Galveston, on a barrier island off Texas's northern Gulf Coast, blends preserved Victorian architecture with beaches. Stroll the Strand for 19th-century brick facades, boutiques, and eateries. Visit Moody Gardens for marine life, a rainforest, and science exhibits. Explore museums on seaport history, WWII naval vessels, railroads, and offshore oil. Finish with Gulf seafood at waterfront restaurants.

From duty-free shopping and Seven Mile Beach to the Cayman Islands National Museum, Pedro St. James National Historic Site, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, and a rum distillery tour, this quaint capital offers something for everyone.

Warm Caribbean waters with excellent diving, white sand beaches, and tropical sunsets are some of the attractions of the Bay Islands. Roatan's major source of income is tourism, particularly because of SCUBA diving attractions. The underwater environment is rich and extensive with reefs surrounding the islands, often within swimming distance of the shore. Caves and caverns are a common feature, with a variety of sponge and the best collection of pillar coral.

Belize City was founded in the mid-17th century by British lumber harvesters. The city was ideal for the British as a central post because it was a natural outlet for local rivers and creeks down which the British shipped logwood and mahogany. Belize became independent in 1981, following a United Nations declaration to the effect. A British military force was maintained in Belize until 1993, when the government announced Belize would be handed over on January 1, 1994.

Costa Maya is the closest port of access to many of the lesser known Mayan ruins in the Yucatan including Chacchoben and Kohunlich. These sites are substantially less excavated than the better known pyramids near Cancun. The Mexican government is trying to improve the standard of living for the Indian population. The path chosen to do this in the Costa Maya area is to develop small-scale ecological based tourism destinations, including natural reserve parks.

Cozumel, Mexico's largest inhabited island, is famed for world-class coral reefs praised by Jacques Cousteau in 1959. Diving is the main draw, but you'll also find Mayan culture, white-sand beaches, and lively neighborhoods. Highlights include the UNESCO-listed ruins of Chichen Itza, the jungle mangroves and Mayan ruins of Faro Celerain Ecological Reserve, and shopping for crafts, jewelry, replicas, cigars, and tequila along Rafael Melgar and Plaza del Sol.

Galveston, on a barrier island off Texas's northern Gulf Coast, blends preserved Victorian architecture with beaches. Stroll the Strand for 19th-century brick facades, boutiques, and eateries. Visit Moody Gardens for marine life, a rainforest, and science exhibits. Explore museums on seaport history, WWII naval vessels, railroads, and offshore oil. Finish with Gulf seafood at waterfront restaurants.