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Discovering the Diversity of the Lesser Antilles

Discovering the Diversity of the Lesser Antilles

From €4,855 EUR

Description

The natural beauty spots of St Lucia and Dominica
The pitons of St Lucia are world famous and magnificently beautiful. But perhaps even more beautiful is the unique view you will have of this stunning natural masterpiece from the Sea Cloud ii’s anchorage. Dominica is one of the wildest and most primal of the Lesser Antilles. The heart of the island is covered in thick virgin forest, where you will find plunging rivers and small creeks winding their way through the jungle.

Bequia: a sailors’ haunt
Bequia is a very special gem in the picture-perfect island chain that is the Grenadines. For many years the island was known only to sailors and adventurers, which preserved much of its original, old Caribbean charm. With its colourful wooden houses, free-roaming hens and sailing yachts that span the full range of ages and prices, it is hard not to get swept up in the relaxing and uplifting atmosphere felt all over the island.

Grenada – the island of spice
Although Grenada has been blessed with around 45 picture-perfect beaches, the country’s real treasure remains its lush, green island interior. Deep volcanic lakes, dense rainforests, waterfalls and small river courses form the primordial backdrop of the island’s sugar cane fields and spice plantations. Not surprising that the scent of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg hangs in the air wherever you go on Grenada.

Snorkellers’ paradise in the Tobago Cays
A unique feature of the Tobago Cays is their unspoilt coral reef, known as the “Horseshoe Reef” due to its shape. It keeps the Atlantic swells at bay and is the perfect place for snorkelling. Once back on dry land, you will be treated to a beach barbecue with culinary specialities.

Trip Name
Discovering the Diversity of the Lesser Antilles
Days
11
Overview
Vessel Type: Tall Ship (Sailing) Length: 105 metres Passenger Capacity: 96 Built: 2001 Launched in 2001, Sea Cloud II is a stunning vessel, built along traditional lines, but offering deluxe accommodation. She combines timeless elegance of sailing ships of the past with the highest safety standards and the luxurious comfort of modern cruise ships. Just like her legendary sister ship Sea Cloud, the 29,600 square feet of sails is set by hand which is a truly magical sight. Built to accommodate 96 passengers in five star luxury, she offers a range of beautifully appointed suites and cabins which are furnished with great style. All accommodations have outside views and the bathrooms, in light marble, are unusually spacious and extremely comfortable. The finest, carefully chosen fabrics, combined with leather, rattan and other materials, brass and gold, precious woods and marble together create an impressive ensemble. No expense has been spared to create a sympathetic ambience in both the accommodations and public areas and this is reflected throughout the vessel. Public areas include an elegant lounge, library, fitness centre, boutique, lido bar and hospital. The single sitting dining room is airy and modern and the quality of the cuisine and service will be to the highest of standards, as one would expect on a Sea Cloud cruise. Relax on the Lido deck and experience the natural grandeur of travelling under sail, rekindling memories of a bygone age. Please note deck and suite plans are indicative only and may vary slightly.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 - St. John's/Antigua
St John's is the capital of this small island in the Antilles, a former British colony. From Shirley Heights in the south you have a fantastic view over the English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, an old restored shipyard named after the Admiral. Visit Betty's Hope, a restored sugar mill where "white gold" would have been processed during the island's bitter past. Now sweet black pineapples grow in the gentle rolling landscape around Boggy Peak. The coast is lined with bays and lagoons, dazzling white palm-filled beaches - one for every day of the year - and an almost unbroken coral reef.
Day 2 - Day 2 - Gustavia/St Barthélemy
St Barthélemy, affectionately known as St Barths by most, had already had many "owners" before the Lesser Antilles were acquired by France in 1877. When the first estate was acquired by the banker David Rockefeller in 1957, the island's future was finally sealed. It became a refuge for the international jet set and an elegant holiday paradise for many Hollywood stars. For over 40 years, St Barths has cultivated a luxurious lifestyle with a Caribbean laissez-faire approach. You can stroll through the charming main town of Gustavia, whose beautifully restored houses and colonial facades look out over the sea with its elegant superyachts, browse in the shops for precious items, or enjoy a sundowner in the picturesque harbour surrounded by clusters of high class bars and restaurants.
Day 3 - Day 3 - Basseterre/ St. Kitts
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Day 4 - Day 4 - At Sea
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Day 5 - Day 5 - Cabrits
Dominica, nicknamed the "Nature Isle" of the Caribbean, is one of the most untouched of the Windward Islands. It boasts some of the highest mountains in the Lesser Antilles, as well as many beautiful national parks. Its interior is characterised by thick virgin forest, where rivers plunge into the depths and tiny streams wind through the jungle. Two extinct volcanoes are at the centre of the Cabrits National Park and, recaptured by nature, the former strategically important Fort Stanley appears like a picturesque backdrop in the heart of the jungle.
Day 6 - Days 6 & 7 - Port Elizabeth/Bequia
Bequia is actually the largest island in the Grenadines, but still small and tranquil at just 18 square kilometres (87 square miles) in size. Elegant sailing yachts sway in the natural shelter of Admiralty Bay, while in lovely Port Elizabeth, with its attractive beach bars, you are right in the heart of a lifestyle that likes to take things easy. You can find Princess Margaret Beach just nearby, named because it was once visited by the British royal. On the eastern coast you can find the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary which focuses on rearing and caring for endangered turtles.
Day 7 - Day 8 - St. George's
Beautiful beaches, aromatic spice plantations, dense rainforests, waterfalls and a volcano that has long been extinct, picturesquely towering over this stunningly beautiful island. For many people, Grenada is the incarnation of a tropical paradise and St George's the most beautiful little port in the Grenadines. All around the horseshoe-shaped bay there are numerous houses that remind you of colonial times. There is good reason why nutmeg is immortalised on the national flag. Alongside cloves, cinnamon and ginger, it is one of the island's biggest exports.
Day 8 - Day 9 - Tobago Cays & Chatham Bay/Union Island
Right in the south of the Grenadines are Union Island and the Tobago Cays. Union Island was given the evocative name "the Tahiti of the West Indies" thanks to its volcanic silhouette. Four small uninhabited islands, surrounded by a protective horseshoe-shaped coral reef, form the Tobago Cays. The Horseshoe Reef holds the Atlantic swell at bay and its unique animal and plant life make it an ideal place for snorkelling. The lagoon between the islets shimmers in all shades from turquoise through to emerald green and invites you to take a dip at the fantastic beaches.
Day 9 - Day 10 - Soufrière
Two famous volcanic cones are indisputably the emblem of St Lucia and have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Gros and Petit Piton tower over the southern, windward side of the island and, in Soufrière, seem close enough to touch. The volcanoes have in fact long been extinct, but the sulphur springs demonstrate the power of the earth's core and still bubble up. In the Botanical Gardens, natural abundance is combined with artistic arrangements to create a colourful tropical paradise. Some people claim that Josephine, who later became Napoleon's wife, used to bathe in the little pool in the garden.
Day 10 - Day 11 - Bridgetown
More than 300 years of British rule have left their mark. The whole of Bridgetown, Barbados' historic centre, with its colonial architecture surrounding Trafalgar Square, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gentle green hilly countryside and endless fields of sugar cane characterise the island's landscape. Old colonial houses are reminders of the high life of the plantation owners, while innumerable colourful chattel houses are evidence of their workers' "moveable property". The sweeping coastline is a picture postcard of fine sandy beaches and turquoise sea surrounded by colourful coral reefs.
Day 11 - Please Note:
Itinerary subject to change!

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
15-01-201825-01-2018€4,855GTY Double Cabin
15-01-201825-01-2018€6,555GTY Single Cabin
15-01-201825-01-2018€5,255Category F Upper/Lower Beds
15-01-201825-01-2018€5,995Category E
15-01-201825-01-2018€6,695Category D
15-01-201825-01-2018€7,155Category C
15-01-201825-01-2018€8,395Category B
15-01-201825-01-2018€9,355Category A

Inclusions

    • The natural beauty spots of St Lucia and Dominica
    • Bequia: a sailors’ haunt
    • Grenada – the island of spice
    • Snorkellers’ paradise in the Tobago Cays

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