Historic Caribbean

Brimstone Hill Fortress in St. Kitts is an imposing fortification and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was built by the English in the 18th century and is one of the best-preserved citadels in the Americas. It sits on a steep 750-foot-high hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea on the northwest coast of the island.

Cartagena is a coastal city along the Caribbean Sea in Columbia. This is one of the most popular Caribbean destinations on mainland South America. The old town is a feast for the eyes with walls and bastions surrounding it and colonial treasure within. There are charming plazas, narrow quaint streets, churches, and impressive museums.

Just outside of the gated city is Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, a large fortress.

The trendy neighborhood of Gethsemani offers vivid murals, live music venues, and restaurants.

Chichen Itza is a complex located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It is the second most-visited archeological site in Mexico, offering the legacy of the Maya civilization. Chichen Itza was built over a period of 2,700 years, is one of the largest Maya cities, and houses over 20 building groups.

Voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 is the Temple of Kukulcán. (pictured above)

Other noteworthy structures are the El Caracol observatory

Tzompantli skull platform

Christiansted National Historic Site is located in St. Croix. This Crucian city was once the capital of the Danish West Indies.

It was built in 1749, and the centerpiece of this historic site is Fort Christiansvaern.

Among other highlights is the Lutheran Church.

The Steeple Building

The colonial city of San Domingo in the Dominican Republic was founded in 1496, was built by the Spanish, and is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in the Americas.

Its Zona Colonial sits west of the mouth of the Ozama River and faces the Caribbean Sea. It is home to landmarks such as

The Alcazar de Colon Palace

Santa Maria la Menor Cathedral

Historic Bridgetown and its garrison are located in Barbados. Barbados became a parliamentary republic within the British Commonwealth. The neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings were built in the 19th century and are good examples of British Victorian-era architecture.

In the Garrison Historic Area, Saint Anne’s Fort is an 18th-century military building housing the Barbados Defense Force.

The impressive George Washington House is a historic house where the first president of the US stayed in 1751 at the age of 19.

Old San Juan is among the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean. The area dates back to 1521 and still looks like you're back in the Spanish colonial era when you see the city walls, bastions, cobblestone streets, charming plazas, century-old churches, and museums. Old San Juan is an islet connected to the main island of Puerto Rico by three bridges.

Among the most popular attractions are the 17th-century fortifications of San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal.

Saint Pierre in Martinique once had the nickname of “The Paris of the Caribbean.” This seaside town was once the capital of the present-day overseas department and region of France. It thrived culturally and economically until the volcano Mount Pelée erupted in 1902, burying the town in pyroclastic flow.

The Memorial de la Catastrophe de 1902 museum gives a comprehensive account of this natural disaster.

The rebuilt town reveals such ruins as the Grand Theater.

Tulum is located where the Yucatan Peninsula meets the Caribbean Sea in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Here you can find impressive Mayan archaeological sites and see the amazing ruins of Tulum. It was one of the last cities built by the Maya.

The El Castillo Pyramid is 25 feet tall.

See the God of the Winds Temple, among others.