From the Virgin Islands to the Grenadines
Charter Yacht Calliope of Arne will pick you up anywhere from the Virgin Islands, including St.Thomas, Tortolla, St.Maarten, Antigua, St.Lucia, St.Vincent to Grenada
Sailing in the VIRGIN ISLANDS which are partly British and partly American are very popular with novice sailors who want to experience short 'island hops' from 1 to 4 hours.
These islands include:
Norman Island (Treasure Island) which offers good snorkeling in it's Caves where there is a floating bar nearby for refreshments.
Virgin Gorda also offers good snorkeling with an underwater National Park and caves made from incredibly huge boulders. One of the caves was named after Fernando when he first used it for barbecues on charter.
Old copper mines dating from 1837 make for an interesting visit.
The wreck of the Rhone is a popular dive site and surfing in Tortolla is popular in the right conditions.
Fine white sand make up magnificent beaches in both the British Virgin Island and the US Virgin islands
Jost Van Dyke is the home of the world famous "Foxy's" restaurant. This is a hot spot on New Years' Eve and also hosts Foxy's Regatta.
Charlotte Amalie in St.Thomas is the place for shopoholics with it's designer and local stores. It is also a tax free port.
The WINDWARD ISLANDS & The GRENADINES
These stretch 300 miles from Dominica to Grenada where there is some of the best blue water sailing in the world.
From your Charter Yacht in the Windward Islands, you will have the opportunity to: explore old forts, monuments and charming towns which are full of history.
Visit lush rain forests, see wild parrots, walk into a live volcano in St.Lucia, soak in therapeutic hot springs.
Go back in time and sail around the unspoilt Grenadines, enjoy deserted beaches of silky white sand, visit a turtle sanctuary in Bequia . Swim with turtles around the sun dappled dessert islands of Tobago Cays where many colourful, tropical fish can be discovered whilst snorkeling or diving (we arrange diving with local dive operators in the Grenadines). Many wrecks are to be found around the reefs, which are also popular for diving.
Martinique is the largest Windward Island. It is part of France and great for shopping. It also boasts amazing botanical gardens.
Napoleon's Empress Josephine was born here. Her birthplace, now a museum, is a short walk from our anchorage.
The eruption of Mount Pelee which dominates the northern end of Martinique killed all the inhabitants of St.Pierre except a prisoner who was protected by his cell. This cell is now a tourist attraction.
St.Lucia is reputed to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean with it's lush rain forest and spectacular beaches. It is well known for The Pitons (twin peaks) and it's street parties.
The native language is Patua (patois) which is a mixture of french, spanish and english. It evolved from the occupancy of the British and the French who fought over the island for over 200 years.
Dive trips and Diving lessons in St.Lucia can be arranged.
St.Vincent offers some of the best diving in the Caribbean. It is also where the "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed.
The local currency in the Windward Islands is the EC dollar, except Martinique where the Euro is used. The exchange rate is approximately 2.65 EC dollars to I US dollar. The US dollar is widely accepted in all the Caribbean Islands.
The LEEWARD ISLANDS
The Leeward Islands are for seasoned sailors who enjoy long days of open water sailing to include islands from St.Maarten to the lush island of Dominica.
Dutch St.Maarten shares it's island with french St.Martin. St.Maarten is a popular cruise ship stop with a variety of shops and casinos.
St.Martin is very french with many delightful restaurants and quay side open air cafes. Both sides offer scuba diving (See Links)
From St.Maarten we can take you to the unspoilt white beaches of Anguilla, to quaint St.Barts and to discover the small idyllic picture book islands in between. For diving enthusiasts, a sail to Saba would be worth while, weather permitting.
Antigua, St.Kitts and Nevis in the Windward Islands are full of british history. Nelson housed his fleet in English Harbour, Antigua.
"Brimstone" is a vast fort which is still mainly intact in St.Kitts and well worth a visit. Both St.Kitts and Nevis are full of old sugar plantations. The old Plantation Homes are now used as restaurants and hotels.
The volcano on Montserrat is still very active and can be toured by helicopter or viewed at a distance from inspection points.
Go to our Travel Page for links to airlines which fly to the Caribbean
LINKS
Diving in St.Vincent Diving in St.Lucia Diving in St.Maarten
Digg it
British Virgin Islands St.Maarten Tourism Antigua St.Lucia Martinique
Twitter Craigs List
Fernando's cook books
For flights from the US: American Airlines, Delta, Continental, United, Jet Blue
flights from Canada: Air Canada
Inter Island flights: American Eagle, Liat, Caribbean Airlines
Flights from the UK: Virgin Atlantic, British Aiways, First Choice
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