Grand Empires & Isles

Miami, located on the Atlantic coast at the southern tip of Florida, where outdoor sports are open all seasons and dress is casual, is a melting pot of cultures. Miami and Miami Beach are in effect two distinctly different cities, as Miami Beach is almost exclusively tourist orientated, while Miami is a cosmopolitan city with a distinctly Latin American flavour. Don’t miss the South Beach section where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and died that is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in the world. Read more about Miami, USA

Great Stirrup Cay is a small island that is part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas, about 90 km NNW of the capital Nassau. The narrow island stretches E-W in a 3km arc. (A smaller island to its west, Coco Cay, is a resort for Royal Caribbean guests.) Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the island from Belcher Oil Company in 1977 and developed it into the cruise industry’s first private island for their passengers. Read more about Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

King’s Wharf, located in Bermuda, consists of eight islands linked by causeways and bridges that are part of a self-governing British Territory, consisting of 150 islands in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is ideal for large cruise ships and is best known for its Georgian-style fort built by the British Navy using convicts, and which later served as a North Atlantic base during both World Wars. Today it is a popular tourist destination and a great place for water sports that include scuba diving, parasailing or riding a glass-bottomed boat to reflect on the wrecks of local history, as well as delightful coral reefs. Read more about King's Wharf, Bermuda

Horta, with a population of about 7,000, is a city on the island of Faial, which is a tourist island with a rich collection of historical, natural and modern attractions, situated in the western part of the Portuguese Archipelago of the Azores. The city contains the Horta Regional Museum which has a permanent exhibit - Exhibition of Capelinhos Volcano - that details in photographs the 1957 volcanic eruption in the Azores. The museum also contains a large collection of scale models of buildings, ships, and people carved from fig kernels. Read more about Horta Azores, Portugal

The largest town in the Portuguese Azores Islands and capital of the island Sao Miguel, Ponta Delgada is built on gently rising ground between green hills. With its many churches, its trim white houses and the lush gardens on its outskirts, it presents an attractive spectacle to visitors arriving by sea. The marina at Ponta Delgada also welcomes many yachts and private sailors from around the world. Read more about Ponta Delgada, Portugal

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, lies in the western Iberian Peninsula aside the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus River. As one of the oldest cities in the world, it is rich in Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Modern and Post-Modern constructions. The city is also crossed by historical boulevards and monuments along the main thoroughfares. Read more about Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, lies in the western Iberian Peninsula aside the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus River. As one of the oldest cities in the world, it is rich in Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Modern and Post-Modern constructions. The city is also crossed by historical boulevards and monuments along the main thoroughfares. Read more about Lisbon, Portugal

Located in the scenic estuary of the Douro River with swathes of vineyards clinging to the hills, Oporto - aka Porto - is Portugal's second largest metropolis, and one of Europe's most charismatic cities. The city is home to monuments by leading world architects from the past and the present, and some fantastic baroque carvings. Then there’s the world-famous sweet wine, and Ribeira - Its historical centre - that was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. Read more about Oporto, Portugal

Located in the NW corner of Spain, La Coruna is part of the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia. It’s a region of vast green landscapes with a rich Celtic and Roman heritage that keeps, to this day, a mystic and magic allure. Once protected by walls on three sides and by the sea on the other, the lively streets of the early medieval town with good examples of preserved Romanesque architecture, make for a fascinating visit. Read more about La Coruna, Spain

Bilbao, situated on the estuary of Bilboa in the north-central part of Spain, is a bustling city that epitomises the merger of the modern and the historical, as modern architects erect new buildings next to 19th-century structures. Thanks to its history and location, Bilbao is a magnificent ‘cocktail’ where architecture, tradition, character, and history, are blended to offer the visitor endless leisure and culture opportunities. With the railway connecting Bilbao and the coastal neighbourhood of Las Arenas, the city became a popular beach destination, but it was the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao - a true masterpiece - in 1997 that gave the tourism industry its real impetus. Read more about Bilbao, Spain

Saint Jean de Luz, one of France’s most charming and picturesque beach towns, is a fishing port on the Basque coast of France, on the northern side of the Nivelle River, near the Spanish border. It is now a famous resort, known for its Basque architecture, long sandy beach, its cuisine – be sure to taste the handmade espadrilles on Gambetta St. - as well as a great pedestrian shopping area and delightful town squares. Read more about St Jean de Luz, France

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in SW France. It is the world’s major wine industry capital, while the historic part of the city is on the UNESCO Heritage List due to its elegant18th century architecture. It has become a sought-after destination for both tourists and cinema production crews. Read more about Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in SW France. It is the world’s major wine industry capital, while the historic part of the city is on the UNESCO Heritage List due to its elegant18th century architecture. It has become a sought-after destination for both tourists and cinema production crews. Read more about Bordeaux, France

Paris, situated on the river Seine in northern France, is the capital and largest city of the country. It is also the most visited city in the world, and the region is home to 3,800 historical monuments and four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Interestingly, the earliest archaeological signs of permanent settlements in the Paris area date from around 4200 BC. Read more about Paris, France

Southampton, UK, is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England, and is widely recognised as the capital of the country’s cruise industry. Each year more and more cruise liners take advantage of its superb cruise terminals. It is, of course, a gateway to Europe’s largest city, the enormous cosmopolitan city of London, with all the cultural and gastronomic attractions you'd expect from a world capital. Read more about Southampton, Great Britain

Scotland's showcase capital of Edinburgh has a magnificent geographical location, perched on a series of extinct volcanos and rocky crags above the flatlands. The setting is wonderfully striking, as the modern city is often said to be built on seven hills. Both a historic and modern city, this metropolis is home to the largest arts festival in the world. Read more about Edinburgh, Great Britain

The Orkney Islands, an archipelago of more than 70 islands, graced with temperate weather warmed by the Gulf Stream, feature some of the most dramatic coastal scenery. There are sea cliffs, some over 300m, descending to sooth white-sand beaches. Yet even more fascinating are the more than 1,000 prehistoric sites that have been found here. Read more about Orkney Islands, Great Britain

Stornoway is an attractive town and the administrative centre of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The shape of the town is defined by the harbour, and is home to a beautiful, rugged landscape of rolling grassy hills and crinkly inlets of the sea. Take a leisurely stroll round the harbour and see everything from the ferries to cargo boats and small visiting yachts, as the harbour is definitely an asset to the town. Read more about Stornoway, Great Britain

Killybegs is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It boasts Ireland's finest natural deepwater harbour, is Ireland’s largest fishing port, and is a bustling town with plenty to offer the visitor. The town is situated at the head of a scenic harbour filled with trawlers, and at the base of a vast mountainous tract extending northward. Read more about Killybegs, Ireland

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, and is currently experiencing a successful tourist boom. One of the most visited cities in the UK, Belfast has plenty of attractions and is a good base from which to visit virtually anywhere else in the North. In the city centre concentrate on the glories resulting from the Industrial Revolution – grandiose architecture and magnificent Victorian pubs – and the rejuvenated area from Ann Street to Donegall Street now known as the Cathedral quarter. Read more about Belfast, Great Britain

This capital and largest city of Ireland is situated on the mid-east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Dublin has more green spaces per square kilometre than any other European capital city, with 97% of city residents living within 300 meters of a park area. But Dublin’s greatest draw remains Dubliners themselves, both native-born and blown in. Read more about Dublin, Ireland

Holyhead is the largest town on the island of Anglesey, off the coast of Wales, and is perhaps known best for being a busy ferry port. It is also well known for offering easy access to some of the best attractions in the country. Subsequently, visitors typically spend the whole day on day trips through Wales to see, for example, the three nearby medieval castle towns, the more distant Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Steam Railway. Read more about Holyhead, Great Britain

Cork is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork, situated in the SW of Ireland. County Cork has earned the nickname of ‘the Rebel County’, while Corkonians often refer to the city as the ‘real capital of Ireland’ and themselves as the ‘Rebels’. It began on an island in the swampy estuary of the River Lee, and gradually climbed up the steep banks on either side. Read more about Cork, Ireland

The isle of Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands, lying just 12km off the coast of France, offers the visitor a mild climate, breathtaking scenery and a peaceful, unspoiled ambience. Between the wide, sandy beaches to the north and the rocky cliffs to the south are wooded valleys, marshland, and winding country lanes. Guernsey soaks up nearly 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of the sunniest places in the British Isles. Read more about Guernsey, Great Britain

Southampton, UK, is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England, and is widely recognised as the capital of the country’s cruise industry. Each year more and more cruise liners take advantage of its superb cruise terminals. It is, of course, a gateway to Europe’s largest city, the enormous cosmopolitan city of London, with all the cultural and gastronomic attractions you'd expect from a world capital. Read more about Southampton, Great Britain