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Art, culture, nightlife, and world-class beaches combine to make Puerto Rico one of the best tropical vacation spots in the world. Of the many adventures to be had in this U.S. territory, there's visiting El Yunque (the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service), paddling through Vieques' famous bioluminescent lagoon, and dancing salsa while sipping mojitos at La Factoria in Old San Juan. Stay close to the action at the Fairmont El San Juan or splurge at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which fronts a gorgeous stretch of sand west of San Juan.

Make your way south of Miami to the archipelago that makes up the Florida Keys. This is as tropical as the mainland U.S. gets, and you'll feel it in the balmy turquoise waters. Many travelers beeline it to Key West for the lively nightlife, but you'd be remiss to overlook great stops along the way, including Playa Largo Resort & Spa in Key Largo, the lovely Isla Bella Beach Resort on the island of Marathon, Bahia Honda State Park, and the many wrecks for scuba diving along the Florida Keys Wreck Trek.

Reggae music, je**ed meats, and all-around irie vibes are just a few of the reasons to plan a tropical beach vacation to Jamaica. Opt for an affordable vacation in one of the many small hotels and guest houses lining Seven Mile Beach or the West End in laid-back Negril, or go for something more resort-oriented with a stay at Half Moon or The Tryall Club in Montego Bay. Adventurous travelers can make their way to Port Antonio to swim in tropical coves shaded by towering palms and stay in the rainforest at unique boutique properties like Geejam Hotel. There's even a bioluminescent lagoon near Falmouth where you can swim in water that glows a deep blue hue thanks to single-celled organisms called dinoflagellates.

French Polynesia's Tuamotu Islands make for a more intrepid spot if you want to explore beyond the popular islands like Moorea and Bora Bora. Hop a flight from Tahiti's capital, Papeete, with Air Tahiti and you can land roughly one hour later on Rangiroa, the second-largest coral atoll in the world. Here, Tahitian black pearls are farmed in crystal-clear waters and the scuba diving is second to none. There are overwater bungalows to stay in on Rangiroa and Tikehau atolls (Le Tikehau is on its own private island) if that's your scene, as well as less expensive, family-run guest houses in the Tuamotus.

Ask connoisseurs of white-sand beaches, and they'll surely point to the Maldives for one of the best beach vacations around the world. Some of the planet's most decadent luxury resorts await here on private islands surrounded by interrupted Indian Ocean views, many of which require a seaplane to reach. With so many luxury options in the overwater bungalow category, narrowing down where to stay can be tricky. But for a few epic places to start your search, consider Six Senses Laamu, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, and Velaa Private Island.

Bachata music and rum fuel fun nights in one of the best tropical vacation destinations in the Caribbean. From the beaches of Punta Cana and Cap Cana to the kite-surfing hot spot of Cabarete, the golfing paradise of La Romana, and the inimitable stretches of sand along the spectacular Samaná Peninsula, the Dominican Republic has something for everyone. For an all-inclusive stay that will blow you away with its food and entertainment options — with designated spaces for adults and families, to boot — Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda is hard to top.

Along Florida's gold coast, one of the state's best beach vacations awaits in Palm Beach. Stay somewhere iconic and full of Sunshine State history like The Breakers Palm Beach, opt for an oceanfront wellness oasis like Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, or set your sights on newcomer Amrit Ocean Resort. When you're not enjoying the beautiful blue waters of Palm Beach, it's fun to rent a bike to pedal the 5.5-mile long Palm Beach Lake Trail past historic mansions and streets lined with "security hedges" that keep prying eyes away from their famous residents.

With six visitable islands, Hawaii offers up tropical beach vacation options for every type of traveler. Families love Maui and Oahu, and the latter is also a popular stop for the surf set. Lush and ridden with rainbows and extreme hiking trails, Kauai is a favorite among couples and those in search of eco-adventures. The Big Island (also called Hawaii) has excellent hiking and scuba diving options. And you'll never go wrong with a vacation on Lanai or Molokai, either. Humpback whales migrate through the islands from roughly mid-December to mid-May, and you can spy them from your room at resorts like Mauna Kea Resort on the island of Hawaii and Maui's Ka'anapali Beach Hotel.

An affordable tropical vacation is within reach when you venture to Bali, Indonesia's legendary island that appeals as much to budget backpackers as it does the international jet set. Snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, volcano hikes, cultural tours, yoga retreats — is there anything you can't do in Bali? Just make sure you make time to bask in the island's indescribable beauty at a resort someplace stunning — Uluwatu's oceanfront cliffs and the remote north of Bali, around Menjangan Island, are good places to start.

For a city break in a tropical place with lots of natural appeal, head to Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán. The city is home to scenic squares, art galleries galore, and tropical temperatures year round. The city is surrounded by ancient Mayan ruins like ​​Dzibilchaltún, where the Maya lived from 300 B.C. until the 16th century Spanish invasions, and cenotes where you can cool off from the heat in crystal-clear waters. Stay in style within a short stroll of the city center at Wayam Mundo Imperial, an art-focused and LEED-certified boutique hotel with a rooftop pool and bar and one of the best restaurants in town, Cuna.

It's impossible to mention the best tropical beach vacations without giving a nod to the belle of the ball. Bora Bora is French Polynesia's legendary honeymoon destination, where a stay in an overwater bungalow and snorkeling with reef sharks and stingrays is pretty much mandatory. Make it a vacation to remember when you stay at The St. Regis Bora Bora, home to the largest overwater bungalows in all of the South Pacific, overlooking what's arguably the region's most storied lagoon.

This South Pacific nation is undoubtedly one of the best tropical vacation spots in the world if it's rainbow-colored coral reefs and palm-fringed private islands you're after. Nowhere has the variety of soft corals — in every pastel hue you can imagine — that Fiji offers. Surfers with means beeline it to Tavarua Island Resort to chase epic waves while the honeymoon crowd might opt for a secluded stay at Six Senses Fiji on Malolo Island instead. For stays that appeal as much to couples as families (two words: free childcare), Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort and VOMO Island Fiji take getting away to the next level.