St. Barths: 3.5 hours ✈
Tulum may be the new St. Barths, but St. Barths is the one and only St. Barths, darlings. The most seamless way to get there is a 2 ½-hour flight from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico, followed by a one-hour private hop on Tradewind Aviation.
Stay: Watch the beautiful people cavort in the crystal-blue water at Eden Rock (from $697/ night), or make like James Bond and rent a Seabob for the day: It’s a jet ski-meets-paddle board and it is all sorts of awesome. Then nibble at the über-chic hotel’s Jean- Georges spot, Sand Bar, now open for sunset cocktails and dinner. Don’t leave without trying the impossibly fresh ceviche (or the homemade Nutella donuts at brunch).
Eat: The 30-year mainstay Maya’s is the go-to place for islanders in the know (and a favorite of Keith McNally’s). It overlooks the water and its menu changes daily; leave room for the fish with green curry if it’s offered — and time to chitchat with its beyond-charming married owners.
Don’t miss: Get your retail fix at the local shops in St. Jean (it’s cover-up heaven) or head into Gustavia for high-end brands like Hermès (you get a tax refund, after all). Then be sure to beach it on the dreamily secluded Colombier sands. — D.S.
Turks & Caicos: 90 minutes ✈
Wide, white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters in every shade of blue, reefs teeming with fish and coral: T&C is pretty much the definition of the perfect island getaway. Two daily American Airlines flights will whisk you from Miami to Providenciales in roughly 90 minutes.
Stay: Unlike many Provo stays, which tend toward sprawling resorts with traditional interiors, the 91-room Gansevoort Turks + Caicos hotel (from $700) is sleekness incarnate — all-white, modern, sexy.
It’s on the best beach — Grace Bay — but in the quieter, less dense Lower Bight area for ultimate tranquility.
Eat: Gourmet al fresco oceanfront dining? Infiniti Restaurant at Grace Bay Club fulfills all of the above. Its brand-new menu features local specialties — conch, spiny lobster — with a sophisticated twist. At the raw bar, try the line-caught mahi-mahi ceviche lightly dressed with Thai red curry and coconut milk.
Don’t miss: Ferry over to North and Middle Caicos for super-secluded beach time and a taste of the undeveloped Caribbean.
Taxi to Mudjin Harbor, where you can hike along the steep, rugged cliffs that offer striking views of the crashing waves below. — J.C.
Key West: 45 minutes ✈
This perennially quirky town, teeming with historic pastel-colored cottages, crowing roosters and six-toed cats, never goes out of style. The drive to this southernmost point in the US takes about three hours by car from Miami — or a blink-and-you’re-there 45-minute flight.
Stay: If Old Town’s stuffy B&Bs aren’t to your liking, consider the two-year-old Marker (from $399), with bright, airy rooms, contemporary interiors and a seaport location that’s convenient but still a comfortable distance from the tourist masses on Duval Street.
Eat: Blood orange marmalade, Key lime pie, pumpkin pecan praline: Folks queue up at Glazed Donuts for these treats, made on site with fresh seasonal ingredients.
Don’t miss: Sometimes the best perspective on Key West is from a distance. Sunset Key is open only to residents and guests of the luxury property Sunset Key Cottages, but anyone can dine at Latitudes, the resort’s restaurant. Make a reservation and hop on the private ferry (a 10-minute ride) for an über-romantic sunset dinner. — J.C.
Nassau, Bahamas: 1 hour ✈
In less time than it takes to get from SoFi to Soho Beach House, you can be lounging on a beach chair in the Bahamas — flights to Nassau (on American and Bahamasair) are less than an hour.
Stay: The One&Only Ocean Club (from $1,000) played a starring role in Daniel Craig’s “Casino Royale,” and now this exclusive stay has gotten a Bond-worthy makeover. Two wings have a glamorous new look following a recent overhaul, while a sexy shorefront infinity-edge pool opened to guests just last week.
Eat: Hit up the famous Fish Fry at Arawak Cay, where a clutch of colorful shacks turn out authentic Bahamian fare, including cracked conch (battered and fried) and conch salad (ceviche-like).
Go on Sunday nights for a mostly local crowd.
Don’t miss: At Graycliff Cigar Company, where Fidel Castro’s former torcedore (cigar roller) is the master blender, stogies are still rolled by hand. Take a lesson on how to roll a cigar — then kick back and puff on the fruits of your labor. — J.C.