According to the popular 1960 beach movie, Fort Lauderdale is “where the boys are.” The city’s reputation as America’s Spring Break capital, however, has been replaced with the more favorable image of a prime family tourist destination, attracting more than 10 million visitors annually. The most popular beach resort in Florida is even more rightly famed as the “Yachting Capital of the World,” with more than 40,000 registered crafts calling its waters home. The city also prides itself on being the “Venice of America” with more than 300 miles of navigable waterways. Fort Lauderdale boasts world-class theaters, museums, sightseeing, and shopping.

Historians still contend over which European adventurer first spied the largest island in the former Netherlands Antilles. Some historians claim the honor for Alonzo de Ojeda; other historians champion Amerigo Vespucci. Little does it matter; today’s travelers are content to bask beneath sunny skies cooled by the trade winds. Lying some 40 miles off Venezuela, Curaçao boasts a landscape that is dramatic, stark, and volcanic. In contrast, Willemstad, the capital, seems a cozy Dutch haven with its neat row houses. And while those gabled and tiled roofs illustrate the island’s heritage, the bright, pastel houses speak pure Caribbean. Islanders themselves reflect this same colorful contrast: over 50 different nationalities have come to call Curaçao their home.

Cruising through the Panama Canal will be one of the unforgettable experiences of your voyage. It takes approximately eight hours to navigate the 50-mile waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allowing you to experience firsthand one of the engineering marvels of the 20th century. Completed in 1914, the canal marks the culmination of a dream born in 1513, when Balboa became the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and sight the Pacific. In 1880 Ferdinand de Lesseps and the French Canal company, builders of the Suez Canal, began construction in Panama, only to be defeated by disease, staggering cost overruns, and massive engineering problems. The French sold their claim and properties to the United States for $40 million, a staggering loss of $247 million on their investment. The United States began construction in 1904, completing the project in 10 years at a cost of $387 million. Building the canal meant solving three problems: engineering, sanitation, and organization. The project, for example, required carving a channel through the Continental Divide and creating the then-largest man-made lake ever built, as well as defeating yellow fever and other tropical maladies. The United States oversaw the operation of the Panama Canal until December 31, 1999, when the Republic of Panama assumed responsibility for the canal’s administration. The Panamanian government controls the canal through the Panama Canal Authority, an independent government agency created for the purpose of managing the canal.

Fuerte Amador, situated at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal is a manmade peninsula extending out into the Pacific Ocean. This one-mile causeway connects four small islands. There are shops and restaurants on a large marina that provides a panoramic view of Panama City’s impressive skyline and serves as the home for the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research. A major cruise hub, this bustling port provides a great launching point for further exploration. From here, take in the sights of Panama City, the region’s dynamic trade capital.

To Spanish explorers, the rumors of gold and vast riches could only mean that this section of Central America was the costa rica – the “Rich Coast.” Hailed as the Switzerland of the Americas, Costa Rica occupies a unique position, lying between two oceans and two continents. On both coasts, tropical rainforests rise to the mountains of the interior, many of which soar over 13,000 feet above sea level. In the west, a seemingly endless succession of brown-sand beaches forms the nation’s Pacific coast. Puntarenas is your gateway to Costa Rica’s wonders – and to its capital city of San Jose.

Nicaragua is the largest Central American nation and has stunning landscapes, vast cultural treasures, and an intriguing history. Until recent times Nicaragua was unfortunately known for the civil war (Sandinistas and Contras) that raged from the late 70s through much of the 80s. Today, the soldiers and guerrillas have given way sightseeing in a beautiful country. From strolling the cobblestone streets of colonial Granada on Lake Nicaragua, to exploring one of the many volcanoes, Nicaragua has something for even the most seasoned traveler.

This small beach and fishing village is perfectly situated at the foothills of the Sierra Madre and the Pacific coastline, providing over 20 miles of unspoiled beaches to explore. For an unforgettable adventure, go in search of the secret coves and hidden lagoons within its nine bays. These nine bays bordered by 36 golden-sand beaches form the beautiful Las Bahias de Huatulco in the state of Oaxaca.

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in Jalisco state. It is known for its beaches, water sports and nightlife scene. Its cobblestone center is home to the ornate Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, boutique shops and a range of restaurants and bars.

Los Angeles is a huge metropolis with Hispanic roots and Hollywood glam. San Pedro serves as the port of Los Angeles and the gateway to the numerous neighborhoods and districts of “L.A.” waiting to be explored. You can find restaurants, shopping and museums — all of world-class caliber. Plus, parks, hiking trails and walking tours, too. And beaches? There’s a whole coastline of choices — from Redondo and Santa Monica to the shores of Malibu.