Fort Lauderdale to San Juan

Small yet perfectly formed islands are our destinations on this hop around the Caribbean. Departing buzzy Fort Lauderdale, we slip into the laid-back vibe with a couple of days at sea before Tortola in the British Virgin Islands appears on the horizon. White sands melt into blue seas here, a place beloved by snorkelers and divers for its dazzling reef life. Francophone St Barts is our next stop, to see and be seen in the glamorous boutiques of Gustavia. We continue the French theme at Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, learning about Creole life at the town’s museum. One of the oldest botanical gardens in the western hemisphere commands our attention in Kingstown, St Vincent, while in Castries, St Lucia, the modern cathedral with its colorful murals of black saints is a must-see. Fort-de-France in Martinique comes next, where there are markets to browse and sights including a statue of Napoleon’s Josephine. Basseterre in St Kitts is the gateway to Brimstone Fort National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and our penultimate stop before we arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico.