Star Collector: Beaches & Bastions Of The Bvi And Spanish Caribbean

San Juan, the capital and most populous city of Puerto Rico, is the oldest city on US territory. It is the Caribbean commercial hub, best known for its beautifully restored historic district of Old San Juan. It is situated on a rocky peninsula girded by thick walls jutting into the crashing Atlantic surf. Read more about San Juan, Puerto Rico

Read more about Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy

Basseterre is located on the SW coast of St Kitts Island in the Leeward Islands group, and is one of the oldest towns in the Eastern Caribbean. Subsequently, it is very well known for its variety of architectural styles and fascinating buildings, set against dense tropical forests and a huge dormant volcano. The domed colonial Treasury Building, or customs house, is a reminder of the value of these islands as sugar colonies. Read more about Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis

The island is shared in two parts as: the northern part Saint-Martin (a French overseas collectivity) and southern part Sint Maarten (of the Kingdom of the Netherlands): hence its name St-Martin / St Maarten. It lies in the NE Caribbean, located 300 km E of Puerto Rico. This tiny island is an extremely popular holiday and duty-free shopping destination famous for its variety of 37 palm-treed beaches that include salt-water ponds. Read more about St Martin (Philipsburg), Sint Maarten (Dutch part)

San Juan, the capital and most populous city of Puerto Rico, is the oldest city on US territory. It is the Caribbean commercial hub, best known for its beautifully restored historic district of Old San Juan. It is situated on a rocky peninsula girded by thick walls jutting into the crashing Atlantic surf. Read more about San Juan, Puerto Rico

Santo Domingo, the most bustling and diverse city in the Caribbean, is the capital of the Dominican Republic, and the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Wander down the cobblestone streets to check out the many examples of 15th and 16th century architecture in the Colonial Zone. These include: the Cathedral that was the first church built in the Americas, the Ozama Fort, and the Italian Renaissance style palace Alcazar de Colon, which were all built during the lifetime of Christopher Columbus. Read more about Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Cartagena is a large beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region. While in recent years many new skyscrapers have been constructed, Cartagena's colonial walled city with its amazing architecture, such as The Vaults that were originally built as dungeons and from the top of which the Caribbean Sea is visible. There is also the Castillo de San Felipe, a fortress built in 1657 by the Spanish for protection against pirates. Read more about Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena is a large beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region. While in recent years many new skyscrapers have been constructed, Cartagena's colonial walled city with its amazing architecture, such as The Vaults that were originally built as dungeons and from the top of which the Caribbean Sea is visible. There is also the Castillo de San Felipe, a fortress built in 1657 by the Spanish for protection against pirates. Read more about Cartagena, Colombia

Punta Alegre (‘Cheerful Point’) is situated at the entrance to Golfo de San Miguel in the Panamanian province of Darién. Darién is in the east of Panama, adjacent to Columbia. Punta Alegre is about 150 km to the ESE of the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Read more about Punta Alegre, Panama

Cristóbal lies at the northern entrance to the Panama Canal. It is part of the province of Colón, a port city at the entrance to Limon Bay, at the Atlantic (Caribbean) entrance of the canal. (Interestingly, Cristóbal Colón is the Spanish translation for Christopher Columbus.) The port, Old Cristóbal, was first built by the Panama Railroad Company in the 1850s, and dredged material became landfill for the present Cristóbal. Read more about Cristobal, Panama