San Juan to Miami, FL

Like so many of the islands in the Caribbean, 2017’s double whammy of hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated much of St. John. However, as relief funds get funnelled into rebuilding, normality is gradually being restored, and St. John version 2.0 is emerging – bolder, brighter and better. St. John’s small size might just give it the edge over other desert islands. View less

The US purchased the tiny landmass (at just nine miles long, the island is the smallest of the three American Virgin Islands) from the West India and Guinea Company in 1917 and it remains under US govern to this day. Historically speaking however St. John is Danish, who colonised it for almost 250 years before its sale to America. The Virgin Island Nation park covers almost two-thirds the island, meaning visually St. John is stunning, and will remain that way for generations to come. This ‘gift’ to the world comes thanks to Laurence Rockefeller who in 1956 gave the 5,000 acres of lush forest to the people of the island, with the caveat that it become a national park. Thus, velvety green hills slope into picture perfect white sand beaches, which are ringed by turquoise seas. One very definite winner of the tourism hiatus since 2017 has been the marine wildlife. Underwater life was barely affected by the storms and the subsequent lack of tourism has allowed the eco-systems to propagate. The island’s abundant coral reefs were not overly affected by the storms and today the waters are teeming with sea turtles, reef sharks and sting rays.

To fully appreciate the island’s unspoiled beauty, a trip into the interior is a must. A good part of Dominica’s mountainous terrain is covered with dense evergreen rain forest, where rare plants and animals are still found that have long been extinct on neighboring islands. The Smithsonian Institute called the island a giant plant laboratory, unchanged for 10,000 years. Numerous hot springs bear witness to continuing volcanic activity. Dominica is truly a place to discover nature in all her splendor. But it is not an island for those looking for white sand beaches. Around the mouth of rivers and in sheltered bays, the beaches are pebbly and of dark color.

Glowing turquoise waters, lazily bowing palm trees, and pristine white sand beaches – it’s all waiting for you in Jost Van Dyke’s picturesque Caribbean splendour. Slip off your shoes, you won’t be needing them too much in these parts, as you wander soft, heavenly sands, and paddle out into impossibly clear waters. The island escape of choice for dallying yachts, which visit to soak up the off-the-beaten-path good life. Join them around the pristine beaches of this tiny celebrity magnet of an island. View less

If this is your first experience of the Caribbean’s splendour, you may be a little sceptical about the reality of those famed, shockingly bright colours that you see in photographs. If so, Jost Van Dyke will be love at first sight. Splash into water that glows with a bright teal hue and is blotched with occasional swells of deeper royal blue. Snorkellers will adore the explosions of colourful fish beneath the waves. White Bay is a slice of island perfection, with a neat hill of trees framing a sandy sweep of shaded beach bars. There’s nothing for it but to indulge on a bed of soft pearly-white sand, and soak in the staggering beauty of it all. The wander up to Majohnny Hill is the most exertion needed to explore this four-square-mile island, and it’s worth it to see the heavenly beaches emerging from tranquil waters below. Even the natural sea formations here encourage you to unwind, with waves gurgling and frothing over the rocks to create Bubbly Pool, a natural jacuzzi. Jost Van Dyke has a reputation as the off-the-radar island getaway of choice for celebrities like Keith Richards. A lot of that comes down to the calypso charm of its rustic beach bars – especially the legendary Foxy’s Bar, which is run by island legend Foxy Callwood. Rum-drenched cocktails and icy buckets of beach beers await – sure to get you into the island’s party spirit in no time.

Miami, officially the City of Miami, is a metropolis located in southeastern Florida in the United States. It is the third most populous metropolis on the East coast of the United States, and it is the seventh largest in the country. Wikipedia