The Leeward Islands are a part of the northern section of the Lesser Antilles islands of the Caribbean. Anguilla (18 15N, 63 10 W) is the most northerly of the cluster, and Montserrat (16 45 N, 62 12 W) the most southerly, and they dot the surface of the ocean in an arc shape, reflecting their geological origin at the meeting point of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. Some now separate islands appeared as a single landmass during the last Ice Age, when the sea level was lower.
Anguilla is a flat coral and limestone island about 16 miles (26 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide. Total area is roughly 35 square miles (91 sq km). Its population is approximately 14,000, concentrated in the island’s capital, The Valley. There is little farming as a result of the poor soil. The economy is based on tourism, and offshore banking and financial services.
Taken together, the Dutch and French areas of St Martin total about 33 square miles (87 sq km), with a population estimated to be in the region of 80,000. Philipsburg is the Dutch region capital, while Marigot is the major settlemt in the French area. Pic Paradis is the highest peak at 1380 ft (420 m). There are no rivers, and the island was valued by early colonial powers for the sake of its salt ponds.
Antigua is 14 miles (23 km) long and 11 miles (18 km) wide, with a total area of 108 square miles (280 sq km). Its highest point is Boggy Peak, 1319 ft (402m). Barbuda, by contrast, is a flat coral island of 68 square miles (176 sq km). The combined population of Antigua and Barbuda is approximately 68,000, and the nation’s capital is St. John’s.
The islands of St Kitts & Nevis have a combined area of approximately 100 square miles (260 sq km) and a population of around 50,000. The capital, Basseterre, is on the island of St Kitts, which has three ranges of volcanic peaks: the Mount Misery Range, the Verchilds Rage and the Olivees Range. Its highest peak is the dormant volcano Mount Liamuiga, 3,790 ft (1,156 m). The sea channel between St Kitts and Nevis is about two miles (3 km) wide.
Montserrat is about 10 miles (16 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide. Like St Kitts, its interior is mountainous and volcanic.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
7 hours ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
22 hours ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
5 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.