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.

Mango-scented reveries on flour-soft beaches. Tinkling ice cubes in rummy cocktails. Rainbow marine life in crystalline coral gardens. Welcome to Catalina Island, an earthly paradise where trails meander through fragrant forests and merengue rhythms drift on the breeze. Fortune awaits in the sunken wreckage of Captain Kidd's ship, home of silent sponges and sentinel seahorses, an underwater kingdom awaiting discovery.

Experience the US Virgin Islands' mix of heritage and island charm: sparkly St. Thomas has a flawless capital with local culture, boutiques, Danish street names, pirate lore, historic landmarks, cable-car views, and Frenchtown's restaurants. Ferry to St. John for scenic beauty, diamond-sand beaches, clear blue water, and forest hikes. Caribbean warmth, Danish roots, and American influence make this a unique culture clash.

Experience Anguilla's blissfully quiet, laid-back island life: roam with wildlife, learn its quirky history, and explore Katouche Cave. Take a guided quad bike tour for a glimpse of island life, then sail across electric-blue seas to remote Little Bay, where jagged cliffs meet pristine sand. Kayak or paddleboard to secluded coves, and unwind with cocktails and butter-soaked grilled lobster at beach bars with the softest white sand underfoot.

St. John, the smallest US Virgin Island, is lined with quiet coves and hidden harbours. Relax on Trunk Bay's turquoise water and powder-soft sand. Virgin Islands National Park covers two-thirds of the island, protecting forested valleys, indigenous rock art, old sugar plantation ruins, and scenic hiking trails. Kayak the mangroves of Hurricane Hole or snorkel Maho Bay, where turtles and rays glide through clear water.

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.