Located to the north of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean Sea, Martinique Island belongs to the group of islands called the Lesser Antilles, and within that, to the Windward Islands. It is mountainous, having been formed by a volcano.

Like all of the islands in the Caribbean, it is ideal for tourism, whether you are looking for the white-sand beaches of the south, the black sands of the beaches of the north, the coves where you can go diving, swimming, fishing, visit reefs, discover thermal water springs, walk in the mountains, see narrow passes, enter into wild areas, appreciate beautiful flowers such as lilacs or orchids, or savour tropical fruits, such as coconuts, pineapples, and papayas.

Saint Lucia is a volcanic island with 158 kilometres of coastline. Its highest point is Mount Gimie, which is 959 metres above sea level, but its most famous mountains are the Pitons, whose silhouettes are representative of the region and were the inspiration for the design of its flag. The largest city is the capital of Castries, where more than a third of the population lives. Other relatively important cities are Soufrière, which has sulphur springs and emissions from the volcano Qualibou, and Vieux Fort, where the international airport is located. The climate is tropical and the rainy season lasts from May to August.

Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean Sea, and the largest territory of the country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located between Saint Lucia and Grenada, and is made up of partially submerged volcanoes.

During the 18th century, France and Great Britain disputed over control of the island, and it was ceded to Britain in 1783. Saint Vincent achieved independence on 27 October 1979. The capital is Kingstown, which has 19,300 inhabitants.

The highest point of the island is La Soufrière volcano, at 1,220 m above sea level.
Saint Vincent’s economy depends largely on agriculture; the production of bananas makes up 60% of its employment. International tourism is the other important source of income for the island.

The island of Bequia is the second largest island in the Caribbean archipelago of the Grenadines, with an estimated surface area of 18 km². It belongs to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is approximately 15 km from the capital of this country. Bequia’s capital is Port Elizabeth.

Its main feature is its navy shipyard. Bequia is so isolated that it has maintained ancestral practices in ship construction. In fact, you can observe the fishermen at work; they are the only remaining in the world who still use hand harpoons. But Bequia is best known for whaling, their long-time speciality. Don’t miss the numerous “kitsch” pontoons on the lagoons and the many-coloured Creole houses on the island.
The centre of the island has trees, and offers excellent views of the beaches (covered in fine, white sand) and the clear, turquoise water.

Baliceaux is another of the Grenadines islands which is located between the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent and Grenada. This island was the place where the English army exiled some 5000 Caribs after the fall of Carib Chief Joseph Chatoyer in the 1790s. Half of them died in this concentration camp, while the others were deported to the island of Roatán, Honduras. Today their descendents live as the Garifuna people in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the United States. As a sign of respect, Baliceaux is visited annually by Caribs and Government officials to remember these events.

Despite this, the island has marvellous Caribbean beaches and stunning views.

Mustique, a 5.7-km2 paradisiacal island with a population of approximately 500, is owned by the Mustique Company, which has two hotels on the island, and rents the 89 private villas which are located on the island. Due to its luxury and isolation, Mustique has attracted a fair number of famous people, amongst whom are Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; Mick Jagger; and David Bowie.

Canouan is located approximately 25 miles south of St. Vincent.
A barrier reef stretches the entire length of the island on the Atlantic side. The highest point on the island is Mount Royal. Two bays, Glossy and Friendship, separate the southern side of the island.

There are two main tourist centres on Canouan, Raffles Resort and the Tamarind Hotel, which are a marked contrast to life on the rest of the island. Outside of the two resorts, wild dogs, chickens, goats, turtles, lizards, and bats roam freely.

This is a small island (approximately 1.5 square miles) with a population of around 300, concentrated mainly in Old Wall village located on a high point in the southwest of the island. The village has four bars and restaurants and colourful shops which sell local rum, with domino tournaments and billiards tables. As it does not have an airport and can only be accessed by sea, it is an isolated community.

The island is surrounded by magnificent white sand beaches which are ideal for sailing and snorkelling.

The Tobago Cays are an archipelago comprising five small, uninhabited islands in the southeast of the Caribbean Sea; politically, they belong to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and geographically, they form part of the Grenadine Islands.
They are located in the southern part of the Grenadines. They are part of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, a national park and wildlife preserve; they are located nearby Union, Mayreau, and Canouan islands.

Given its great tourist attraction, the islands are visited by cruise ships, yachts, and various other crafts which transport visitors to enjoy the islands’ beauty.
It is impossible to remain indifferent upon seeing this marvellous natural park.

Petit St. Vincent, known locally as PSV, is an island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines located 40 miles (60 km) south of St. Vincent in the Grenadine Islands. It is composed of gentle hills which are spread over 113 acres (46 hectares) and surrounded by two miles (3 km) of adorable white sand beaches.

The island is privately owned and operates as a resort.

Petite Martinique is an island in the Eastern Caribbean which is part of the Grenadines archipelago and the Commonwealth of Grenada.

It is a volcanic island with a diameter of 1.8 km and an estimated surface area of 2.4 km² (586 acres); its highest point is Piton Peak at 230 m above sea level. The number of inhabitants is calculated to be around 900 people, with a population density of 375 inhabitants per square km. The inhabitants live principally off activities such as fishing and boat repairs.

Union Island is the southernmost island in the Grenadines. It is located 90 kilometres to the southwest of Barbados, and the islands of Carriacou and the mainland of Grenada can be seen from the south.

Clifton and Ashton are the two major towns. There are approximately 3000 inhabitants on the island. The official language is English, but some merchants in Clifton also speak French and German.

The island has a semi-arid climate, as its hills are not high enough to produce the rainfall which transforms the northern coast of Grenada into rainforest.

When slavery was abolished, the people still lived off agriculture and fishing. As a result, many of the men went to sea to work in order to support their families. Union Island was the centre of some political disturbances in the 1970s when a group of residents were in favour of secession from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and joining Grenada, their neighbour to the south. The insurrection was put down by forces of the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

We will stop at Saint Vincent again, as our final destination is Martinique. We will spend just over 4 hours here, but when we arrive at Saint Vincent we will be able to enjoy this marvellous island, moving along its long Caribbean coast.

We will also have another chance to enjoy the authentic Caribbean coastline of Saint Lucia. It is truly a luxury to behold this paradisiacal island.

Retourn to Martinique.