Travel Guide
Americans Can Fly Nonstop To These 4 Gorgeous Colonial Cities In The Caribbean
Dec
We all love the Caribbean for its paradisaical white-sand seashores, seas of essentially the most inconceivable turquoise colour, and naturally, the luxurious all-inclusives the place even commoners like us get handled like royalty.
That mentioned, typically you need a bit greater than bottomless brunch and margaritas by the pool. Every every now and then, the tradition buff in you comes out, and glitzy Hotel Zones simply don’t minimize it.
But hey, we’re not precisely itching to fly throughout the pond to freeze our bottoms in Europe this season, both. Turns out, you do not have to go to the Old Continent to get a style of that historic aptitude.
These 5 gorgeous colonial cities within the Caribbean really feel like an extension of Europe within the New World, minus the grey skies and wet Fridays:
Cartagena, Colombia
Colombia’s colonial centerpiece, Cartagena is a culture-loaded city that is been nearly totally preserved from colonial instances.
Yes, it has skyscrapers and a chaotic industrial zone that does not precisely set it aside from the remainder of South America, however at its core, it homes a UNESCO-protected walled heart, full with cobble-paved lanes, horse-drawn carriages, and ornate Baroque church buildings.
On the sting of the Historic Center, Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is a Spanish-built fortress on the shores of the Caribbean, with tunnels and hidden passageways galore for the historical past lovers.
If seashores are your essential draw, you’re spoiled for selection: from the white sands of Playa Blanca to the palm-lined shores of the Islas del Rosario, postcard-perfect turquoise waters are at all times inside straightforward attain.
Fly Nonstop From The U.S. To Cartagena, Colombia (CTG)
| U.S. departure level | Airlines | Approximate Flight Time | Average roundtrip fare (USD) |
| Miami (MIA) | American Airlines, Avianca | 3h10 | $300–$550 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Delta Air Lines | 4h04 | $400–$650 |
| New York (JFK) | Avianca, JetBlue | 5h10 | $400–$700 |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | JetBlue, Spirit Airlines | 3h05 | $180–$400 |
| Orlando (MCO) | Spirit Airlines | 3h15 | $290–$550 |
Willemstad, Curaçao
The capital of Curaçao, an island within the Dutch Caribbean that is rapidly rising in popularity, Willemstad is a colonial gem but to be (really) found by the plenty.
With Northern Mannerist homes à la Amsterdam, besides they’re candy-colored, and vibrant avenue markets, the place they promote not stroopwafels and salted hering, however contemporary fruit and spicy curry takeouts, Willemstad is the proper marriage between Dutch and creole cultures.
Nothing wanting Amsterdam’s Caribbean non secular sister, it’s even traversed by canals, with a floating Queen Emma Bridge connecting the colourful Punda and Otrobanda districts, the place you will discover conventional eating places meting out cornmeal dumpling soup, beef stew, and different Curaçao delicacies.
This continues to be the Caribbean, in spite of everything, and a brief stroll from the Historic Center, Mambo Beach has the white sands and calm waters you are searching for, whereas Sea Aquarium Beach is dotted with full of life bars and eateries, making it supreme for a simple, full of life seaside day.
Fly Nonstop From The U.S. To Willemstad, Curaçao (CTG)
| U.S. departure level | Airlines | Approximate Flight Time | Average roundtrip fare (USD) |
| Miami (MIA) | American Airlines, Surinam Airways, GlobalX | 3h15 | $300–$600 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Delta Air Lines | 4h25 | $400–$700 |
| New York (JFK) | Avianca, JetBlue | 5h10 | $400–$700 |
| Newark (EWR) | United Airlines | 4h50 | $450–$800 |
| Charlotte (CLT) | American Airlines | 4h15 | $450–$750 |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
The first metropolis ever constructed by European settlers within the New World, Santo Domingo is an open-air museum sometimes missed by Punta Cana-bound vacationers.
With a heavily-fortified bay, a landmark stone-built cathedral that dominates a cafe-lined central plaza, and a colourful colonial core peppered with family-owned cantinas, it’s all the cultural Caribbean getaway it’s essential to cleanse your palette.
Not to overlook whereas exploring Santo Domingo’s UNESCO World Heritage Site of a Historic Center: the Catedral Primada, the oldest cathedral within the Americas, Alcázar de Colón, Columbus’ former palace, and Fortaleza Ozama, a sixteenth century fortress on the banks of Ozama River.
Santo Domingo will not be as resort-oriented as Punta Cana, however the neighboring Boca Chica additionally has bright-blue seas and white sands, and even higher, it is solely a 30 min drive from town.
Fly Nonstop From The U.S. To Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ)
| U.S. departure level | Airlines | Approximate Flight Time | Average roundtrip fare (USD) |
| Miami (MIA) | American Airlines, Arajet, SKYhigh Dominicana, Frontier | 2h20 | $200–$450 |
| Newark (EWR) | JetBlue, Arajet, United Airlines | 4h25 | $250–$550 |
| New York (JFK) | JetBlue, Delta Air Lines | 4h30 | $240–$550 |
| Orlando (MCO) | JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit | 2h30 | $300–$550 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | American Airlines, Frontier | 3h40 | $300–$600 |
| Tampa (TPA) | Frontier | 2h45 | $280–$550 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Frontier | 3h30 | $350–$700 |
| Boston (BOS) | JetBlue, United | 3h50 | $350–$700 |
Santiago, Cuba
Forget Havana: Cuba’s hottest vacation spot for 2025 is the offbeat, yet-to-be-ruined-by-the-masses Santiago.
It’s not the oldest European-settled metropolis within the Americas, as Santiago takes priority, but it surely’s among the many first to have been based, with its beginning date being traced again to 1515. Oh, and belief us once we say, it has the architectural grandeur to again it up:
A UNESCO World Heritage fort, Castillo del Morro has guarded Santiago Bay for hundreds of years, and it’s one of many best-preserved Spanish army websites in Cuba.
Over at Céspedes, the historic coronary heart of town, there is a cathedral-backed essential sq., a landmark City Hall, and a plethora of museums and cafes to find. It’s the proper spot for absorbing the tradition and experiencing Cuban life with out the Havana crowds.
Other noteworthy points of interest embrace Casa de Diego Velazquez, the oldest surviving home in Cuba, and the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, the place Cuban revolutionary heroes like José Martí and Fidel Castro relaxation.
Fly Nonstop From The U.S. To Santiago, Cuba (SCU)
| U.S. departure level | Airlines | Approximate Flight Time | Average roundtrip fare (USD) |
| Miami (MIA) | American Airlines | 1h39 | $212–$248 |
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