Hartman died in 1991, but the do-it-yourself ethos among U.S. expatriates continues to pave the way for better tourism in the Exumas, a chain of 365 Bahamian islands and cays (pronounced "keys"), low reefs of sand or coral.

FORBES: Blackbeard's Beach

The Florida Keys, a 113-mile-long chain of islands, is one of the five suggestions in Lonely Planet's top five day trips from Miami, but the laid-back streets feel more like they belong in the Caribbean.

BBC: This is Miami week