Fodor's Expert Review Clifton Heritage National Park

It's quite a distance from just about any hotel you could stay at, but for history and nature buffs, this national park, rescued from the hands of developers, is worth the drive. Situated on the site of a Lucayan village dating back to AD 1000–1500, Clifton Heritage National Park allows you to walk through the ruins of slave quarters from an 18th-century plantation. The site can claim ties to pop culture as well because a number of hit movies have been filmed here on land and sea. Book one of the land or sea tours ahead of time—they offer snorkeling out to the Coral Reef Sculpture Garden and a heritage tour for history buffs. Be sure to walk the path from the main parking lot toward the west, where you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the Sacred Space and admire the African women carved out of casuarina wood by local artist Antonius Roberts. Naturalists will enjoy walking along the paths lined with native flora and fauna that lead to wooden decks overlooking mangrove swamps.