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urban access:: CARIBBEAN ESCAPE GUIDE I I TEXT: TASHA EICHENSEHER With more than 30 destinations, average temperatures in the 80S year round and an easy three-hour flight from New York City, it is no mystery why the Caribbean is a fantastic winter escape. For the active traveler, here's another highlight: the islands are ripe with adventure. Even if you plan a trip around one activity, you're never far from 10 more. Charter boats and planes make it easy to travel from island to island. From sea kayaking and diving to hiking and bike touring, there are hundreds of ways to encounter diverse landscapes and people. The Caribbean offers mountains and sugar cane fields, friendly locals and travelers from around the world. So escape winter in the city. Here are some active highlights. SURFING BARBADOS Barbados, a former British colony, is 21 feet long with 60 miles of coastline and a population just over 250,000. The small town of Bathsheba, in the center of the eastern coast of the island, is one of the Caribbean's most popular surfing destinations. Once a fishing village, Bathsheba now hosts surfers from around the world who come to explore the Soup Bowl, a moderate right-hand shallow reef break that is ideal year round. The easternmost Caribbean island, Barbados consistently gets trade wind swells and large Atlantic storms from the north. The best surf is from November to March when Atlantic storms are their fiercest. If you tire of Soup Bowl's perfect conditions, visit neighboring surf spots High Rock, Parlour, Tabletop and Sand Bank. There are several nearby accommodations, listed on the Barbados Surfing Association website, www.bsasurf.org/.The closest and most surfer friendly place to stay is Bajan Surf Bungalows (246-433-9920 or www.jorgen.com/surfl). For more information, go to http://www.surfline.com (travel). For general information contact the Barbados Tourism Authority, 800-221-9831 or www.barbados.org TREKKING AND CAMPING US VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL FOREST Twenty-two miles of trail wind through the beautiful and varied landscape of US Virgin Islands National Park. The US National Park is nearly 12,700 acres and covers approximately three- fifths ofStJohn island and almost all of Hassel Island on St Thomas. A short hike in the park can take you to good snorkeling and sailing destinations, white sand beaches, salt ponds, 74 Pre-Columbian Amerindian archeological sites,lush tropical forest and old sugar plantations from Danish colonial days. Camping is allowed only at Cinnamon Bay Campground, open year-round. Accommodations here are fairly sophisticated and include cottages and a restaurant. The park is busy during winter, hosting its 425,000 annual visitors at that time. Make reservations during winter at least four months in advance (340-776-6330). Twenty- one different hikes will take you to beaches, scenic overlooks of the British Virgin Islands, open dry forest, tropical and mangrove forests, and exotic bird habitats. For more information on the park, visit www.nps.gov/viis/. For more information of the US Virgin Islands, contact USVI Division of Tourism, 800-372-8784 or www.here.vi. WINDSURFING DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Cabarete, on the northeastern shore of the DR, has world-class windsurfing year round and a happening nightlife. Hundreds of windsurfers gather here to take advantage of sunny days and pristine and safe waters. Beginners will thrive in Cabarete, where winter weather creates calmer conditions along the two-miles of beach and protected reef, roughly a Quarter to a half-mile from shore. Cabarete is five miles east ofSos'a and 30 minutes from Puerto Plata. Light winds in the morning create a stress-free atmosphere for lessons, while strong winds inside parts of the reef during the summer months give experienced sailors some speed. For wind/water conditions , visit http://www.hispaniola.com/Cabarete/ws/windsurf.html For outfitters and les sons, visit www.caribwind.com/. http ://www.drpure.com/d rp u re/i n dex. p h P ?to pic=Wind, www.sailboardvacations.com/cabarete.htm , www.condorjourneys- adventures.com/dominican_windsurf.html. For more information, contact the DR Tourist Office, 800-752-1151 or www.dominicana.com.do. DIVING HONDURAS Eight islands make up the Bay Islands off the shore of Honduras. The most popular, Roata (accent Ion second a), Guanaja and Utila, are widely known for their brilliant scuba diving. Mountainous Roatan is surrounded by the world's second largest reef system, while Utila is where divers often come in close contact with large whale sharks (up to 30 feet long). Although Honduras is a Spanish-speaking country, English is common. And because these