Set sail on a magnificent cruise, where you will pass island after island, stopover at a new port-of-call each night and you will set out from Martinique and dock in Guadeloupe (all this with no extra airfare charges either). You will be enthralled by the spectacular landscapes, all bathed in dazzling sunshine. Get away for a real change of scene.
Day 1
Transport from Lamentin airport to the marina at Le Marin (just 45 minutes away).
Boarding your catamaran followed by a Ti Punch welcome.
Please note: if you land late in the day, you can have your boat stocked up with the necessary supplies before your arrival by a local tradesman, a cruise-provisions specialist. This will enable you to make a prompt start the following day.
Day 2
Departure from the port of Le Marin and a short 3-hour sail carried by the tradewinds to Les Anses d'Arlet, a pretty little fishing village where the seabed is populated by sea turtles and coloured tropical fish adorn the clear waters...the holiday is already off to a good start! This is also an ideal place to get to know your catamaran.
Take time out on solid ground too: try out a lobster barbecue, accompanied by a locally made Ti punch...
Please note: if you'd prefer a shorter sail on the following day, then you can continue 4 hours further north as far as Saint Pierre, where you can moor off a charming village steeped in local history.
Day 3
Once you've passed through customs you can set sail for the Island of Dominica, 8 hours' sail away. Let the tradewinds off Martinique carry you across the glassy-calm Caribbean Sea, where you will cross paths with playful dolphins which love racing alongside the sailing ships. Next, you will pass along the canal between Martinique and Dominica, where the sea will be slightly fuller and where you will drop anchor near the village of Roseau, the capital of Dominica.
Day 4
A visit to the Island of Dominica is a must:
- visit its local market with an abundance of colourful and tasty fruit and vegetables and the most enticing aromas of local spices
- stroll round the splendid tropical gardens
- take a taxi ride to the Trafalgar Falls and hot mineral springs.
Walkers will enjoy a hike of several hours to Boiling Lake, at an altitude of 1000 metres, inside a crater where the sulphur jets will astonish you, all surrounded by tropical rainforest. Depending on the season you can pick wild grapefruit, avocadoes or mangoes along the route, and don't forget that Dominica's emblem is the parrot, and you only have to look up to see why!
These experiences will always be a colourful reminder of your cruise.
Day 5
Navigation across The Caribbean Sea with the help of the winds off Dominica and 2 hours later you will arrive at the tranquil bay of Portsmouth. Here, local guides will offer to take you up The Indian River in their dugout canoes, to see a different landscape up-close.
Next, heading for Les Saintes, a group of endearing Caribbean islands which are 3 hours' sail from Portsmouth. The main dwelling is at Anse du Bourg, where the doctor's house is built in the form of the prow of a boat! In the evening, a good-natured atmosphere awaits you onshore, with many yachting enthusiasts taking in the sights and smells of barbecues, ti punch, pinacolada...
Day 6
Make the most of the archipelago of Les Saintes, with its numerous moorings situated just off the white, sandy beaches lined with coconut palms and turquoise sea. Take time out to laze around, swim, dive underwater...what more could you ask for?
Day 7
Two options are on the menu at this stage:
- If the tradewinds are strong, it is recommended that you sail further north towards the Cousteau reserve, which is 4 hours away: the underwater diving amongst shoals of multicoloured fish is an incredible sensation.
- If the weather conditions allow, you can take a westerly heading by engine towards Marie-Galante. This is a 4-hour voyage, ending with a mooring near the beaches, followed by a visit to the island, where agriculture is the main way of life: it's like going back in time here, with the famous Labat rum distillery and wooden carts pulled by bulls loaded with sugar cane.
2 hours' sail from here is Petite Terre, where you can visit the nature reserve.
Day 8
A final stopover at Ilet Gosier, sheltered by its coral reef and cooled by the tradewinds, then it's the return to Guadeloupe and back to civilisation.
