Alligator Pond, Jamaica

This fishing village on Jamaica's southwestern coast is more about work than play. With a population of 1,826, Alligator Pond's shoreline is lined with weather-worn cookshops and bars supplying staples like curried goat and Red Stripe beer to the local fishermen who launch their boats each day. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the name is said to derive from the shape of the mountain range rather than any official designation.

For those seeking an authentic Jamaican experience away from the tourist-oriented northern coasts, Alligator Pond may be a refreshing change of pace. But the gritty reality of life here is a world away from the island's glamorous resort towns.