Enjoy the perfect mix of must-see Caribbean towns and harbors off the beaten path as you cruise and sail the royal beauties of the Lesser Antilles islands. Explore colonial history in pastel waterfronts, weathered forts and former sugar plantations. See the Caribbean at its most wild and beautiful on Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Kitts. Join the jetsetters on St. Barts, and everywhere you go, find delicious white beaches that turn rose and orange under Caribbean sunsets.

Pastel-colored buildings and shops filled with tempting souvenirs herald your arrival to bustling Philipsburg. Situated near the harbor on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, Philipsburg owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus in 1493. Today, celebrated Front Street is home to a number of local Creole restaurants as well as jewelry stores, stylish boutiques, and lively casinos for visitors seeking an upbeat island experience.

With Georgian architecture situated against an irresistible backdrop of emerald green hills, Basseterre is one of the loveliest of the Caribbean’s small capitals. Beyond town, more than a quarter of St. Kitts has been set aside as Brimstone Hill Fortress national Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Affectionately known as St. Barts, the Caribbean’s most chic island adds a French flair to Riviera-like beaches and duty-free boutiques. Walk past gingerbread cottages in search of celebrities, shop for designer fashions, or sip the island’s signature ti punch as kite surfers fly by.

St. John’s is a city of Old World charm and elegance which lingers in the varied architecture of Georgian, Victorian, Vernacular, Romantic and International flavors.  The picturesque seafront where tiny, colorful boats are moored, the cheerful wooden buildings carefully refurbished to retain their original features, the vibrant Market Street offering vegetables, fruit and fish and the duty-free Heritage Quay shopping area provide a delightful atmosphere to captivate you.  Sites to see include St. John’s Cathedral with its white Baroque towers, the Botanical Garden, St. John’s Antigua Lighthouse, and Fort James.

This is the Caribbean as you’ve always imagined it, with yacht-filled harbors set against volcanic mountains and endless stretches of palm-fringed beach. The underwater world here attracted the likes of Jacques Cousteau, but even novice snorkelers will enjoy exploring these impossibly blue waters.

The UNESCO site Pitons’ with their two majestic volcanic peaks and 24 miles of vibrant coral reef welcome you to St. Lucia. Nearby Pigeon Island National Park features impressive ruins of English forts, archaeological relics of Arawak Indians, and splendid beaches.

Charming Kingstown, the capital and main commercial center of St. Vincent & the Grenadines is known for its churches, cobblestone streets, colonial buildings and the St. Vincent Botanical Gardens, founded in 1765.  Steep hills surround the town, with Fort Charlotte sitting high on a ridge north of the city, offering panoramic views of Kingstown and the surrounding islands.  Other sites to see include St. George’s Anglican Cathedral, an 1820s structure adorned with stained glass windows, St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, built in 1823, with its lovely Gothic spires and Romanesque columns and arches.

Jolly old England comes to life in the city and its garrison, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Further afield, you’ll find historic sugar plantations and the fairyland magic of Harrison’s Cave.