Eastern/western Caribbean Adventurer

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.

Amber Cove is a cruise terminal in Puerto Plata Province in the Dominican Republic. The terminal includes lodging and retail stores.

The oldest city under the American flag, San Juan vibrates to a lively salsa beat. There's an unmistakable zest in the air here. Perhaps it's the stunning natural setting: the verdant peaks, tropical forests, and gleaming white-sand beaches. Or maybe it's Puerto Rico's mix of cultures, the blend and occasional clash of four centuries of Spanish heritage overlaid with a century spent as America's only Commonwealth. Whatever the reason, San Juan is one of the most enticing ports in the Caribbean, and it only gets lovelier with age.

St. Maarten offers a delightful case of split personality. Legend has it that a Frenchman and a Dutchman divided ownership of the island through a walk-off: Standing back to back, the two headed in opposite directions, walking around the island until they met. Perhaps the Dutchman paused for a refreshing brew. At any rate, the French ended up claiming 21 square miles of the island to 16 square miles for the Dutch. This lively tale says much about St. Maarten's easygoing ways. No formal boundary exists between the Dutch and French sides of the island; a simple welcome sign tells you when you cross from one country to the other. But the differences are as noticeable as the spelling of the island's name. The French spell it St. Martin. And it's this split personality that lends so much to the island's charms, including an international reputation for the finest cuisine in the Caribbean.

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.

Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, is noted for its pristine coral reefs, beautiful beaches, lush tropical foliage, and friendly people. Christopher Columbus discovered the islands in 1502 while on his fourth voyage and over the years it has been controlled by both the British and Spanish, as well as pirates and traders. The first permanent population of Roatan originated from the Cayman Islands, arriving in the 1830s shortly after the end of slavery in British colonies. Today, the population is about 30,000. The main town and capital of the municipality is Coxen Hole. Roatan is a long, narrow island measuring 37 miles in length, located about 30 miles from the northern Honduran mainland. The island has a mountainous backbone that provides for some excellent hiking opportunities, panoramas and lush scenery. Surrounded by warm Caribbean waters, this hilly island (frequented by diving enthusiasts) is picturesque, unspoiled and can take claim to being one of the region's…

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.

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.