6. Curacao

Distance from NYC: 4 hours and 45 minutes

Average hotel room cost: $158 per night 

A favorite destination for divers, Curacao is also home to beaches with calm waters and 141 activities to choose from. Of those 253 activities, 85 are water sports alone. If you're not a water enthusiast, try exploring the Hato Caves, an elaborate network of stalactites and stalagmites, or hiking the trails of the Christoffelpark. Curacao has a high beach-density score of 0.82.