- Across the Caribbean Sea from Martinique to St. Martin
- Island hopping en route (daily destinations by common agreement with all guests on board)
- Excursions on the islands at your own initiative and expense
- Vegetarian food is served on board as standard. If you want to eat fish or meat, you can indicate this when booking.
- All meals on board, port charges, etc. included
We start in Martinique, an overseas department of France. People speak French there and pay baguettes and croissants in euros. Martinique is known as ‘the island of flowers’ and for good reason, as it has lush flora. Most areas are hilly, there is rainforest with lianas and even a patch of cloud forest. Martinique also offers good nightlife in its many bars and restaurants.
But we won’t stay here too long because there is much more to explore. We hoist the sails and set sail for Dominica, an island paradise known as an ecotourism destination. Dominica’s volcanoes are so steep and mountainous that much of the rainforest has been spared deforestation and plantations. Here, streams meander and flow into waterfalls. Colourful birds whistle among the metre-high ferns, lianas and giant trees. Those who take the trouble to go deeper into the forest can witness a surreal phenomenon: From cracks and holes in the volcanic mountains come strings of hot gas that smell like rotten eggs. Warm streams of water emerge from the volcano’s springs. And a crater filled with water bubbles at the top of the mountain. About a thousand plant species grow there, including many flowers. There are 195 bird species in Dominica. Mammals on Dominica are limited to a few bats and marine mammals such as the sperm whale, Caribbean manatee and humpback whale.
We sail further north. Guadeloupe is not an island per se, but a group of large and small, inhabited and uninhabited islands, including Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, La Désirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes, as well as Petite Terre. The latter you can only reach by boat. These islands are known for their beautiful white beaches with palm trees. No people live here, but 10,000 iguanas do. One of the most special places to visit here. Because during this trip, we are all in the driver’s seat. There are so many beautiful places here that we cannot visit them all. Guests can communicate their wishes and preferences to us and we will accommodate them as much as possible. The ship and crew are ready for you and together we will make it a dream trip!
Having left Guadeloupe behind us, we sail a little further. On longer stretches, we can also sail through at night. The nights at sea are magical. When it gets dark, we turn on the navigation lights so that other ships can see us clearly. The other ships are also lit up, creating a sea of cheerful white, green and red lights through which we navigate safely. Watching a sunrise from a ship on the high seas is unbeatable.
From here you can visit many beautiful islands, Antigua and Barbuda, some posh islands with beautiful reefs and tropical fish. St Kitts and Nevis is still quite unspoilt and the railway line that was once used to transport sugar from the plantations can now be used to explore the island. St Eustatius, or Statia as the island is popularly known, has a huge underwater nature reserve with pristine coral reefs and shipwrecks dating back to the 18th century. It is teeming with seahorses, rays, sharks and sea turtles. The island is also on the migration route of humpback whales, so chances are good that you will see some. You can learn more about (Dutch) colonial history in the various museums. Saint Barthelemy is a jet set island, recognisable by the mega-yachts anchored here. The beaches are home to film stars, supermodels and other celebrities. There is a reason why the island is so popular: it is beautiful and offers everything you would expect from a Caribbean island, in addition to amenities such as exclusive restaurants and chic bars.
We end this stage where the Netherlands borders France: St. Martin
