Grenada

Also known as the "spice island" — for ages, nutmeg and cinnamon came from nowhere else but right here — Grenada also traffics in uniquely flavorful rums, spicy chocolates, and the world's finest fruits. Every taste here is local, purposeful, and robust. Suffice it to say, you could learn a thing or two in the kitchen from the island's most unassuming restaurateurs.

The backdrop to this world-class food scene almost steals the show with pure-white beaches and jagged green mountains (like Mount Cinnamon), blooming birds of paradise, and towering coconut palms. Not bad for a three-hour flight from Miami.