Baltimore's major attractions include the National Aquarium, the revitalised Inner Harbor and the American Visionary Art Museum, and there’s also a plethora of great restaurants – no visitor should leave without trying that Maryland staple, steamed crabs!

A visit to Charleston is like travelling back in time, so perfectly preserved is the town’s 19th century ambience, and you’ll often hear the clip-clop of a horse-drawn carriage ferrying tourists along the cobbled streets.

Downtown Miami is a destination in its own right, with a host of world class galleries, but it's still Miami Beach that draws the biggest crowds. The Art Deco district around South Beach is very much back in vogue, with new restaurants, bars and luxury developments sprouting up all over the place.

Colourful and eccentric, the island city of Key West stands apart from the rest of Florida. A strong Caribbean influence reflects the city’s proximity to Cuba and the Bahamas, and it has long been known as a bohemian hangout, a welcoming and open-minded place that Ernest Hemingway once called home.

Nassau, the lively Bahamian capital, is home to duty free shopping, a burgeoning restaurant scene and elegant Georgian architecture. There are some interesting museums where you can learn about the pirates and slave traders of yesteryear, and the surrounding coastline boasts some truly stunning beaches.

Staniel Cay is part of the Exuma Cays, a collection of dazzling white sand islands where the jetset come to escape the outside world. Just next to Staniel Cay is the uninhabited Big Major Cay, home to the famous swimming pigs, who love to paddle in the crystal clear waters.

Cartagena was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1533, and the beautifully preserved centre is a real highlight of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The walled old town, the Ciudad Amurallada, is a camera-friendly collection of cobbled streets and colourful, colonial-era buildings.

Situated just off the coast of Panama, the idyllic San Blas islands are home to the Kuna Indians, who enjoy political autonomy from the mainland and have an unusual degree of control over tourism to their homeland. Visiting these simple island communities is a privilege, and an insight into an indigenous way of life unsullied by mass tourism.

The Bocas del Toro archipelago is one of Panama’s most appealing tourist destinations, a collection of idyllic Caribbean islands blessed with beautiful beaches, lush mangroves and wildlife including sloths, iguanas and turtles.