Valparaiso has long inspired writers, poets, musicians and artists. Though a bit rough, its bohemian charm, street art, nightlife, live music, colorful clifftop homes and striking architecture make it one of Chile's most beloved cities. Founded in 1536 by Juan de Saavedra, it still has colonial buildings despite fires and earthquakes. Nearby are Pablo Neruda's ship-shaped house and the Casablanca Valley vineyards, while Chile's wine culture also gave rise to pisco.

Robinson Crusoe Island, 600 km off Chile, is the largest of the Juan Fernández Islands. A rugged volcanic island, 70% of its plant species are endemic. Since 1935 the archipelago has been a Chilean National Park and since 1977 a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Selkirk was marooned here in 1704, inspiring Robinson Crusoe. San Juan Bautista was founded in 1750. In 1915 the cruiser Dresden was scuttled nearby. About 1,000 people live there, mostly fishing spiny lobster.

Hop on board of our luxury cruise to discover the now famous as the world's largest 'open air museum'! Easter Island welcomes you to discover the "Moai" and their authentic human-like statues that can be found on the island.

Hop on board of our luxury cruise to discover the now famous as the world's largest 'open air museum'! Easter Island welcomes you to discover the "Moai" and their authentic human-like statues that can be found on the island.

Adamstown is the capital of Pitcairn Islands, the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific. Pitcairn is the only inhabited island; about 50 people live there. In 1790, nine Bounty mutineers, six Tahitian men, 12 Tahitian women and one child settled there, burning the ship in Bounty Bay. The settlement later collapsed; by 1800 only John Adams remained. He taught the women and children to read and write from the Bible, now in the local museum.

Mangareva, the largest island in French Polynesia's Gambier Islands, has over 1,200 residents, most in Rikitea, its main village. A central ridge runs the island and peaks at Mt. Duff, over 440 m high. Its lagoon, with coral reefs, tropical fish, and black-lip oysters, has long helped sustain islanders; small ships can enter it. Visitors can tour Rikitea, see 19th-century stone and coral ruins, climb Mt. Duff, and visit the cathedral with its mother-of-pearl altar and 1830s-1840s furnishings.

Remote and beautifully untouched, Hanavave on Fatu Hiva is one of the most striking arrivals in French Polynesia. Steep green cliffs plunge to a sheltered bay, while the tiny village offers a glimpse of quiet island life, rich Polynesian culture and warm local hospitality. Shore visitors come for dramatic scenery, black-sand beaches, hiking and the sense of reaching a faraway paradise.

Hiva Oa, the largest southern Marquesan island, rivals Nuku Hiva and is shaped like a seahorse. A mountain range from southwest to northeast, with Mt. Temetiu and Mt. Feani, surrounds Atuona. This quiet port on Taaoa (Traitors) Bay is famous as the final resting place of Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel; their tombs in Calvary cemetery draw pilgrims. The Gauguin Museum displays items from the artist's stay and copies of his works.

Fakarava is an oblong Tuamotu atoll, the second largest, 450 km NE of Tahiti and 120 km SE of Rangiroa. Its eastern edge has a 40 km reef-and-motu chain. It is known for drift diving at Garuae Pass near Rotoava and Tamakohua Pass in the south. Tetamanu by the southern pass was the old capital and has the archipelago's first church (1874). Declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2006, it has no overwater bungalows. Bellingshausen "discovered" it in 1820; missionaries arrived later.

Moorea is a rugged, triangular high island in French Polynesia, often likened to a heart or bat. Its eight peaks rise to 1,207 m. A reef surrounds a narrow lagoon (a RAMSAR wetland) with few motu and sharks and rays. About one-eighth Tahiti's size, it has a relaxed feel, a road around the island, and 18,000 residents, many commuting to Tahiti by ferry. Visitors arrive via Temae airport or ships into north-coast bays, including Cook's Bay.

Papeete is the capital and gateway to French Polynesia, a tropical paradise of islands, beaches, and turquoise seas. It's a superb base for exploring Tahiti, with clear lagoons for snorkeling, black volcanic beaches, blowholes, and lush green mountains. Visit to relax and soak up the rhythm of Polynesian life.

Raiatea, the "Sacred Island," is a key site for Polynesian origins. Its best-known landmark is the Taputaputea Marae, a large ancient temple complex still intact, with traces of old rituals including a sacrificial stone. The Faaroa River is French Polynesia's only navigable waterway. Mount Temehani is a demanding trek and home to the rare white tiare apetahi flower, found only above 1,300 ft and protected by law.

Bora Bora is a dream island: blue seas, white beaches, palm trees and vivid marine life. Famous for romantic sunsets, it offers more than honeymoons-lagoon excursions, underwater scooters, aqua safaris, and island tours, often stopping at Bloody Mary Restaurant & Bar. Its history includes a WWII US supply base ("Operation Bobcat") with ships, equipment, troops and coastal cannons. It was once called Vava'u, suggesting Tongan colonization before French annexation in 1888.

Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands, is warm, lush, and welcoming. Settled about 1,500 years ago by traditional canoes, it holds most of the population and services. An eroded volcano with rainforest, white coral beaches, a lagoon, and reef defines it. Visitors enjoy culture, activities, and inland treks past the Needle. Birds include the Cook Islands Fruit Dove and the recovered Kakerori, which rose from 29 in 1989 to over 500.

Lonely Planet's co-founder calls Aitutaki "the world's most beautiful island," and it's easy to see why. In the Cook Islands, it has white sand, turquoise waters, and a spectacular reef-enclosed lagoon, making it a top diving and snorkeling spot. Its Polynesian history dates to around 900 AD, later shaped by missionaries and the Mutiny on the Bounty era. Traditional songs, dances, and Christian hymns remain part of island life, and visitors entering the main village may face a warrior challenge.

Palmerston is a low-lying atoll inhabited by three families, all descendants of William Marsters (1831-1899). Locals greet visitors and guide small boats and Zodiacs through coral reefs to the only inhabited islet, "Home," where the community often comes ashore. Highlights: church, oldest house, cemetery, school, underground gardens, and "Duke's Pool." The lagoon has reef fish, sea cucumbers, rays, turtles, and birds like tropicbirds, boobies, noddies, frigatebirds, and terns.

Alofi, on Niue ("The Rock"/"Savage Island"), is a tiny capital of about 600 people, making it the world's second-smallest capital city. Though it has an international airport, tourism is limited. Niue is known for rocky coves, reef pools, forest, caves, and snorkelling at Alofi Bay. The island also has a spiritual history: past worship included tugi e mama fire ceremonies, and today there is little organized religion, but sacred taugas are set aside for birds and crabs.

Eueiki is a 19-hectare privately owned South Pacific island in Tonga's Vava'u group, with white sand, coconut palms, calm turquoise seas, coral reefs, and a small resort. Made of uplifted limestone, it offers birdlife such as Polynesian Trillers, Tongan Whistlers, Pacific Pigeons, and Flying Foxes. Its clear reefs are great for snorkeling, with diverse corals and fish, including anemonefish ("Nemos").

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Leleuvia is a tiny low-lying island southeast of Ovalau, about 500 m long, with a small resort. Near Bau, Moturiki and Ovalau, it has an easy western reef with colorful fish, sea kraits by the north pier, and a surprisingly rich forest of tamanu, lantern tree, fish-poison tree and beach gardenia, plus beach hibiscus, heliotrope and Pacific rosewood that attract Sacred Kingfishers, Orange-breasted Honeyeaters and Pacific Swallows.

Lautoka, Fiji's second-largest city, offers beaches, turquoise seas, jungle, and rich local culture. Known as the "Sugar City," it's named for a spear-duel legend and centers on sugar trade. Visit botanical gardens, temples, cafes, mills, and the lively market, plus see warrior dances and firewalking. Nearby highlights include the Blue Lagoon, mineral-rich mud pools and spas, and Savala Island, with soft sand, reefs, and great snorkeling.