There are more than 600 islands, four island states, deserted beaches, wreck-filled dive sites, and ancient ruins scattered across Micronesia. The remote country sounds daunting. Here are four spots to introduce you to this area in the Western Pacific Ocean. You’ll easily be able to take the reins from there.

Chuuk Lagoon: Escape to the shipwreck capital of the world, a scuba diver’s paradise, clear water, an underwater utopia, abandoned lighthouses, ruined fortifications, and the largest ship graveyard in the world in a massive lagoon.

Kosrae: Discover a volcanic island, a small airport, a little capital, ancient houses, royal tombs, hiking trails that weave through the rainforest, and a marine park halfway between Guam and the Hawaiian Islands.

Nan Madol: Explore one of the most mysterious places in the world, a 1,000-year-old city, 92 artificial islets, huge sea walls, and a wildly overgrown and completely deserted archaeological site in the Venice of the Pacific.

Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge: Find an unincorporated territory, a vast atoll, a national wildlife refuge, dense vegetation, breeding seabirds, 400 species of fish, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, and melon-headed whales in remote waters.