Caribbean East/West Adventurer Holiday

According to the popular 1960 beach movie, Fort Lauderdale is “where the boys are.” The city’s reputation as America’s Spring Break capital, however, has been replaced with the more favorable image of a prime family tourist destination, attracting more than 10 million visitors annually. The most popular beach resort in Florida is even more rightly famed as the “Yachting Capital of the World,” with more than 40,000 registered crafts calling its waters home. The city also prides itself on being the “Venice of America” with more than 300 miles of navigable waterways. Fort Lauderdale boasts world-class theaters, museums, sightseeing, and shopping.

Bonaire is without a doubt a “diver’s paradise.” Its license plates even state the same. But there is much more to this small Dutch country of 15,000 residents. “Bon Bini,” as you will hear the friendly locals say, means “welcome to the island of Bonaire.” Bonaire is located off the coast of Venezuela and has for years been known as a world-class diving and snorkeling destination. Diving and snorkeling are still the predominant activities, but today there is also a variety of other activities to enjoy such as kayaking, bird watching, and other eco-tours. Because of the hot and arid weather, Bonaire has been a major producer of sea salt. Do not miss the “white mountains” waiting to be shipped out and the salt flats where the salt is evaporated from the Caribbean Sea, which also happens to be home to another icon of Bonaire-the pink flamingo. Explore the Dutch architecture of the capital Kralendijk, enjoy the pristine coral reefs, or tour the scenic countryside. Whatever you decide to do in Bonaire, you are sure to have a fantastic time.

Historians still contend over which European adventurer first spied the largest island in the former Netherlands Antilles. Some historians claim the honor for Alonzo de Ojeda; other historians champion Amerigo Vespucci. Little does it matter; today’s travelers are content to bask beneath sunny skies cooled by the trade winds. Lying some 40 miles off Venezuela, Curaçao boasts a landscape that is dramatic, stark, and volcanic. In contrast, Willemstad, the capital, seems a cozy Dutch haven with its neat row houses. And while those gabled and tiled roofs illustrate the island’s heritage, the bright, pastel houses speak pure Caribbean. Islanders themselves reflect this same colorful contrast: over 50 different nationalities have come to call Curaçao their home.

Dutch influence still lingers on this balmy Caribbean island, part of the former Netherlands Antilles until its independence in 1986. Aruba is a contrast: the island’s arid interior is dotted with cactus and windswept divi-divi trees while secluded coves and sandy beaches make up its coast. Aruba’s long and colorful heritage is reflected in its dialect. Called Papiamento, it is a tongue that combines elements of Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, African and English.

According to the popular 1960 beach movie, Fort Lauderdale is “where the boys are.” The city’s reputation as America’s Spring Break capital, however, has been replaced with the more favorable image of a prime family tourist destination, attracting more than 10 million visitors annually. The most popular beach resort in Florida is even more rightly famed as the “Yachting Capital of the World,” with more than 40,000 registered crafts calling its waters home. The city also prides itself on being the “Venice of America” with more than 300 miles of navigable waterways. Fort Lauderdale boasts world-class theaters, museums, sightseeing, and shopping.

Located at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize offers travelers a wealth of attractions. The country’s dense rain forest is dotted with Mayan ruins. The forest is also home to a wide range of tropical wildlife, ranging from jaguars and ocelots to keel-boated macaws and howler monkeys. Offshore, the world’s second largest barrier reef offers some of the finest diving in the world. And Belize’s easygoing ways, a legacy of its past as a British colony, feels far more akin to a small Caribbean island than a Central American republic.

Mayan myth claims that Cozumel was home to the gods. Truly Cozumel is a place fit for the gods, with its dazzling white-sand beaches, ruined Mayan temples, exotic jungle wildlife, and crystalline waters teeming with tropical fish. Just offshore lay Palancar Reef, considered one of the most spectacular coral formations in all the Caribbean. Of course, the gods weren’t the only individuals attracted to this terrestrial paradise: during its long and colorful history, Cozumel has been home to pirates, buccaneers, and freebooters, including Sir Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte. Today’s traveler will discover the same ravishing beauty and relaxation that entertained gods and pirates alike.

The sleepy fishing village of Mahahual is your gateway to Costa Maya. Here in the dense tropical forest and mangrove thickets of the southern Yucatan flourished the great Mayan civilization. During the Classic Period (200 – 1000 B.C.), the Maya erected elaborate stone cities of stepped pyramids, plazas, and palaces. Keen astronomers, they also developed a sophisticated mathematics, a highly accurate calendar, and a complex system of writing. Then, this fascinating culture literally disappeared as the Maya deserted their city complexes for the jungle interior. Today, visitors to Costa Maya can explore the ruins of the once great cities of Kohunlich, Dzibanché, and Chacchoben.

According to the popular 1960 beach movie, Fort Lauderdale is “where the boys are.” The city’s reputation as America’s Spring Break capital, however, has been replaced with the more favorable image of a prime family tourist destination, attracting more than 10 million visitors annually. The most popular beach resort in Florida is even more rightly famed as the “Yachting Capital of the World,” with more than 40,000 registered crafts calling its waters home. The city also prides itself on being the “Venice of America” with more than 300 miles of navigable waterways. Fort Lauderdale boasts world-class theaters, museums, sightseeing, and shopping.