Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

Draped across the volcanic cliffs overlooking the sea, pretty Porto Moniz is most famous for its sapphire swimming pools, protected from the Atlantic by photogenic rock formations and a few artificial barriers. 

When you've finished working on your tan, however, there's much more to see and do in this appealing little city. The Aquário da Madeira, or Madeira Aquarium, offers a closer look at some 70 native species and 1730 São João Baptista Fort, built to protect Porto Moniz from pirates.

Next door, the Living Science Center has family-friendly exhibits that explore Madeira's unique ecosystems, while the Achadas da Cruz cable car offers access to less populated beaches. 

Like its neighbor Nevis, St. Kitts is a Caribbean haven in the Leeward Islands. Miami is around 2,100km (1,300 miles) away, and nearby islands include St. Barts and Antigua. You’ll dock at Port Zante in the historic capital, Basseterre, towards the island’s southern tip. The port’s sparkling-new facilities include restaurants and boutiques, jewelry shops, souvenirs and a duty-free plaza.

How to Get to Basseterre
Downtown Basseterre is just a 15-minute stroll away from Port Zante. If you take a taxi, agree on the fare upfront as cabs don’t tend to be metered. Minibuses also takes passengers downtown. If you’re driving, keep a lookout for goats, cows and other wildlife that might wander into your path. St. Kitts’ tourism operations are based at the port, a good spot to pick up maps and island information.

One Day in St. Kitts
The French and the British have both left their mark on St. Kitts, and a stream of pirates and slave traders visited over the centuries. Today the island offers cruise passengers a taste of colonial history, rainforest scenery and snorkel adventures in the Eastern Caribbean. To get your bearings, a Discover St. Kitts shore excursion tour takes in the capital’s Independence Square, the Romney Manor batik factory and gorgeous Caribbean beaches. There’s time for shopping or a visit to Brimstone Hill Fortress on a panoramic island tour.

Away from the coast, behind the green mountains fringing Basseterre, St. Kitts is a lushly rainforested island with waterfalls and exotic wildlife, highlighted on a half-day tour. If the call of the crystal-clear water is too tempting to resist, go kayaking and reef snorkeling with tropical fish and sea turtles for a relaxing St. Kitts shore excursion.

Port Information
Cruise lines sailing to St. Kitts include Carnival, Azmara, Celebrity, Seabourn, Norwegian and Princess. Port Zante’s extensive port facilities can handle the world’s largest liners, including the QM2. St. Kitts’ currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, but US dollars are just as widely accepted. You’ll find banks with ATMs in central Basseterre. English is spoken with a distinctive Caribbean lilt on St. Kitts.

Trinidad & Tobago’s capital Port of Spain enjoys a superb natural setting at the point where the mountains dip into the Gulf of Paria. One of the pleasures of this buzzing city is realizing that it doesn’t revolve around you, or tourism in general, with tall office buildings proclaiming its importance as a financial hub.

That certainly doesn’t mean there aren’t things to see and do – far from it. Sights include the "Magnificent Seven," a group of fanciful mansions on Queen’s Park Savannah, the more modestly-sized "gingerbread houses," with their intricate woodwork, and the tropical paradise of the Botanical Gardens.

Of course this is also the setting for Trinidad’s world-famous Carnival, with bars and clubs jumping year-round to soca, which, like calypso, was born here. During the day, do as the locals do and head for Independence Square where you’ll get an authentic taste of Trinidad from food stalls serving oysters, fresh fruit, and "doubles," a delicious local delicacy made from chick peas.

How to Get to Oranjestad 

Viewing this building, you’ll be confused about what exactly you’re looking at. Originally built as a train station in another location, the facade ended up in Montevideo as a market, instead. Located in Montevideo’s Old Town, the plaza outside is filled with outdoor-seating restaurants and craft stalls, while inside you’ll find even more eateries and shops. Musicians will entertain you as you sample fresh seafood and flavorful “asado”, a traditional way of grilling meats on open fire, common in many South American countries.

Along with being a great place to shop for souvenirs and antiques and eat copious amounts of red meat, the market holds 130 years of Uruguay’s history. Mercado del Puerto was completed on July 19, 1885, and still supplies a comfortable, homey place for people of all social classes and backgrounds. Moreover, the old world architecture will transport you back to a time when foods coming from inland areas and illegal imports were sold there. Saturdays are a fun time to go, when the atmosphere takes on an overly festive tone.

This is a serious theme park, Spain's biggest and baddest, with a collection of wild rides - like Dragon Khan and Furios Baco, both clocking in at well over 100kph (65mph) - that will keep thrill junkies coming back for more. Port Aventura is the flagship park, divided into several "lands," such as the Wild West, Mexico, and China, with themed shows, restaurants, and gift shops. Though it could keep a family busy all day (or week), that's just the beginning.

In addition to Port Aventura, you could also visit several other parks - Port Aventura Aquatic Park, with dolphin shows and water slides; the Beach club, right on the Caribbean; and Golf PortAventura, with three premium golf courses. Savvy travelers can find packages that include several parks, special shows, and even discounts on hotels. 

From its source in West Virginia to where it empties out in Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River is rich in American history, so much so that it's often called "the Nation's River." George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born along the river, and all of Washington, DC, the nation's capital city, lies within the watershed.

Portorož, which means "Port of Roses," is a city for those looking for a relaxing escape on the beautiful Gulf of Trieste. Enjoy the lovely beaches during the day, and then delve into Portorož's extensive nightlife in nightclubs, discotheques, casinos, and pubs.

Good music is always to be found in Portorož, as it is a cultural center of the Slovene coast. Another cultural asset is the International Sculpture Symposium Forma Viva, where the public can view artists creating their work right before their eyes.

The city is most famous for its health and wellness spas and thermal pools, making your Portorož experience one of pampering and well-being. Being a part of one of the biggest saltpans in the world, the natural elements of salt, brine, and fango mud make Portorož an ideal place for a spa, and is known as one of the most comprehensive spas in all of Europe.

If you're one for adventure, there are daily boat excursions into the Gulf, as well as diving, sailing, and windsurfing opportunities.

Home to one of London’s most famous street markets and some of West London’s trendiest eateries, Portobello Road has earned itself legendary status among Londoners, running through the trendy West London districts of Notting Hill, Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove.

Portobello market is world renowned for its antiques market with over 2,000 specialist dealers and vast crowds of bargain hunters, but the two-mile long sprawl includes a plethora of other goods. Vintage clothing, local designers and handcrafted accessories make up the fashion section of the market, with an array of unique and trend-setting pieces on offer, and plenty of incognito celebrities scouring the clothing racks. Hoards of eccentric retro memorabilia, one-of-a-kind furniture and second-hand household items, a wide range of bootlegged music and vinyl and a sprawling fruit and vegetable market, make up the rest of the stalls.

The street market is open six days a week but the Saturday market (which includes the main antiques market) is the most popular and crammed with vendors. There’s plenty to keep you occupied when you’ve finished shopping too – a number of independent art galleries, vintage clothing boutiques, bars and chic cafés (don’t miss the cupcakes at the renowned Hummingbird Bakery) are dotted along the main drag and side streets. Alternatively, film buffs can spot landmarks from Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ Notting Hill, much of which was filmed on Portobello Road – look out for that famous blue door, the location of the Travel Bookshop (actually a shoe shop) and the coffee shop where the romantic leads first meet.