Star Collector: Beaches & Bastions of the BVI and Spanish Caribbean
£2,193pp
Itinerary
This is the kind of voyage where each day is postcard-perfect and no two are exactly alike. Get a champagne facial at BVI’s Jost Van Dyke’s Bubbly Pool with its effervescent fizz powered by the ocean, and trek through huge round granite boulders on Virgin Gorda, BVI to find The Baths, its eerie grottoes dancing with light from the turquoise water. Kayak through a bioluminescent bay near San Juan, your paddle drawing glowing patterns in the dark waters. Find a bevy of other beautiful beaches with their own quirks and qualities, from St. Barts’ Maho Beach, where you’ll feel like ducking as planes land and depart overhead, to the black sand beaches of Montserrat. There are days of flamboyance here too, as you snorkel the underwater trail on St. John surrounded by schools of blue tangs and jewel-colored damsel fish, shop for neon-colored molas in the San Blas Islands and wander the rainbow-colored streets of Old Cartagena. Add in a handful of imposing colonial forts, delicious cuisines from French to Puerto Rican, and duty-free shopping, and you have the makings for an unforgettable holiday.
Day to Day Itinerary
| Date | Country | Port | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Peru | San Juan | |
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The imposing façade of El Morro fortress is just one of the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in San Juan. Admire the colorful colonial buildings from your casually elegant ship, docked right in the heart of Old San Juan. |
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| Day 3 | Saint Barthélemy | Gustavia | |
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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. |
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| Day 4 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Basseterre, Saint Kitts | |
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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. |
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| Day 5 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | Philipsburg | |
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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. |
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| Day 6 | British Virgin Islands | Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke | |
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For an island comprised of a mere eight square miles, it's amazing how much there is to do on Jost Van Dyke. Visit the national park on nearby Diamond Cay, snorkel among swaying sponges and angelfish at Sandy Spit, or pilot your own boat around Sir Francis Drake Waterway. After all that, you'll be ready for an evening drink on the beach — where you can admire your Windstar ship aglow in the harbor. |
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| Day 8 | Peru | San Juan | |
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The imposing façade of El Morro fortress is just one of the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in San Juan. Admire the colorful colonial buildings from your casually elegant ship, docked right in the heart of Old San Juan. |
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| Day 9 | Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | |
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La Capital, as Santo Domingo is affectionately known, is a UNESCO site and one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean, with Zona Colonial buildings dating back to the 1500s. Santo Domingo is also considered the most modern metropolis in the Caribbean doing a great job of converging old and new. At the heart of the Zona Colonial, a pedestrian-friendly maze of cobblestones and interesting architecture is the first cathedral built in the New World. Find time to sample the aromatic coffee and cacao. |
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| Day 11 | Colombia | Cartagena | |
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Welcome to the sparkling city of Cartagena, where the gold and jewels of the Spanish Main awaited shipment across the Atlantic. No pirate could resist, nor will you be able to when you visit this historic city. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by 400-year-old walls and contains a plethora of churches, fortresses, and restored colonial mansions. Outside the walls are more treasures: Climb the massive Castillo de San Felipe to investigate its maze of hidden tunnels, or shop for the perfect emerald. |
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| Day 12 | Colombia | Cartagena | |
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Welcome to the sparkling city of Cartagena, where the gold and jewels of the Spanish Main awaited shipment across the Atlantic. No pirate could resist, nor will you be able to when you visit this historic city. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by 400-year-old walls and contains a plethora of churches, fortresses, and restored colonial mansions. Outside the walls are more treasures: Climb the massive Castillo de San Felipe to investigate its maze of hidden tunnels, or shop for the perfect emerald. |
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| Day 13 | Panama | San Blas Islands | |
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The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 378 islands and cays, of which 49 are inhabited, some by the Kuna people. Scattered over an area of about 100 square miles, the islands are the number 1 vacation destination in Panama although the Kuna work hard to protect their land against overwhelming tourism and keep the islands healthy and lovely, unique and untouched by culture. These white-sand and palm tree lined islands are encompassed by a coral reef and warm, crystal-clear water that is perfect for snorkeling and is home to a variety of marine life including dolphins, sharks and giant manta rays. |
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| Day 14 | Panama | Colón | |
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Explore the inner workings of the Panama Canal, head into the jungle to meet with Embera Indians, or take an aerial tram ride through the rainforest canopy. |
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