Caribbean Breeze

No longer the haunt of pirates, the Caribbean nonetheless retains a seafaring romance that can be claimed by few other destinations. You can still make off with some great booty, such as bamboo trinkets, wickerwork, pottery and Creole dolls dressed in madras. Jewelry is a perennial favorite for St. Maarten shoppers; the Front Street jewelers offer everything from loose diamonds and emeralds to original creations in gold and silver. Dominica is justifiably known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean"; with unspoiled rainforests, one of the world's largest Boiling Lakes and a host of waterfalls. Immerse yourself in the glorious surroundings and leave room in your heart for the next port of call.

Itinerary

St. Martin
Partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch for almost 350 years. The French tend to emphasize comfort and elegance; the beaches are secluded, and the latest French fashions can be found in many of the shops. Three different cultures can be experienced in one day; the remnants of Dutch colonialism in Philipsburg and French chic in Marigot, both infused with Caribbean flair.

Antigua
Antigua was discovered by accident in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. It remained, however, virtually uninhabited until 1632, when a body of English settlers took possession of it. The expansive, winding coastline that made Antigua difficult for outsiders to navigate is where today's trekkers encounter a tremendous wealth of secluded, powdery soft beaches. The fascinating little island of Barbuda, her sister island, once a scavenger's paradise because so many ships wrecked on its reefs, is now home to one of the region's most significant bird sanctuaries.

Dominica
Largely rural, uncrowded and unspoiled, Dominica touts itself as a 'non-tourist destination' for divers, hikers and naturalists-partly because it lacks those white-sand beaches so favored by holidaymakers to the Caribbean. The Dominica Museum offers an insightful glimpse into the culture and history of the Dominican people. You'll find Native American artifacts, including stone axes and other tools, adornos (Arawak clay figurines) and a gommier (Candle Tree) dugout. Informative displays delve into Carib lifestyles, Creole culture and the slave trade. There's also a collection of French and English colonial coins used on Dominica in the 18th and 19th centuries.

St. Lucia
St. Lucia is a high, green island, with a spicy history dating back to the 1550s when St Lucia's first French settler, Jambe de Bois ('Wooden Leg'), used it as a base for raiding passing Spanish ships. Tour through Pigeon Island, which is more a historical monument than a nature reserve, with ruins dating from the mid-1700s, including a fortress, barracks, and some rusting cannons. The grounds are well endowed with lofty trees, including a few big banyans, and you'll get fine views of the coast and nearby Martinique.

Grenada
Dubbed the 'Spice Island' because of its impressive production of nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, Grenada has a rugged mountainous interior of rain forests and waterfalls and an indented coastline with protected bays and secluded beaches. Fort George, Grenada's oldest fort, built by the French in 1705, offers stunning views of the harbor, the Lagoon, and Grande Anse. Take a leisurely tour of the Grenada National Museum, where the collection in this 1704 building includes Amerindian pottery fragments, an old rum still and a grubby marble bathtub that belonged to Empress Josephine.

Bequia
This tiny island has a unique, magical charm which is hard to find anywhere else in the Caribbean, fulfilling many dreams of the perfect small Caribbean island: beautiful sandy beaches, lush green hillsides, attractive little villages, places to get together and places in which to find that perfect solitude. Bequia is surrounded by some of the most beautiful waters in the world for sailing. The harbor in Admiralty Bay is famous as a mecca for visiting yachts, with safe sheltered anchoring, and a lively yachting community.

Martinque
Martinique is a slice of France set down in the tropics. Islanders wear Paris fashions and eat croissants. Zouk music pouring out of tape players, radios, and cars remind you, however, that Martinicans have a culture of their own, solidly based on West Indian Creole traditions. Take a lush jungle walk through Les Ombrages, a botanical garden situated at the site of what was once a rum distillery. A trail passes by stands of bamboo, tall trees with buttressed roots, torch gingers and the ruins of an old mill.

Iles des Saintes
Also known as simply Les Saintes, these islands off of the Southwest corner of Guadeloupe are comprised of two inhabited islands and six smaller islands. The population of the islands is made up mostly of skilled fishermen or sailors descended from Breton corsairs (pirates.) Iles des Saintes is home to what some call one the most beautiful bays in the world-a small Rio de Janeiro with a Sugarloaf. If one is looking for unspoiled, laid-back Caribbean islands, these off-the-beaten path islands certainly fit the bill.

Montserrat
Surviving hurricanes and erupting volcanoes, Montserrat is still the beautiful little island that is a delight to behold. Lush green unspoiled coastlines invite visitors to experience one of the only islands that represent what a true Caribbean holiday used to be like before massive cruise ships, casinos, and large hotels took over. Its people are warm and humble and crime is virtually nonexistent. Once the site of George Martin's AIR studios, musicians from all over came to Montserrat to record with the master. Safely marvel at the magnificent Soufrière Hills Volcano from several vantage points around the island, including St. George's Hill, Richmond Hill, and Jack Boy Hill.

Nevis
Like no other island in the Caribbean, St. Kitts seems to embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually associated with the South Pacific. It is an intoxicating blend of sunlight, sea, air, and fantastically abundant vegetation. In Basseterre's Historic District there are excellent examples of Creole and West Indian architecture. Artists of St. Kitts and Nevis create works inspired by their own native traditions, life on the islands, and African roots. Pottery is especially notable, both red clay pieces and pieces fired with colorful glazes and indigenous designs. Dutch cultures have sculpted the island's motif. This can be observed while shopping for island specialties such as needlework, silkscreened fabrics, and beachwear from the artisan's foundation.

St. Barts
St. Bart's is a tiny Eden of green mountains and miniature valleys overlooking two-dozen white-sand beaches and turquoise water. Having the distinction of being the only Caribbean island the Swedes ever possessed (and then sold back to the French), St. Bart's was too dry and rocky to become a sugar plantation like its neighboring islands. Rather, it has become a remnant of ancient France, with neat little villages surrounded with centuries-old stone fences and fair-skinned farmers speaking a 17th-century Norman dialect that even Frenchmen can't understand.

St. Martin

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