A portrait of Caribbean destinations: Windward Islands - the island dream

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The area stretches almost 180 nautical miles from Martinique to Grenada. This is one reason why many crews only manage to sail part of it, even if they are travelling for 14 days. The windwards from Martinique are practically exactly in the direction of the northeast trade winds typical of the Caribbean. This means that on the way back, you are travelling against the wind - unless you start in Grenada. However, you are almost always travelling in leeward conditions, so higher swell and wind jets are usually only found between the islands. If you want to see every island, you have to clear in and out several times during the trip.

St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada are each independent states. In St Lucia and St Vincent, there are occasional thefts and yacht robberies. Fortunately, these are usually concentrated in a few hotspots (north of Soufrière, Kingstown, Bequia). Before setting off, it is best to check the latest reports from the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, which will give you a good idea of where to watch out.

Highlights

The tropical, lush volcanic islands of St Lucia and St Vincent are among the most scenic in the entire Caribbean: densely greened, steep mountains, unforgettable in the form of the Pitons off Soufrière. Bequia is also a little gem before you dive into the world of the small islands in the Grenadines and Tobago Cays. There are great anchorages there. Dream beaches with turtles circling around the yachts are the order of the day. Martinique is definitely worth a visit to one of the island's many excellent rum distilleries.

Journey

Very good and cheap connections to Martinique are available with Air France, in some cases for less than 1000 euros. Since the coronavirus pandemic, some of these have even been available without the annoying, time-consuming change of airport in Paris (Charles de Gaulle to Orly). Grenada is also served directly from Germany by Condor, but only once a week, so seats are limited.

What crews should know about the country, people and cruises in the Caribbean

A brief portrait of other Caribbean destinations:

• The British Virgin Islands - the Caribbean bestseller
• Leeward Islands - island hopping at its best
• Bahamas - endless sea of islands
• Belize - coral reefs and magic holes
• Cuba - Caribbean as it was 50 years ago

Caribbean cruise: The most beautiful harbours and bays in the British Virgin Islands