Miami to Galveston

Discover a touch of old Amsterdam transported to an island paradise. Pastel-hued buildings decorate the waterfront of this very Dutch Caribbean island. Don’t miss a visit to the colorful floating market, just a short walk from the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. A World Heritage site, the Punda district preserves hundreds of buildings as national monuments including Fort Amsterdam, the Governor’s Palace, Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, one of the first synagogue’s in the New World, and the waterfront’s colorful Penha building.

While the city exhibits beautiful examples of both Dutch and Spanish architecture, it is now a Dutch city, taking its name from the Dutch royal house of Orange, and became the capital Aruba in 1979. When not heading for the famed beaches, the first spot most visitors enjoy is Wilhelmina Park, a lovely tropical garden by the waterfront, great for catching the Caribbean breezes. From here, travel on to the Archaeological Museum of Aruba or the Numismatic Museum of Aruba. The first offers an historical perspective; the latter, a fascinating display of coins from over 400 countries. Fort Zoutman (1796) is the oldest example of Dutch architecture on the island. In 1867, Willem III tower was added. Not only an excellent vantage point for photos, the fort also hosts music festivals and craft fairs.

Montego Bay, the capital of Saint James Parish on Jamaica’s north coast, is a major cruise ship port with numerous beach resorts and golf courses outside its commercial core. Popular beaches include Doctor’s Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach, home to an amusement park. There’s also snorkelling and diving at coral reefs in the protected waters of Montego Bay Marine Park.

Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503 and named them Las Tortugas, because the only inhabitants found were turtles. By 1530, they were known as the Caymanas, meaning "crocodile" in Carib. Although Sir Francis Drake visited the islands in 1568, they did not come under British rule until 1670. The Caymanians are descendants of the English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh seamen who settled the islands and later intermarried with Jamaican immigrants.

Warm Caribbean waters with excellent diving, white sand beaches, and tropical sunsets are some of the attractions of the Bay Islands. Roatan’s major source of income is tourism, particularly because of SCUBA diving attractions. The underwater environment is rich and extensive with reefs surrounding the islands, often within swimming distance of the shore. Caves and caverns are a common feature, with a variety of sponge and the best collection of pillar coral.

Cozumel is the largest inhabited island in Mexico, which lies just off the mainland. The coasts are known for large, breaking surf on the east side, and calmer waters for diving on the west side. In 1959, Jacques Cousteau discovered the beauty of Palancar, the coral reefs at the south of Cozumel and publicized it as one of the best places to go scuba diving in the world. Diving is still Cozumel's primary draw, mainly due to the healthy coral reef marine communities.

Progreso is a port city on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It’s a common stop for cruise ships, which dock at its landmark long pier. An oceanfront promenade, the Malecón, is lined with beaches and thatch-roofed restaurants. The Faro de Puerto Progreso, built in 1893, is an active lighthouse. The city is a gateway to the inland Mayan archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Dzibilchaltún.