The capital of Saint Maarten, the Dutch side of this two nation island, Philipsburg is located on the isthmus between Groot Baai (Great Bay) and the Salt Pond. Founded in 1733 as a free port, the city is now the home to outstanding shopping, casinos, and a variety of hotels and resorts, including nearby Mullet Bay Resort and Golf Club.

Bastimentos Island is one of the largest islands in Panama’s Bocas del Toro archipelago, off the Caribbean coast in the country’s northwest. Much of the island remains covered by tropical forest, wetlands, mangroves, and coastal vegetation, with small communities located around sheltered bays. Bastimentos is closely associated with the Bastimentos Island National Marine Park, which protects both terrestrial and marine ecosystems around the island.

Capestang sits beside the Canal du Midi, surrounded by vineyards and marked by the soaring Collégiale Saint-Étienne. Its medieval heritage, canal port and nearby Étang de Capestang give the village a strong identity rooted in water, wine and local history.

Lifou Island, the most populous of the Loyalty Islands in New Caledonia, is a flat, former coral atoll with abundant vegetation and surrounded by secluded coral reefs which many say offer some of the best snorkeling in the world.

Great Blasket Island, or An Blascaod Mór, lies off the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, separated from the mainland by the Blasket Sound. The island is the largest of the Blasket Islands and is characterized by steep hills, rugged cliffs, grassy slopes, and the long sandy beach of An Trá Bán. Its small settlement is now deserted, with stone cottages and field boundaries remaining across the hillside.