Welcome to beautiful Ambergris Caye, the largest of several hundred cayes (islands) located in the northern most waters of Belize, Central America. This narrow strip of paradise surrounded by the azure Caribbean, is approximately36 miles long and was once a part of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is believed that the Mayans occupied the area over 1500 years ago and dug a narrow channel to separate Ambergris Caye from Mexico.

Whether it makes your heart sing or forces you into the fetal position in a very dark room, Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Whilst we're all for romance, we prefer doing something a little different from wistfully gazing at each other across a candlelit table, so we've drawn up a list of quirky Valentine's Day options.

No doubt about it, beaches the world over are among the sexiest places on the planet. After all, they're hot and people on them aren't wearing much (if anything at all). Of course, there are just about as many different kinds of sexy beaches as there are different kinds of sexy people. On one end of the sexy beach continuum lie romantic beaches, where couples stroll hand-in-hand while amber sunsets bathe the sand in a photo-finish glow. But we're not here to talk about those beaches.

 The Regent Palms, Turks & Caicos Islands

The Caribbean has a healthy ensemble of notable swim up bars, from Anguilla to Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to Tobago. If pressed to pick one however, we might be inclined to go with the elegant Regent Palms in gorgeous Turks & Caicos. A class five-star property all the way, with a terrific infinity pool.

Thinking about heading off for an island vacation? Sounds great, but sometimes the fantasy of that carefree getaway is trumped by reality when you face the crush of fellow relaxation seekers. A quiet rest on the beach turns into a race for the last lounge chair or dinner reservation. Here are some little known islands in and around North America where you can truly escape and unwind.

Maybe it's because my parents force fed me a steady diet of Jimmy Buffet tunes growing up.

 Or perhaps it has something to do with watching Cocktail as an impressionable 10-year-old (you know, back when Tom Cruise was still really cool). But I've always associated vacation with cocktails. There is just something so right about sipping a fruity spiked beverage after a sea-soaked boating adventure or a long day under the hot sun. But cocktail consumption doesn't have to be an afterthought to an otherwise sober day of vacation. Oh no. Cocktails can be the modus operandi, the launch pad into a new anthropological realm rimmed in salt and topped with a maraschino cherry. After all, history doesn't have to be dry.