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.

Dutch influence still lingers on this balmy Caribbean island, part of the former Netherlands Antilles until its independence in 1986. Aruba is a contrast: the island’s arid interior is dotted with cactus and windswept divi-divi trees while secluded coves and sandy beaches make up its coast. Aruba’s long and colorful heritage is reflected in its dialect. Called Papiamento, it is a tongue that combines elements of Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, African and English.

Set against a picturesque natural bay, this walled city is one of Spain’s best-kept secrets, boasting a proud naval history that dates back for centuries. Visits its bars and shops, and or course, its fascinating ruins that encompass the rule of Carthaginians, Romans, Moors among others.

Colón is the second largest city in Panama, situated on the Atlantic coast at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal. It was made a duty-free port in 1953 and is the world’s largest Free Trade Zone outside Hong Kong.

Costa Rica’s Limon Province boasts pristine beaches, sprawling banana plantations and dense rainforest.

These Caribbean lowlands are still sparsely populated–nearly a third of the province’s population lives around Puerto Limon–and conservation efforts have led to growing eco-tourism. Limon Province offers other charms as well. Afro-Caribbean influences abound, from the lilting speech and reggae rhythms brought by Jamaican settlers to the colorful bungalows lining small fishing villages. Limon is a zesty little slice of heaven.

When Columbus made his landfall in the Caymans in 1503, he found tortoises and sea turtles in such profusion that he promptly named the islands Las Tortugas. But the name that stuck for the islands was the Carib word “Caimanas.” Fitting, since the caiman is a New World crocodilian and the islands were long the lair of pirates, buccaneers, and assorted freebooters. Despite their past, the Caymans are a Caribbean demi-paradise of white-sand beaches, coral gardens, and offshore waters harboring spectacular shipwrecks. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman also boast the highest standard of living in the entire Caribbean. This union of natural beauty and cosmopolitan style makes Grand Cayman a spectacular port of call for today’s adventurers. Note: Grand Cayman is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender. In certain sea conditions, an alternate pier is used to transfer passengers ashore. This may cause tour durations to vary.

Mayan myth claims that Cozumel was home to the gods. Truly Cozumel is a place fit for the gods, with its dazzling white-sand beaches, ruined Mayan temples, exotic jungle wildlife, and crystalline waters teeming with tropical fish. Just offshore lay Palancar Reef, considered one of the most spectacular coral formations in all the Caribbean. Of course, the gods weren’t the only individuals attracted to this terrestrial paradise: during its long and colorful history, Cozumel has been home to pirates, buccaneers, and freebooters, including Sir Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte. Today’s traveler will discover the same ravishing beauty and relaxation that entertained gods and pirates alike.

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.