Thoughts of the Caribbean bring to mind images of lying on sun-drenched beaches with a gentle surf lapping at your feet or of dancing to the rhythms of a calypso band at a world-class resort. Yes, the islands of the Caribbean are this, but they are also so much more! Nowhere else is it possible to experience, in such a small area, so many different cultures and social conditions, such diverse vegetation, and such varied landscapes. Even the most casual walker can step out the door of a luxury hotel onto a palm-lined beach to search for conch shells and hermit crabs, pass through the center of a busy and historically-rich port town, then enter a cactus and boulder-strewn landscape. From there, you can walk among stalks of sugarcane, or up the slopes of a lush volcanic mountain to discover crashing waterfalls and thousands of tropical flowers. All of these delights can be experienced in less than an hour's walk from major towns and tourist spots. Just five miles north of St. Martin, Anguilla, like St. Barth, is ringed by beaches - over 30 of them. The island's main attraction is walking on the sparkling coral sand. For splendid, isolated walking on crescent-shaped, white sand beaches, Anguilla can't be beat.