Caribbean: Antigua to Barbados

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.

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.

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 characterized by thick virgin forest, where rivers plunge into the depths and tiny streams wind through the jungle. Two extinct volcanoes are at the center of Cabrits National Park and, recaptured by nature, the former strategically important Fort Stanley appears like a picturesque backdrop in the heart of the jungle.

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 colorful tropical paradise. Some people claim that Josephine, who later became Napoleon's wife, used to bathe in the little pool in the garden.

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. Horseshoe Reef holds the Atlantic swell at bay and its unique animal and plant life make it an ideal place for snorkeling. The lagoon between the islets shimmers in all shades from turquoise through to emerald green and invites you to take a dip along the fantastic beaches.

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 immortalized on the national flag. Alongside cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, it is one of the island's biggest exports.

Bequia is actually the largest island in the Grenadines, but still small and tranquil at just 18 square kilometers (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.

More than 300 years of British rule have left their mark. The whole of Bridgetown, Barbados' historic center, with its colonial architecture surrounding Trafalgar Square, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gentle green hilly countryside and endless fields of sugar cane characterize the island's landscape. Old colonial houses are reminders of the high life of the plantation owners, while innumerable colorful 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 colorful coral reefs. Disembark and return home individually.