The Leeward Islands consist of Anguilla, Sint Maarten (Dutch side) and St Martin (French side), St Barthelemy (St Barths), Saba, St. Christopher (St Kitts), Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua & Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Iles des Saintes (The Saintes), Dominica.
Due to the distance between the Leeward Islands (for example Anguilla to Dominica is approximately 214nm) cruising this area would be broken up into separate cruises, or you can request a Leeward Islands yacht charter one way cruise to certain islands. An example of the cruises are listed below, but please talk to us and we can offer advice on the best way to cruise the region. Currencies vary – please see below for details. It is standard practice that Customs & Immigration fees, bar and beverages are charged additionally when cruising these islands.
St Maarten – St Martin – St Barths – Anguilla – St Maarten
Antigua – Nevis – St Kitts – St Barths – St Maarten
Antigua – Guadeloupe – Iles des Saintes – Guadeloupe – Antigua
Brief Descriptions Of The Islands:
Anguilla
Anguilla has a flat level terrain compared to other islands due to the fact that it is a coral atoll and not volcanic.
Yachts are only permitted to anchor in the main harbour called Road Bay on Anguilla.
You can cruise Anguilla marine park by day and return to the main island each night.
Marine park includes Prickly Pear Island, Dog Island, & Crocus Bay.
Over the past years a lot of foreign investment has funneled into Anguilla with the development of an 18 hole Greg Norman signature designed golf course which is now managed by CuisinArt located on Rendezvous Bay on the east coast of the island.
The islands in the marine park are truly Robinson Crusoe islands with squeaky white sand and azure blue waters surrounding them. Dog Island is the quietest island, whereas Prickly Pear Island receives day trip catamarans every day. Due to the beach bars which are located on this island, it is a very popular daytime spot.
Diving is on man-made wrecks – there are no coral reefs at this location.
Local Language: English
Currency: USD
St Maarten
St Maarten is the Dutch side of an island shared with the French side known as St Martin. The main international airport is located on the south side of the island.
St Maarten is convenient for flights, however it is very built up and populated compared to other islands.
It has a large cruise ship dock at Philipsburg as it is a duty free island.
Yachts normally pick guests up from inside the lagoon at Simpson Bay where a bridge fee is charged.
From St Maarten you can enjoy a great cruise visiting the French side of the island called St Martin, then sail to St Barths where you can enjoy the jet-set crowd from St Tropez, and then sail to neighbouring Anguilla prior to returning to St Maarten for your return flight home.
Local Language: English & Dutch
Currency: USD
St Martin
St Martin is the French side of the island shared with St Maarten.
Even though it is only a short sail away, the north side of the island has a completely different feel to the bustling south side.
Here you will find plenty of world class French restaurants and fabulous shops to visit.
Grand Case is the famous night time spot located on the west coast it is perfect to watch the sunset and then enjoy a gastronomic dinner at one of the many restaurants. This tiny local has one main street which runs parallel to the shore and on both sides of the street it is lined with restaurants, bars, art shops selling paintings and boutiques.
Visit St Martin on your Caribbean cruise.
Local Language: French
Currency: Euro. USD is also accepted.
St Barths
Saint Barthélemy better known as St Barths is often referred to as the St Tropez of the Caribbean due to its beautiful beaches and the clientele that frequent both destinations.
Here you can find chic clothes shops, shops selling exquisite jewellery and excellent restaurants and cafes.
There are two main anchorages for luxury crewed charter yachts in St Barths. The main port is called Gustavia Habour. Here you can moor stern to the dock in the main harbour or anchor outside the harbour, which means that you will have a short ride in the yachts tender to visit the town. In St Barths you are charged a fee even if you anchor, however it is considerably less expensive than mooring in the port.
From the anchorage of Gustavia you are able to visit the main town where you can spend time shopping in the excellent stores, or simply enjoying a morning coffee in one of the many French Cafés, here you can people watch for hours. Our favorite Café is Le Bar de L’Oubli positioned on the main street it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a drink and watch the passers by, you might spot someone famous!
Take a short stroll around the harbour to Shell Beach and you’ll find the perfect lunchtime spot called Do Brazil. Sit in the elevated dining area and you will enjoy both a fabulous gastronomic French lunch but also a great view of this pretty shell lined beach.
If you want to venture further afield and explore the whole island of St Barths you can easily rent a car in Gustavia or negotiate with one of the taxi drivers to take you on an island tour. With transportation you can visit the famous Eden Rock Hotel or Nikki Beach, or one of the fabulous luxury Spas.
The second anchorage is called Anse de Colombier otherwise known locally as Rockefeller’s Beach, this is because the house on the headland which sadly has seen better days, used to belong to David Rockefeller. This bay is located on the north shore of St Barths, however this anchorage is totally untenable if a winter northerly swell is running. This bay is incredibly pretty with a beautiful crescent shaped white sandy beach. Part of the seabed in the anchorage is covered with turtle grass, which means that you will often see turtles swimming in this bay, and if you snorkel in this area you can enjoy watching the turtles feed on the bottom because the water is crystal clear. If you like hiking you can take the trail at the back of Colmbier Beach, this winds around the rocky headland until you come to the beautiful wild beach called Flamands Beach.
Diving is great off St Barths, however because it is a small island you can encounter fairly strong currents.
To experience St Barths to the full you really want to allow a 3 or 4 days to visit this wonderful French Caribbean Island. Your St Barths yacht charter will usually commence in Sint Maarten (Dutch side), you will still have time to explore St Martin on the French side and also visit Anguilla as well as spending some quality time in St Barths.
St Barths is also famous for it’s Sailing Regatta held during the last week of March called the St Barths Bucket. This regatta attracts superyachts, yachts that are over 100 feet in length that will race around the island for the prestigious winners cup. At night Gustavia Harbour comes to life with bands playing live music during this event.
Local Language: French
Currency: Euro. USD is also accepted.
Saba
Not many crewed charter yachts visit this destination.
The island of Saba has no beaches and rises very steeply from the seabed; hence it is very hilly.
Due to this yachts can only pick up a mooring buoy, it is too deep to anchor.
Conditions have to be very settled in order to visit this island.
The best way to visit Saba is to extend your vacation and to fly in for a few days after your cruise.
Diving is great off Saba, however it is for the experienced diver due to strong currents.
Local Language: English
Currency: USD
St Kitts
St Kitts is the largest island of two islands that form the country of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Until recent years St Kitts citizens still farmed sugar cane.
You can stop by one of the old plantation houses for lunch and take a ride on the only operating steam train in the Caribbean.
Watch out for the African Green Monkeys, you’ll be sure to see some when you visit the plantation houses.
To the south of St Kitts from an area called White House Bay to the peninsular is a new luxury marina & villa development called Christophe Harbour. The luxury deep water marina has now been built utilising an existing salt pond, and a trendy new bar on White House Bar called Salt Plage is now in full swing. Here you can sit back and enjoy a dramatic Caribbean sunset whilst watching your luxury yacht at anchor in the bay.
St Kitts is blessed with two golf courses, the Royal St Kitts Golf Club which is now part of the Marriott Hotel development, and a brand new course called Kittitian Hill designed by Ian Woosnam which is located in a new villa development on the east side of the island. There are plans for a golf course at Christophe Harbour however this has not been built yet.
The local currency XCD is referred to locally as EC$ Eastern Caribbean Dollar. At banks the fixed rate of exchange is 2.67 to $1 USD.
Local Language: English
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar
Nevis
Nevis is a smaller island that lies to the south of St Kitts and is under the same jurisdiction.
The beaches of Nevis are beautiful and the island is less crowded than St Kitts.
There is an excellent Four Seasons Hotel on Pinney Beach on the west side of the island which also has a world class golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones.
Montpellier Plantation House is a great place to explore where you can enjoy lunch or dinner and just down the road is the spot where Admiral Lord Nelson married Lady Hamilton.
There is a stunning botanical garden on Nevis which is well worth taking time to visit.
If you are feeling energetic you can hike to the top of the dormant volcano with the assistance of a local guide.
There are African Green Velvet Monkeys living on this island.
Take time to explore this wonderful island, either by taxi on an island tour or hire a car and drive around the island.
The local currency is the XCD referred to locally as EC$ Eastern Caribbean Dollar. Banks give a fixed rate of exchange which is 2.67 to $1 USD.
Local Language: English
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar
Montserrat
Sadly the beautiful island of Monserrat has suffered in recent years due to its active volcano which erupted in 1995 and enveloped its capital Plymouth.
You can still visit Montserrat, however only part of the island is now accessible.
You can take a helicopter ride over Monserrat from nearby Antigua which will fly over the semi-dormant volcano.
Montserrat also has a beautiful botanical garden that you can visit. The gardens were established in 2005 with the assistance of the famous Kew Gardens of London, after the original gardens located in Plymouth were destroyed by the volcanic eruption.
The local currency XCD is referred to locally as EC$ Eastern Caribbean Dollar and offered at banks at the fixed rate of exchange which is 2.67 to $1 USD.
Local Language: English
Currency: Caribbean Dollar
Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua is sometimes referred to as the home of Caribbean yachting.
Yachts tend to pickup charters from either Falmouth Harbour or the adjacent English Harbour.
English Harbour is famous for it’s Nelson’s Dockyard where there is a small museum and the famous Copper & Lumbar Hotel.
International flights fly into Antigua so it is a good starting or finishing point for your cruise.
Green Island is located on the windward side of Antigua, it is a nature lovers paradise. This tiny uninhabited island offers a variety of pristine white sandy beaches, and is home to many rare species of birds and surrounded by crystal clear waters.
Barbuda lies to the north of Antigua, and it differs geographically because it is a flat coral atoll. It is blessed with beautiful white sandy beaches and the island’s Codrington Lagoon is the breeding ground of the Frigate Bird.
For non-sailors you can easily spend 7 nights cruising around Antigua exploring the different bays and anchorages.
For sailors you have the opportunity to join your charter yacht in Antigua and then sail to the neighbouring island of Guadeloupe and Iles des Saintes prior to returning to Antigua.
Alternatively you could commence your charter in Antigua, sail to Nevis and St Kitts, visit St Barths and then depart your yacht from the neighbouring island of St Maarten.
The local currency XCD is referred to locally as EC$ Eastern Caribbean Dollar. At banks the fixed rate of exchange is 2.67 to $1 USD.
Local Language: English
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar
Guadeloupe
The French island of Guadeloupe lies south of Antigua it is a great island to visit enroute to Iles des Saintes.
Deshaies is a small fishing village to the North of the Island and there is an excellent botanical garden (Jardin Botanique de Deshaies) located here that is within walking distance of the anchorage.
Pigeon Island half way down the west coast of Guadeloupe is home to the Cousteau National Park, where diving is excellent.
The French cuisine on Guadeloupe is outstanding so it is certainly worth a trip ashore for lunch or dinner.
Local Language: French
Currency: Euro. USD is also accepted.
Iles des Saintes
The Iles des Saintes are French islands that lie just south of Guadeloupe are often referred to as the St Barths of 30 years ago.
The two islands are small and very quaint; you can explore the main island of Terre d’en Haut by moped which you can hire locally.
There are great restaurants on the island at a fraction of the cost of St Barths.
The islands terrain is quite rocky and barren compared to the neighbouring Guadeloupe, because no rivers or waterfalls are present on Iles des Saintes. However it is a great destination to visit, it’s like stepping back in time strolling up the old high street and watching the local fishermen bring their catch home.
Local Language: French
Currency: Euro. USD is also accepted.
Dominica
The mountainous Caribbean island Dominica is not visited by many crewed charter yachts.
It has two main anchorage areas one to the north west of the island called Prince Rupert Bay in Portsmouth and the second one in the southwest called Roseau, this is also the capital of Dominica.
Dominica’s interior is one of tropical rain forests.
The island is rich with waterfalls, rivers and lots of fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables.
Horse riding is available in Dominica.
Diving is excellent around this Caribbean island; here you find walls due to the step drop-offs around the island.
Dominica is famous for it’s whale watching. Due to the sheer underwater drop-offs surrounding Dominica these deep sheltered bays along the western coastline are the perfect haven for the Sperm Whale to breed and calve.
Dominica is the only country in the world where the Sperm Whale resides all year long, although sightings are most common between November and March.
An island tour with a local guide is certainly recommended if you visit this island.
The local currency XCD is referred to locally as EC$ Eastern Caribbean Dollar. At banks the fixed rate of exchange is 2.67 to $1 USD.
Local Language: English
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar
