Uncrowded Caribbean Islands with Havana

Discovered by Columbus in 1496, Santo Domingo is the New World’s oldest colonial city. A beautiful place to simply walk around, the cobbled streets of Santo Domingo are lined with 15^th & 16^th century buildings that remind you of the city’s unique history.

Among the historic buildings you will also find modern creature comforts such as shopping malls, restaurants, bars and cafes. Events and festivals often take place and visitors are encouraged to get involved and experience the Dominican’s exciting, vibrant atmosphere. Be sure to explore the Colonial Zone and the Malecon. These are the most pedestrian friendly areas in the city and are home to the finest architecture, the best places to visit and finest cuisine.

For those who wish to simply lie back, relax and soak up incredible weather, there are several beautiful beaches within easy reach.

Discovered by Columbus in 1496, Santo Domingo is the New World’s oldest colonial city. A beautiful place to simply walk around, the cobbled streets of Santo Domingo are lined with 15^th & 16^th century buildings that remind you of the city’s unique history.

Among the historic buildings you will also find modern creature comforts such as shopping malls, restaurants, bars and cafes. Events and festivals often take place and visitors are encouraged to get involved and experience the Dominican’s exciting, vibrant atmosphere. Be sure to explore the Colonial Zone and the Malecon. These are the most pedestrian friendly areas in the city and are home to the finest architecture, the best places to visit and finest cuisine.

For those who wish to simply lie back, relax and soak up incredible weather, there are several beautiful beaches within easy reach.

Havana, the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba, is famed for its colonial history and vibrant culture.The city is home to exquisite Spanish colonial architecture, classic American cars, irresistible rhythms of mambo and a confusing jigsaw of grand avenues and cobbled streets.

 A stroll around Habana Vieja, Old Havana, quickly reveals the audacious Latin atmosphere within the imposing coastal fortifications and intimate, traffic-free squares. At its centre, the buildings reflect the city’s vivacious architectural mix: the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the iconic National Capitol Building, the Baroque Catedral de San Cristóbal, and the Plaza Vieja are all worth the effort to uncover.

The art culture is one of the city's biggest revelations, and Cuban creativity is accessible through the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Fusterlandia public art project and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano, which champions the movement of Havana's more contemporary art scene. The city is awash with experimentation, exemplified by the explosion of uber cool cafes and Bohemian bars.

Columbus believed this was the most beautiful land he'd ever seen, and it’s hard not to agree given Cuba's 2,000 miles of tropical coastline, lush mountains and some 300 beaches that melt into azure seas.

Once the largest city in the Caribbean, until an earthquake struck in 1692 and submerged more than half the city, Port Royal today is a historically important settlement in Jamaica, which opened in early 2020 to cruise ships for the first time.[ReadMoreMob] Located at the end of an 18-mile long sand spit close to Kingston, Port Royal has a colourful history and was known for being a pirate hub in the Caribbean during the 17th century, earning it the nickname of ‘the wickedest city in the west’.

Today, the small town has some interesting historical sites, including Fort Charles, which was built in the 1600s and houses a small museum. In addition, the portion of the city that sank has been recognised as an important archaeological site. Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, was founded after the 1692 earthquake, and is around 16 miles from Port Royal. The vibrant city is known for being the birthplace of Bob Marley, who grew up in Trench Town, as well as the beautiful Devon House, a landmark of the city which serves some truly delicious ice cream.

Kralendijk, the lively, Dutch-controlled capital of Bonaire, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and fantastic Caribbean climate. This colourful town is characterised by its many beaches dotted with quaint stucco houses in pastel shades of pink, green and blue.

Surrounded by the protected Marine Park, the island’s waters are home to large numbers of tropical fauna, rare seabirds and sea life, including turtles, tuna, Blue Marlin and sailfish.[ReadMoreMob] Washington Slagbaai National Park is a great place to spot flamingos, iguanas and giant cacti, while sun-worshippers intent on pure relaxation can enjoy the gorgeous white-sand beach on the nearby uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire.

In Kralendijk itself, interesting shops sell jewellery, wood and leather products hand-crafted by the locals. There are plenty of restaurants selling an enticing mixture of cuisine, from Creole dishes, such as grilled spicy fish, goat stew and cactus soup to local versions of Dutch foods, such as smoked meat and excellent cheese. The locally brewed beer is also worth trying, as is the creamy hot chocolate.

Basse-Terre, the main city on the island of the same name, is the administrative capital of French overseas region Guadeloupe, and the ideal place from which to explore all of the natural beauty that the island has to offer.[ReadMoreMob] Separated from Grand-Terre by a narrow river, the island of Basse-Terre is an ecological paradise, with the sprawling Parc National de la Guadeloupe in the centre of the island and one of the country’s most glorious beaches in the north.

The city of Basse-Terre sits in the shadow of La Soufrière, an active volcano reaching almost 1,500 metres high. Located within Parc National de la Guadeloupe, La Soufrière is the highest point in the Lesser Antilles. Another highlight within the national park is Les Chutes du Carbet, a series of waterfalls that cascade down through La Soufrière’s forested slopes. In the northwest of the island, Grand Anse beach in Deshaies is picture perfect. A kilometre stretch of glorious sandy beach that sits between the vibrant ocean and lush rolling hills.

With some of the oldest colonial buildings in the Caribbean, the elegant St. Kitts & Nevis capital of Basseterre is a beautiful town bursting with history. 

Established by the French in the 17th century, and claimed by the British following the Napoleonic War, much of Basseterre’s original Georgian architecture still stands and begs to be explored.[ReadMoreMob] The domed Old Treasury Building on the waterfront – now the National Museum – is worth a visit, as is the Victorian Berkeley Memorial Clock, a four-face, cast-iron tower that sits on the Circus, an original 19th century traffic roundabout. St George’s, an Anglican church originally built by the French, has been destroyed by fire several times, and was rebuilt to its present form in 1869.

Away from the town, visitors can take a tour to Brimstone Hill Fortress to admire magnificent views across the island, travel on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway – said to be one of the most attractive train journeys in the world.

Discovered by Columbus in 1496, Santo Domingo is the New World’s oldest colonial city. A beautiful place to simply walk around, the cobbled streets of Santo Domingo are lined with 15^th & 16^th century buildings that remind you of the city’s unique history.

Among the historic buildings you will also find modern creature comforts such as shopping malls, restaurants, bars and cafes. Events and festivals often take place and visitors are encouraged to get involved and experience the Dominican’s exciting, vibrant atmosphere. Be sure to explore the Colonial Zone and the Malecon. These are the most pedestrian friendly areas in the city and are home to the finest architecture, the best places to visit and finest cuisine.

For those who wish to simply lie back, relax and soak up incredible weather, there are several beautiful beaches within easy reach.