Caribbean: Santo Domingo to Antigua

Arrive at Santo Domingo Island, which is part of Hispaniola. Santo Domingo, the present capital of the Dominican Republic, is the first and oldest European-founded city in the New World. "Old" in the New World still means relatively young - it corresponds to Renaissance visions of the ideal and was the model for many cities in Latin America. A visit to the historic old city is like a journey through time. The splendid stone buildings are testament to the era of the colonial conquests and have been designated as World Heritage Sites under the protection of UNESCO.

During the sugar boom of the late 19th century, La Romana developed into a lively working-class city and eastern sugar center. The third largest city in the Dominican Republic now has many faces. The streets are laid out in a grid formation with colorfully painted houses. Between these and the golf courses and luxury villas of the prominent Casa de Campo flows the Rio Dulce, which runs into the sea. Native Taino art plays a large role, both in the city's archaeological museum and in what is perhaps the country's most beautiful cave, Maravillas. This was a cult site for the native Taino people and lies 35 meters below ground. The numerous cave paintings are more than 1,000 years old and have been exceptionally well preserved.

Enjoy this day offshore, relaxing and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean breeze up on deck.

Discover this wonderful spot in the Sir Francis Drake Channel where explorers and privateers historically crossed swords. Nowadays the sea around the British Virgin Islands is one of the world's best sailing areas. Heavenly bays, gorgeous beaches, idyllic anchoring spots, smart yacht clubs, and charming little beach bars make the island a popular haunt for sailors. On Virgin Gorda, once called "The Fat Virgin" by Columbus due to its shape, you can find "The Baths", one of nature's most beautiful oddities, in the National Park. Ground to a sphere and polished to a shine, the huge granite formations on the beach and in the water create a multi-branched labyrinth of giant boulders.

Jost van Dyke, the smallest of the main islands in the British Virgin Islands, is a mountainous volcanic object of beauty with fewer than 300 inhabitants. One of them, Foxy, has been mixing his cocktails since 1968 and the bar of the same name enjoys a legendary reputation as perhaps the most famous beach bar in the Lesser Antilles. The island's past is less reputable - it was named by a Dutch pirate. The island gives its most beautiful treasures to all who visit - fine sand, green palm trees, colorful beach bars, and the luminous blue of the sea.

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 harbor surrounded by clusters of high class bars and restaurants.

Arrive at St. John's, the capital of the small island of Antigua in the Antilles, and disembark after breakfast for your continued independent journeys.