and mask anyway, but check out this section for dive operator listings, an overview facilities, and unglamorous but very practical practical information.