Caribbean Adventure

Everything in 12-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and Pilar doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying, and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin, Natasha - who disappeared in the Dominican Republic 50 years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship. So when Pilar hears that one of Lorena's professor's studies disappearances under the Trujillato, she hops on the next train.

After being magically transported to the mythical island of Zafa and rescuing her long captive cousin Natasha, Pilar is back in Chicago . . . and hiding the shocking truths about Zafa and Natasha being alive. So, when she and her family are invited on a trip to Santo Domingo, Pilar welcomes the distraction and the chance to see the Dominican Republic for the first time. But when Ciguapa and close friend Carmen magically appears in the DR searching for help, Pilar is soon on the hunt for the escaped demon El Baca and his mysterious new ally.

Tourists visit popular islands of the Caribbean by the planeload. What they don't see from their resort hotels are the hundreds of out-of-the-way, uninhabited islands sprinkled along the West Indies, from Florida to South America. This alluring archipelago, strung with beaches accessible only by boat but spaced temptingly close together, led Mississippi adventurer Scott B. Williams to embark upon an open-ended quest to see how far south he could go in a 17-foot sea kayak.

Whether the result of being cursed at birth by a Santeria Priestess, or the result of a radical genetic mutation, Jamie possesses the preternatural ability to dive to incredible depths, and stay at those depths for hours. When, through no fault of his own, Jamie finds himself at odds with the law, he realizes that his only chance to remain free is to take refuge on and under the sea.

Charity Styles has been wandering the Pacific aimlessly aboard her beloved sloop, Wind Dancer, and only recently returned to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Entering a secluded cove in the Sea of Abaco, in the Bahamas, she runs into an old acquaintance and the woman’s young daughter. The two have a few things in common, not the least of which are four men’s bodies at the bottom of a 600-foot-deep blue hole on Hoffman's Cay.

After watching his yacht burn to the waterline in a fiery explosion, Jerry Snyder is forced to make a deal with the only devil who can help track down a lead—his estranged, mob-connected father figure, Arlen Burkhart.

To find the real Puerto Rico - the one that shopping malls and condos have yet to reach - head for the towns and villages of the Cordillera Central, or Central Mountains. Bisected by the Ruta Panoramica (Scenic Route), the mountains provide a relaxing getaway with an atmosphere so unlike the coast that it feels like an entirely different island. The Ruta Panorámica is a driving adventure covering more than a hundred miles of countryside.

An earthquake in the depths of the Caribbean Sea shakes the little island of Grand Cayman, revealing sinkholes in the roads—and ghosts from the past.

The true stories in this audiobook are about temporarily disconnecting from the ordinary life of a big-city lawyer to experience exotic islands, strange creatures, and different cultures. The stories are not so much a travelogue as a vicarious island-hopping adventure and spiritual journey.

When the Cayman Islands police investigate a burglary, Constable Nora Sommer recognizes the victim from a past she's desperate to forget. As thefts continue, consuming the department's focus and resources, Nora can't shake her newfound knowledge—a guilty man living a happy life…behind a lie. A missing girl adds further strain, and with little evidence in either case, Nora develops an improbable theory she's determined to prove. How far will Nora go to right the wrong one man will do anything to hide?

Murders are rare in the beautiful Cayman Islands, so when a woman's body is discovered near a secluded trail, the police launch an exhaustive investigation. Their first hurdle is identifying the victim, and the next…will be finding her missing newborn.

The intriguing story of three famous pirates in history - Scarlet Jack, Red Martin, and Blackbeard - as they terrorized a ship, and took the captain and a young family prisoner. How their lives intertwined throughout this story of swashbuckling buccaneers with romance, savagery, and the heroics of a slave makes this story originally told in the 1800s one of the best historical fiction accounts ever written.

An unassuming man coerces his way onto the island with AJ's involuntary assistance. Could he be as harmless as he seems, or capable of something far more sinister? When AJ encounters a stranger on a suspicious boat after her morning dives, she finds herself caught in a bizarre game of cat and mouse while she leads an unlikely villain all over the island.

Lucy Hall arrives in the Seychelles determined to leave her worries behind. The tropical paradise looks sun-soaked and picture-perfect - but as Lucy soon discovers, appearances can be very deceptive. A deadly secret lurks in the island's history, buried deep but not forgotten. And it is about to come to light. As black clouds begin to gather over what promised to be a relaxing family break, Lucy realises that her father stands in the eye of the coming storm.

Finn hears the age-old Siren's Song as Mary leads him on. They've agreed to work together, but Mary's dropped out of sight. Neither Finn nor their client has heard from her, but there's a trail of bodies in Mary's wake. Is she playing a game of her own? Ever the good soldier, Finn sticks to his mission. But he's distracted by Mary's absence. Is she burning her bridges with the organization that hired them? She and Finn contracted to kill several people, but Finn suspects that Mary has her own hit list.

Pirates, parrots, hurricanes, and Himalayas. Stalked by jaguars in the jungle of Guatemala! Will they survive pirates off Costa Rica? How does he escape war in Kashmir? Hanging out with Jim Morrison, surviving a huge tornado at sea, saving the life of a lone fisherman helpless in a storm… Whether you are a landlubber or sailor, an armchair adventurer or world traveler, you'll understand why everyone said he should write a book…

The draw of St. Barts is the island's French character in a tropical setting. There are plenty of coves and beaches, and wherever you go the villages are neat and roads are good. Then there are the hotels and villas. The hotels have been carefully planned to be small and precious, with emphases on exquisite service and guaranteed privacy. At restaurants the island's fusion of French and Creole cuisines is offered in gorgeous settings. Shops in Gustavia and St. Jean even offer Parisian shopping in paradise.

Chris Dombrowski was playing a numbers game: two passions - poetry and fly-fishing; two children, one of them in utero; and an income hovering perilously close to zero. Enter, at this particularly challenging moment, a miraculous email: can't go, it's all paid for, just book a flight to Miami. Thus began a journey that would lead to the Bahamas and to David Pinder, a legendary bonefishing guide.

Catering to both French and Dutch sensibilities (with a lot of American influences), this island is great for those who want a European or American vacation in a tropical location. The wealth of casinos, night spots and restaurants make this a no-brainer for Cruise Passengers and other travelers.

Anguilla's trump card is its beaches. Spectacular even in this region, where above-average beaches are the norm, Anguilla's wide swaths of sparkling white sand and bright turquoise waters teeming with tropical fish are something special. It is a point well taken by island planners and developers, who have built luxury resorts on those beaches. This is the best guide to Anguilla, excerpted from our extensive guide to all of the Leeward Islands, complete with details on where to stay, where to eat, nightlife, and all activities.