10 Nights Caribbean, Southern

A diverse multicultural city of almost 1.3 million, Panama City offers a lot more than an up-close view of the Canal. Shantytowns slink up alongside shiny high-rise condos. The Old City is an atmospheric labyrinth of churches, plazas and palaces. Fifteen miles from downtown Panama City, Soberania National Park is an excellent destination for hiking and birding. For a fascinating look at the canal, take a taxi or local bus to Miraflores Locks Visitor Center and look down on the traffic below

This $387 million dollar, 51-mile-long canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Completed by the U.S. from 1904-1914 under teddy Roosevelt, it is considered one of the greatest engineering marvels of all time.

A diverse multicultural city of almost 1.3 million, Panama City offers a lot more than an up-close view of the Canal. Shantytowns slink up alongside shiny high-rise condos. The Old City is an atmospheric labyrinth of churches, plazas and palaces. Fifteen miles from downtown Panama City, Soberania National Park is an excellent destination for hiking and birding. For a fascinating look at the canal, take a taxi or local bus to Miraflores Locks Visitor Center and look down on the traffic below

A beautiful, quaint fishing town on the Atlantic coast of Colombia, Cartagena is full of pastel-painted buildings, Spanish colonial architecture and magnificent cathedrals. Walls and fortresses, once constructed to protect the city from British soldiers and pirates, still stand.

It's always sunny in Bonaire, where the days last nearly twelve hours and the adventure never ends. The countless coral reefs surrounding its shores are home to more than 400 species of marine life, earning it the nickname ?Diver's Paradise.' But for some of the best snorkeling, head to the islet of Klein Bonaire. Or hop on a glass-bottomed gondola for prime undersea views? no swimming required. Cruise to Bonaire and do some onshore exploring at Washington Slagbaii National Park, which covers a fifth of the island. With its dramatic desert landscape, mangrove lagoons, famous pink flamingos and unrivaled dive spots, Bonaire offers endless outdoor adventures? along with a healthy dose of colonial charm.

The largest of the Netherlands Antilles has its fair share of Dutch colonial buildings, but its dry climate, barren soil and cacti are more akin to the U.S. Southwest. Its greatest beauty lies offshore?the island's coral reefs. Volcanic pebbles make up many of its rocky beaches.

Colonial architecture comprises much of Aruba's bright and breezy capital, which is located just south of the main resort area. Orangestad is extremely popular because of its abundance of boutiques and duty-free shops. Local bars provide great opportunities to socialize with the locals.

Port Antonio is a city on Jamaica's northeast coast and the capital of Portland Parish. It's known as a gateway to nearby tropical jungles, mountains and waterfalls. In the John Crow Mountains, Reach Falls flows into a river pool. Near Hope Bay, Somerset Falls flows on the grounds of a former plantation. In the east, the Blue Lagoon is known for its blue waters, fed by the Caribbean Sea and underground springs.

This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades airboat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you.