The Caribbean: cruise-ship free

On my first trip to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands a decade ago, I was struck by the island 's laid-back north coast, ribboned with tranquil coves of plush white sand. One that stayed planted in my memory was idyllic Cane Garden Bay. It wasn't quite virgin, but it was still a pretty special hideout.

Since then, Tortola's cruise-ship pier has greatly expanded, and the island -- with a population of just 22,000 -- now hosts almost a half-million cruise visitors a year.

Last winter I swung through Tortola on one of my regular island-hopping ventures. I was dismayed to discover that sunburned day-trippers in search of gift shops clogged the main town, and speeding cars cluttered roads outside the capital. Worse, hundreds of beach loungers, rented for $5 a day, lined little Cane Garden Bay.

Shortly after my Tortola visit I found myself on Anguilla, less than 100 miles east. I walked resplendent Shoal Bay East at dawn, when I shared it only with scampering shore birds, and I walked it at dusk, when a few ramshackle beach bars pulsed with easy reggae for a crowd of five or eight. I crawled down a sea cliff to Little Bay, which I had all to myself.

When I ventured downtown or to the port I mostly encountered locals conducting their daily business. It was peaceful and much closer to the Caribbean I fantasize about when I'm home.

The big difference: Anguilla does not have cruise-ship calls.

Cruising the Caribbean is a big business, and islands like Grand Turk, Grenada and St. Kitts are adding or expanding ports to be accessible to more and bigger behemoths. Dominica, which sells itself as "the Nature Island," recently trumpeted that the island will be the eager recipient of 242 cruise-ship calls in the eight months leading up to this May.

I'm happy cruise passengers are getting out into the world and that they bring needed income to these islands. But for those of us who prefer to spend a few days and nights on an individual island experiencing the Caribbean of old, cruise-ship crowds get in the way. Here are eight islands, small and large, that deliver a cruise-ship-free escape.

ANGUILLA

Why come here? Anguilla is ideal for those seeking peace and quiet, easy-going islanders, superlative restaurants and spectacular beaches of loamy white sand, all of which makes it a big hit with celebs who can afford the often-spectacular price tag.

The environment: Undistinguished recumbent hills, splotched with scrub, outlined by beaches up to 2 miles long.

Don't miss: Lounging on Shoal Bay Beach with live jazz at Uncle Ernie's on Sunday afternoons.

Noteworthy new restaurant: Island tropical is served at Sunsets, a Sandy Ground venue created by a New Jersey restaurant couple and Anguillians ($$$).

Tried-and-true hotel: The 98 Moorish-style rooms of swank Cap Juluca look like an African oasis ($$$$; 1-888-858-5822; www.capjuluca.com).

X Factor: New this year is the Greg Norman-designed Temenos Golf Club, the island's first golf course, plus the Anguilla Tennis Academy, the Caribbean's largest tennis facility, with seating for 2,000 spectators.

More information: 1-877-426-4845; www.anguilla-vacation.com.

BONAIRE

This low-key corner of the Netherlands Antilles boasts some of the region's finest diving, easily accessed from shore (which keeps dive costs down). Outdoors lovers will enjoy bird-watching, hiking, kayaking and cycling in a stark, natural setting that looks little like the Caribbean we expect.

The environment: Rugged desert landscape with sprawling, flamingo-swarmed salinas used for salt production.

Don't miss: Non-divers can take a "Discover Scuba" class to experience the rich undersea world; the half-day course costs under $100 and takes participants to a depth of 40 feet.

Noteworthy new restaurant: The menu at popular Cactus Blue covers all the bases -- ceviche, seafood, steaks and the local specialty Kabritu Stoba, Bonairian goat stew ($$).

Tried-and-true hotel: The 14-unit Bellafonte Chateau del Mar is on the water with rooms ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, furnished in Indian and Indonesian mahogany ($; www.bellafontebonaire.com) .

X Factor: Bonaire is more accessible with this year's introduction of Friday night red-eyes on Continental from Houston and Newark.

More information: 1-800-266-2473; www.infobonaire.com.

MONTSERRAT

Elton John and Paul McCartney once recorded albums here, but today an 11-year-old volcano eruption continues, making the southern two-thirds of the island like a visit to Mother Nature's kitchen. With British support, and a sideshow of bird-watching, diving and hiking, tourism is making a cautious rebound.

The environment: The ash-laden volcano is a commanding sight, and the ruin of the former capital is like a Caribbean Pompeii. Other mountains are fertile and green, and offshore reefs are rich with sea life.

Don't miss: The Montserrat Volcano Observatory, where a panoramic view of the volcano is supplemented with scientist-led tours of the monitoring effort.

Tried-and-true restaurant: A favorite with locals and expatriates, Jumpin' Jacks Beach Bar offers fresh fish caught by the owner ($$).

Tried-and-true hotel: The 22-room Vue Pointe Hotel has cottages with views of the volcano and a Wednesday night poolside barbecue that is an island institution ($; www.vuepointe.com).

X Factor: A new airport opened in 2005 and Winair (1-888-255-6889; www.fly-winair.com) offers daily flights from Antigua.

More information: www.visitmont serrat.com.

NEVIS

Blessed with rustic plantation inns and a bucolic yet upscale lifestyle, Nevis entered the 20th century in about 1990, with the opening of a hugely successful Four Seasons Resort. But although prices swelled, the island hasn't succumbed to a Hollywood version of the Caribbean -- on Nevis, cool is defined by hammocks across creaking verandas, and hikes on the slumbering volcano.

The environment: Nevis appears as a verdant coolie hat floating in the sea, with troops of green vervet monkeys navigating the forested slopes.

Don't miss: A Killer Bee, the affable elixir concocted at Sunshine's, a beach bar next to the Four Seasons and improbably composed of washed up flotsam and jetsam and a CD player that percolates with Billie Holiday and John Lennon.

Noteworthy new restaurant: Occupying a giant thatched-roof palapa off the beach, Coconut Grove lures visitors and the ex-pat community alike for theatrical presentations of a French-inspired tropical menu ($$$$).

Tried-and-true hotel: Lounging on a shoulder of Nevis Peak, Montpelier Plantation Inn is an atmospheric 17-room estate, and a member of Relais & Chateaux ($$$; montpeliernevis.com).

X Factor: Nevis' sister island St. Kitts is undergoing a major evolution as it switches from unprofitable sugar production to full-scale tourism.

More information: www.nevisisland.com.

PROVODENCIALES

A decade ago the Turks and Caicos Islands (which includes Provodenciales) were sleepy and known best for stellar diving and indolent beaches, aficionados of which required little infrastructure. A new cruise-ship pier will unload hundreds of thousands of passengers into neighboring Grand Turk in 2007, while glam resorts and condos line the best beaches of Provo.

The environment: Mostly low-lying and flat scrubland, lined with soft beaches, ironshore and mangrove swamps.

Don't miss: A kayak and cycling adventure around North Caicos, the greenest of the islands, with Big Blue Unlimited.

Noteworthy new restaurant: Matsuri Sushi Bar is cozy and minimalist but the menu covers the full roster of sushi items, plus a sake-spiked drink, the "Sunflower Samurai" ($$).

Noteworthy new hotel: The exquisite Amanyara has all the requisite Asian touches and detailing that we expect from the Caribbean's first Aman Resort, plus a sublimely peaceful location ($$$$; 1-866-941-8133; www.amanresorts.com).

X Factor: Developers are consuming Provo -- seven-story condos and other projects are going up with abandon. Over-development appears to be just around the corner.

More information: 1-800-241-0824; www.turksandcaicostourism.com.

SABA

Of little use for travelers who seek beach resorts, duty-free shopping or casinos, all of which are available on nearby St. Maarten, Dutch Saba is perfect for those who like their islands steep and deep. Enjoy hiking around a rocky peak, diving over soaring pinnacles and plunging reefs, plus a charming village culture, resplendent vistas and a handful of small inns for good measure.

The environment: Vertical and essentially beach-free -- a single 5-mile road links the tiny airstrip on one side to the tinier port on the other.

Don't miss: Explorations on a network of trails ringing the island; Mount Scenery is the main objective, reached by a climb of 1,064 steps; James (Crocodile) Johnson is a recommended guide.

Tried-and-true restaurant: The Gate House is Saba's best for a gourmet menu and Wine Spectator-commended wine list ($$$).

Tried-and-true hotel: There are fewer than 100 rooms on the island, but one of the original inns, Juliana's, is well-located and owned by an attentive young couple ($; 1-888-289-5708; www.julianas-hotel.com).

X Factor: Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine ranked Saba as their favorite Caribbean island in 2006.

More information: www.sabatourism.com.

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

Three distinct vacations on offer: St. Vincent is the quaintly outdated Caribbean of a few decades ago; the Grenadines are beloved hideouts dappled with private island resorts; sailing between them is a yachtsman's dream.

The environment: Lush and volcanic on St. Vincent with forests inhabited by a majestic endemic parrot; the Grenadines are drier outposts with dazzling beaches.

Don't miss: A day trip from the island of Bequia to exclusive Mustique or uninhabited Tobago Cays aboard the wooden schooner Friendship Rose, a former Grenadine mail boat.

Tried-and-true restaurant: At the 200-year-old sugar plantation Spring on Bequia, West Indian is the usual fare but Sunday curry brunch is a local favorite ($$).

Tried-and-true hotel: The 35-acre rock outcrop that makes up 28-room Young Island doesn't quite qualify as a Grenadine but, located 200 yards off St. Vincent, it still delivers privacy and escape ($$$; 1-800-223-1108; www.youngisland.com) .

X Factor: The European Union committed over $7 million to establishing national parks management, including welcome booths, parking and picnic facilities, and trails at 20 attractions.

More information: 1-800-729-1726; www.svgtourism.com.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

A two-island nation with a split personality. Port of Spain's massive Carnival festivities and Divali (the Hindu festival of lights) and artistic culture head the list on urban Trinidad; hideaway beaches, diving and languid retreat are found on Tobago.

The environment: Lush and untamed on Tobago; bustling Trinidad has a mountain range and undiscovered beaches along its north coast.

Don't miss: More than 200 birds can be spotted on Tobago; Newton George takes visitors into the Main Ridge Reserve in search of the blue-crowned motmot and collared trogon.

Tried-and-true restaurant: French Culinary Institute-trained Chef Khalid Mohammed's fusion of Trini Creole and Continental is memorable at Battimamzelle, in Port of Spain ($$$).

Tried-and-true hotel: The location on Tobago is nothing special, but Kariwak Holistic Haven is a 24-room oasis of holistic living and rewarding meals ($; www.kariwak.com).

X Factor: New air service to Port of Spain, on Continental from Houston and on Delta from Atlanta, makes Trinidad more accessible than ever.

More information: 1-800-816-7541; www.visitTNT.com.

San Diego-based freelance writer David Swanson is a contributing editor to National Geographic Traveler and a columnist for Caribbean Travel & Life magazine.