Miami to Buenos Aires

Barbados is one of the most well known and beautiful islands in the eastern Caribbean. It is part of the British Commonwealth and is named after the Bearded Fig Tree, which was once found in abundance. Barbados is an island where relaxation and adventure go hand in hand. White sandy beaches stretch for miles while snorkelling and sailing are some of the world-class water sports on offer. A cruise to Barbados starts with a walk around Bridgetown, the capital city, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The city has a charming combination of colonial buildings and Caribbean vibrancy. Make sure you visit St Nicholas Abbey, a historic plantation house and one of three Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere.

On the north shore of Brazil’s ‘shoulder,’ Fortaleza is a pleasant palm-lined city and the capital of the Céara state. It looks out into the Atlantic from a long stretch of beautiful, sandy coast. The first European settlers here were Dutch, and they built the five-pointed, star-shaped Fort Shoonenborch in 1649 after defeat at the hands of local people and the Portuguese. In 1654, the Dutch left and the fort was renamed Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assunção; the area around it was to grow into Brazil’s fifth largest city. The citadel itself still remains, its low-rise whitewashed walls adorned with cannons and palm-trees.

Host of the world’s largest carnival, Salvador is dubbed the Brazilian capital of happiness. It’s a fine example of the country’s rich cultural history, beautiful architecture and adventurous cuisine. Originally the capital of Brazil until 1763 when Rio de Janeiro was given the title, it is now the third most populous city in the country. Founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers, Salvador soon became an important sea port, especially for the trade of sugar and slaves.

The beachy resort of Armação dos Búzios, or simply Búzios, is set on an ocean peninsula east of Rio de Janeiro, and is famed as a premium and stylish holiday destination for beach and surf fans alike. Ferradura beach sits in a calm horseshoe bay, offering watersports, while Geribá is a popular surfing site. Among the resort’s village streets, visit cobbled Rua das Pedras for dining and nightlife.

Rio will command your non-stop attention from the moment you set foot on its shores – or the golden sands of Copacabana or Ipanema for that matter. Climb Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car, then try out your salsa steps as night falls. Rio is an amazing experience – a city everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Rio will command your non-stop attention from the moment you set foot on its shores – or the golden sands of Copacabana or Ipanema for that matter. Climb Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car, then try out your salsa steps as night falls. Rio is an amazing experience – a city everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Home to one of the world’s largest urban populations and hosting an enticing fusion of residents from over 200 different countries, São Paulo is simply a cultural extravaganza. Vibrant São Paulo, which stretches out across a vast plateau in the Brazilian Highlands, is the largest city in the southern hemisphere. It’s Brazil’s dynamic financial centre, and brimming with cultural diversity, comprising residents from over 200 different countries, it brandishes its own distinctive style of Brazilian culture.

Unsung jewel of the South Atlantic, Montevideo, on the northern shore of the mighty River Plate, teems with an intoxicating mix of European tradition and colourful South American culture. With its shady downtown plazas to historic camps, forts, farms and missions that speak so elequently of the dramas, hardships and battles of pioneering days, Uruquay's capital completely captivates the spirit.

Unsung jewel of the South Atlantic, Montevideo, on the northern shore of the mighty River Plate, teems with an intoxicating mix of European tradition and colourful South American culture. With its shady downtown plazas to historic camps, forts, farms and missions that speak so elequently of the dramas, hardships and battles of pioneering days, Uruquay's capital completely captivates the spirit.

Argentina’s capital has a unique and absorbing grandeur. Experience this in abundance at the Colon Theatre, a stunning opera house, and at Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place of Eva ‘Evita’ Peron. For a true taste of Buenos Aires’ life and soul, many love to tour city districts like La Boca, with its colourful houses and lively tango cafés.

Argentina’s capital has a unique and absorbing grandeur. Experience this in abundance at the Colon Theatre, a stunning opera house, and at Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place of Eva ‘Evita’ Peron. For a true taste of Buenos Aires’ life and soul, many love to tour city districts like La Boca, with its colourful houses and lively tango cafés.