Grenada can be great fun, as well as being tranquil.

acation needs and styles vary greatly from person to person. Do you picture yourself, for example, resting each day under a swaying palm on a quiet, balmy beach? Or are you action-oriented in the daytime and then partying 'til dawn?

Travel guidebooks can steer you to what you want, but for our purposes in a limited space, let's look at one wedge of that pie as it applies to Caribbean package vacations 'for maximum action' (or how to avoid it); and, Caribbean package vacations 'aimed at nature and serenity', or how to avoid that, too! And for those who will undoubtedly want a bit of both, stay with us for a third segment. We also look at ways to find serenity in the busiest places.

Tops for action
Wherever there exists a runway for international arrivals, tourist fun and action usually follows. To qualify for my shortlist however, the destination has to have a concentration of nightlife, and daylife, within a safe walking range:

Cancun, Mexico: Cancun now surpasses both Hawaii and Florida for the highest hotel occupancy rates. More than 2.5 million visitors annually occupy 20,000 hotel rooms in dozens of beachside resorts. "Cancun is alive all night," says Sunquest Vacations. There are round-the-clock restaurants, entertainment and well-known clubs, and it's easy to get from place to place because the best clubs are right in the hotel zone. In the daytime, there is golf, tennis, deepsea fishing and a full range of water sport recreation.

Dominican Republic: Nightlife thrives because there is no set law on closing hours. "It could be a piano bar, jazz bar, a Vegas-style revue, a wild night of merengue, or casinos where you can play until dawn," says Air Transat Holidays. The main centres are Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana. This country was founded on their love of music, love of dance and their love of baseball. Daytime fun includes snorkelling, wind surfing, sea-kayaking and horseback riding.

St. Vincent is the gateway to the more remote Grenadines.

Aruba: Several luxury hotels line seven miles of superlative beach and deliver a rich variety of restaurants, music and entertainment. Nightlife is vibrant with indoor and outdoor musical entertainment, plus late-night discos and a dozen casinos. The capital Oranjestad is a bustling, low-duty cruise ship port with cruising itineraries for Canadians. Diving, snorkelling, wind surfing and golf are of top quality in Aruba.

Other Notable Mentions for Action : Nassau, Acapulco, Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, and Puerto Vallarta.

Tops for serenity:
To qualify for this shortlist, the destination had to be close to nature but still offer a comfortable tourism infrastructure.

St. Kitts & Nevis: Taking time out at one of the old West Indies plantation hotels on St. Kitts is superb, and it's even more peaceful and intriguing on nearby Nevis. "Your vacation experience on either island," says Signature Vacations, "promises unfailing friendly service, top-quality accommodation and amenities, and many plantations are in the hillsides, offering breathtaking views. Nevis is home to 10,000 people, 60 churches, and the remains of 80 sugar mills. It was once considered the spa retreat of the Caribbean."

St. Lucia: Stay in the rain forest resorts at the south end of the island, "and wake up every morning, in one of the hillside resorts, surrounded by overgrown ferns, lush forests, brightly coloured birds, flowers and giant butterflies," says Air Canada Vacations. Scuba and snorkelling on the south tip of St. Lucia is superlative, as is hiking to the walk-in volcano.

St. Vincent & The Grenadines: St. Vincent is the largest of this chain of 32 islands, of which only eight are inhabited. Nature walks and hiking through the volcanic rain forest is breathtaking, and yet St. Vincent keeps a low profile with mass tourism. Recreational boat trips to the Grenadines – through varying shades of turquoise to the islands of Bequia, Canouan, the Tobago Cays, or Mustique – are nothing less than sublime.

Other Notable Mentions for Serenity: The British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Bermuda, and Tobago.

Great combinations
Barbados: This island is easy and safe to explore throughout, "and comes with some of the most scenic golf courses," reminds Air Canada Vacations. If you're searching for lively nightclub and restaurant variety stay on the south shore, where the beaches are also a lure. You get the same hospitality and superb beaches on the west coast too, but there, the scene is one of soothing tranquility for lots of good reading. Inland treks on mini-mokes are an ideal way to get even closer to nature.

Nevis is home to only 10,000 inhabitants, 60 churches and 80 abandoned sugar mills.

Turks & Caicos: The capital Providenciales is renowned for its exquisite beaches, turquoise waters, excellent resorts and restaurants. Provo has one 18-hole golf course and one casino. "Its sibling, East Caicos, is now a cruise ship centre," says Signature Vacations, "with bustling shops and condos and varied nightlife." Grand Turk, retains its fabulous old West Indies style and is one of the quietest capital cities in the region.

Cuba: Enjoy the music, the cabarets, the Tropicana, and the discos in Havana, Varadero and Santiago, "and then," says Alba Tours, "get out and explore nature in Cuba's countryside. A full range of excursions can usually be arranged at your hotel." For mountains, forests, waterfalls and multiple eco-systems stay in the eastern regions of Santiago, Holguin or Guardalavaca. Cuba is a beach but it's also a rare and rewarding cultural experience.

Other Notable Mentions for Great Combinations: Grenada, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Thomas, and The Bahamas.

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