Favourite Islands Part 4: Martinique to Grenada

These are the Windward Islands and when sailing south, Martinique is the point where you no longer have to sail east to make the next island.  Who said Caribbean sailing was all gentle breezes behind the beam?!  At least from here on down the chain there's a good chance the wind won't be hard on the nose.

This is the final instalment in my little island series - here's the one that started it all off.

Martinique

Approaching Martinique is much like walking into a tropical greenhouse - you can smell the flowers from a couple of miles off the island, especially at the end of the dry season when it seems just about anything that can bloom is showing off its most spectacular colours.  Visiting Martinique is like stepping into a heady mix of first world France on vacation in the Caribbean.  The island has just about every convenience and if you like shopping this is the place to come.  Also, if you have a French boat as we do, this is the place to find all those unique little requirements that are hard to source elsewhere.  Le Marin is huge and much like the lagoon on St. Martin offers services of all types and chandleries with direct supply lines to France.  The island of Martinique is a delight but is most easily explored by car on excellent European-signed roads.  Highlights include the volcano of Mt. Pelee, many rum distilleries and a banana museum, Fort de France - a bustling city, the mountainous interior region and we have particularly enjoyed hiking on the east coast.  The best thing about Martinique are all the anchorages starting with St. Pierre in the north, many little Anses around Fort de France and then Ste. Anne and Le Marin in the south.  Even if you don't speak French, the locals are friendly and will help out with quite a bit of English.

     Love:  Lorraine beer, cheap wine, great cheese, pain chocolat for breakfast

     Hate:  (apart from the effect on my waistline) There's really not much to dislike about this place - I suppose when you're trying to get a repair done, the French-Caribbean working hours are difficult to accommodate.  We use the mantra, "But of course, we are French."  Most trades work 9 to 12, 2:30-ish to 5, Monday - Friday and sometimes Saturday morning.  Also, if you use propane make sure you are well-stocked before visiting the French islands since you can only buy butane cooking-gas here.

St. Pierre nestled under the heights of volcanic Mt. Pelee.

Hiking the dizzying slopes of Mt. Pelee.

Fort de France - back to all the mod cons.

Night time concert at Fort de France.

The southern beaches and anchorage at Ste. Anne.

Christmas eve night in Ste. Anne and there's standing room only outside the church.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is an independent island that has developed quite an infrastructure to support cruise ships and resort visitors.  After Martinique it feels a bit like visiting the wild, wild, west and in fact we have found there is even country music sometimes playing on the radio.  Rodney Bay at the north end is where most cruisers congregate and there is a good marina and boat yard with associated services here.  If you ran out of propane in Martinique because you stayed too long, this is the place to fill up (or to prep on the northbound voyage).  There are restaurants to please every taste and some of the best Indian food we have eaten down here.  However, it's not cheap so plan your visit accordingly.  In fact we find that St. Lucia is one of the most expensive islands to visit since prices are geared with cruise-ship and resort vacationers in mind.  On the flip-side, staying in the marina is affordable and a great place to take a little break.  Marigot Bay with access to the Capella Resort if you stay on a mooring is a delightful visit and we use this as our arrival and jump-off point to the south.  The south end of St. Lucia is dominated by the magnificent and iconic Pitons.  Many people do stop off in these southern anchorages but we prefer to view them from afar and avoid the clamour of the boat-boys.

     Love:  The ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) arrives in Rodney Bay in December and we loved the crazy energy of the place as these long-distance cruisers arrived.

     Hate:  It's hard to walk down the street without being asked for a hand-out.

Rodney Bay - another big anchorage where cruisers congregate.

Buying fruits & veg from one of the boat boys - just check everything for bugs and roaches cause they love to live in that canopy!

Gros Islet feels like a town out of the wild west, right down to the horses on the street.

Beautiful tiny Marigot Bay.

Sunset behind the palm trees.

Hiking here is straight up the mountainside!

Sailing to the iconic pitons.

Sunrise over Petit Piton.

St. Vincent & The Grenadines

St. Vincent (the big island) and the smaller islands of The Grenadines - Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Union Island and many little islets scattered in-between make up this nation.  We have not yet visited the big island of St. Vincent due to security concerns so Bequia is the first stop we make here when heading south.  We check CSSN regularly when cruising throughout the Caribbean and especially when in this area.  It is unfortunate since we have heard that the island of St. Vincent is magnificent, much like Dominica.  While some visit the island, most take a miss preferring not to take the risk of being the "one" vessel that ran into a bad guy on a particular night.  The island of Bequia has taken the cruising community to heart with many small businesses and restaurants all gathered around the end of large Admiralty Bay which makes this a delightful place to stop and visit.  The islands south of Bequia are unique in their various attractions and spaced apart to make day-hopping a pleasant activity.  Mustique - an expensive private island and resort for the rich and famous.  Canouan - another resort island with a dodgy reputation so we haven't visited (yet).  Mayreau - so small you can walk around the entire island but big enough to support a surprising number of bar/restautant establishments.  The Tobago Cays - turquoise, Bahamian-like waters full of turtles.  Union Island - we like Chatham Bay on the west side where you really get away from all the hustle and bustle.  All these islands have spectacular palm-tree lined white-sand beaches and look like they were plucked off a postcard.

     Love:  this is what you dreamed the Caribbean would look like

     Hate:  the unstable and corrupt government that has led to the security problems 

Bequia - Admiralty Bay from atop Peggy's Rock with 'Jetman' as our guide.

Bequia - Friendship Bay and the whaling station. 

Mayreau - Righteous & Da Youths bar.

Mayreau - Saltwhilstle Bay

From Mayreau - looking out over the Tobago Cays.

Tobago Cays - Petit Tabac and absolutely clear turquoise waters.

Sundowners in Chatham Bay on Union Island.

Grenada

Grenada is our chosen destination for hurricane season (August to November) and as such has been our home for about three months of the year for the last couple of years.  We've had a chance to get to know Grenada up and down the island but spend most of our time on the south shore.  Before getting to the big island however, there is one more island to visit that is geographically part of The Grenadines, but politically belongs to Grenada rather than St. Vincent.  Carriacou is our gateway to this southern island and is a great place to get away from the busy-ness of Grenada during the season.  This little place is where time tries to stand still and if you haven't seen the movie Vanishing Sail, I highly encourage you do so.  Grenada, on the other hand, is a busy, vibrant island full of cruisers, university students, ex-pats and locals.  The cruising social scene really heats up in Prickly and Mount Hartman Bays but there are plenty of quiet little anchorages where you can safely tuck yourself away if you prefer a more peaceful sojourn.  Weekly shopping buses, Saturday Hashes, cooking classes, yoga, fitness, volleyball, loads of great haul-out facilities and boat services mean that Grenada is strongly competing with Trinidad as the place to stay or leave your boat during the hurricane season.  We like to kick off our stay in Grenada in August with the annual Spicemas - a week-long party in St. George's that celebrates Grenada and all things Carnival.

     Love:  the friendships and camaraderie of Grenada and the Grenadians

     Hate:  heat and humidity - why do we come so far south at this time of the year!

Beautiful Secret Harbour on Mt. Hartman Bay - our home in Grenada.

There are so many waterfalls on Grenada to visit - Concord is one of the easiest to get to and most popular.

Volleyball kept us busy at Secret Harbour.

We managed to play a round of golf too.

Carnival time and the ladies are in high gear with the sequins and glue guns.

Old and young - all love to parade in costume.

Jouvet morning and we're ready to party.  Who knew we'd make friends with young med school students!

The frenzy that is carnival.

Jouvet is all about the paint - we're heading for the communal wash-down next :-)

Every Saturday afternoon there is a Hash somewhere on Grenada.  We were lucky enough to be there for the 900th - 900 organized runs on this tiny little island!

Bring on the dotty potty for the birthday celebrations - there's always a reason to have another beer after the Hash.

Hash buddies - ON ON!

Well, there you have it.  These (and the ones in my preceding posts) are all the islands that we have come to know and in some cases love over our travels of the past two years.  We still feel that there is much more to discover but we are starting to get a measure of these places.  Have we found an answer to the question, "What's your favourite island?"  Perhaps not, but we definitely have favourites (plural):

     St. Martin - duty-free boat parts

     Antigua - great round-the-island cruising grounds

     Dominica - abundant nature

     Martinique - France in the Caribbean

     Grenada - home away from home

... oh wait - can I add more? - it's too difficult to choose!!

Our explorations are so enriched by these guide books - don't leave home without them!

Name the country!

And of course - Cheers to all the friends we've made along the way.

Favourite Islands Part 3: Saba to Montserrat

Moving on to the inner arc of the Leeward Islands:   these are rugged, more sparsely populated islands that are primarily of Dutch and British history.

Here's the first instalment and second instalment of this series if you missed them.

Saba
We first fell in love with Saba (The Unspoiled Queen) when we visited by plane on our initial sailing trip to the Caribbean in 2008.  Since then we have sailed there once in 2012 and visited by plane again in 2014.  Saba has a well-earned reputation for being a difficult place to visit with your own boat:  the island is steep-to which means that anchoring is pretty much out of the question unless you carry about a kilometre of chain.  There are lots of mooring balls but unless you get to visit in a dead calm with no northern swell, you will not want to spend much time on the boat.  But, that's the reason we visit Saba.  We want to get off the boat and explore this pristine and quaint little island that appears to have stepped right out of Gulliver's Travels.  You can hike to the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the top of Mt. Scenery, or you can dare the near-vertical descent of the The Ladder to relive history and the path of absolutely everything that came to Saba prior to construction of the port.  We adore hiking on this island and for a long time called Saba our favourite.  Now there are rivals but it will always hold a special place in our hearts.
     Love:  a tiny encapsulated island where you're certain everyone knows one another
     Hate:  the reputation of the anchorage puts people off

Saba rarely reveals it's crown

The little village of Windwardside perched on the saddle

The Ladder - with the Customs House perched above.

St. Eustatius
We only visited Statia for the first time this year and really enjoyed it.  This is another island with a rolly anchorage if there is any north swell.  Our first impression of this island is that it is much like Saba with it's Dutch history only rougher round the edges - there's a certain 'outback' kind of feel to Statia.  This was once a huge busy port but is now a sleepy backwater that sits under the presence of Quill, it's dormant volcano.  The main town is lined by weathered clapboard houses along cobblestone streets with small signs of improvement in places.  We have climbed Quill and explored it's micro-climate crater but have yet to branch out to other areas of the island.  We will definitely return for more of this friendly laid-back isle.
     Love:  this history of this place
     Hate:  another rolly anchorage makes long stays in the winter months difficult

Oranjestad overlooked by Quill

Many choices for hiking in the park

Quiet streets of Oranjestad.

St. Kitts
We visited St. Kitts in 2015 on our way south and have to say that this island did not leave a really good taste in our mouths.  There are some great sights to see and Brimstone Hill Fortress should be visited at least once - it is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in the Eastern Caribbean.  However, after driving around the entire island and spending a couple of days on the streets of grubby Basseterre we never really felt welcomed to the island.  This is the only place where I have been acutely aware that I was the only white person in sight.  I will give St. Kitts it's due that this was the first 'new' island we visited as we started our travels south and perhaps now that we have experienced more of the British heritage islands (Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada) perhaps we would have a different opinion of St. Kitt's.  There is also no really good anchorage with easy access to town so you have a choice of either a rocky, rolly anchorage at Basseterre or being miles from town but more protected down at Whitehouse Bay
     Love:  Brimstone Fortress (too bad it's not on another island)
     Hate:  the feeling of being an outsider

The Circus in bustling downtown Basseterre

Beautiful batiks at Caribelle.

Brimstone Hill with Telca Marina below.

Brimstone Fortress - a formidable defence structure.

Nevis
Nevis is paired with St. Kitts as a dual-island nation and yet couldn't be more different than her neighbour.  It helps too that we have friends with a cottage on Nevis and so we've been treated to a 'local' view.  However, the island has a great mooring field within easy reach of the main town of Charlestown, the population is laid-back and friendly and the island has some great history and geology to explore.  As with all these islands, it can get rolly here with a north swell.  Nevis was once the largest sugar-producing island in the Caribbean for the Brits so there are umpteen old ruins to explore, there's some good hiking and Nevis Peak is said to be one of the most difficult Caribbean volcanos to ascend (we have yet to do it.)  This is also one of the few islands where you will find monkeys (the locals consider them a pest) but for those of us who don't have to live with them, it is quite exciting to see them in the wild bounding through the trees or stopping to screech at you from the branches above.
     Love:  this island is just the right size
                - small enough to be accessible but large enough to still offer a challenge
     Hate:  there's no real dinghy dock at the town dock

Welcome to Nevis!

The town square - a great place to lime under the Flamboyant tree.

Church ruins - some of many on the island.

Love em or hate em, there are monkeys on Nevis.

Montserrat
Montserrat is a unique experience in that it is the only island with a currently (and sometimes violently) active volcano.  The volcano has been erupting since 1995 and has now completely destroyed the original capital city of Plymouth and rendered about two thirds of the island uninhabitable.  People come to Montserrat to view the awesome power and destructive capability of Mother Nature but there is much more to discover on this island.  From the northern anchorage at Little Bay you have little indication of what you will see south of the Central Hills but this really gives you a sense of the resiliency of those islanders who have remained on Montserrat - rebuilding and carrying on with their lives.  The northern part of the island encapsulates a wide variety of landscapes from rugged cliffs, dry scrubby savannahs to lush rainforest in the mountains.  Hike around, take the bus or lime at a local watering hole to get a real feel for this island before gawking at what we've all come to see - the eruption of Souffriere Hills volcano.  If you manage to get to Montserrat in March, you will have a unique experience with St. Paddy's day celebrated among the most Irish influenced, Guinness drinking islanders.
     Love:  incredible contrast and the power of nature
     Hate:  when people miss the rest of the island, and when the tour guides encourage them to do so!

The anchorage at Little Bay with a small surf rolling in.

We were lucky enough to catch a local cricket game - boy was it dry that year!

The north end of the island from atop the lush Central Hills rainforest.

Looking south - to the destruction at Plymouth.

One thing all these islands have in common is that most of them have small anchorages that are prone to roll when there is a northern swell.  If possible, visit them as late in the season as you can to reduce the risk - perhaps on the way south in the April-May timeframe if you have heading south for hurricane season.  The rewards are worth it though as these islands are quite distinct from the other more populous islands and a world apart from the French islands.

One more instalment to come - the Windward islands down to Grenada.

Favourite Islands Part 2: Anguilla to Dominica

Still on a quest to see if we can figure out our favourite East Caribbean island - here's the second instalment.  Here's the first instalment if you missed it.

Anguilla
Just a scant 6 miles north of St. Martin, Anguilla is a low-lying limestone island that is quickly making a name for itself with high-end boutique resort and villa tourism.  There is one main anchorage on the north side, Road Bay, and a number of small fishing harbours scattered along the coast.  Getting to the shoals and islets that lie along the north shore is an expensive proposition (extra cruising permit required) and is really only enjoyable in calm weather.  We have been to Anguilla twice and both times have enjoyed the island more by car than for its water-based activities.  The history of Anguilla is quite interesting with their relationship with Britain and we enjoyed speaking to a passionate local historian and learning a bit more about this island.  The locals are friendly, understand tourism and there are many opportunities for great eating.
     Love:  Small and easily accessible by car
     Hate:  Not much to do if you don't have a car

Road Bay is the main anchorage

The little museum makes for an interesting diversion.

Fishermen bring in the catch at Scilly Bay.

Sint Maarten / St. Martin
Sint Maarten (the Dutch side) the mecca of all things boating related and it's island neighbour St. Martin, the first of the French islands.  The two halves are so different and yet exist so well side by side.  We come to Sint Maarten to do boat work, buy stuff for the boat and have stuff easily shipped from the States.  We then go and drop the hook on the other side and enjoy a much more relaxed stay with all the benefits of the French territory.  The lagoon is one of the most amazing features since by dinghy we can access so much on both sides.  We love playing on St. Martin with friends since there are many great bars and restaurants, pretty beaches and usually so many assembled cruisers that just hanging out on each others' boats is a great time.
     Love:  You can get anything you need for your boat here
     Hate:  This island is BUSY!!

A parade of boats entering Simpson Lagoon under the lift bridge on the Dutch side.

Mega yachts and big sailboats - all part of the scenery.

On of our favourite hangouts - Lagoonies.

On the French side, the fun little town of Marigot with the lagoon in the background.

Ladies of the tourism office dressed in traditional Creole costumes.

St. Bart's
We haven't spent a huge amount of time on St. Bart's but what we have felt here was that we could be in the French Riviera.  High end shops and boutiques, a charming little gallic town, well dressed residents and visitors - this place exudes luxury.  Anse Colombier at the north end of the island is the perfect stop-over spot with free mooring balls and beautiful clear waters.  We've heard that this is THE place to be on New Year's Eve.
     Love:  Perfect for a short visit
     Hate:  The anchorage at Gustavia (we stay in Colombier.)

The pretty little town of Gustavia is wrapped about the inner harbour.

This is probably the only real Louis Vuitton shop in the Caribbean.

St. Bart's is one of those islands with a crazy little airport - just look at this approach!

Antigua & Barbuda
Two islands ...

Barbuda is one of the most isolated, barren islands you will have the pleasure of visiting.  Miles and miles of white sand beaches, the scantest population, an interesting topography with an inner lagoon, relatively flat island, rising to low cave-studded cliffs overlooking the Atlantic.  Visit in the winter months and you will be amazed by the Frigate Bird nesting colony - it is a sight to see!  Plan on being there in calm conditions and with a well provisioned fridge so you can stay a few days.  This is the place to achieve your inner peace.
     Love:  Peace & serenity
     Hate:  Water-taxi ride or a long wet dinghy ride to get to Codrington

The beach on Barbuda - really, there is nothing here!

Except of course the Magnificent Frigate bird - you have to go see them.

Antigua is the complete opposite - this is a busy island and in the winter months hosts a number of top-notch regattas.  What is amazing about Antigua and sets it apart from most other islands is that with its extensive reef and island system, you can find anchorages on all sides of the island.  After the hustle and bustle (and regatta party time) in Falmouth and English Bays on the south side, heading around to Nonsuch Bay on the east side is much like turning the clock back to some untold time, or instantly finding yourself on vacation.
     Love:  Multitude of cruising opportunities
     Hate:  Don't let vendors confuse you with USD vs. ECD - that's a 270% ripoff!

No charge, just stand on the beach or the cliffs and watch these incredible speed machines race for the start-line.

The colours of the water fill the spectrum of blue.

Lots of resorts on Antigua - this is a high-end one on Long Island at Jumby Bay.

Catch some wind action on the east coast at the kite school on Green Island.

Back in Falmouth, the Classics are lining the docks.

    
Guadeloupe
The biggest of the French islands and the seat of the Antilles Administration offices.  It is not however the most 'French' of the islands - it is the most 'Creole'.  Here you get the most in-depth feel for the French Caribbean and the island-style cooking is delicious.  Guadeloupe is made up of two bridge-joined islands, each with a very unique character.  There are also a number of outer islands including Marie-Galante and Les Saintes.  There is so much to see and do on all these islands, many rum distilleries to visit, ruins - old forts - history galore.  Point a Pitre (the biggest but not the capital city) is a gritty working class place with great energy in the daytime, not sure I'd want to be out on the streets after dark.  One of our favourite hikes of all time is on the south-west end of the island - Souffriere Volcano.
     Love:  Diversity - so much choice
     Hate:  Difficult and sparse anchorages, language can be an issue if you have no French.

Pointe a Pitre on Guadeloupe is a totally cosmopolitain city.

But the outdoor market is still the place to get the best fruit and veggies.

Ah - what's not to love about French Creole cooking.

Welcoming you to Les Iles des Saintes - the doctor's house.

Learn your history of the pivotal Battle of the Saints at Fort Napoleon - this one didn't go so well for the French.

Wander the quaint streets of Grand Bourg des Saintes.

Dominica
Ah, the nature island.  Dominica is like finally getting to the cottage for that long anticipated summer wilderness vacation.  Everywhere you go on Dominica is like walking through a tropical nature conservancy or a garden.  Take your pick - literally.  Fruit drips off the trees, lemon-grass grows everywhere, the farmers will give you roots from their gardens.  The lush forests that cover most of this island, clinging to the steep slopes of nine volcanos make for the most excellent hiking along the Waitukabuli National Trail.  Some of the friendliest people you will meet live on Dominica and hiking along the roads involves a multitude of stops along the way just to lime with the locals.  It's irie mon!
     Love:  Getting in shape - hiking on Dominica / PAYS organization in Portsmouth
     Hate:  Breaking my personal rule here to write more than a short phrase because this is a complex topic.  When we first visited Dominica we saw poverty everywhere.  To our North American eyes, these people lived in poverty.  What we now see is a population that lives close to nature.  No-one is starving on this island.  There are some individuals who are poorly clothed and wander the streets but there is usually an underlying issue of physical or mental illness and we see this every place we visit, including back home in Canada.  What has created the greatest need on Dominica was Tropical Storm Erika that devastated the island in August 2015.  Villages and roads were wiped out and people lost everything they owned. So I guess what I 'hate' about Dominica is actually my own interpretation of what I see on the street and I really need to get over myself.

Dominica is rugged, green and wet.  Magnificent waterfalls carve their way through the landscape.

The Waitukubuli National Trail encircles the island in 14 segments.

Following the trail and getting close to nature.

From the largest tree...

To the shiest bird...

To the power of Mother Nature in the Valley of Desolation, you can see it all on Dominica.

And then finish it all off with some delicious hand-made chocolate.

So that's instalment two - stay tuned as we look at the inner Leeward Islands from Saba to Montserrat.