Hidden Caribbean Coves – Miami to Miami

People-watchers will enjoy South Beach’s Ocean Drive, while architecture buffs will love the Art Deco District. If you’re looking for something a bit different, there are world-class museums and shopping venues too. In Miami, there really is something for everyone.

Take a scenic drive, enjoy panoramic island views and visit famed Nelson’s Dockyard. Go deep-sea fishing or off road to interesting seaside villages and see the fragile mangrove ecosystem. Play golf, enjoy snorkeling and sea kayaking, or just spend the day relaxing on a fabulous white sand beach.

Explore this lush, beautiful island and its bustling capital. Visit the historic La Toc Battery, see banana plantations, and watch silk screening at Bagshaws. Venture south to Soufriere at the base of the Piton peaks and see the unique gingerbread architecture of the marketplace. Take a bike ride through the rain forest to a lovely waterfall, kayak in the deep blue Caribbean, snorkel or dive to spectacular reefs.

Sometimes referred to as “Butterfly Island” because of its shape, Guadeloupe is an overseas region of France. Whether visiting the spectacular waterfalls in the jungle of Basse-Terre, taking a scenic hike to the top of La Grande Soufrière volcano or sampling local rum on a distillery tour, you will find a diverse array of activities to enjoy.

Tour this beautiful island and marvel at the rugged coastline and its unspoiled, upscale atmosphere, unique in the Caribbean for its Swedish and French heritage. Enjoy the spectacular beaches and resorts, snorkel or dive in the crystalline waters, or see underwater wonders from a semi-submersible marine vessel.

Begin in Old San Juan, a walled enclave of hundreds of restored 16th and 17th century Spanish colonial buildings. Notice the blue-tinged cobblestone streets; they were once ballast on Spanish ships. Elsewhere, tour the medieval Saint John the Baptist Cathedral, the Museum of Art, and Casa del Libro, a repository of priceless documents.

Christopher Columbus dubbed the peak overlooking the town Monte de Plata due to the silvery hue of its cloud cover, but the region is actually best known for its abundant amber deposits. View ancient fossils and insects encased for millions of years in this translucent, hardened sap at the Amber Museum, stroll among vividly painted Victorian mansions and then take a cable car to the 2,600-foot summit of Pico Isabel de Torres for glorious views of the entire Amber Coast. At the superbly preserved 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, look out to sea and imagine an onslaught of pirates eager to plunder the town’s treasures. Fortunately, today you need not cannonade Puerto Plata from a frigate to access its myriad attractions.

People-watchers will enjoy South Beach’s Ocean Drive, while architecture buffs will love the Art Deco District. If you’re looking for something a bit different, there are world-class museums and shopping venues too. In Miami, there really is something for everyone.