Bermuda

The city comprises the central island of Manhattan along with four other boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. To many, Manhattan is New York. The 22-square-mile island is divided into the three districts of Downtown, Midtown and Upper Manhattan. There are countless museums, theaters, restaurants and parks. Many residents never get to see it all in a lifetime, so don’t expect to take it all in during one visit.

A charming stack of pastel-coloured buildings clamour over the waterfront of Bermuda’s pretty capital, Hamilton. Light paints bathe the island’s buildings in bright floral colours, and whether you want to swing your shoulders on lush green fairways, or your hips during lively street parties – Hamilton has a rhythm for everyone. The decorative hues of Front Street’s buildings ooze colonial charm, and a stroll along the seafront promenade is the perfect way to acquaint yourself. View less

There’s more gorgeous colour at the island’s legendary beaches, where pink sands slip into turquoise waves. Dive offshore into teeming reefs, take glass-bottom boats, or stroll on the powder as dazzling sunset displays unfurl. Take in the palatial mansions of Billionaire’s Row, or whack golfballs into the crisp blue sky, as the sea washes beside you. While Bermuda is best known for its silky soft sands, there’s one beach where you won’t want to go barefoot. Sea Glass Beach is covered by sea-rounded glass pieces, which chime and tinkle as the waves rolls in over them. Historic forts like Fort Hamilton offer perfectly manicured swathes of lawn, palm trees and lashings of military pomp – along with sweeping views of the sparkling sea and harbour. See stern-faced sea turtles, tropical fish and seals splashing around in the waters – as well as vibrant flamingos and cheeky lemurs – at Bermuda’s aquarium and zoo. Or the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute offers a deep dive into the area’s history – exploring everything from mankind’s environmental impact, to the Bermuda Triangle’s legendary, ship-swallowing mythology.

A charming stack of pastel-coloured buildings clamour over the waterfront of Bermuda’s pretty capital, Hamilton. Light paints bathe the island’s buildings in bright floral colours, and whether you want to swing your shoulders on lush green fairways, or your hips during lively street parties – Hamilton has a rhythm for everyone. The decorative hues of Front Street’s buildings ooze colonial charm, and a stroll along the seafront promenade is the perfect way to acquaint yourself. View less

There’s more gorgeous colour at the island’s legendary beaches, where pink sands slip into turquoise waves. Dive offshore into teeming reefs, take glass-bottom boats, or stroll on the powder as dazzling sunset displays unfurl. Take in the palatial mansions of Billionaire’s Row, or whack golfballs into the crisp blue sky, as the sea washes beside you. While Bermuda is best known for its silky soft sands, there’s one beach where you won’t want to go barefoot. Sea Glass Beach is covered by sea-rounded glass pieces, which chime and tinkle as the waves rolls in over them. Historic forts like Fort Hamilton offer perfectly manicured swathes of lawn, palm trees and lashings of military pomp – along with sweeping views of the sparkling sea and harbour. See stern-faced sea turtles, tropical fish and seals splashing around in the waters – as well as vibrant flamingos and cheeky lemurs – at Bermuda’s aquarium and zoo. Or the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute offers a deep dive into the area’s history – exploring everything from mankind’s environmental impact, to the Bermuda Triangle’s legendary, ship-swallowing mythology.

A charming stack of pastel-coloured buildings clamour over the waterfront of Bermuda’s pretty capital, Hamilton. Light paints bathe the island’s buildings in bright floral colours, and whether you want to swing your shoulders on lush green fairways, or your hips during lively street parties – Hamilton has a rhythm for everyone. The decorative hues of Front Street’s buildings ooze colonial charm, and a stroll along the seafront promenade is the perfect way to acquaint yourself. View less

There’s more gorgeous colour at the island’s legendary beaches, where pink sands slip into turquoise waves. Dive offshore into teeming reefs, take glass-bottom boats, or stroll on the powder as dazzling sunset displays unfurl. Take in the palatial mansions of Billionaire’s Row, or whack golfballs into the crisp blue sky, as the sea washes beside you. While Bermuda is best known for its silky soft sands, there’s one beach where you won’t want to go barefoot. Sea Glass Beach is covered by sea-rounded glass pieces, which chime and tinkle as the waves rolls in over them. Historic forts like Fort Hamilton offer perfectly manicured swathes of lawn, palm trees and lashings of military pomp – along with sweeping views of the sparkling sea and harbour. See stern-faced sea turtles, tropical fish and seals splashing around in the waters – as well as vibrant flamingos and cheeky lemurs – at Bermuda’s aquarium and zoo. Or the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute offers a deep dive into the area’s history – exploring everything from mankind’s environmental impact, to the Bermuda Triangle’s legendary, ship-swallowing mythology.

Cherry red roofs, yacht-sprinkled bays and a sophisticated French flavour all add to the gorgeous Caribbean allure of Gustavia. The island’s capital rolls around a horseshoe-shaped harbour, where gleaming yachts hover and fancy boutiques, bars and restaurants fizz with life and clinking cutlery. Head up to red and white Gustavia Lighthouse to look down over the revered waters, which attract many a celebrity guest and diving enthusiast to these shores. View less

Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover this volcanic island in 1493, giving it the name St Barthelemy in honour of his younger brother. The island has a unique history as a Swedish colony, following a deal with the French King Louis XVI to exchange the island with Sweden for better trading rights. It was returned to French control in 1878 and is now a French Overseas Collectivity. Learn more of the Swedish legacy at Fort Karl – which sits on a 29-metre-high hill above Shell Beach. The fort now lies in ruins, but you’ll meet wandering iguanas, and the views down of sweeping sea and emerald coastline are some of the island’s finest. Down below, a delightful spread of tiny pebbles and shell fragments are scattered like confetti and lapped by crystal-clear water. A little exploration uncovers countless other glorious beaches and natural wonders. Colombier Beach is a little out of the way but cradles silky-smooth sands and typically turquoise waters. If you have chance, find somewhere to settle and sip fruity rum cocktails as the sunset flares across the waves.

Bright and brilliant colours coat the waterfront buildings of Willemstad, gleaming attractively below the generous Caribbean sun. The capital of the Carribean island Curacao, Willemstad is famous for its technicolour UNESCO World Heritage Site city centre, and a narrow channel connects the sea with the Schottegat harbour, which expands inland like a blooming flower. Settled by the Dutch in the 1630s, they brought colourful architecture, lavish red-roofed mansions, and gorgeous European-style waterfront buildings to this beautiful Caribbean island. View less

Watching over the entrance to this luxurious port is Rif Fort – a 19th-century fortress, which looms above the Sint Anna Bay channel. From here, wind your way to the Queen Emma Bridge – a pontoon bridge known as the Swinging Old Lady, which was built in 1888 to connect Otrobanda and Punda. Enjoy the wonderful views of Willemstad’s lavish, pastel-coloured Punda waterfront set before you. Visit the small boats that pull up side by side to sell juicy fruits and vegetables, in a floating market on the waters below. At sunset, the gingerbread stretch bathes in lights, glowing evocatively as the last of the evening’s light ebbs away. Wander Willemstad to discover the lemon-shaded Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, said to be the oldest synagogue in the Americas, see the historic liqueur distillery or head for Queen Wilhelmina Park – where the letters ‘DUSHI’ are spelt out in a standing sign. You’ll hear this word a lot – the island’s favourite way of describing the little things that make life worth living. The beaches of Curacao are certainly ‘dushi’, with tempting sandy curves on practically every corner. Snorkel in the turquoise waves, among dashing fish life and sleek sea turtles.

Aruba, the smallest of the so-called ABC Islands, lies a mere 15 miles north of Venezuela. Like its sister islands, Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba has scant vegetation. Its landscape consists mainly of scruffy bits of foliage, including cacti and the curious wind-bent divi-divi trees, huge boulders and interesting caves. The chief attractions are the magnificent beaches, turquoise waters and spectacular marine life, which lure scores of visitors each year to the island. Palm Beach is said to be one of the ten best beaches in the world. Here a string of hotels with glitzy casinos, restaurants and exotic boutiques line several miles of white sand beach. The crystal-clear waters are ideal for swimming and all kinds of watersports. If you prefer to stay dry, you may enjoy Aruba’s exotic underwater world on a submarine excursion.
Gold was discovered on the island in 1825, but by 1916 mining was no longer economical. In 1929 it was oil that brought prosperity to Aruba. A large refinery was built at the island’s eastern end, employing at that time over 8,000 people. When the refinery was closed in 1985, Arubans were forced to look for other sources of income, concentrating their efforts on the development of tourism. Today, education, housing and health care are largely financed by an economy based on tourism. Recognizing this fact, the island’s residents are sincere when they extend to visitors the greeting “Bonbini,” the native Papiamento word for “Welcome.”

With its heady mix of Creole culture and French sophistication, there is more than a pinch of je ne sais quoi in Fort de France. The capital of Martinique, and by far the biggest city in the whole of the French West Indies, if you are looking for Paris in the Caribbean, you’ll find it in Fort de France.

The island has been under French govern since 1638 when the first governor of Martinique Jacques Dyel du Parquet commissioned a fort (from which the city takes its name) to keep out invaders. Not even an unsuccessful attack by the British in 1720, nor the French Revolution in 1789, has been able to shake the French govern of the island and today the city’s French and Creole heritage are impossible to untangle. The colonial past is everywhere, take a stroll down the narrow streets and enjoy the remarkable architecture of the Schœlcher Library, St. Louis Cathedral and the Old Town Hall. Among the many legacies Dyel du Parquet left on the island is sugarcane. A drive through the tropical forests will not only reward you with trees bending under the weight of papayas, mangoes and bananas, but will also afford superb vistas of the elegant plant swaying in the breeze. The arrival and subsequent export of sugar brought the French bourgeoisie in their droves and many of their mansions are still standing. Josephine de Beauharnais, the Napoleonic Empress of “not tonight” fame, hails from the island and those interested will find her childhood home, La Pagerie in nearby Trois Ilets.