Visit Central America & the Caribbean

If you don’t mind a bit of glitz and a flutter on the gambling tables while you’re on holidays, here’s a tropical island paradise complete with casinos, big hotels and plenty of nightclubs. Aruba is a Dutch Caribbean Island popular with party heads, wedding parties, families, and cruise ships. It offers guaranteed perfect holiday weather, with water that’s so luxuriously turquoise, it’s like swimming inside the pages of a travel brochure. The island has many resort options, and its main town, Oranjestad is compact enough for it to be easy to explore on foot in just a couple of hours.  

Our Picks for Aruba

Southern Caribbean Cruise - 8 days from $1019 

Ever since the days of Columbus, The Bahamas has been a place of fascination for travellers. The islands are an incredible sight to behold, with their pristine sand shores, bordered by crystal blue seas. A visit to the Bahamas has something for everyone, whether it’s diving in Andros, or partying the night away at the incredible Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. 

Fancy yourself as a bit of a James Bond aficionado? Just west of Staniel Cay lies an amazing emerald underwater cave complex perfect for diving and snorkelling adventures. “Thunderball Grotto” was named after Sean Connery revealed his pecs here in Thunderball, 1965. With a secretive hidden entrance, you’ll need your best Bond manoeuvres to enter this life sized colourful aquarium.

Our Picks for the Bahamas

Southern Caribbean Medley Cruise - 10 days from $1774

After you’ve had your fill of ocean trampolining, rope swinging and playing dominoes in colourful rum shacks, perhaps it’ll be time for a game of beach cricket. Together with being the birthplace of rum and hammocks (a glorious combo in its own right) balmy Barbados is also the home to some of the world’s finest cricketers including Garry Sobers, Malcolm Marshall and the legendary 6 ft 8’ fast bowler Joel Garner.

Just a hop, skip and jump away from Kensington oval, you can bask in the golden age of West Indian cricket at Herbert House’s legends of Barbados Cricket Museum. If there’s anything left in the tank, head to formidable Bathsheba – a big waved beach littered with massive boulders, that someone thought resembled Bathsheba’s bath!

Our Picks for Barbados

Sandals Barbados All-Inclusive - 7 nights from $2488

Sugar Bay All-Inclusive - 7 nights from $2254

You’ll love Belize, and whilst it’s the youngest nation in Central America, it still offers a huge slice of history, with the incredible ruins of the Maya Kingdom. Its landscape includes luscious forests, the magnificent Maya Mountains, and of course the sun kissed sands of the shoreline. A visit to Belize has something to appeal to the senses of every traveller, as it impresses with its beauty at every turn. 

Our Picks for Belize 

Explore Belize - 10 days from $1799

Mayan Discovery - 15 days from $1799

Limited for time and looking for maximum adventure? Costa Rica is the peaceful heart of Central America. The country is known for its eco-tourism, with its efficient and sustainable systems. Experience the magic of Costa Rica’s rainforests, by racing through the canopy on a zipline. You can explore the Costa Rican coastline where the surf is ideal for any level of surfing ability. The relatively diminutive size of this amazing country makes it easy to experience all its charms, even on a short stay.

Our Picks for Costa Rica

Costa Rica Family Adventure - 15 days from $3295

Discover Costa Rica - 15 days from $3585

Cycle Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama - 15 days from $4335

Step back 50 years as a 1952 Chevrolet rumbles through the streets of Havana. Marvel at ingenious Cuban mechanics making spare parts for vehicles that have been on the road for over 60 years. Cuba is sometimes like a book whose dustcover is less than immaculate. It can look a little worn around the edges but is full of intrigue and magnificent discoveries. This is especially the case in cities like Havana and Cienfuegos, both listed by UNESCO, and packed full of colonial architecture that has remained unchanged. Much of Cuba remains as it was years ago, allowing any traveller to feel as though they have entered a time warp.

Our Picks for Cuba

Cuba Libre & Sailing - 15 days from $2249

Cycle Cuba - 8 days from $1657

Cuba Explorer - 9 days from $1529

Always offering you a warm welcome, the Dominican Republic is renowned for its astounding ocean vistas, great resorts and super friendly locals. You can stroll along its incredible white sandy beaches, or traverse the landscape in search of wild jungle waterfalls. Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the New World. Make sure you check out UNESCO World Heritage Site at Colonial City, and take in all the stunning Spanish architecture and fantastic restaurants. Christopher Columbus thought the Dominican Republic the epitome of paradise declaring “there is no more beautiful island in the world”. 

Our Picks for the Dominican Republic

Caribbean Adventurer Cruise - 13 days from $1379

A hands down Central American favourite with 9 out of 10 travellers, and bound to become yours, Guatemala is a land of excitement that will appeal to adventurous types. There are so many activities for visitors to participate in. Trekking routes are spread throughout jungles and up volcanoes, white water rafting opportunities abound, and there are numerous caves just waiting to be explored. It’s even possible to take a zipline between trees, or paraglide into the crater of a volcano in Guatemala.

Our Picks for Guatemala

Guatemala Highlands & Volcanoes - 15 days from $3175

Guatemala Journey - 8 days from $1399

Semana Santa: Easter in Guatemala - 10 days from $1649

Having given the world Bob Marley, Jamaica is home to constant music and rhythm and a vibe you’ll love. Jamaica has long been a popular tourist destination, with its laid-back lifestyle and amazing beaches. The landscape of this land is just as enticing, from lush green to glistening gold and crystal blue, representing the flora, sands and waters of the beautifully exotic Jamaican nation. 

Our Picks for Jamaica

Jamaica Encompassed - 10 days from $1999

Sandals Royal Caribbean All-Inclusive - 7 days from $2235

You’ll be spoilt for choice when you land in amazing Mexico. Jump on the Tequila Express in Guadalajara and see the fields of blue green agave from which tequila is magically created. Check out the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan – the largest of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic cities. People here built massive pyramids that rival those of the ancient Egyptians.

On a more macabre note, Mexico’s Day of the Dead is one of Mexico’s cultural highlights on the 1st and 2nd November. People encourage souls of the departed to visit the living. If you’re feeling brave, head to Janitzio near Lake Patzcuaro for a ghoulish glimpse into the Day of the Dead festival. Here Purepecha villagers ride candle lit boats out to a small island where they decorate tombs in an all-night vigil. 

Our Picks for Mexico

Cycling Mexico - 10 days from $3175

Mexico Cities, Cuisine & Ruins - 15 days from $1179

Mexico's Day of the Dead in Oaxaca - 7 days from $1349

Mexico Monarch Butterfly Trail - 10 days from $1649