A Caribbean Holiday – Miami to Miami

Sunny Florida skies, year-round warmth and sunshine, a buzzing nightlife and a mix of cultures define this cosmopolitan city. Celebrity-drenched South Beach attracts people-watchers and the Art Deco District is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. Tropical style shopping experience’s are readily available from Bal Harbor to Lincoln Road and Coconut Grove. Enjoy authentic Cuban cuisine and culture along Calle Ocho or travel back in time with a visit to the historic Venetian Pool. There is something for everyone in this city dubbed the “Gateway to the America’s.”

Puerto Rico’s first inhabitants were the Taino Indians, who encountered Columbus in 1493. The Spanish quickly settled, defending their territory against the Dutch and British. This is evident by the imposing fortresses of Old San Juan, namely the El Morro Castle, dominating the old section of this capital city. In 1897, Spain declared Puerto Rico an autonomous state. Spain later ceded Puerto Rico to the U.S. and residents were granted American citizenship in 1917.

One of the Caribbean’s true gems, St. Barts is where Riviera chic meets Caribbean cool. Day-trippers come from nearby islands for the duty-free shopping, excellent dining and to lounge on the soft, white sands in a secluded palm-fringed cove. Tour Fort Gustav and Fort Carl, historic reminders of Sweden’s short-lived Caribbean possession. Excursions abound, inviting guests to snorkel, sail over the clear blue waters on a catamaran, or horseback ride through shaded jungle trails.

Roseau, a small town with plenty of colonial charm, offers the colorful New Market, where you can stop for a refreshing coconut drink. Dominica’s real beauty lies in its unspoiled natural landscape – the dense rain forests, lush foliage, natural springs and rivers and tall, smoldering peaks. Dominica is home to one of the Caribbean’s great natural wonders-the scenic Valley of Desolation, where in a verdant tropical gorge, white mists from bubbling hot springs swirl in the air.

Touting 365 beaches, most protected by coral reefs; a ring of forts; and quaint Colonial architecture, Antigua, and particularly St. John’s, is a classic example of the British Caribbean. Sites to see include St. John’s Cathedral, destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt on the same spot at least three times, the last time in 1845; and the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, which, in addition to island history, also offers a fascinating exhibition of semiprecious stones. For a stroll in nature, make your way to Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, or the nature trail to Shirley Heights. St. John’s offers several hot spots for nightlife and live music. And be sure to stop at a local restaurant to taste the buttery “flying fish,” unique to this part of the Caribbean.

The 700 islands of the Bahamas Islands begin 50 miles off the coast of Florida, stretching 760 miles to the southeast. The heritage of Old Nassau blends the Southern charm of British loyalists from the Carolinas, the African tribal traditions of freed slaves, and a bawdy history of blockade-running during the Civil War and rum-running in the Roaring 1920s. Over it all is a subtle layer of civility and sophistication, derived from three centuries of British rule.

Sunny Florida skies, year-round warmth and sunshine, a buzzing nightlife and a mix of cultures define this cosmopolitan city. Celebrity-drenched South Beach attracts people-watchers and the Art Deco District is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. Tropical style shopping experience’s are readily available from Bal Harbor to Lincoln Road and Coconut Grove. Enjoy authentic Cuban cuisine and culture along Calle Ocho or travel back in time with a visit to the historic Venetian Pool. There is something for everyone in this city dubbed the “Gateway to the America’s.”