Caribbean - K303C Arvia departing 11 Feb 2023

With over 365 beaches, there is a slice of white sand heaven for every day of the year – even a leap year – on the idyllic Caribbean holiday island Antigua. Antigua played host to Admiral Horatio Nelson’s fleet in the late 1700’s. Nelson’s Dockyard now bustles with crew and guests from yachts and cruise ships sailing these waters for pleasure rather than for King and Country. The main port, St John’s, is also the capital and a vibrant hub for shopping as well as being within easy range of some of the best beaches – at Fort James, Deep Bay, Galley Bay and Hawksbill. Almost perfect weather conditions and low humidity, due to the warm prevailing trade winds, allows Antigua to boast of being the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean islands with the lowest annual rainfall. It is also the largest of the English-speaking Leeward Islands although it is only 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. Still, with a population of less than 70,000, this means there are lots of wide open spaces – especially on those gorgeous beaches.

An island with a split personality, this is one of the few places in the Caribbean where the European powers co-existed peacefully. Hence, this lovely island is a mixture of Dutch, French and Caribbean tastes and delights.

Martinique is the Caribbean but with a French accent. This will become apparent when you look for a restaurant for lunch and discover menus that wouldn’t be out of place at the finest bistros. Elsewhere things revert to type with miles of wonderful beaches and crystal clear waters. Take a trip to mont Pelee if you’d care to see the site of the Caribbean worst ever volcanic eruption.

The charms of this, the loveliest of Caribbean islands, are many and varied. Soufriere is the world’s only “drive-in” volcano; Marigot Bay is almost unbelievably pretty and the Creole cuisine is rightly famed throughout the Caribbean.

Barbados is the most British of the Caribbean islands, where cricket is the national passion and afternoon tea a tradition. Yet the flawless skies, lilting rhythms of both speech and calypso and the endless beaches all provide vivid reminders that you are a long way from home. Enjoy a stroll around Bridgetown, the capital which boasts impressive colonial architecture and take a snap of what used to be known as Trafalgar Square.

Barbados is the most British of the Caribbean islands, where cricket is the national passion and afternoon tea a tradition. Yet the flawless skies, lilting rhythms of both speech and calypso and the endless beaches all provide vivid reminders that you are a long way from home. Enjoy a stroll around Bridgetown, the capital which boasts impressive colonial architecture and take a snap of what used to be known as Trafalgar Square.