Caribbean

The wild east coast — dramatic Atlantic surf crashing over mushroom-shaped boulders, the legendary Soup Bowl surf break, and the most dramatic non-beach scenery in Barbados.

The UNESCO capital of the most sophisticated Caribbean island — the birthplace of rum, Crop Over Festival, stunning colonial chattel houses, and the best flying fish sandwich in the world.

The first English settlement in Barbados — upscale west coast beaches, world-class restaurants, the platinum coast snorkeling, and where the island's finest rum shops gather.

The real Barbados — a fishing village fish fry on Friday and Saturday nights where locals and travellers share tables, rum punch flows, and the freshest marlin goes straight from boat to grill.

Little Bristol — the most authentic town in Barbados, a quiet north coast fishing village of colonial wooden buildings, the Arlington House Museum, and the best rum shop conversations.

The Paris of Cuba — a UNESCO-listed city of French neoclassical architecture on a stunning bay, the most elegant promenade in the Caribbean, and excellent seafood.

Frozen in time and utterly alive — 1950s American cars, crumbling colonial Habana Vieja, salsa spilling from every doorway, mojitos at La Bodeguita del Medio, and the most complex city in the Caribbean.

Cuba's second city and revolutionary birthplace — the most African-influenced culture on the island, the birthplace of son music, the Moncada Barracks, and Carnaval.

Cuba's best-preserved colonial town — cobblestone streets, pastel colonial houses, the best casa particular scene, and the nightlife at Canchánchara bar that goes until sunrise.

Cuba's most dramatic landscape — mogote limestone karst mountains rising from tobacco fields, classic farmers on horseback, and the freshest hand-rolled cigars on the island.

The kitesurfing capital of the Caribbean — consistent trade winds on a crescent beach, a backpacker party scene, surf schools, and the most energetic town on the north coast.

The City of Eternal Spring — the Dominican Republic's adventure capital in the cool mountains, with whitewater rafting, paragliding, canyoning, and the beautiful Jimenoa waterfalls.

The DR's most cosmopolitan beach town — a French and Italian expat community on a palm-lined beach, excellent seafood, and the gateway to Samaná's natural wonders.

The most unspoiled corner of the DR — humpback whale watching in winter, El Limón waterfall through cacao groves, and the peninsula's empty beaches.

The oldest European city in the Americas — the Zona Colonial's UNESCO streets where Columbus walked, the first cathedral in the New World, and merengue dancing on every corner.

The second city and colonial jewel — the Citadelle Laferrière (a UNESCO fortress on a mountaintop built after the slave revolution), and the palace of Sans-Souci.

The cultural soul of Haiti — a southern port of beautiful 19th-century gingerbread architecture, the best Carnival in the Caribbean, vibrant papier-mâché art tradition, and good beaches.

A stunning private peninsula on Haiti's north coast — turquoise waters, dramatic mountains, and one of the most beautiful natural settings in the Caribbean.

The upscale hillside suburb of Port-au-Prince — Haiti's finest restaurants, the gallery scene of Haitian naive art, and the most functional base for exploring the capital.

A city of extraordinary resilience and creativity — the world's most vibrant Vodou culture, Iron Market's riot of colour, the Musée du Panthéon National, and Haitian art that commands international galleries.

The cool, misty highlands above Kingston — hiking to Jamaica's highest peak, the world's finest single-origin coffee estates, and sweeping views of the whole island.

The reggae capital of the world — Bob Marley's house-museum, Trench Town's cultural yard, Devon House patties, Blue Mountains coffee, and the raw authentic Jamaica.

Seven miles of perfect white sand — the Caribbean's most famous sunset strip, Rick's Café cliff diving, reggae all day, and the most relaxed beach culture in the islands.

Dunn's River Falls and the Mystic Mountain zip-line — Jamaica's most visited destination, with cruise ship crowds offset by the incredible natural attractions.

Jamaica's most beautiful and least touristy corner — the Blue Lagoon, bamboo rafting on the Rio Grande, the Reach Falls, and the lush green hills the celebrities found first.

The only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system — bioluminescent bays, coquí frogs everywhere, 240-plus species of trees, and waterfalls worth every muddy step.

Puerto Rico's southern capital and the Pearl of the South — the finest collection of 19th-century architecture in the Caribbean, the Museo de Arte with 3,000 artworks, and excellent local food.

Puerto Rico's surf capital — consistent winter swells, a community of international surfers, whale watching in season, and the most laid-back village atmosphere on the island.

Cobblestone streets and Instagrammable candy-coloured houses in Old San Juan — the blue cobblestones, El Morro fortress at sunset, world-class rum bars, and the best roasted pork in the Caribbean.

An off-island paradise 8 miles from the mainland — the world's brightest bioluminescent bay at Mosquito Bay, wild horses on empty beaches, and the Caribbean the way it used to be.

One of the world's great birdwatching lodges — a colonial cocoa estate in the Northern Range cloud forest where 170+ species visit the veranda feeders, including the extraordinary oilbird.

Tobago's main town and the island's laid-back heart — the Store Bay Friday fish fry, Pigeon Point's powdery beach, and the starting point for reef diving and Buccoo Reef glass-bottom tours.

Trinidad's iconic beach — a horseshoe of golden sand backed by jungle hills, and the bake-and-shark beach food that is the most debated culinary institution in the Caribbean.

The Carnival capital of the world — the most elaborate street festival on Earth every February, steel pan music invented here, doubles breakfast, and a food culture as diverse as anywhere.

The world's best manta ray dive site — Speyside Bay is where Atlantic mantas gather year-round, plus the most pristine coral reefs in the southern Caribbean.