Things to Do in Riviera Maya & The Yucatan

The sprawling Cantacuzino Castle was completed in 1911 to plans drawn up by architect Grigore Cerchez; it was designed as a hunting lodge for Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, who was twice Prime Minister of Romania in the 1900s. Surrounded by forested hills, the mansion has an ornate stone-and-brick façade adorned with colonnaded loggias and towers in an exotic style known Neo-Romanian; it is open for guided tours of the decorative interior, where flourishes of Art Nouveau, patterned marble floors, stained glass, mosaics and embellished carved wood abound. A rare collection of Cantacuzino coats of arms is on display and the castle is host to occasional art exhibitions as well as summertime musical concerts known as Prahova Classic Nights.

After exploring the inner courtyard, the Cantacuzino family church and the hunting tower, there are grottoes and fountains to discover in the gardens and views towards the Bucegi Mountains. Family activities available at the castle include horseback riding, archery, zip lines and an adventure course for young kids. Costs for these sports are additional to admission prices but full instruction and safety gear are provided. Visiting Cantacuzino can be combined with a tour of fairytale Peles Castle in nearby Sinaia.

Located in Aruba’s desert interior, the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins are the stone remains of a gold smelter that was established by prospectors in the 19th century. Once considered sacred by the indigenous Arawak people, the site offers a unique look at Aruba’s history and can be explored with a variety of guided tours.

 

During the 19th century, gold was mined on Aruba, leading to the construction of this gold smelter in 1872. Crumbling walls of sandstone and coral are all that’s left of this fortress-like complex, but the views of the Caribbean remain spectacular. Located on the east coast in the area known as Ayo, the Bushiribana ruins are free to visit and explore, and are included in most tours of Aruba, including those by bus, 4WD vehicles, ATVs, and UTVs.

 

 

Located on the east side of Aruba, the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins are about a 20-minute drive from the cruise ship terminal. Follow Route 6 straight across the island, and they’re about a 17-minute drive from Queen Beatrix International Airport in Oranjestad; the drive from the airport takes about the same amount of time via Route 1 north.

 

Aruba isn’t threatened by tropical storms, and the weather is warm year-round with an average temperature of 82°F (28°C), so there is no wrong time to visit. However, Aruba is most crowded during the winter months. If traveling in the summer months when the sun is at its strongest, visit the ruins early in the day when it’s coolest.

 

Located near Palm Beach (about a 20-minute drive from the ruins), this piece of Aruba's Dutch heritage was built in Holland in 1804, disassembled, shipped to Aruba, and reconstructed in 1960. It’s currently home to a restaurant, but the bold red exterior of the landmark against the Caribbean blue sky makes for a fun photo on its own.

Located near the northwest tip of Aruba and the popular Arashi Beach, California Lighthouse is a landmark on this small tropical island. Known for impressive views of the Caribbean Sea, as well as the nighttime stars, the lighthouse is one of the most photogenic spots in Aruba.

 

Built between 1914 and 1916 and named after the S.S. California, the lighthouse is open to the public, allowing visitors to climb to its highest lookout point and take in panoramic views. There's also a small Italian restaurant located in the base of the lighthouse that has earned rave reviews. Daily tours of the lighthouse last 25 to 30 minutes, and many sightseeing tours include it on their routes. You can also visit the lighthouse on a variety of island tours, including those via Jeep, ATV, and Segway.

 

 

The California Lighthouse is located at the north end of L.G. Smith Boulevard in Noord, Aruba, in a section known as Hudishibana. From the Aruba Cruise Terminal, it’s roughly a 20-minute drive to the lighthouse; simply follow L. G. Smith Boulevard north. The lighthouse is also accessible via taxi or tour bus.

 

The California Lighthouse is arguably the best place to catch the sunset on Aruba, which also means it can be crowded at that time. The lighthouse is open from 8:30am to 11:30pm daily. It’s also possible to book V.I.P. tours anytime between 5:30pm and 8am for a midnight, sunset, or sunrise viewing.

 

Located about 20 minutes south, on the eastern side of the island, the Alto Vista Chapel, or “Pilgrims Church,” is another photographer’s dream. Built by Spanish missionaries in 1750, the bright yellow chapel hosts services as well as tour groups. Outside the chapel lies the “peace labyrinth,” which is used by pilgrims for prayer and meditation.

The streets of Paris are filled with romance and excitement, but for travelers looking to escape the hustle of the city, a wander along the scenic Canal St-Marin, located near the River Seine, offers a welcome respite from the typical urban energy. 

Visitors can stroll along the picturesque waterway where quaint storefronts and tiny homes nod to another era. Travelers can relax at one of the numerous café tables and sip on glasses of fine wine under a quiet city sky or float along the waterway in one of the city’s famous riverboats. Travelers agree that some of the best shopping is to be had along Canal St-Martin, making it an ideal place to spend a late afternoon in the open air. 

Medellin is the second world capital of tango (after Buenos Aires), and tango music can be heard throughout the city. This is due in large part to Carlos Gardel, a famous tango musician who died in 1935 in a tragic plane accident in Medellin while touring Colombia. Gardel’s death spurred a movement that lives on to this day. In fact, the International Tango Festival, held in Medellin every June, commemorates Gardel’s life with dancers, singers, musicians and faithful followers of this musical expression. 

To celebrate the music of a man who changed Medellin, the Casa Gardeliana Museum opened in 1972. Dedicated to tango, this museum has projects, programs and services that are all about teaching tango dance, singing and music. They have collections that include photos, recordings and documentaries about how tango has influenced life in Medellin. There are guided tours and special day and evening performance programs. This is small, unique museum in Medellin for those who want to get a glimpse at Gardel’s life and influence on the world of tango.

The ancient shipwrecks in this protected natural harbor make Carlisle Bay one of Barbados’ most popular snorkeling and scuba diving destinations. Six sunken vessels dot the ocean floor here and attract hundreds of varieties of tropical fish, stingrays, sea stars and turtles, not to mention curious travelers. 

In addition to underwater adventures, the nearby Boatyard offers jet skiing, sea trampolines and the opportunity to jump into the ocean via rope swing. Even those who prefer to stay out of the water will love the calm shores and sandy beaches of Carlisle Bay, where countless chair and umbrella rentals make it easy to while away the day here.

Carriacou provides a laid-back alternative to the larger neighboring island of Grenada, where many day trips to Carriacou begin. One of the Grenadine Islands, Carriacou is known as “the island surrounded by reefs." Its pristine beaches and clear waters offer ideal conditions for snorkeling and scuba diving.

 

Located northeast of Grenada, Carriacou was settled by Arawak and Carib people from South America; their influence, along with that of the French and British, can still be seen in Hillsborough, the only town on the island. Gain insight into island culture by attending a music or dance performance, or visiting the small Carriacou Museum. Day trips from Grenada via ferry are available.

 

 

Carriacou is 20 miles north of Grenada. Ferry service is available Monday through Saturday starting at 9am, and Sunday from 8am. Travel time from Grenada is 1.5 hours. Return ferries depart Carriacou daily starting at 3:30pm. Small aircraft can also land at the island’s Lauriston Airport. Minibuses run on the island from 7am to 5pm.

 

If you want to catch the Carriacou Maroon Music Festival, which celebrates the traditional Caribbean practice of a “maroon”—offering thanks for the last harvest and asking for good fortune for the next planting season—plan your trip for April. If you want to join in the celebration of Carnival, book your visit for some time in February or early March (depending when Easter falls).

 

Located 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Carriacou, Petite Martinique is a tiny island with a small population, most of whom make a living building boats, fishing, and seafaring. Tourists who visit Petite Martinique and Carriacou on the same day trip can climb Petite Martinique’s Piton volcano via a well-marked trail. From the top, catch views of the neighboring Grenadine Islands.

As one of the most famous cafés in Paris, Café de Flore requires very little presentation. This establishment is indeed nothing short of legendary, thanks to the legacy left by some of its most prestigious customers – lovebirds Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, along with our contemporary intelligentsia and trendsetters. Besides its famous clientele, the café is also noted for its sunny and flowery terrace; in fact, getting coffee at Café de Flore is regarded as one of the most quintessentially Parisian things visitors can do.

Café de Flore is not only illustrious because of its patrons; it’s also one of the longest-running coffeehouses in Paris, having first opened its doors in the 1880s during the Third Republic. It was named after a sculpture of the Roman goddess of flowers, Flora.

The Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom is a top family attraction in Singapore. This outdoor conservatory boasts more than 50 different species of butterfly, along with a whole host of exotic insects. Kids and nature lovers can get up close to the winged creatures and other fascinating creatures against a backdrop of a lush landscape that simulates a tropical rainforest.

On your visit, you’ll see rare and endangered species of butterfly, along with the more common varieties you may be familiar with back home. In the Insect Kingdom, you can marvel at huge beetles, ‘lucky’ ladybirds, and a range of other exotic insects, from stick insects to stinging scorpions. The park’s multi­sensory, interactive exhibits will allow you to get as up close to the creepy crawlies as you dare.

Located on Sentosa Island, a trip to the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom can be combined with some of the island’s other attractions to make for a fun family day out. Ride the scenic cable car over to the island, get entry into the Images of Singapore museum, and even squeeze in a trip to the hugely popular S.E.A Aquarium while you’re there.

Hit the beach at one of Curacao’s most idyllic sandy shores. Cas Abao Beach is a protected escape on the island’s west side, where you can enjoy the crystal-blue water and gleaming white sand among a convenient collection of amenities. The private beach has plenty of parking, and once you’ve paid the entry fee, you can rent whatever you need on-site, from beach chairs and umbrellas to paddle boats and snorkeling gear. At lunch time, you can get burgers, sandwiches and frozen drinks at the Beach Bar & Restaurant, and if you’re looking for even more relaxation, book a massage at the open-air hut on the beach. The beach also has bathrooms with showers and lifeguards to keep everyone safe as you swim or snorkel.

Juan Ponce de Léon House Museum (Casa Museo Juan Ponce de Léon) 

The former home of explorer and governor of Puerto Rico Juan Ponce de Léon, Casa Ponce de Léon is a simple stone building with an important place in history. Visitors come to travel over 500 years back in time to the days of great oceanic exploration and see an important landmark in the history of the Americas. 

Explorer and conquistador Juan Ponce de Léon first visited the Americas as part of Christopher Columbus’ second mission in 1493. He remained in Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and was named the first governor of Puerto Rico in 1509. From 1502 to 1508 he, his wife, and their three daughters lived in the simple, fortified stone house near San Rafael de Yuma designed with small doors and windows for additional safety against intruders. Today the Ponce de Léon House museum still contains some of the family’s possessions, including furniture, chests, and even his suit of armor. 

You can visit the museum independently or as part of a guided tour from Punta Cana, some of which also explore nearby beaches and caves.

Within driving distance of the resorts of Punta Cana and La Romana, the house is in a fairly isolated area near the town of Boca de Yuma. Most visitors drive to the house, take a taxi, or arrive with a guided tour that includes transportation.

The house is open from 10am to 1pm Tuesday through Sunday.

On the Dominican Republic’s southeast coast, the resort town of Punta Cana has it all—white-sand beaches, water that’s ideal for swimming, lively restaurants and resort bars, and a wide variety of water sports. It’s a very popular choice for vacationers looking for a sunny getaway, especially in winter. 

Visitors shouldn’t let the somewhat enigmatic name fool them into thinking this is a peculiar museum; the Carnavalet Museum is indeed one of Paris’ finest. Initially an idea of Baron Haussmann, who carried out extensive renovation works all around Paris in the late 1800s, the museum retraces Paris’ history all the way from the Lutèce Roman village it once was to the vibrant metropolis it has now become. Located in two 16th-century lavish townhouses – formerly known as Hôtel de Carnavalet (where an icon of French literature, the famous marquise de Sévigné, lived) and Hôtel d’Orgeval – in Le Marais, the architectural setting of the museum is just as captivating at the collection it houses.

Speaking of which, the museum’s collection totalizes 580,000 artefacts and comprises a magnificent sculpture of Louis XIV, as well as about 2,600 paintings, 20,000 drawings, 300,000 engravings and 150,000 photographs, 2,000 modern sculptures and 800 pieces of furniture, thousands of ceramics and several thousand other objects, including some of Marie-Antoinette’s personal effects. In fact, the Musée Carnavalet is just as much a history museum as it is an art museum, since the 100+ rooms retrace the history of Parisian interior design and artistic trends, as well as the significant moments of the city’s long, agitated history and its artistic innovations.

The compact but lavish gardens located between the two townhouses are also well worth a detour; they are home to 1,000 plant species and are decorated in the utmost French tradition of symmetry, geometry and order. 

On your journey from Segovia’s Roman aqueduct to its Plaza Mayor, you’ll no doubt pass by one of the city’s most intriguing buildings, the Casa de los Picos. One look at the façade and you’ll easily see how it earned its name, the (loosely translated) House of Sharp Points, as its front is covered top to bottom with over 600 granite, diamond-shaped reliefs. 

It is believed that the 15th century noble home’s curious façade was created as a possible form of defense given the building’s rather exposed location. Legend has it, though, that the house was well known (famously or infamously) for its previous owners, so when new ones moved in, they chose to cover the façade. These days, the thick-walled structure is home to the Segovia Art School and serves as an exhibition hall, which is open to the public free of charge.

Caguas is one of Puerto Rico’s most diverse and important historical areas – a town rich in Creole heritage and home to an abundance of natural beauty and superlative shopping. Once the home of the indigenous Taino group, Caguas has also known Spanish, British and Dutch residents, the remnants of which can be best experienced by simply walking the town, exploring the beautiful boardwalk or following the Route of the Creole Heart at the Traditional Urban Center.

Those who appreciate the beauty of Puerto Rico’s outdoors will also be impressed by the Caguas Botanical Gardens, which feature some of the most amazing waterfalls and natural greens in the Caribbean. The San Juan town also serves as the starting point for many day-trip adventures and excursions to Puerto Rico’s interior.

On the northern tip of St. Lucia’s windward shore, Cas en Bas Beach is one of the best kitesurfing spots on the island, with regular tradewinds blowing onshore and a protected cove where the water stays calm and glassy. Kitesurfing St. Lucia offers lessons for all levels right off the beach. This somewhat secluded spot is the ideal destination for travelers who prefer a quiet place to swim and sunbathe away from the crowds and persistent vendors on the beaches closer to town—it’s also home to unique artifact, a spent rocket booster that washed ashore here after it was jettisoned by a spacecraft in flight. Join one of the horseback riding tours through the forests of the northern coast, and you’ll stop to relax and swim at Cas en Bas Beach before turning back on the trail. And hungry beachgoers can find food and drinks at Marjorie's Restaurant and Beach Bar, a casual, open-air eatery offering local favorites like fresh seafood and BBQ right on the sand. 

The Carenage is St. George’s lively waterfront promenade, which winds around Grenada’s inner harbor. Its name is derived from the French word carenage, meaning “safe anchorage.” Lined with colonial-era buildings, the inlet offers shops, seafood restaurants, and cafés, plus it’s near Grenada’s bustling open-air market.

 

This marina is busy with fishing boats, yachts, and barges, as well as the ferry to Carriacou. Whether you visit Grenada with a tour or independently, it’s a pleasure to grab a meal at one of the many seafood restaurants, or rum at a local bar, and snap photos of the quaint Georgian buildings that line the waterfront. Shop here for souvenirs, spices, preserves, local crafts, and more.

 

 

From the cruise ship terminal, it’s a short walk (less than 10 minutes) to the Carenage. If you drive, park outside the marina area and walk to the waterfront, because parking is limited and navigating the roads can be tricky. Public minibuses are available around the island; from the central bus station in St. George’s, it’s 15–20minutes’ walk to the Carenage.

 

Grenada is known as the Spice Island, so a visit to the open-air spice market is a must. Located inland from the Carenage, near the Esplanade Mall, the shopping area is open daily, but Saturday mornings are the busiest because that’s when farmers and vendors from across the island come to sell their produce.

 

From the Carenage, head up to Fort George to take in picturesque views of the town and harbor. The battery dates back to 1705 and was named in honor of King George III when the British took control of Grenada. The viewing section features plaques indicating important landmarks, along with several canno

As the inspiration behind iconic paintings like ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’, Arles is a prime destination for Van Gogh fans visiting Provence and when it’s time to take a break from 

sightseeing, where better to stop for coffee than the Café Van Gogh? Immortalized in Van Gogh’s famous work ‘Café Terrace at Night’, painted in 1888, the lively café stands at the corner of the central Place du Forum and draws a steady stream of tourists to its now-iconic terrace.

The café, originally called ‘Café la Nuit’ but now better known as simply ‘Café Van Gogh’, has now fully embraced its dual role as eatery and tourist attraction. Today, the café façade has 

been repainted in bold yellow, mimicking its appearance in Van Gogh’s painting (an effect actually created by the bright café lighting against the darkness of the square) and its terrace 

carefully restored to maintain its original layout. Head there in the early morning to avoid the crowds, soak up the buzzing atmosphere at lunch time, or visit after dark for the ultimate Van Gogh-inspired photograph.

Aside from the thrill of “discovering” new lands, the Spanish conquistadores were endlessly driven by thoughts of discovering gold. Here at Bogota’s Casa de Moneda, walk amidst the spot where gold was first minted in Colombia, having stood in this spot since 1622 when the King of Spain ordered the production of gold coins in Bogota. Since money and power seem to go hand in hand, this museum that’s based around Colombian currency has many political undertones, where the type of currency that’s been minted through the years shows fascinating parallels between the political era and Colombia’s historical events. From the initial barter of ceramics and pots that was used by indigenous tribes, the currencies weave a chronological tale as viewed through production of money.

Although some form of fortification has been on this specific tract of land since the Roman era, the fortified city of Carcassonne as it is seen today was constructed throughout the 12th century. It stayed an impregnable fortress for the next several hundred years and was saved from being dismantled in the mid-1800s through a program of complete restoration.

In the ensuing centuries the city outgrew its walls, and today visitors will find a fully modern French town leading up to the gates. But great care has been taken at this UNESCO World Heritage site to keep the grounds surrounding the fortified city as they were, allowing for spectacular views from many vantages. In fact, while it is tempting to stay in one of the few hotels within the walls, it is recommended that you stay outside and enjoy the view of the city.