Panama to Antigua

Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal

The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 365 islands and cays, of which 49 are inhabited. They lie off the north coast of the Isthmus of Panama, east of the Panama Canal. A part of the comarca Guna Yala along the Caribbean coast of Panama is home to the Kuna people

Cartagena is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. By the sea is the walled Old Town, founded in the 16th century, with squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings. With a tropical climate, the city is also a popular beach destination. Reachable by boat are Isla de Barú, with white-sand beaches and palm trees, and the Islas del Rosario, known for their coral reefs.

Santa Marta is a city on the Caribbean Sea in the northern Colombian department of Magdalena. A busy port, it was also the first Spanish settlement in Colombia. It’s the gateway for trips into the Tayrona National Natural Park, and for multiday guided treks to the Lost City (Teyuna) archaeological site in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain

Oranjestad is the capital of the Dutch island of Aruba, in the Caribbean Sea. Near the marina, the 18th-century Fort Zoutman and the Willem III Tower, formerly a lighthouse, house the Historical Museum, which chronicles the island’s past. The Archaeological Museum displays indigenous artifacts dating back as far as 2500 B.C. Along the waterfront, L.G. Smith Boulevard is dotted with boutiques and shopping malls.

Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island. It’s known for its old town center, with pastel-colored colonial architecture. The floating Queen Emma Bridge connects the Punda and Otrobanda neighborhoods across Sint Anna Bay. By the water is the 19th-century Rif Fort, now housing a shopping center. City restaurants serve dishes influenced by the island’s mostly Dutch and Afro-Caribbean cuisines.

Kralendijk is the capital of Bonaire, a Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea. Colorful architecture dots the shopping street of Kaya Grandi. The Bonaire Museum displays archaeological finds, shells and old photos. Off the coast is Bonaire National Marine Park, with a coral reef sheltering tropical fish. This stretches west to Klein Bonaire Island, where the sandy beaches provide a nesting ground for sea turtles

St. Kitts’ was the first successful colony in the British West Indies. Indeed, when viewed from the top of Brimstone Hill, the “Gibraltar of the Caribbean” appears to dominate everything in the Southern Sea. Shop in colourful Basseterre, play golf and tour old plantation houses. For the adventuresome there’s a brisk hike through the rain forest.

St. Kitts’ was the first successful colony in the British West Indies. Indeed, when viewed from the top of Brimstone Hill, the “Gibraltar of the Caribbean” appears to dominate everything in the Southern Sea. Shop in colourful Basseterre, play golf and tour old plantation houses. For the adventuresome there’s a brisk hike through the rain forest.

In its elegant little capital of Gustavia, French joie de vivre is tempered by Swedish spic and span neatness. Diversions include duty-free shopping in exquisite boutiques, beautiful beaches, excellent dining and people-watching.

St. John’s is the capital and key port of the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The city is home to the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, with exhibits on indigenous tribes and plantation life. St. John’s Cathedral, a 19th-century Anglican church, is on a hill near the 17th-century Government House. A monument to the nation’s founder, V.C. Bird, is next to the Public Market, which sells crafts and produce