The Caribbean Under White Sails

It’s 30°C on a November afternoon in the West Indies and the Sea Cloud’s twenty-odd billowing sails are about the only brushes of white in an otherwise brilliantly blue sky.

I am embarking on a seven-night cruise to some of the Caribbean’s most elysian isles. But the Sea Cloud has an additional, more surprising voyage in store for its passengers, one that transports each of us to a bygone age of seafaring elegance. Indeed, this lady of all windjammers could have been plucked straight out of a Patrick O’Brian nautical novel. Its white lacquer cabins are all marble fireplaces, Louis Philippe chairs and golden swan faucets; the timeless décor further accentuated with a smattering of genuine antiques.

Having boarded in the shabby colonial capital of St John’s, Antigua we are currently en route to Moskito Island, the remote playground of business tycoon Richard Branson. We drop anchor in Leverick Bay under the searing glare of the mid-day sun, grateful to cool off in the fresh crystal waters. As we splash about, the crew cook up a succulent barbecue right on the beach. Later, a group of us meander over to the Baths, a cluster of giant granite boulders that form Gaudí-esque grottoes on Virgin Gorda’s sands.

On the islet of Jost Van Dyke, a tropical oasis of emerald hills fringed by blinding white beaches, we while away a sun-soaked day snorkelling and paddle boarding. The next morning we moor in Gustavia, St Barthélemy, known affectionately as St Barth among locals. Here we spend two glorious days immersing ourselves in the island’s tropical topography of soaring mountains, lush botanical gardens and crescents of powder-soft sands.

The sky-scraping peaks of Gros and Petit Piton signal our imminent arrival in St Lucia. These two volcanic cones, brimming with vegetation, guard over the colourful town of Soufrière. Once here, I plump for a trip to the Piton waterfalls. The trek requires a little clambering and scrambling, but when I finally spot the 30-foot cascade pouring out from the jungled crest, the journey feels well worth the effort. As I’ve brought along my swimming gear, I dive into the naturally warm pool and shower under the divine deluge.

The pleasure cruise ends in Bridgetown, Barbados where rum tasting and swimming with turtles awaits.

This travelogue originally appeared in Living Wow magazine issue 2.