Sunny Florida skies, year-round warmth, nightlife, and a diverse culture define this cosmopolitan city. South Beach draws crowds, while the Art Deco District is the world's largest collection of Art Deco architecture. Shop from Bal Harbour to Lincoln Road and Coconut Grove, enjoy Cuban culture on Calle Ocho, or visit the historic Venetian Pool. There's something for everyone in this "Gateway to the Americas."

Discover tax-free shopping heaven in Charlotte Amalie, the Caribbean's Mecca. Beyond world-class beaches and snorkeling at Coki, Sapphire, and Trunk Bay, the shopping is unmatched: designer shops on Main Street and countless stores in the side streets. Find jewelry, watches, china, liquor, linens, tobacco, and rum balls. Pause for a creative rum cocktail, then head to Frenchtown for a great meal in lush tropical surroundings.

Antigua, especially St. John's, is a classic British Caribbean destination, with 365 beaches, coral reefs, forts, and colonial architecture. See St. John's Cathedral, rebuilt on the same spot three times after earthquakes, and the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, with island history and semiprecious stones. For nature, visit Nelson's Dockyard National Park or the Shirley Heights trail. St. John's also has nightlife and live music, and local restaurants serve buttery "flying fish."

Castries is St Lucia's capital, commercial center, and main cruise port. Founded by the French around 1768, it changed hands in the early 1800s, when the British made it a major naval port and built fortifications on Morne Fortune above the harbor. Today, visitors can shop duty-free at Pointe Seraphine, explore rain forest in Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve, or take day trips to the Grand Pitons and Fort Charlotte for scenic views and history.

Barbados is ringed by pristine beaches: rugged, hilly east coast on the Atlantic; calmer west coast with most resort hotels, Bridgetown, and colonial settlements. Visit the restored 17th-century Sunbury Plantation House or enjoy views from Gun Hill Signal Station. Go catamaran sailing, Atlantis submersible tours, or off-road island safaris. Don't miss flying fish with a glass of Mount Gay rum.

French Guiana is best known for its infamous penal colony, especially Devil's Island, where convicts were sent from France. The prison settlements were built in 1852. Today the site is overgrown with tropical foliage, softening the old prison buildings. Notable prisoners included Alfred Dreyfus and Henri Charrière, later portrayed in Papillon. Note: due to the destination's underdeveloped nature, organized tours are not available.

The busy port of Belém, Brazil is the gateway to the Amazon, and it is laden with jungle riches like hardwoods, orchids, nuts and minerals. It is known as the Metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region, or Cidade das Mangueiras (city of mango trees) due to the number of those trees found in the city. Belém offers colorful markets, including indigenous handicrafts and quartz jewelry. Nearby is the emerald world of the Amazon's Guama River.

Discover colonial Brazil in Recife and nearby Olinda, with narrow winding streets, restored homes, churches, and plazas. Admire views from Malakoff Tower and Olinda's hilltop plaza. Visit the old Dutch Fort, Jewish Historic Archive, and a local artist's workshop/gallery. Shop for Pernambuco handicrafts-clay figurines, wood sculptures, leather or woven straw items-or find unique trinkets. Enjoy a delicious lobster lunch or whatever your palate desires.

Though less famed than Brazil's coastal giants, Maceió is loved for its relaxed downtown and beautiful beaches north and south. Once a booming sugarcane port, its Old Town features colonial architecture and converted warehouses now filled with dining and nightlife. Try acarajé, a beloved street food. At stunning Gunga Beach, follow the beachfront path past emerald water and white sand, and browse local handicrafts, including renda lace.

The oldest and most historic city in Brazil is renowned for its deeply rooted Afro-Brazilian culture. With an amazing number of magnificent baroque colonial-style churches, Salvador has been nicknamed the 'Black Rome.' Many of the most interesting museums and churches are located in the Cidade Alta. Surrounding Pelourinho Square, tour bright, multi-colored houses, cobbled streets and aromatic markets.

Búzios, a tiny fishing village 105 miles from Rio de Janeiro, is considered one of the world's ten most beautiful places. It rose to fame after Brigitte Bardot visited; a statue of her now stands on the Orla Bardot. Today it's an international resort-like St. Tropez with a Brazilian beat-offering some of South America's most attractive beaches, enough for a different one each hour, caipirinhas in hand.

There's a little bit of Carnival celebrated here everyday. From its famous beaches to its iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio radiates an air of exuberance that is hard to find anywhere else. Make the scene on trendy Ipanema or take a cable car to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain and enjoy the amazing views. Sway your hips to the rhythm at a samba show or enjoy the tranquility of king Dom João VI's Botanical Gardens and verdant Tijuca Forest.