Lesser Antilles

An arc of eastern Caribbean islands from the Virgin Islands to Grenada, with volcanic peaks, white-sand beaches and French and British flavor, the core waters for Caribbean cruises and sailing.

The Lesser Antilles are a chain of islands along the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea, curving south from the Virgin Islands to the coast of Venezuela. They belong to more than ten countries as well as British, French, Dutch and US territories. They are usually divided into the northern Leeward Islands (the Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Antigua, Guadeloupe and others), the southern Windward Islands (Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada), Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, and the ABC Islands off Venezuela (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao). Highlights: Saint Lucia's twin Pitons and sulfur springs; Dominica's rainforest, waterfalls and Boiling Lake; the French Creole culture and rum distilleries of Martinique and Guadeloupe; Antigua's 365 beaches and Nelson's Dockyard; Barbados's English flavor and rum; Grenada's spices and underwater sculpture park; the Grenadines as a sailing paradise; and the luxury resorts of St. Barts and Saint Martin. Common ways to visit are an eastern or southern Caribbean cruise (7–10 nights, calling at 4–6 islands), a chartered boat or sailing tour, or a week-long stay on one or two islands. Regional airlines such as LIAT and ferries connect the islands (including L'Express des Îles between Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe). Entry rules and currencies (Eastern Caribbean dollar, euro, US dollar) vary from island to island. Buy travel insurance if traveling during hurricane season.

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