Basseterre

Basseterre needs 2 days: Brimstone Hill Fortress, nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the Caribbean", with views of five neighboring islands from its walls, on one, and the island's scenic loop past the dormant Mount Liamuiga volcano on the other. December-April is best. It's mid-to-high priced for the eastern Caribbean. It was the first English and French colony in the Caribbean, nicknamed the "mother colony of the West Indies" for having served as a base to colonize other islands in the region, and its 17th-century volcanic stone fortress is one of the best-preserved in the Caribbean.