key - Search Results

In the late 18th century, the massive fortress of Brimstone Hill was known as "The Gibraltar of the West Indies." Built of black volcanic rock (then called "brimstone"), it was held at times by both the English and French, but was a neglected, almost forgotten legacy when efforts to restore it began in 1965. Today the fort, with one of grandest views in all the Caribbean, is a national park and the island's historical centerpiece. But you don't have to be a history buff to get caught up in charms of St. Kitts. This is mostly a low-key island, but shoppers can survey duty-free bargains..

Manuel Antonio National Park The three sweeping strands of pristine white beach that flow into the Pacific Ocean are only part of what makes this place paradise. Manuel Antonio National Park is where the jungle meets the sea. The beaches are long, wide and covered with beautiful soft sand, bordered by tall evergreen jungle on one side, and blue Pacific Ocean on the other. Cliffs overgrown by dense jungle vegetation surround the beaches and in spots the forest sweeps down to the edge of the water sheltering swimmers from the sun. In order to protect the parks eco-system, entrance to the park..

Several islands lay claim to their own “Bali Hai,” but it was on Vanuatu’s largest island, Espiritu Santo, that James Michener, gazing over the blue Pacific toward a nearby island during WWII, found his original South Pacific inspiration. Like Fiji, Vanuatu is not actually an island but rather a chain of islands. Once known as the New Hebrides, the archipelago is an endless chain of fine beaches, amazing diving, volcanoes, the scent of frangipani in the air…in other words, all the stage settings for a few classic tales of the South Pacific. On the main island, Efate, the capital of Port Vila,..

There may be no more "undiscovered, " off-the-beaten-path places left in the Caribbean, but Panama's Bocas del Toro archipelago comes close. This collection of 10 or so islands near the border with Costa Rica is one of the favorite stops for Panamanian tourists, but has been mostly ignored by the rest of the travel world. Yet it has a lot going for it: warm, aqua-turquoise water (this is the Caribbean after all), some nice beaches (Bluff Beach on Colon is a favorite with both sunbathers and surfers) and reefs (in Admiral Bay) for snorkeling, and even some tropical rainforest with rewarding..

The Baths sound like something out of an Indiana Jones movie: massive granite boulders, grottoes, secret passages, hidden saltwater pools illuminated by shafts of light. That helps explain why this stretch of beach at the southern tip of Virgin Gorda is the most memorable mooring in the Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands, more laid-back than their U. S. Virgin Island neighbors, have long been the province of sailors, including Columbus, who was an early visitor. Today these are the most popular cruising waters in the Caribbean, thanks to steady winds, a perfect climate, and easy deep..