Miami and South Beach blend iconic movie backdrops with Latin American culture: Art Deco streets, Wynwood's murals, and Little Havana's café cortadito, sugarcane juice, beer, ice cream, dominoes, cigars, and politics. Add salsa, designer shopping, speedboats, and the Everglades for rare wildlife.

Puerto Plata, the "Silver Coast" queen, is prized for cloud-shrouded peaks and gleaming beaches. Once plundered by pirates, it still invites you to storm the 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe. Today it lures visitors with aged rum, cigars, and chocolate. Adventurers can ride to Pico Isabel de Torres (793 m/2,602 ft), off-road to Damajagua Waterfalls, or kite-surf, catamaran, and zip-line over the ocean. Save time for a beach club and coconut cocktails.

Philipsburg is the capital of Dutch Sint Maarten on the island shared with French Saint Martin. Set beside Great Bay, its colorful streets are lined with Dutch shops selling chocolates, cheeses, and luxury goods. Enjoy kayaking in blue waters, reef diving, horseback rides on plantation trails, casinos, or golf by the sea. Every moment feels royal.

In dainty Terre-de-Haute, diminutive sibling of Guadeloupe and queen of the Îles des Saintes, French charm and Caribbean culture are woven together in laid-back towns and sleepy fishing villages. High above, Fort Napoleon and Le Chameau peak are flanked by fragrant forests of fern and frangipani, overlooking picture-perfect landscapes bathed in golden sunlight and sailboats afloat on gin-clear bays.

Formed by volcanoes, St Kitts has rich, fertile soil and lush rainforest. Hike Mount Liamuiga to its mile-wide crater, or descend to smell the sulphur. Try a scenic train ride, sailing, cooking class, sky-safari zip-line, or batik workshop. Visit sugarcane plantations, the Narrows, and UNESCO Brimstone Hill Fortress for island views. Small in size, big on charm.

Explore America's oldest city for Caribbean history, Spanish culture, and the American dream. Wander Old San Juan's alleys past centuries-old forts and colorful colonial buildings. Learn to move to salsa and reggae, shop boho streets or luxe boutiques for artisan goods, designer pieces, and hand-rolled cigars. Enjoy world-class surfing, a tropical rainforest, a private rum cocktail tasting, and empanadas. End on beautiful beaches with crystal-clear water and maybe one last rum cocktail.