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During our weeklong Caribbean cruise on Windstar Cruises' flagship Wind Surf, which ended April 1, two of the remarkable islands on the itinerary were Guadeloupe (first time for me) and Dominica (which I'd been to on a Silversea cruise in December).
I grouped them together here for a Visual List because they have this in common: They are drop-dead gorgeous.
I particularly enjoyed Îles des Saintes (Isle of Saints), or Les Saintes, which had a distinctive French flair as part of Guadeloupe, a longtime overseas territory. We didn't have time for Pain de Sucre Beach, Grand Anse Beach or a visit to the 19th-century Fort Napoléon. But 10 of us did enjoy a morning "Guadeloupe by Catamaran" sightseeing and snorkeling excursion led by a charming French native who moved to Guadeloupe long ago.
The waters were some of the clearest I've ever snorkeled in, and we spied rich beds of coral along with hundreds of brightly colored fish such as triggerfish, butterflyfish, papillon and even a weird-looking squid (of course, the squid probably thought the same of us). At one point, while getting a little too relaxed lazing in the waters, my mask fell off and a French couple dove beneath the turquoise waters to recover it.
Dominica, too, was enchanting. Not for nothing is it called the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its unspoiled natural beauty, due in part to the 300-plus days of rainfall per year. By the way, Americans typically call it do-MIN-i-ca, but it's pronounced do-mi-NEEK-a.
Have you been to either? Let me know in the comments, and enjoy the photos!
