Bridgetown, the captivating capital of Barbados, combines faded colonial history, captivating tradition, and vivid white beaches plucked directly from your richest imagination of Caribbean perfection. Recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its beautifully preserved colonial architecture, Bridgetown’s mask of modernity covers a core of complex history and fascinating culture. Sherbet-colored buildings line up to overlook the waterfront of the Constitution River at the "The Careenage" - where gleaming ships bob on the blue water, and peaceful strolls along a wooden boardwalk await. Stop for a sobering moment at the commemorative plaque honoring the people traded at this spot, when Bridgetown was the British Empire’s most important harbor and first stop on the Transatlantic Slave Trade crossing.

Just five minutes’ stroll from here is Carlisle Bay - a postcard-perfect place where you'll find crystal-clear, turquoise seawater glowing in the Caribbean sun, and a mile of soft white powder sand. A treasure trove for divers, the shipwrecks scattered below the shallow water’s waves are now inhabited by turtles and swirling, rainbow-colored tropical fish. Head to the backstreets, where street food vendors serve up spicy chicken soup, barbecued pigtails and thirst-quenching coconut water. There are bargains aplenty to be had on Broad Street, where duty-free malls and souvenir stalls cram together, vying for your attention. Roebuck Street is the spot where one of the Caribbean’s favorite drinks, rum, was discovered - having been created here from the by-products of the island’s booming sugarcane trade. Nowadays, it’s lined with bars splashing every variety of the deliciously spicy dark libation imaginable into glasses. For a touch more culture, visit one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas - Nidhe Israel Synagogue, which was built in 1654. The adjoining museum tells the story of Barbados’ Jewish immigrants, who were instrumental in the island’s development.

Explore a land of vibrant color, from the tranquil turquoise water that surrounds it, to the verdant green peaks of its famous soaring volcanic plugs - the Pitons, which give this mesmerizing island its form. Waterfalls thunder in the jungle interior, should you successfully drag yourself from St. Lucia's gleaming beaches and dive spots, where patchworks of colorful fish dance below the waves. Offering the picturesque island luxury of your wildest dreams, St. Lucia is a cinematic, thrilling Caribbean idyl. Marigot Bay served as the tropical backdrop for 1967’s Doctor Dolittle film, and the island's amiable animal life is never too far away. Spot flashes of bright red as parrots zip between palm trees before catching sight of dolphins splashing playfully offshore. Vigie beach is a charmed spot to lie back and recline in the sun’s glow, watching as overlapping layers of mesmerizing blue hues intertwine. St. Lucia’s iconic Piton mountains deliver as the perfect backdrop to any envy-generating photograph - rising up exponentially from the calm waters like sharp shark fins. Castries is this heavenly island’s capital, and while the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception may seem a little humble from the outside, the soft sounds of soulful hymns emanating from within are sure to draw you in. The astonishing interior glows with bright frescoes, lit up by the sunlight that spills inside, and atmospheric rows of flickering candles. There's more rich Caribbean color to behold at the ramshackle Castries Market, where you can take handfuls of fragrant spices, like nutmeg and cinnamon, and enjoy the singsong ritual of bartering, as you move between tables heaving under bounties of green bananas and rosy mangoes.

The British colonial influence is everywhere in pretty English Harbour. And yet, located on Antigua’s south coast, you are just minutes away from some of the loveliest beaches in the Caribbean. With its long ribbons of white sandy shores including the superbly named Rendez-Vous Bay Beach, the cold English drizzle and chimes of Big Ben have never been farther away! English Harbour is how the Caribbean is meant to be. Beautifully restored, the area still retains much in the way of its rich historic past. Nelson’s dockyard is absolutely not to be missed; a working dockyard that dates from the 18th century, this is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site (Nelson’s Dockyard and National Park), which also contains Clarence House and Shirley Heights. Perhaps one of the best examples of British colonial development, the dockyard is named after the famous admiral who lived on the island in the 1780s.

The fascinating naval history is palpable in all the buildings of this historic site, and just a little further along, you find beautifully restored warehouses that are now home to enchanting restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and hotels, all proudly stating their historic credentials on prominent, easy-to-read signs. Venture beyond the “town” and you’ll find nature trails for all levels of fitness. Famous for having 365 different beaches, it is unsurprising then that a lot of Antiguan life takes place on its sandy shores. Beaches here offer all things to everyone, so whether you want to rekindle the romance, indulge in some adrenaline-fueled water sports, swim, snorkel or sail your way around the island, you’re sure to find your own personal paradise here.

The bustling capital of the British Virgin Islands looks out over Road Harbour. It takes only an hour or so to stroll down Main Street and along the waterfront, checking out the traditional West Indian buildings painted in pastel colors and with corrugated-tin roofs, bright shutters, and delicate fretwork trim. For sightseeing brochures and the latest information on everything from taxi rates to ferry schedules, stop in at the BVI Tourist Board office. Or just choose a seat on one of the benches in Sir Olva Georges Square, on Waterfront Drive, and watch the people come and go from the ferry dock and customs office across the street.

You can easily explore all of Gustavia during a two-hour stroll. Some shops close from noon to 3 or 4, so plan lunch accordingly, but stores stay open past 7 in the evening. Parking in Gustavia is a challenge, especially during vacation times. A good spot to park is rue de la République, alongside the catamarans, yachts, and sailboats.

St. Kitts' verdant volcanic slopes rise from crystal clear Caribbean waters, promising a land of escape, relaxation and rejuvenation. A place for "limin" - the local word for kicking back, Caribbean-style, you’ll be welcomed to an island paradise blessed with swarming reefs, hidden white-sand beaches, and irresistible shallow seas. Bigger sibling to nearby Nevis, St. Kitts is a place of unrestrained natural beauty. Soak up the dreamy Caribbean bliss, or explore sprawling island rainforests, teeming with hummingbirds and the distant sounds of waterfalls, as you walk the island’s vine-tangled paths. A ride on Basseterre’s scenic sugar train is a rumbling, immersive journey through the heart of this Caribbean island of culture and vivid unspoiled scenery. Carriages that once transported crops of sugar cane to the city sweep around long curving bends, revealing a spectacular introduction to St. Kitts.

The landscapes here are beautiful, and things are no less spectacular offshore, where glorious crystalline waters invite you to dive with turtles and explore doomed wrecks like the River Taw ship – which has now exploded with marine life. In Basseterre itself, stop off to see the pea-green Berkeley Memorial clock, which stands in the Circus, surrounded by busy St. Kitts life. Independence Square is also waiting among the city’s charming Georgian buildings. Renamed from Pall Mall on September 19, 1983 - to celebrate the island’s independence - the pretty square gravitates around a colorful burbling fountain and has a dark history as a former slave market. Wary canons watch out over the waves far below at Brimstone Hill Fortress, a site of significant history, which dates back to 1690. Known as the "Gibraltar of the West Indies" due to its importance at the heart of the British empire, St. Kitts was one of the first island in the West Indies to be colonized. Nowadays, its World Heritage Site fortress offers panoramic views along the coastline it was built to defend.

Les Trois-Îlets is a town on the Caribbean island of Martinique. It's known as the birthplace of Joséphine, Napoléon Bonaparte’s first wife. Her family’s sugar plantation is now the Pagerie Museum, with childhood mementos and a love letter from Napoléon. Nearby, exhibits at the Maison de la Canne detail how sugar cane shaped Martinique’s history. North, Pointe du Bout is a water-sports hub with boutiques and cafes.

Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa - those heady aromas fill the air in Grenada (pronounced gruh-nay-da). Only 21 miles (33½ km) long and 12 miles (19½ km) wide, the Isle of Spice is a tropical gem of lush rain forests, white-sand beaches, secluded coves, exotic flowers, and enough locally grown spices to fill anyone's kitchen cabinet. St. George's is one of the most picturesque capital cities in the Caribbean, St. George's Harbour is one of the most picturesque harbors, and Grenada's Grand Anse Beach is one of the region's finest beaches. The island has friendly, hospitable people and enough good shopping, restaurants, historic sites, and natural wonders to make it a popular port of call. About one-third of Grenada's visitors arrive by cruise ship, and that number continues to grow each year. Grenada's capital is a bustling West Indian city, much of which remains unchanged from colonial days.

Narrow streets lined with shops wind up, down, and across steep hills. Brick warehouses cling to the waterfront, and pastel-painted homes rise from the waterfront and disappear into steep green hills. The horseshoe-shaped St. George's Harbour, a submerged volcanic crater, is arguably the prettiest harbor in the Caribbean. Schooners, ferries, and tour boats tie up along the seawall or at the small dinghy dock. The Carenage (pronounced car-a-nahzh), which surrounds the harbor, is the capital's center. Warehouses, shops, and restaurants line the waterfront. The Christ of the Deep statue that sits on the pedestrian plaza at the center of the Carenage was presented to Grenada by Costa Cruise Line in remembrance of its ship, Bianca C, which burned and sank in the harbor in 1961 and is now a favorite dive site. An engineering feat for its time, the 340-foot-long Sendall Tunnel was built in 1895 and named for Walter Sendall, an early governor. The narrow tunnel, used by both pedestrians and vehicles, separates the harbor side of St. George's from the Esplanade on the bay side of town, where you can find the markets (produce, meat, and fish), the Cruise Ship Terminal, the Esplanade Mall, and the public bus station.

An almost mythical utopia of virgin beaches, rustic rum shacks and bays so scenic you feel like you’re intruding, Bequia Island is an island mirage of Caribbean perfection. This is the real, unspoiled experience - and with just 6,000 locals living here, you quickly start to recognize the same smiling faces, welcoming you with outstretched arms. Offering glorious - often deserted - beaches of pure golden sand and hillside sweeps of forest and almond trees, Bequia Island is an extraordinary feast for the senses. Unlike some of the flashier Caribbean islands, Bequia - a part of the Grenadines - is a rustic, unassuming and off-the-beaten-path choice. The staggeringly picturesque natural harbor, Admiralty Bay, greets you on arrival, and is peppered with day-tripping yachts bobbing on the gentle waves.The island’s tiny capital, Port Elizabeth, sits behind, with its bustling fruit and vegetable market, turtle sanctuary, and stalls selling hand-crafted model ships. This tiny, pretty island is ridged along the center, and you can earn your beachside bliss with a gentle hike to the top of Mount Peggy, looking out over views of Grenada and St. Vincent. At just seven miles long, you can discover the whole island in a few hours – but that would be to miss the point somewhat. Bequia Island coaxes you in to slow the pace and soothe your soul on blissful beaches, where you can revel in the uncomplicated joys of sitting, reading and swimming in heavenly shallow waters. The royally approved Princess Margaret Beach is one of the finest - an arching band of soft sand and cobalt-blue waters. As evening sets in, you may find you’re beckoned to share with communal barbecues of the day’s fresh catch with the locals, or to indulge in rum-heavy cocktails at beachside bars, lashed together from sea-blanched wooden limbs.

Disembark in Barbados this morning after breakfast.