Caribbean Cruise - from Miami - 123539

Miami is a city at the South-East coast of the US state of Florida. The "Coconut Grove" district was the heart of the settlement in 1884. Today, the city is dominated by elegant boutiques and pavement cafés. Often, free street concerts are held in the side streets - usually reggae or jazz music. The city has numerous high-rise buildings, hotel complexes, areas with palm trees, shopping centres, cultural and recreational facilities. Sights include: the Southeast Financial Center - the tallest building in Florida at 55 storeys high; Dade Country Courthouse; Metro Dade Cultural, a cultural centre that houses Miami Dade Main Library; the Centre for Fine Arts and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.

You can do any watersport you can think of here. The island is located on the sheltered side of a coral reef at the centre of a sub-tropical paradise, both on land and under water. The reef along the coast is an insider's tip both for divers and visitors seeking to relax and unwind, who will love the perfect white sandy beaches.

Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao, the largest of the ABC Islands and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1997. The city is divided in two by the entranceway to the port and the famous Emma Bridge connects the two parts. The floating market with sailors and schooners from South America who sell fish, fruit and even monkeys direct from their ships is a must-see. Other sights include Fort Amsterdam, built in the 17th century, the Curaçao Museum with its old furniture and the oldest synagogue in the western world, Mikve Israel Emmanuel Synagogue, which dates from 1732. The houses in the old town, built in the Dutch colonial style, are also well worth a look. The vibrant port town is the perfect place to take a stroll and do some shopping, since it has many shops and shopping arcades

Oranjestad is the capital of Aruba, the smallest of the ABC-Islands and is closest to Venezuela. Oranjestad is a lively little town with many shopping arcades and restaurants. The new houses are a rather bold and colourful echo of the old colonial style, making it seem at times like one has landed in a Caribbean version of Disneyland. This is also where visitors can find the lovely schooner harbour, where there is a daily market. Zoutman Fort, the oldest building on the island, houses the Historical Museum. Every Tuesday a mini music festival is held in the courtyard, providing an insight into island culture. The Archaeological Museum, the Geological Museum and the Numismatics Museum are also worth a visit. Oranjestad is famous for its excellent shopping facilities and the shopping street of Caya Betico Croes offers the greatest choice. In terms of tourism, Aruba is the most developed of the islands. The shops entice passengers with duty free luxury articles; or visitors can choose to spend a day at the beach or get carried away by the nightlife in one of the island's many casinos. To the North-West of Oranjestad is where the main beach, measuring 12 kilometres in length, begins. It is a lovely sandy beach lined by palm trees and hotels ranging from up-market to pure luxury high-end. Anyone spending any length of time on Aruba should definitely take a trip inland to see the huge monoliths and the ancient rock paintings of the indigenous peoples in the caves at Fontain and Canashito and at the cliffs of Arikok and Ayo.

Galveston, also called Glaveston, was once the home of the Akokisa Indians and the pirate Jean Lafitte. The town is characterised by its Victorian, neogothic and classical architecture. Ashton Villa is a must-see, as are the Rosenberg library and "Bishop's Palace", also known as the Walter Gresham Castle. A really special highlight is the adventure playground "Moody Garden", a leisure park with rainforest pyramids, many species of plants and birds and an underwater aquarium.