Cartagena to Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Get your sunglasses ready, because Cartagena is a riot of colour, charisma and Caribbean charm. The best way of seeing the city is by foot and soaking up the uniquely South American atmosphere. Stroll through the jumble of cobbled streets, step back in time, and enjoy one of the Caribbean’s loveliest destinations. Cartagena was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 as a shining example of an extensive and complete system of military fortifications in South America. The city’s strategic location, on a secluded bay facing the Caribbean Sea, meant that it was an essential stop from Europe to the West Indies during the time of commercial and naval exploration. Vestiges of this time are still to be found on the walls of several of the beautiful buildings lining the streets of the old town. The magnificent city is a walled fortress that stretches for 11 kilometres, dating from 1533 and once played host to Sir Francis Drake, who passed through in 1586 (and set fire to 200 buildings during his visit). Despite its 16th century roots, Cartagena today is a modern and glorious riot of colour. Fuchsia pink bougainvillea tumbles down from turquoise painted balconies, while well-preserved colonial buildings painted in vibrant colours line the streets. Take shelter from the heat and enjoy the sensual atmosphere that is so exclusively Colombian by grabbing a seat in a local bar, ordering a plate of Empanadas and enjoying a Guaro—the colloquial name for aguardiente — the country’s national spirit.

Santa Marta, Colombia’s oldest city, is situated on the Caribbean coast and boasts a fine natural harbour, beaches and a splendid view. That is only part of the reason the Spaniards chose this as their first settlement. Their choice was also influenced by gold.
Founded by the Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1525, Santa Marta was often sacked by corsairs in the 16th century. During colonial times, the city was important as an outlet for the Magdalena River Valley. It remained royalist during the revolution and was liberated in 1821 and became a refuge for Simon Bolivar, who died at the nearby San Pedro de Alejandrino village.

Aruba, the smallest of the so-called ABC Islands, lies a mere 15 miles north of Venezuela. Like its sister islands, Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba has scant vegetation. Its landscape consists mainly of scruffy bits of foliage, including cacti and the curious wind-bent divi-divi trees, huge boulders and interesting caves. The chief attractions are the magnificent beaches, turquoise waters and spectacular marine life, which lure scores of visitors each year to the island. Palm Beach is said to be one of the ten best beaches in the world. Here a string of hotels with glitzy casinos, restaurants and exotic boutiques line several miles of white sand beach. The crystal-clear waters are ideal for swimming and all kinds of watersports. If you prefer to stay dry, you may enjoy Aruba’s exotic underwater world on a submarine excursion.
Gold was discovered on the island in 1825, but by 1916 mining was no longer economical. In 1929 it was oil that brought prosperity to Aruba. A large refinery was built at the island’s eastern end, employing at that time over 8,000 people. When the refinery was closed in 1985, Arubans were forced to look for other sources of income, concentrating their efforts on the development of tourism. Today, education, housing and health care are largely financed by an economy based on tourism. Recognizing this fact, the island’s residents are sincere when they extend to visitors the greeting “Bonbini,” the native Papiamento word for “Welcome.”

Aruba, the smallest of the so-called ABC Islands, lies a mere 15 miles north of Venezuela. Like its sister islands, Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba has scant vegetation. Its landscape consists mainly of scruffy bits of foliage, including cacti and the curious wind-bent divi-divi trees, huge boulders and interesting caves. The chief attractions are the magnificent beaches, turquoise waters and spectacular marine life, which lure scores of visitors each year to the island. Palm Beach is said to be one of the ten best beaches in the world. Here a string of hotels with glitzy casinos, restaurants and exotic boutiques line several miles of white sand beach. The crystal-clear waters are ideal for swimming and all kinds of watersports. If you prefer to stay dry, you may enjoy Aruba’s exotic underwater world on a submarine excursion.
Gold was discovered on the island in 1825, but by 1916 mining was no longer economical. In 1929 it was oil that brought prosperity to Aruba. A large refinery was built at the island’s eastern end, employing at that time over 8,000 people. When the refinery was closed in 1985, Arubans were forced to look for other sources of income, concentrating their efforts on the development of tourism. Today, education, housing and health care are largely financed by an economy based on tourism. Recognizing this fact, the island’s residents are sincere when they extend to visitors the greeting “Bonbini,” the native Papiamento word for “Welcome.”

Bonaire’s small, tidy capital city (population 3,000) is five minutes from the airport. The main drag, J.A. Abraham Boulevard, turns into Kaya Grandi in the center of town. Along it are most of the island’s major stores, boutiques, and restaurants. Across Kaya Grandi, opposite the Littman’s jewelry store, is Kaya L.D. Gerharts, with several small supermarkets, a handful of snack shops, and some of the better restaurants. Walk down the narrow waterfront avenue called Kaya C.E.B. Hellmund, which leads straight to the North and South piers. View less

In the center of town, the Harbourside Mall has chic boutiques. Along this route is Ft. Oranje, with its cannons. From December through April, cruise ships dock in the harbor once or twice a week. The diminutive ocher-and-white structure that looks like a tiny Greek temple is the produce market, where one can find plenty of fresh produce brought over from Venezuela. Pick up the brochure Walking and Shopping in Kralendijk from the tourist office to get a map and complete list of all the monuments and sights in the town.

Bright and brilliant colours coat the waterfront buildings of Willemstad, gleaming attractively below the generous Caribbean sun. The capital of the Carribean island Curacao, Willemstad is famous for its technicolour UNESCO World Heritage Site city centre, and a narrow channel connects the sea with the Schottegat harbour, which expands inland like a blooming flower. Settled by the Dutch in the 1630s, they brought colourful architecture, lavish red-roofed mansions, and gorgeous European-style waterfront buildings to this beautiful Caribbean island. View less

Watching over the entrance to this luxurious port is Rif Fort – a 19th-century fortress, which looms above the Sint Anna Bay channel. From here, wind your way to the Queen Emma Bridge – a pontoon bridge known as the Swinging Old Lady, which was built in 1888 to connect Otrobanda and Punda. Enjoy the wonderful views of Willemstad’s lavish, pastel-coloured Punda waterfront set before you. Visit the small boats that pull up side by side to sell juicy fruits and vegetables, in a floating market on the waters below. At sunset, the gingerbread stretch bathes in lights, glowing evocatively as the last of the evening’s light ebbs away. Wander Willemstad to discover the lemon-shaded Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, said to be the oldest synagogue in the Americas, see the historic liqueur distillery or head for Queen Wilhelmina Park – where the letters ‘DUSHI’ are spelt out in a standing sign. You’ll hear this word a lot – the island’s favourite way of describing the little things that make life worth living. The beaches of Curacao are certainly ‘dushi’, with tempting sandy curves on practically every corner. Snorkel in the turquoise waves, among dashing fish life and sleek sea turtles.

An almost mythical utopia of virgin beaches, rustic rum shacks and bays so scenic you feel like you’re intruding – Bequia Island is an island mirage of Caribbean perfection. This is the real, unspoiled experience – and with just 6,000 locals living here, you quickly start to recognise the same smiling faces, welcoming you with outstretched arms. Offering glorious – often deserted – beaches of pure golden sand, and hillside sweeps of forest and almond trees, Bequia Island is an extraordinary feast for the senses.

Unlike some of the flashier Caribbean islands, Bequia – a part of the Grenadines – is a rustic, unassuming and off-the-beaten-path choice. The staggeringly picturesque natural harbour, Admiralty Bay, greets you on arrival, and is peppered with day-tripping yachts bobbing on the gentle waves. The island’s tiny capital, Port Elizabeth, sits behind, with its bustling fruit and vegetable market, turtle sanctuary, and stalls selling hand-crafted model ships. This tiny, pretty island is ridged along the centre, and you can earn your beachside bliss with a gentle hike to the top of Mount Peggy, looking out over views of Grenada and St Vincent. At just seven miles long, you can discover the whole island in a few hours – but that would be to miss the point somewhat. Bequia Island coaxes you in to slow the pace and soothe your soul on blissful beaches, where you can revel in the uncomplicated joys of sitting, reading and swimming in heavenly shallow waters. The royally approved Princess Margaret Beach is one of the finest – an arching band of soft sand and cobalt-blue waters. As evening sets in, you may find you’re beckoned to share with communal barbecues of the day’s fresh catch with the locals, or to indulge in rum-heavy cocktails at beachside bars, lashed together from sea-blanched wooden limbs.

Bridgetown, the captivating capital of Barbados, combines faded colonial history, captivating tradition, and vivid white beaches plucked directly from your richest imagination of Caribbean perfection. Recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its beautifully preserved colonial architecture, Bridgetown’s mask of modernity covers a core of complex history and fascinating culture. Sherbet coloured buildings line up to overlook the waterfront of the Constitution River at the ‘The Careenage’ – where gleaming ships bob on the blue water, and peaceful strolls along a wooden boardwalk await.

Stop for a sobering moment at the commemorative plaque honouring the people traded at this spot, when Bridgetown was the British Empire’s most important harbour, and first stop on the Transatlantic Slave Trade crossing. Just five minutes’ stroll from here is Carlisle Bay – a postcard-perfect place where you’ll find crystal-clear, turquoise seawater glowing in the Caribbean sun, and a mile of soft white powder sand. A treasure trove for divers, the shipwrecks scattered below the shallow water’s waves are now inhabited by turtles and swirling, rainbow-coloured tropical fish. Head to the backstreets, where street food vendors serve up spicy chicken soup, barbecued pigtails and thirst-quenching coconut water. There are bargains aplenty to be had on Broad Street, where duty-free malls and souvenir stalls cram together, vying for your attention. Roebuck Street is the spot where one of the Caribbean’s favourite drinks, rum, was discovered – having been created here from the by-products of the island’s booming sugarcane trade. Nowadays, it’s lined with bars splashing every variety of the deliciously spicy dark libation imaginable into glasses. For a touch more culture, visit one of the oldest synagogues in The Americas – Nidhe Israel Synagogue, which was built in 1654. The adjoining museum tells the story of Barbados’ Jewish immigrants, who were instrumental in the island’s development.

Martinique is well known as France’s favoured Caribbean isle, but it is the little commune of Trois Ilets where the two cultures really mesh together. Found directly opposite the busy capital Fort de France, Trois Ilets retains its historic culture – much of it due to Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, aka Empress Josephine of France aka Mrs Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, so proud are the Martiniquais of their famous daughter that they have sanctified her childhood sugar plantation home. View less

La Pagerie is a fascinating museum housing rich colonial artefacts, including some of Napoleon’s rather risqué love letters to his future wife. Trois Ilets was once an important French colony, and as such played an active role in the slave trade. A trip to the Savane des Esclaves will have you learning of the plight of Neg Marrons – and others like him – slaves who fled the plantations to live alone in the hinterland. Visit the reconstruction of a typical rural shack where Neg and others managed to survive by living off the land and by their wits. Like many Caribbean villages, life is centred around the church square. Colourful wooden houses with locally thrown pottery tile rooves flank the typical creole village, while the church itself (where Empress Josephine was baptised) takes pride of place. In fact, so important is pottery to the local culture that the entire village referred to as “Le village de la poterie” in the 18th century. Unsurprisingly though, the islands natural beauty takes a front seat. Many world class beaches are found here including the lovely l’Anse a l’Ane, and the peninsula of Pointe du Bout (literally End Point). This latter place is where you’ll find most of the seaside fun. Think Hobbie-Cats, kayaking, windsurfing and jet skiing for island exploration – the Genipa Mangrove at the end of the island begs discovery if you like to take to the waterways. If your idea of heaven involves the more simple pleasures of reading and strolling under the shade of the palms, then look no further.

Kingstown is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The port city is known for its Botanical Gardens, founded in 1765 and home to tropical plants and aviaries.

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.

Cherry red roofs, yacht-sprinkled bays and a sophisticated French flavour all add to the gorgeous Caribbean allure of Gustavia. The island’s capital rolls around a horseshoe-shaped harbour, where gleaming yachts hover and fancy boutiques, bars and restaurants fizz with life and clinking cutlery. Head up to red and white Gustavia Lighthouse to look down over the revered waters, which attract many a celebrity guest and diving enthusiast to these shores. View less

Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover this volcanic island in 1493, giving it the name St Barthelemy in honour of his younger brother. The island has a unique history as a Swedish colony, following a deal with the French King Louis XVI to exchange the island with Sweden for better trading rights. It was returned to French control in 1878 and is now a French Overseas Collectivity. Learn more of the Swedish legacy at Fort Karl – which sits on a 29-metre-high hill above Shell Beach. The fort now lies in ruins, but you’ll meet wandering iguanas, and the views down of sweeping sea and emerald coastline are some of the island’s finest. Down below, a delightful spread of tiny pebbles and shell fragments are scattered like confetti and lapped by crystal-clear water. A little exploration uncovers countless other glorious beaches and natural wonders. Colombier Beach is a little out of the way but cradles silky-smooth sands and typically turquoise waters. If you have chance, find somewhere to settle and sip fruity rum cocktails as the sunset flares across the waves.

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.

Offering an island bounty of electric-blue Caribbean Sea waters, sensational scuba diving, and elevated viewpoints, Philipsburg revels in Caribbean beauty. St. Maarten is an unusual island of dual personality – partitioned into French and Dutch sides. Discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second journey to the Americas in 1493. A truce was eventually brokered in 1648, sharing the island between the French and Dutch – an arrangement that endures today. View less

A Caribbean mirage of soft sand beaches and perfect snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities – arrive on the south of this beautiful island at the Dutch side’s capital, Philipsburg. Squeezed between the bay and the Great Salt Pond, the town offers waterfront strolls in the gentle breeze, duty-free bargains, and plenty of room to sit and drink in the dazzling sea views. Clear, turquoise waters hold underwater worlds of colourful corals and fish, while glorious beaches of typical Caribbean beauty invite you to sprawl out beside the tempting shallow waters. Look out to see occasional jet skis skirting the waters, as you recline on sand flanked by lush vegetation on both sides. Tear into the fresh local produce and taste the island’s sensational seafood – from lobster to red snapper and conch cocktails. Don’t miss the opportunity to try out the island’s favourite tipple, either – guavaberry rum. Beautiful green peaks offer stunning hikes, amid the rich tangle of jungle scenery. Maho Beach may also be on the radar – the tranquillity of this small beach is regularly interrupted by the deafening roar of jet engines, as Princess Juliana International Airport’s runway comes perilously close to the sands. Huge planes skim just above the beach before touching down, and the blasts of departing jet engines blow violent gales out towards the waters.