A portrait of Caribbean destinations: Leeward Islands - island hopping at its best
- How to find us: ****
- Level of difficulty: ***
- Versatility: ****
- Infrastructure: ***
The islands With a north-south extension of over 200 nautical miles, the Leewards are the most extensive and probably the most varied area in the Caribbean. No other area unites so many and so many different island republics - which, however, also involve a lot of inconvenient clearing in and out. Tropical volcanic islands such as Guadeloupe, Dominica and Montserrat alternate with coral islands such as Barbuda and Anguilla.
Some of the densely greened, gently mountainous islands are European in character, such as Guadeloupe, St. Barth, St. Martin and Marie-Galante (all French) or the Dutch Sint Maarten. Others are independent states, such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica or the British-orientated Antigua and Barbuda. The distances are greater here. For crews starting in the north, Antigua is usually the southern turning point, for southern starters the northernmost.
Highlights
The enormous diversity of the region reflects the number of possible destinations: the French islands offer a very attractive mix of Caribbean lifestyle and savoir-vivre. Nowhere is the catering offer and infrastructure better, even croissants and baguettes are available. The volcanoes and rainforest on Guadeloupe, the sophisticated St. Barth - there is something for everyone here.
The somewhat poorer and simpler islands of Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis offer fewer places to visit. The highlight in the middle is Antigua with the historic English Harbour and the many great reefs and bays in the east as well as the endless beaches of Barbuda.
Journey
With Air France or KLM via Paris or Amsterdam to St Martin. Or the cheapest option: via Paris to Guadeloupe. A transfer in London is usually necessary to Antigua. There are no direct flights from Germany.
