LESSER ANTILLES: LEEWARD ISLANDS

Antigua and Barbuda

Virgin Islands

Guadeloupe, Saint Barths and Saint Martin

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Anguilla

Netherlands Antilles

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

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Antigua and Barbuda are independent islands since 1981 and are placed to the east of Saint Kitts and Nevis and north of Guadeloupe. The country includes Antigua and Barbuda islands, and Redonda, a little island to the southwest. They have a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 27ºC (80,6 ºF) and are surrounded by coral reefs.
Antigua has largely rolling hills on a limestone base from reefs that grew to cover an original volcanic outcrop on the colliding crusts of the Caribbean and Atlantic tectonic plates. And as a coral-based island, the sand is bright white and its beaches are supreme, like Carlisle beaches and the ones at the English Harbor just to mention two of the 365 beaches Antigua is best known for. Besides the beaches, it is mainly open land and has little forest, and is also known as a major Caribbean yachting port.
Barbuda, formerly called Dulcina, is a level coral island just 40 km to the north of Antigua. Its sole town is Codrington, near the inland lagoon where the largest colony of frigate birds in the Caribbean lives. It has a hunting reserve of deer, asses and razorbacks as well as ducks and doves. And though it is quite hard to imagine, the island has even better beaches than its larger sister. The best beaches are along the southern shore, where there are a couple of hotels, and in the west, which is relatively remote.
Redonda, to Antigua's southwest, is a rocky and uninhabited islet.
St. John's is the capital city of Antigua and Barbuda. Situated to the northwest of Antigua, at a creek of the Caribbean Sea, is an important commercial center and the main port of the island. Between its numerous attractions there are the Courthouse constructed in 1747, Fort James's ruins dating from 1703, the Anglican cathedral of San Juan from 1834, and its picturesque houses and back streets as well as the colorful street market where visitors can buy fresh products. The island's traditional tourist hot spot is Dickenson Bay, just north of St. John's.

SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

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Saint Kitts and Nevis are volcanic and mountainous islands and have a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 27ºC (80,6 ºF). Mount Liamuiga ( 1,156 m ) is St. Kitts's topmost point. Nevis is separated from its twin island, St. Kitts, for a little strait called The Narrows. St Kitts and Nevis have been united politically since 1882 and became independent from Britain as the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis in September 1983.
Basseterre, at the southern zone, lies in the lee of the mountains on the Caribbean waterfront and was founded by the Frenchmen in 1627. It is an important deep-sea seaport and the capital of the Federation since 1983. Over the hill from Basseterre is the island's tourist heartland: Frigate Bay, with beaches on both coasts (Atlantic and Caribbean side), where visitors can practice water sports and inland activities such as golf among others.
Nevis's loveliest feature is its plantation house hotels and the beautiful black and white sand beaches among which Pinneys Beach is the main one, with protected waters, reefs and short lagoons surrounded by palm trees where to swim or dive. Its biggest city is Charlestown, where good shopping can be done.
Scuba divers can enjoy themselves at the lost city of Jamestown, covered by the sea during a tidal wave in the 16th century. There is also excellent walking in the island's rainforest, and all around visitors will see the beautiful blackened stonework of the past in the walls, bridges and churches, like San Juan Church constructed in 1680 at the small town of Fig Tree, with cemetery dating from 1862.
The fishing of mackerel, bonito and grouper among others is abundant at the island's outskirts.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

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The British Virgin Islands are a group of 50 islands but only 16 of them are inhabited. The main islands are: Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Peter Island and Salt Island. With the exception of Anegada, which is a flat island, the rest of them are mountainous.
Tortola is the biggest island and at the southeast coast is Road Town, the archipelago's capital. Centrally located on Tortola's north side, Cane Garden Bay is probably the busiest and one of the most beautiful beaches of the Virgins. Also there are excellent snorkeling opportunities at Smuggler 's Cove.
In Virgin Gorda, the most well-known attraction are The Baths, giant boulders or batholiths brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions, which are scattered about forming a beautiful grotto and tranquil pools. An for sight lovers, a tower on Virgin Gorda's highest peak enhances the breathtaking and dizzying panorama.
And there are a lot more of interesting places in the British Virgin Islands, as J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens established in 1986 with a beautiful array of indigenous and exotic flowers and plants, in addition to the tropical birds; and the famous RMS Rhone, a mail ship that went down in a hurricane in 1867, featured in the movie The Deep and one of the most popular dive sites nowadays.

The Virgin Islands of USA comprise the islands of St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and some 50 islets (mostly uninhabited) and keys. They have a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 26,7ºC (80 ºF). The bigger islands are mountainous, with irregular coasts and excellent ports, and are surrounded by coral reefs. The vegetation is exuberant and varied.
Most of the islands, cays and jutting rocks that make up the territory are clustered around the island of St Thomas, which is the busiest cruise ship harbor in the West Indies and where the capital of the US Virgins, Charlotte Amalie, is located. This city, also known as Saint Thomas as this was its official name from 1921 to 1936, reflects the island's international heritage, with Dutch doors, Danish red-tile roofs, French iron grillwork, and Spanish-style patios.
Charlotte Amalie is known for its delightful shops and patios, winding streets and historic sights like Fort Christian, constructed in 1671 by the Danes. Also the Virgin Islands Museum and the Tillet Gardens Arts Center are interesting places to visit.
St. Croix is the most populated island of the US Virgins, and has two big cities: Christiansted, in the east, and Frederiksted in the occidental tip.

ANGUILLA

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Anguilla is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. A few miles north of the French side of St Martin and around 200 miles east of Puerto Rico, is a coral formation with numerous bays, salt ponds and amazing beaches of pearl white sand. It is 16 miles long and between one and three and a half miles across, so is because this elongated form that was given its name meaning "eel". Its highest point is Crocus Hill (213 feet) and has a number of uninhabited offshore cays.
Around 1564 a French expedition arrived to the island, firstly inhabited by Amerindians. Almost a hundred years later the British settled here and became shipbuilders, sailors and fishermen as the dry climate made farming impossible. Is a British dependency since 1980, when the country abandoned the alliance St. Kitts- Nevis- Anguilla.
It has a small number of excellent and architecturally striking hotels and as mentioned before, it has beaches of outstanding beauty, like Shoal Bay and Meads Bay, and an active night life, mainly in Sandy Ground, a coastal area filled with popular restaurants, bars and dance clubs.
Today water sports are one of the main attractions of the island. Diving in some of the government-protected dive sites, snorkeling and sailboat racing are enjoyed by islanders and visitors alike. But for visitors who want an inland activity and are interested in Anguilla's history, the Heritage Collection in East End is a very interesting place to visit.

GUADELOUPE, SAINT BARTHS AND SAINT MARTIN

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Guadeloupe is an oversea department of France, and comprises two main islands: Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, and minor islands like Marie-Galante, La Desirade and the archipelago of Les Saintes.
The main city and the economic center of the department is Pointe - à- Pitre, although the department's capital is Basse Terre, at the same name's island.
The South of Grande Terre has impressive beaches, one of them is St. François, situated at the east coast, once upon a time a populated fishing village that has turned into a tourist zone with several deluxe hotels in the resent years.
The archipelago of Les Saintes possesses only two inhabited islands, being Terre de Haut one of them. This island was inhabited by Breton fisherman that did not mix up with the performer inhabitants, so its actual population has an European appearance rather than the Creole - African mix characteristic of other Caribbean countries. The fishing continues to be the principal activity of the island.
Guadeloupe offers a great opportunity to see the beautiful marine life of the Caribbean by snorkeling, scuba diving or glass-bottom boat touring as is the Jaques Cousteau's Underwater Reserve home.
St Barths (officially named Saint Barthélemy) lies about fifteen miles south east of St Maarten/St Martin and is a mountainous island of extraordinary beauty. It has a strong French air and is as famous for its outstanding beaches as for the celebrities and millionaires that usually spend time there. Gustavia is its capital and was named after Gustav III, the Swedish King at the time of the lease, though the Swedish heritage is barely visible any more. There are a lot of interesting activities to be done and tourist can enjoy a very good shopping and excellent food in a completely safe island.
Saint Martin island has two different sides, the French half called Saint Martin and the Dutch half called Sint Maarten, but anyway there are no customs checks on the border between the two sides and visitors are allowed to travel freely throughout the island. The French side has amazing beaches with white sand. Its capital is Marigot, where visitors can enjoy not only good shopping but the traditional Creole cuisine at the local bistros.

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

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The Netherlands Antilles are composed of two groups of islands. The group placed in the South comprises Curaçao and Bonaire, and the second group, some 800 km to the northeast comprises Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten which is the southern half of the island that the Netherlands share with France (French half is called Saint Martin).
Saba, an island without beaches, is located in the topmost point of the arch formed by the Lesser Antilles. Surrounded for little peaks, the central cone of the enormous volcano Mount Scenery that has remained extinct for 5,000 years can be reached via a difficult hike through the rainforest. The island possesses four principal cities: Leverock ( popularly known as The Bottom ) is the capital, Windward Side situated at Monte Scenery's southeast slope, St. John's Flat and Hell's Gate. There are great opportunities to practice snorkel and scuba diving at Saba National Marine Park, Well's Bay and Third Encounter.
St Eustatius, also known as Statia, scuba divers are drawn to explore a hundred sunken ships, and others come to climb the Quill volcano and see the lush forest growing from its crater. In Oranjestad, its capital, there are interesting historical places as Fort Oranje, the Dutch Reformed Church, and the St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum.
St. Maarten has great places for snorkeling and diving as St. Maarten Nature Foundation's protected marine park, or sailing at Simpson Bay Marina. It has beautiful beaches, such as Mullet Bay beach and Cupecoy Beach. St. Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, where shoppers can enjoy the stores on Old Street and Front Street and an active nightlife.