To most urban dwellers, the entire Caribbean island world is one vast natural wonder-a serendipitous combination of land, sea and sun varied enough to satisfy anyone who ventures into the area. And they aren`t all that wrong. But even in paradise, there are superlatives, and the spots below give a special sense of the islands` splendor.
- Barbados: The Andromeda Gardens, overlooking the Atlantic coast, feature an exotic collection of hybrid orchids and other tropical plants in a mazelike, rock garden setting. Off Hwy. 2, Turner`s Hall Wood is all that remains of the primeval forest that once covered the island. It is part of the Barbados National Trust, as is Welchman Hall Gully, a botanical ravine about three miles from the stalagmites and stalactites of Harrison`s Cave.
- Dominica: Trail and plant markers have been restored in Edensque Morne Trois Pitons National Park, where giant ferns and bromeliads surround trunks of trees and weave through their limbs, forming latticeworks of foliage that seem to climb to the sky. A water-filled grotto, fed by a waterfall and surrounded by beautiful plants, flowers and ferns, lies hidden deep within the park. So do three remarkable lakes: Boeri, rimmed with volcanic rock; Fresh Water, with sweeping coastal views; and Boiling Lake, kept bubbling by the volcanic heat of the crater in which it is cupped. The park is at the southeast end of the island; the tourist office in Roseau will supply current information on trail conditions, tours and guides.
Not far from Roseau, in the south-central section of Dominica, is a magnificent area where three waterfalls, surrounded by tree-covered cliffs, converge in a cluster of rocky ponds studded with ferns and orchids. Near the Three Waterfalls (also called Trafalgar Falls), north and east of Roseau, are the Sulfur Springs, hot pools of volcanic mud where the earth bubbles and steams like a huge vat of sorcerer`s brew.
- Guadeloupe: A day`s journey to the Parc Naturel in the heart of Basse-Terre is one that no visitor is likely to forget. The tropical rain forests, lakes, waterfalls, natural mountain pools, steaming fumaroles and well-marked trails make this one of the loveliest hiking spots in the Caribbean. There is an excellent booklet, ``Walks and Hikes,`` which lists 18 trails in the park with maps and difficulty ratings. You can get it from the tourist office or the Organisation des Guides de Montagne in Basse-Terre.
- Jamaica: Off the main road from Kingston to Ocho Rios, on Route A-3, a four-mile stretch of road winds down an old river bed surrounded by giant ferns. This stretch is called Fern Gully, a deep forest area that offers a taste of cool air and an opportunity to ride beneath the tall ferns, the first complex plant life to populate the island.
While driving along a two-mile stretch of road in St. Elizabeth Parish, close to Black River, you suddenly feel surrounded by something that looks like a soft, feathery, yellow-green umbrella or veil. You are driving through Bamboo Avenue, a continuous arch of tall bamboo that seems to appear out of nowhere. To reach this avenue, you pass through Holland Estate, a former sugar factory.
- Puerto Rico: El Yunque is a 28,000-acre tropical rain forest and national bird sanctuary, where you will see more that 250 species of native trees, many of the primeval variety. While wandering beneath a towering pine or sierra palm you might catch a whiff of white ginger or find a wild orchid as you hear the call of the coqui, the tiny tree frog that is Puerto Rico`s offical mascot. Be on the alert, for there are many delicate, beautifully colored wildflowers that hide behind, beneath and around the more conspicuous trees and shrubs. More than 100 billion gallons of rain fall in the forest annually, but the showers are usually short, and the park provides adequate shelter for visitors caught in a downpour.
On Route 191, there`s the Sierra Palm Visitors Center, where you can get information or guides. The park is about 25 miles east of San Juan via Route 3, then south on Route 191. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
- Trinidad: If you arrive at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary at sunset or in the late afternoon, you might look up and see a large cluster of bright red feathers swooping through the sky like a gigantic flame. Within moments, hundreds of scarlet ibis descend onto the 450-acre sanctuary, where they live and nest in vast stretches of mangrove trees. The inner sanctuary of Caroni, where the birds nest, is open to the public from May to October; the rest of the sanctuary stays open all year. If you arrive during the fall, you might find a sea of red mangroves that match the feathers of the birds they house. The sanctuary is about seven miles south of Port of Spain.