21-Day Southern / Western Caribbean

As the bustling capital of St. Lucia, Castries is one of the Caribbean’s most recently discovered treasures. St. Lucia is a nation where the unspoiled beauty and courtesies of days gone by live on. It is lush with tropical fruits, wild orchids, exotic parrots, and miles of secluded beaches set against the backdrop of green mountains. This island has changed hands 14 times since its first recorded discovery in 1499.

Costa Maya is a low impact tourism zone, part of the Yucatan Peninsula, it is the southern coastline of the State of Quintana Roo, and the farthest most reach of the Western Caribbean. Costa Maya is one of the last coastal frontiers in Mexico to be developed. There are acres of coastal land with absolutely no development, sprinkled with odd fishing villages and small towns.With its’ new cruise ship dock, Costa Maya is now being promoted as a cruise ship destination in the western Caribbean. To get to the Costa Maya area, visitors can fly to the international airports of Cancun, Merida, or Cozumel. From these airports, there are regular connections to Chetumal International Airport. In Chetumal one can rent cars or take a taxi or bus to Costa Maya.

Key West, (wèst) city (1990 pop. 24,832), seat of Monroe co., S Fla., on an island at the SW end of the Florida Keys, c.150 mi (240 km) from Miami, 90 mi (145 km) from Cuba. It is the southernmost city of the continental U.S., a resort and artists’ colony and fishing center. Winslow Homer painted there; Ernest Hemingway, whose home is a museum,
wrote there.

Located on Roatan, the largest of Honduras’s Bay Islands, the port of Mahogany Bay is a popular Western Caribbean cruise ship stop. Besides its beautiful white sand beach, Mahogany Bay offers plentiful shopping opportunities and easy access to a wide range of land or sea excursions.

They called it worthless. That’s right-the Spanish explorer Alonzo de Ojeda, who claimed Aruba for Spain in 1499, said the island wasn’t worth colonizing. What could he have been thinking? With beautiful beaches, fine snorkeling and watersports, today’s visitors to Aruba enjoy fabulous nightlife, delicious local seafood, and the genuine friendliness of Aruba’s unique population.

The Spanish may not have been impressed, but the Dutch were. Arriving in force in 1634, they’ve entwined their culture, language and cuisine with that of the natives, giving the island a flavor all its own.

The island is now home to fabulous resorts, a golf course, a casino and outstanding shopping. The scuba and snorkeling in the clear waters is world famous.

Located on the eastern side of the Andes, north of Santiago, this was one of the earliest Spanish towns, founded in 1562.

Home to fabulous Mayan ruins, Santo Tomas de Castilla conceal the mysteries of the lost world. Walk the stone pathway at the Quirigua National Park past intricately carved stellae and zoomorphisms. Explore Tikal, where an enigmatic jungle plaza is flanked by 7 great stone temples. Or venture into Honduras to explore the ruins at Copan, often called the “Paris of the Mayan World” because of its artistic flair.

Columbus called them Virgins. What he saw in the troika of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John that gave him this impression is not known for sure, but a visitor to any of the three would probably guess it was their natural, unspoiled beauty that inspired him.

But looks aren’t everything–there’s history too. In the 17th century, ownership of St. Thomas was hotly contested by many of the major European powers. Later, swashbucklers like Blackbeard and Drake made the island a base for their operations. And in 1917, St. Thomas and the other Virgins were acquired by the U.S. from Denmark.

Today, St. Thomas has many draws that make it one of the Caribbean’s most popular vacation spots–not the least of which is the fabulous duty free shopping. Some would contend that with sufficient purchases, one may actually cover the cost of the trip in savings alone. There’s only one way to find out–you gotta be there.

Tampa, (tàm´pe) city (1990 pop. 280,015; met. area 2,067,959), seat of Hillsborough co., W Fla., a port on Tampa Bay; inc. 1855. A highly industrialized city, it is the center of a metropolitan area that includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg. It is a resort and processing and shipping hub for the area’s products, particularly phosphates. It has a shrimp fleet, breweries, and a famous cigar industry, centered in its colorful Ybor City section. Nearby Busch Gardens, a theme park
with an African zoo and tropical gardens, is a well-known tourist attraction. The Spanish explored the area in 1528, but European settlement began only in 1823. Tampa was an important military base in the Spanish-American War.

One of the busiest ports in the Caribbean, Willemstad is the capital city of Curacao. Since 1997 the city centre, with its unique architecture and harbour entry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other attractions include fine shopping and elegant dining options in the Punda district, almost 40 beautiful beaches, superb snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities, several casinos and more.